O2 Home Phone - bill problem & VAT

[Dr_Rick]

• COPY OF A POST IN THE COMPUTERS SECTION **

Not sure if it's explicitly Computers, Gadgets & Stuff, so I'll put a copy in the Home Forum too.

Anyway, checking the O2 Home Phone bill for this last block and apart from it being a bit larger than usual due to Xmas I figured I'd have a nosey at the call charges.

Bill period for charges went from end Nov-2010, through to now (mid Jan-2011), and all over the O2 website it talks about the change in VAT being applicable from 4th Jan 2011. Line rentals pre-paid so that was all at the 20% rate.

However, the only way I could get the calls to tally up for that period was to have 20% VAT across the whole period. No great shakes in terms of absolute money, but if you multiply that few quid by all their customers, that's some free money for them.

The guy on the phone agreed that there was a problem and that 20% VAT had been applied, and that he'd give a credit on the next bill as the DD was already being processed. But, he said they'd had the same problem with the 15%-17.5% change. I told him to find the guy that dealt with it then, and give him a kick as it's still broken.

Short story; if you're O2 Home Phone, check you bill and if so query the call charges if they've crossed the VAT-change period.

Dr Rick

[arfur sleep]

good advice.

now off to check the office o2 phone bill

[Jonboy_t]

I have daily contact with VAT accountants and the such, and apparently (don't know how true this actually is) a lot of companies have been doing similar things to this, essentially over-running their standard billing cycle, as if the date on the bill is after the date of a VAT rate change, it is their own discretion as to what rate they choose to charge

As above, don't know how true that genuinely is as the bloke that told me this is a bit of a moron!

[Flintstone]

O2 were voted the worst company for customer service in 2010.

Okay, it was in the Daily Mail but.......

[worsy]

Surely the VAT applies at the point of invoice??

[Simpo Two]

I have no doubt that every major company has been using the VAT change as a way to weasel more money from its customers, and hope that they don't notice or can't be bothered to complain. Bonus for the FD methinks.