Clampdown On Misleading Web Ads

Regulators will clamp down on adverts on Google, Gumtree and other websites which trick people into paying £1.50 a minute to ring free services such as NHS Direct or benefit helplines.

Government watchdog PhonepayPlus last month fined one premium rate operator £100,000 for plugging its "housing support line" on Gumtree and Loot, which promised to help find "DSS friendly" private rentals for people on benefits.

"Complainants were left on hold for periods and asked questions which significantly lengthened the call duration. Once these questions had been answered, consumers were then given a list of numbers for estate agents, which on further investigation had no connection to DSS friendly landlords."

PhonepayPlus fined London & Southern Housing for misleading consumers "into believing that they were offering advice and information which was not publicly available. In fact, this information was available from the DSS itself at a significantly lower cost."

Until recently Google listed several NHS Direct links above the official NHS Direct website. In one case, consumers were directly connected to NHS Direct at £1.02 a minute.

"Complainants stated that promotional material on the provider's website, medhelpline.co.uk, misled them into dialling the premium rate number believing that it was the actual number for NHS Direct."

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