SAYNOTO0870.COM - HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!

NGMsGhost

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers! Worse NOW!!
Reply #30 - Feb 4^th, 2012 at 8:03pm

daguerrotype wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2012 at 11:25am:

Well - we are over a year on and not only are hter no 0345 numbers, but if you use an alternative 01/02 number an automated voice comes in announcing you haven't called from abroad and cuts you off

Scandalous!!

As I just reported in the other thread in this section of the forum I also received the message that I had called the overseas number when I was calling from the UK before being cut off when calling the Self Assessment Helpline on 0161 931 9070 and the Online Services Helpdesk on 0161 930 8445 at the start of this week.

I then redialled each of them with the 141 Prefix added to withhold my CLI whereupon my call connected successfully to each of these so called "helplines".

If their telecoms operator is genuinely working on bringing the 03 numbers in to effect "soon" as their staff have been trained to tell you in response to any complaint about the lack of 03 numbers and use of 0845 numbers then why exactly have they only now decided to block people calling the 01 numbers in order to squeeze a few more pounds of revenue out of callers who read this site and call them on their 01 or 02 numbers??? Undecided

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« Last Edit: Feb 4^th, 2012 at 8:04pm by NGMsGhost »

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johnrambo18

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #31 - Feb 9^th, 2012 at 9:53am

I too have just come across a ruse from the Inland revenue to force people into using the 0845 number. Saynoto0870 lists an alternative number of 01355 359022 for many tax related matters. However this is now answered by an automated voice message stating the number is only for overseas callers. Clearly they are recognizising the source of the call. The solution is to redial with the prefix 141 so they cannot pick up your number....

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johnrambo18

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #32 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:10pm

update on calling Tax office/inland revenue/HMIT. The published number for calling from abroad is now intercepted by an operator who asks where you are calling from. If one is truthful and gives a UK address, you are told to redial using the 0845 number, so it looks like they are plugging any loopholes and forcing callers to use this number...

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Dave

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #33 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:13pm

johnrambo18 wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:10pm:

update on calling Tax office/inland revenue/HMIT. The published number for calling from abroad is now intercepted by an operator who asks where you are calling from. If one is truthful and gives a UK address, you are told to redial using the 0845 number, so it looks like they are plugging any loopholes and forcing callers to use this number...

Hello. I added a note to a lot of HMRC entries recently which says "This is “overseas” number. Withhold your num (using 141) when calling from UK or else the call will be blocked. Expect to be told off for not using premium number!".

If this doesn't appear on the entry you used, then please can you let me know what entry it is (i.e. which 0845 and 01/02 number it contains) and I will add a note to it?

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NGMsGhost

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #34 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:59pm

Dave wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:13pm:

Expect to be told off for not using premium number!".

Dave,

Many thanks for updating the entries to indicate that it is necessary to dial a 141 prefix code to withhold your number before dialling most HMRC alternative numbers.

However I must just point out that it is not correct that you should expect to be told off for not using the 0845 number as in my experience of making three or four calls this year to two different HMRC contact lines the staff have no idea at all that you have not called them using the 0845 number and/or that you have blocked the transmission of your CLI to HMRC.

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Dave

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #35 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:23pm

NGMsGhost wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:59pm:

Dave wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 12:13pm:

Expect to be told off for not using premium number!".

Dave,

Many thanks for updating the entries to indicate that it is necessary to dial a 141 prefix code to withhold your number before dialling most HMRC alternative numbers.

However I must just point out that it is not correct that you should expect to be told off for not using the 0845 number as in my experience of making three or four calls this year to two different HMRC contact lines the staff have no idea at all that you have not called them using the 0845 number and/or that you have blocked the transmission of your CLI to HMRC.

If you or anyone can think of a better way of putting it, then please post it.

There is a limit on the number of characters and in some cases I have had to abbreviate certain words. I did this of "don't be surprised if you are told off for not using premium number" although it is more characters.

To my knowledge, you are the first person to report that callers are only not told off; many people have said that they are, hence the use of the word "expect". The fact that chastisement was not issued does not mean that the agent wasn't aware that you were misbehaving.

Where a caller is told off, then the agent must have found out or have a suspicion of deviance. The most obvious reason for this must surely be that they are notified which number the caller has come in on and perhaps where they are ringing from.

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« Last Edit: Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:24pm by Dave »

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NGMsGhost

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #36 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:52pm

Dave wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:23pm:

To my knowledge, you are the first person to report that callers are only not told off; many people have said that they are, hence the use of the word "expect". The fact that chastisement was not issued does not mean that the agent wasn't aware that you were misbehaving.

Where a caller is told off, then the agent must have found out or have a suspicion of deviance. The most obvious reason for this must surely be that they are notified which number the caller has come in on and perhaps where they are ringing from.

After having to withhold my CLI to get through I mentioned my annoyance at their phone policy to the people I was speaking to on both the HMRC tax return enquiries line and web support tech team and neither had any idea I had not called them on the regular 0845 number.

I have been ticked off with some other organisations for calling their geographic number but this hasn't happened with HMRC.

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Dave

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #37 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:57pm

NGMsGhost wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:52pm:

Dave wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:23pm:

To my knowledge, you are the first person to report that callers are only not told off; many people have said that they are, hence the use of the word "expect". The fact that chastisement was not issued does not mean that the agent wasn't aware that you were misbehaving.

Where a caller is told off, then the agent must have found out or have a suspicion of deviance. The most obvious reason for this must surely be that they are notified which number the caller has come in on and perhaps where they are ringing from.

After having to withhold my CLI to get through I mentioned my annoyance at their phone policy to the people I was speaking to on both the HMRC tax return enquiries line and web support tech team and neither had any idea I had not called them on the regular 0845 number.

I have been ticked off with some other organisations for calling their geographic number but this hasn't happened with HMRC.

As I say, that is not what I've been told by people who've called HMRC. Your experience must be the exception to the rule. Huh

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« Last Edit: Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:57pm by Dave »

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NGMsGhost

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #38 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 2:24pm

Dave wrote on Mar 8^th, 2012 at 1:57pm:

To my knowledge, you are the first person to report that callers are only not told off; many people have said that they are, hence the use of the word "expect". The fact that chastisement was not issued does not mean that the agent wasn't aware that you were misbehaving.

Where a caller is told off, then the agent must have found out or have a suspicion of deviance. The most obvious reason for this must surely be that they are notified which number the caller has come in on and perhaps where they are ringing from.

I have only been calling two national helplines (general enquiries line and website/internet helpline). It appears on these lines the staff do not know the 0845 number has not been called. I suspect that in the individual tax offices the position is different and that they are able to differentiate direct dialled calls from those distributed over the 0845 NTS network.

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #39 - Mar 8^th, 2012 at 9:25pm

When I enquired into this issue some time ago, it appeared that a variety of situations existed. I am not aware that HMRC has a consistent policy.

There are some cases where agents see the CLI of the calling number, so using 141 may deal with that if they are also aware that one has dialled the geographic number.

There are other cases where the geographic number goes through to a different team, so an enquiry about the origin of the call may be appropriate.

There are other cases where it would appear that there is no distinction, nor enquiry.

Where automatic interception of UK originated calls is in place this is likely to be based on the location information (not the CLI) so 141 will make no difference.

To get on top of this issue, all comments will have to be specific by giving the number called.

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kasg Senior Member Offline Posts: 320 West Sussex Gender:	Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers! Reply #40 - Jul 14^th, 2012 at 12:52pm It was rather disappointing that in a feature on renewing your Tax Credits on BBC News this morning, the telephone number was given as 0845 300 3900 at all times. This is not the number now advertised by HMRC so they really should have checked their information. I have contacted them pointing out the error.
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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #41 - Jul 14^th, 2012 at 2:29pm

kasg wrote on Jul 14^th, 2012 at 12:52pm:

It was rather disappointing that in a feature on renewing your Tax Credits on BBC News this morning, the telephone number was given as 0845 300 3900 at all times. This is not the number now advertised by HMRC so they really should have checked their information. I have contacted them pointing out the error.

Thanks for this.

I have just called the old number. It works, but includes a message advising that calling 0345 300 3900 may be cheaper. (I know of no case where it is not cheaper on a Saturday, but that is perhaps getting picky, as there are a few cases where a weekday call to the 0845 number is cheaper.)

The only problem with the message is that it is only delivered after 60 seconds of other messages. I suspect that this is only because of the way that the system is configured. The earlier messages were relevant for a particular period of time only, and it may be that they therefore take priority.

The questions to ask HMRC are as follows:

- Why does it continue to impose a Service Charge on other callers

- Why does it not declare its Service Charge, now it knows that it will be compelled to do so in the near future?

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catj Senior Member Offline Posts: 366	Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers! Reply #42 - Jul 20^th, 2012 at 10:52pm TV adverts for 'Tax Credits deadline' give HMRC phone number as... 0345 300 3900
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SilentCallsVictim

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Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers!
Reply #43 - Jul 21^st, 2012 at 1:10am

catj wrote on Jul 20^th, 2012 at 10:52pm:

TV adverts for 'Tax Credits deadline' give HMRC phone number as...

0345 300 3900

This is the single exception. To deflect proper criticism in respect of the most notable case, HMRC has accepted the principle of migration to equivalent 0345 numbers, but has failed to proceed beyond this particular case.

Tax Credits is the one area where HMRC, rather than DWP, is involved in distributing benefits. Even if HMRC is content to continue to itself benefit from Service Charges imposed on other taxpayers, this should at least set an example to DWP!

Some published references to campaigning activity on this matter are found at the following links:

http://davidhicksonmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/at-last-hmrc-responds-to-call-to...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2012-05-21a.108353.h#c29582

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Ian01 Supreme Member Offline Posts: 767	Re: HMRC, switch on your 0345 numbers! Reply #44 - Jun 23^rd, 2015 at 10:19pm Finally, many years later, HMRC will decommission all 0845 numbers on 30 June 2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-hmrc-telephone-numbers
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