Premium rate numbers

If you're calling a financial service firm's customer service helplines to ask for assistance or to complain, you soon won't have to use a costly premium rate number under a crackdown by the regulator.

MSE update: Friday 12 June, 10.47am – since this story was published, Vodafone announced that from 10 August, its new access charge for 08, 09 and 118 calls will be 45p/minute, up from the 23p/minute charge it will be bringing in from 1 July. This will make Vodafone the most expensive provider in terms of its access charge.

Callers who've rung BT's 118 500 directory enquiries number since September 2011 could be due a refund after the firm was found guilty of not making prices clear and keeping customers on the line for too long.

Calls to numbers starting 0800 will be free from all phones under proposals published by Ofcom.

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to end unfair bank charges and help victims of excessive fees get them back in their 'manifesto for consumers'.

Premium rate phone numbers are to be outlawed across the NHS, the Government has announced.

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning for a shake-up of customer service standards in Britain, including free calls to helplines.

An increasing number of people do not know what return they are receiving on their savings, a survey shows today.

We're often told to call our credit or debit card provider before setting off on our travels to ensure our plastic is not stopped abroad.