Directory enquiries warning after £17.50 local call
PICTURE POSED MY MODEL Close-up view of a woman talking on a mobile phone. The cost of calling mobile phones from other networks and landlines is set to become cheaper after Ofcom imposed a reduction in charges. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 15, 2011. See PA story CITY Ofcom. Photo credit should read: Dave Thompson/PA Wire
A Derry councillor says people should avoid external directory enquiry services after a local family was charged £17.50 for a telephone call to the local tax office.
Sinn Fein’s Tony Hassan says the family were left staggered by the cost of the call.
“I received a call from a constituent very concerned about the cost of a phone number they used to contact the Tax Office in Derry about an issue they had .They were staggered that the cost of their phone call was £17.50 ,the cost per minute was £1-52 per minute,” he said.
“I contacted the tax office by letter looking for clarification on the issue .They have now replied to state that this is not the direct number for making contact and the number used is run by an external directory enquiry service company which links callers up with different businesses and agencies.
“The number for the Tax office is 0845 302 1481. I would urge anyone using external services to check out the cost first. On many occasions people find it hard to get the number for various agencies and when someone provides a service that gets you the number quickly and a direct link up it can be very handy .But ultimately like in all things it can come at a cost.”
Colr Hassan says he would urge “anyone looking for contact numbers for the various statutory agencies to ring their local community or welfare rights office who would have extensive lists of such numbers.”
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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