Somebody suggested to me that you E-Mail the company whose number you want,and tell them you are going abroad and ask them to give you a number you can ring while away.It might just work.ALLS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.

yeah thats works quite well normally... quite a few websites even have an "internation numbe" listed on their sites too...

This does not work.see my post about alliance&leicester.
Dean

Last time I tried to ask for the international number, I was told to simply dial +44 870 instead.  

Same with 0845 numbers when I was given same number in +44 845 format.

They insisted they were correct and I couldn't argue because I don't know if this is possible :-/

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Last time I tried to ask for the international number, I was told to simply dial +44 870 instead.   Same with 0845 numbers when I was given same number in +44 845 format.   They insisted they were correct and I couldn't argue because I don't know if this is possible

The real problem is that you can't answer that question with any degree of certainty. Sometimes it works, and you are charged the same call rate as if you had dialled a normal UK geographic number. Sometimes it works and you are charged a mobile call rate (and, believe me, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in that - 2.5c/min for normal call and 35c for mobile). Sometimes you are charged a premium rate. I know of someone who was charged $AU6.00 a minute (about 2 pounds/min) for a call to a 0870 number from Australia "because this is a premium rate call".  Most of the time it just will not connect at all..... :'(

It is that uncertainty that is so disturbing. I might be prepared to even pay $6.00 a minute to call a doctor in the UK if it is a matter of life and death. To have a nagging uncertainty that I might not be able to get through, however, is priceless....and downright dangerous!

wrote on Apr 13^th, 2005 at 10:24pm:

It is that uncertainty that is so disturbing.

How right you are! My wife got food poisoning in Tunisia whilst on holiday there. We were required to telephone the UK to the insurance company before any treatment could be administered, an 0870 number! Needless to say we could not get through.

My wife was transferred to hospital in the next town, recovered and we continued our holiday. We were never able to get through to the number, I paid all the costs and took statements from the hotel staff etc. that I had tried to get through.

Of course when we returned to the UK, I put in a claim on our travel insurance. "You didn't notify us etc".

To cut a long story short I persevered, got paid in full.

But that insurer is still only giving the 0870 number and I have changed my insurers to one that gives a GN.

The first insurer is a very well known company, with offices all over the world. They quote "The best insurance money can buy". The first letter of their name is A. (Got rid of the card too)

juby

8) 8) 8)
Re last posting.Yet another good reason of why NGN numbers should be abolished!!!

wrote on Apr 13^th, 2005 at 3:24pm:

Somebody suggested to me that you E-Mail the company whose number you want,and tell them you are going abroad and ask them to give you a number you can ring while away.It might just work.ALLS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.

It works with some companies.  One company told me to put 44845 so I explain that I dont have to pay for normal numbers but I do pay for 08** numbers.  She just didnt get it   ::).  In the end she gave me a wrong number.  I think it was to get rid of me.

I have noticed today that even the Inland Revenue, who have forced the use of 0845 numbers for UK contact now have a +44 0870 number which you have to use from abroad.

This scam gets worse the longer that Ofcom do nothing! Imagine paying a Premium rate to sort out things so you can pay TAX or get an error in your TAXES sorted out. We must be the biggest mugs in the EU to put up with this?

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This scam gets worse the longer that Ofcom do nothing! Imagine paying a Premium rate to sort out things so you can pay TAX or get an error in your TAXES sorted out. We must be the biggest mugs in the EU to put up with this?

Make that the World!  ;D

Welcome to RIP-OFF BRITAIN....... >:(