Premium Line Phone Numbers

The petition is entitled abolish Premium line numbers as these can be another source of rip-offs and scams and the explanatory notes say

"I think this goes without saying.."

Premium-rate phone numbers can indeed be annoying. This is why, if I have to phone a company who wants me to ring them on an 0870 number, I look at Say No To 0870 to see if I can find a normal number to ring them on.

In general, one does not have to ring premium-rate numbers; one chooses to. We all know that they can be more expensive, furthermore, Ofcom makes it clear that where it's more expensive than a national number to call the 0870 number, they have to tell you so, for free, at the start of the call.

If one then chooses to give the company money, I cannot for the life of me see why the government should stop one.