'Free' items that you actually pay for by premium rate phonecalls

[solidgoldbrass]

So an advert offers a 'free' something, but to get it you have to ring a premium rate number: is this legal? ANd do people order stuff this way (if the item is worth about the cost of the phone call anyway - we are not talking a 20p spatula for a $5 phone call).

Yes its legal. Shitty but legal.

Is it shitty if the cost of the phone call is about what the item is worth anyway? Or would it be more ethical just to say Order Your Whatsit Now, phone this number, nothing to pay but cost of call...

Sounds like those "scratch cards" that drop out of every other magazine - invariably, you "win" but have to call a special number @ £1.50 a minute, calls will last no longer than 3 minutes, prize guaranteed to be of equal or greater value... if the "prize" is genuinely "worth" the cost of the phone call, I wouldn't have a problem, but suspect that for a £4.50 phone call you get a watch that retails @ £2.99 or less in your local corner store.

Hmm. Will do my best to make sure that if it goes ahead it's reasonable and not misleading then... (ad is going to be for a book of rude stuff plus free gift ie lube/condoms).