to think there should be a law against companies which exist solely to fleece people?

[LadyBiscuit]

I've lost my child benefit number and I need it so I looked online to get the phone number for the CB office.

At the top of the Google search, there are a number of sponsored links. Each of them are privately owned companies where you call a premium rate number and get a recorded message giving you the phone number of the CB office. And for that they charge you £1.50.

That's not a legitimate business enterprise is it? It exists solely to rip people off. They are called things like 'Child Benefit Customer Helpline (Need to speak to a Child Benefit advisor? We have the phone number)' and 'Customer Service Numbers (Child Benefits telephone number. Speak to an advisor by phone now.)'. So they sound fairly legit and it's very easy to call them because it's the first thing on the page that says Child Benefit Helpline

Can't they outlaw these fucking waste of space people?

I needed my CB number last week. I sent them an email with my details and a week later a letter arrived with my number on it. Took a bit longer than a call but cost me nothing.

To be fair the website is extremely clear, they are providing a service and there are plenty of people who'd rather spend £1.50 to get a number than trawl the internet looking for it.

The service is OPTIONAL! you didnt have to take them up on the offer of £1.50 for the number

Obviously i'm not affiliated with this company before OP says it! :)

I didn't take them up on it. It's just the principle which narks me. It just seems such a shit premise for a business 'we have a concept developed to rip off people'.

I dunno, just makes me really sad :(

I would say most businesses are there to 'rip people off' :) Tesco must laugh all the way to the bank charging £1.20 for a loaf of bread costing them literally pennies.

You could make that loaf yourself at home... OR pay the convenience fee of having it done for you...

Obviously if they didnt tell you what the service was then thats a problem. But the company seems upfront in their service, and you either take the service or dont same with anything from a hotel room, or a tin of beans. Look at the price, look at what you get for the money and then decide if you want it or not.

To come on and say there should be a law against them, and "Can't they outlaw these fucking waste of space people?" seems a bit just becuase YOU dont want to use them

First sponsonred link goes through to this page

Clearly designed to catch people out who aren't paying attention and just skimming for the phone number...

Really the problem is with Google, taking money to hijack a search in this way!

But they're not providing anything that isn't easily available for free. They aren't any easier to use than scrolling down the page - they're just ripping off those who don't really know what they're doing when it comes to the internet - the elderly and the low paid I expect.

Oh well, I'm clearly an oversensitive soul who thinks setting up a business purely to fleece the poorest and most vulnerable is immoral

I'm with you, LadyBiscuit. These sites are exploitative.

I always make sure the site I'm using is a '.gov' one. They are always free and (usually!) accurate.