Banks, airlines and other businesses which can be contacted only through expensive 0870 numbers may have finally met their match.

With many companies publicising only overpriced national-rate numbers, angry consumers have been forced to fork out up to 9p a minute compared to just 3p for a call to a normal landline.

But no longer - thanks to an ingenuous website set up by a retiring government computer expert.

The website www.saynoto0870.com provides disgruntled consumers with thousands of cheap alternative phone lines so they can avoid dialling exorbitant national-rate numbers.

With up to 10,000 visitors a day, it is proving a big hit with money-conscious consumers and helping them save a total of £1million a year off their phone bills.

Set up five years ago by an incensed computer expert - who will be identified only as Daniel - from his Lancashire home, the website lists more than 5,000 alternative numbers to expensive 0870 lines.

A quick search on the site shows that HSBC's customer services 0870 0100453 can also be contacted on 0121 2144569 or even by freephone on 0800 772233.

Ticketmaster's information and booking line 0870 4000700 can also be reached by ringing 0161 3853500.

Calling 0870 on weekdays costs users between 7p to 9p, with charges up to 40p for mobile phone users, while calling a normal landline number costs on average just 3p a minute.
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