Alternatives to 0870 Telephone Numbers
Type in the 0870 number you want to find a lower cost replacement for and click "search" or use the 0870 links below to find an alternative to your 0870 phone number.
Phone numbers beginning with the 0870 code are referred to as "service numbers" and can cost 11p and up per minute to call from a landline and over 50p per minute to call from a mobile so you will be well-advised to find an alternative to these non-geographic 0870 phone numbers if possible.
Due to the fact that these 0870 telephone numbers can generate revenue for the company being called it means that these numbers are often used for premium services such as:
Want to say no to 0870 call costs? The cost of calling many 0870 numbers has more than doubled since the government released new guidelines on premium-rate telephone lines. Many 0870 numbers, which can cost up to 40p a minute from a BT landline, were deregulated by the government in 2005 and companies such as Friends Reunited and broadband providers like A&A and AOL use them to make their products appear cheaper than they are.
DDUK (0844 561 7867), 888sport (0871 280 7288) and Compare Holidays (0845 218 0506) have all increased the rates for their 0870 number after being acquired in recent months by larger organisations.
For example, DDUK's premium rate service is now 21% higher than it was before its acquisition by French company Debitel in September. Telnet, the trade body for the telecommunications industry, says that regulation is now needed to protect consumers. A spokesperson said: 'The government needs to act now if it's serious about protecting consumers' - it's time for consumers to saynoto0870! However this will not come into force until 2009 and companies are now free to increase their rates without fear of prosecution.
Soaring phone bills have led some people to cut out or greatly reduce calls to 0870 numbers but there is no easy way round the problem as all 0870 numbers include a prefix which means they can only be called from landlines. The majority of mobile networks also block them altogether. Or you can use services like Alternative Telephone Numbers to say no to 0870 call costs.
It is only possible for customers with BT Broadband to call an 0870 number for free by dialling it between 8pm and 6am or on Saturday. To avoid the majority of 0870 numbers, consumers should use price comparison websites such as uSwitch which list landline telephone numbers that are charged at local rate.
Aer Lingus (0871 277 0004), Eurostar (0844 518 6186), National Express (0845 600 7245) and First Great Western (08457 000 125) all provide local-rate 0871 numbers, while airlines like easyJet (0843 104 5000) use 0990 prefixes instead of an expensive call to an 0870 number. The Alternative Telephone Numbers database will help you reduce phone charges and say no to 0870 call costs.