UK Government helpline is 69p per min+VAT for PASSPORT assistance

jno

From
http://ukinaustria.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/contact-consular

If British passport applicants in ..... are unable to obtain the passport information they require from the passports section of this website they will be able to contact the Passport Information Helpline for assistance. For applicants please call +44 208 082 4724 between the hours of 9:00 Monday to 18:00 local time Friday (24 hours service). Calls will be charged GBP 0.69 per minute + VAT for the duration of the call (telephone service providers will also charge for the cost of the international call). Please ensure you have your credit card details ready before calling.

Anyone know a cheap geographical alternative?

Equaliser123

That is a website for the embassy. The call routes back to the UK and the call charge represents the call charge from Austria.

It IS a geographical number.

Owain_Moneysaver

This is a paid-for 'consultancy' service - "Please ensure you have your credit card details ready before calling" and the charges are made against your credit card. It doesn't matter how you call the number (VoIP, Skype, etc): they will answer the phone and not talk to you unless you give them your card number.

However I thought it was illegal to quote VAT exclusive prices to consumers...

wealdroam

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

However I thought it was illegal to quote VAT exclusive prices to consumers...

I'm not sure what the law about this is in Austria.

Are you?

derrick

jno wrote: »

From
http://ukinaustria.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/contact-consular
Quote:
If British passport applicants in ..... are unable to obtain the passport information they require from the passports section of this website they will be able to contact the Passport Information Helpline for assistance. For applicants please call +44 208 082 4724 between the hours of 9:00 Monday to 18:00 local time Friday (24 hours service). Calls will be charged GBP 0.69 per minute + VAT for the duration of the call (telephone service providers will also charge for the cost of the international call). Please ensure you have your credit card details ready before calling.


Anyone know a cheap geographical alternative?

+44 208 082 4724, this is shown in international form, dial 020 8082 4724, this is now a geographical number if dialled from the UK, i.e. one beginning 01/02/03, and will be charged as such.

glider3560

derrick wrote: »

+44 208 082 4724, this is shown in international form, dial 020 8082 4724, this is now a geographical number as dialled from the UK, i.e. one beginning 01/02/03, and will be charged as such.

As stated in previous posts above, the 69p per minute is not the cost of the call. You have to give your credit card number when you call, from which they deduct the 69p per minute.

davetrousers

Are you in Austria? And why did you remove the in Austria bit from the text (that I've conveniently put below)?

Passport enquiries

With effect from June 2nd 2009, all British passport telephone enquiries will be handled by Careline Call Centre Services at +44 208 082 4724. If British passport applicants in Austria are unable to obtain the passport information they require from the passports section of this website they will be able to contact the Passport Information Helpline for assistance. For applicants in Austria, please call +44 208 082 4724 between the hours of 9:00 Monday to 18:00 local time Friday (24 hours service). Calls will be charged GBP 0.69 per minute + VAT for the duration of the call (telephone service providers will also charge for the cost of the international call). Please ensure you have your credit card details ready before calling.

What a bizarre post by the OP!!!!

Weirdlittleman

Why shouldnt people pay for advice they need. Far better than expecting everyone else to pay for services they will never need.

If you can afford to travel/live in Austria you can afford 69p a minute when you need a replacement passport.

jno

Weirdlittleman wrote: »

If you can afford to travel/live in Austria you can afford 69p a minute when you need a replacement passport.

I thought this was supposed to be a money saving site, not a forum for making remarks about expats (who may just actually promote the UK overseas in the interests of those who live there) and how if one lives in Austria they are somehow automatically rich. Maybe I should vote BNP next time?

My issue here is the extra added expense charged by the FCO for those wishing to obtain a passport abroad, hence the request for information in order to make it slightly cheaper. Who else out there calls the government and expects to be charged 69p a minute for information? I understand this is a consulatncy service, but it is a rip off.

Thank you for all the information posted, this was for information regarding a newborn.

Equaliser123

Weirdlittleman wrote: »

If you can afford to travel/live in Austria you can afford 69p a minute when you need a replacement passport.

Very strange comment.

Heliflyguy

You think thats a rip off.
If you are applying for a visa to visit or live in the UK you pay an amount based on a set exchange rate published by the visa agency so for instance if the visa you want is £100 and you are Thai they convert that at the rate 52 Thai baht to the pound so you will need to pay 5,200 Thai Baht except right now its about 48 THB to the pound and some visas are upwards of £650.00.