Virgin broadband/phone

I'm trying...and trying...and trying to be able to manage to ring HMRC about a tax refund I am due.

3 long phonecalls later and I still didn't get through to a person - I have rung Virgin and asked if its safe for me to ring 0300 phone number I have for HMRC without it being chargeable on my bill

(ie because I have the arrangement whereby I only pay for calls lasting 1 hour or more to standard phone numbers on the one hand OR to non-standard numbers on the other hand).

I don't want to spend minute after endless minute after endless minute trying to ring HMRC's new 0300 phone number (instead of the previous 0845 one) in order to save myself having to pay for the call only to find that Virgin are charging me after all.

1. Are 0300 phone numbers free to call to Virgin customers with the standard phone numbers included tariff?

2. Don't suppose anyone has a direct line ordinary phone number I can call to get through to an HMRC person who can help me get my tax refund due please (if so - a PM telling me the number would be very much appreciated - as I couldn't find anything on the "saynoto0870" website).

Comments

  • jhp
    jhp Posts: 2,342 Forumite
    edited 7 August 2013 at 5:56PM
    If you have an inclusive talk unlimited 24/7 call bundle calls to 01/02 and 03 are included so yes 0300 numbers are inclusive.All 03 numbers are treated the same as normal geographic numbers for charging purposes. That's why HMRC introduced the new number so peeps didn't incur the expense of calling a non geographical number.

    From the Virgin Site " Talk Unlimited: Zero-rated tariff applies to the first hour of direct-dialled local and national geographic voice calls only (numbers beginning 01, 02 and 03), Virgin Mobile numbers and 0870 numbers (not other numbers such as those beginning 084 and 070). Re-dial before 60 minutes to avoid call charges. Full details of call charges/connection fees at virginmedia.com/callingcosts.
  • victor2
    victor2 Posts: 8,068 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Didn't know HMRC offered an 0300 number now. Will save me money as I have talk unlimited (so long as I'm on hold for less than an hour!). Unless you have something like that, you'll pay the standard rate as you would for an 01 or 02 number. Still slightly cheaper than VM's stupid rate for 0845 numbers though.
    I've tried different numbers for them in the past, rather than use the 0845, but with no luck. Their "calling from overseas" number didn't work as it detected I was calling from the UK and just told me to call the 0845 number, even when I withheld my number.

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  • Thanks jhp for that quote from Virgin website.

    My own earlier googling seemed to bring up the fact I wouldn't have to pay for the call and then I phoned a Virgin operator and she didn't come over as knowing what she was talking about, looked it up and then told me it would not only not be free to call an 0300 number, but would cost me 20p per minute.

    At that point I told her I didn't believe her and would ask on here instead:rotfl:

    So - that website quote is well worth having...to prove I was right.:)
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