Tesco VOIP - VAT overcharges!

Omnitrix

Tesco had been charging me the full 17.5% over the 15% period(1st Dec 2008 to 1st Jan 2010)!
I only noticed the other day when checking my online account, I double checked and got all the VAT receipts and every one i was charged 17.5% and not the 15%.
I phoned them(Tesco)after i had checked everywhere on their site about the reduced VAT and could not find a thing.
The first phone call was short 'Oh you'll have to speak to a manager tommorrow, we're busy'.
I Phoned again a couple of days later and said i need to speak to a manager.'Why's that' Seems that i've been charged 17.5% in the period of 01/12/08-01/01/10.
After a good 15 minutes later of holding on the phone, i got 'well you got a reduction in your fee that you pay'. After i asked where did it say all this and in black and white, i got 'It's not anywhere'.

I checked with HRMC to confirm the protocol, and they sent out to every company the change of VAT to 15% for that period. You would think a company as big as Tesco would have changed to the reduced rate, though not so, and now HRMC are intrested in me being charged the old rate and not the reduced rate it should have been.
And there have been a few companies out there doing the same, and pocketing the 2.5% over that reduced VAT rate period.
Double check your bills, receipts etc.....If need be phone HRMC to check.

Buzby

Firms were given flexibility into how they could cope with the change. For example - pre-paid mobile users were still charged the same £10/£15/£20 top up fee (which included VAT at 17.5%, BUT the network gave an additional 2.5% increase in talk time for the same money - on the face of it, the VAT rate didn't change, you just got more for your money.

Tesco's service may well have done the same - so you would need to check what was provided now (and before the reduction), and what was provided during - there should have been a small financial benefit.

Unless you required 'proper' tax invoices, they did not have to ensure your bills showed VAT was at 15% for the duration, so you may be getting into a tizz about nothing.