Normally, to register a vote for a reality TV show, you need to dial a premium rate number. Yet the website Free2call promises to let you vote for free, or just at local-call cost, as advertisers pay for your vote.

Go to Free2call and find the specific 03 type number for the person you’re voting for. The plan is it’ll start with X-Factor then add other shows as they air. Voting hasn’t started for the X-Factor yet, so no numbers are displayed.

03s are a relatively new number range, that do not generate revenue for the company called, and cost exactly the same as local calls. Plus if local calls are included in your free minutes, then these 03 numbers will be free too.

Once you’ve dialled the number you’ll listen to a 15-second advert. After that, the service will route your call to the actual X-Factor number where you should hear confirmation that your vote’s been registered. Wait for this announcement to ensure your vote’s counted.

If lines are shut – indicating you’re too early or too late to vote – you’ll hear an engaged tone.The cost of the more expensive routed call to X-Factor is paid for by Free2call with the revenue generated by its advertisers.

This is a brand new site which won’t fully launch until the first X-Factor live voting show, so is still untested. Certainly the concept should work, though until the first voting week it’ll be impossible to tell.

The telecoms regulator Ofcom says the service is compliant with relevant rules, though X-Factor is very keen to point out this isn’t an official route to take to place votes and it has nothing to do with it. Free2call is admant votes will be placed directly with the show; it is simply playing the middle-man and transferring your call. http://free2call.tv

Via moneysavingexpert