Striking a blow for the poor old consumer....

[mint]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2190096/Credit-card-surcharges-premium-rate-phone-lines-consumer-rights-revolution.html

And not before time.

HMRC might now find it unproductive to keep sending me tax returns (after acknowledging that I no longer need to fill them) and multiple demands for fines for late returns.

I think the b******s are just after the phone fees they receive when I ring now and again when I can no longer put up with the increasingly bullying tone of their communications.

[NormanH]

It would be nice if there was also a ban (in France) on tacite reconduction whereby contracts are automatically renewed unless you specifically remember to cancel them, sometimes as much as three months before the end.

[Chancer]

The proposals are contained in a Consumer Rights Directive that will introduce the same rules across the European Union.

Ha!!!!!! That one really made me laugh [:D] [:D]

Although to be fair some of the practices outlawed have not been prevalent in France.

I bet the passport office will retain their premium rate lines though.

[Chancer]

The proposals are contained in a Consumer Rights Directive that will introduce the same rules across the European Union.

Ha!!!!!! That one really made me laugh [:D] [:D]

Although to be fair some of the practices outlawed have not been prevalent in France.

I bet the passport office will retain their premium rate lines though.

[idun]

Sweet17, have you tried 'say no to 0870' to get a number for HMRC.

 

And thanks Chancer, I need to write to the passport service and will mention this.

[mint]

Id, it's not so bad as an 0870, just 0845 but that's bad enough because I have a pre-paid package for over 60 countries worldwide but, of course, that doesn't include these fancy numbers.

Anyway, have had 2 letters yesterday from them:  nothing to pay and no more talk of fines.  Didn't like it at all though when it was ongoing for over 5 years.

[idun]

I had quite a bit of calling HMRC at one point from France and I always found a useful number on that site instead of the 0845 numbers. If I tried 0870 or 0845 numbers with my french contract, I couldn't always get through.

[Frecossais]

When we were at our house in France recently, we kept getting these "cold calls".  At first it was a real person talking and I just said, "Can you say this in English please?" The call would immediately be cut short.

Then we noticed that some calls were automated. If the phone was picked up, then a recorded message would begin. I'd just hang up.

But a French friend told me that these calls are premium rated, and that the person on the receiving end, (me) is billed for answering the phone.

Can anyone tell me whether this is true.

[Pickles]

[quote user="Frecossais"]When we were at our house in France recently, we kept getting these "cold calls".  At first it was a real person talking and I just said, "Can you say this in English please?" The call would immediately be cut short.

Then we noticed that some calls were automated. If the phone was picked up, then a recorded message would begin. I'd just hang up.

But a French friend told me that these calls are premium rated, and that the person on the receiving end, (me) is billed for answering the phone.

Can anyone tell me whether this is true.

[/quote]

It is not true: it is an urban myth.

[Frecossais]

Thank you Pickles. I had thought of doing what my MIL used to do to cold-callers: say, "Hold on a minute", stuff a hanky in the mouthpiece and leave the phone off the hook for a while. Might try it  now.