Call connection services: 'A 39-minute phone call cost me £119'

Jared Evitts' call to HMRC left him with an unwanted surprise on his phone bill

After googling HM Revenue & Customs' contact number, BBC journalist Jared Evitts made a phone call which he later found out had cost him £119.

I typed "HMRC phone number" into Google, which seemed like the logical way to find their contact details.

After finding what I thought was the correct number, I spent 30 minutes on hold, and then had a quick chat on the phone.

In all honesty, it was a rather unremarkable call that did not cross my mind again - until my phone bill came through a few weeks later.

It turns out, the 39 minute call to the tax office had cost me £119.05, and I had absolutely no idea why.

Had I made a call from abroad? Had I been scammed? Was there a mistake?

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After some research, I found the answer. I had unknowingly phoned through a call connection service operated by a company called Bounce Tech Ltd, which has been approached for comment.

This meant I had got through to the organisation I wanted to reach, but was charged for the call at a premium rate.

Regulated by the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA), call connection services are not illegal, but charge high rates for calls to organisations that may otherwise be free or low cost.

The PSA said the price of the service must be clear, and consumers must be made aware they are not calling their desired recipient directly.

Two other women who used Bounce Tech's call connection service, Lesley Carthy and Emma Oliver, said they were also unaware they were using a third party.

Lesley Carthy has received a full refund after unknowingly calling HMRC through Bounce Tech

Lesley Carthy, from Warrington, Cheshire, googled HMRC's contact number to try to contact them in June. She was charged £184.68 by Bounce Tech for a 51 minute phone call.

"I saw this number online, I dialled it and obviously you're in a queue. Nothing was told to me about a call charge," she said.

"Then 50 minutes went by, it got answered and then the next thing, I got my phone bill.

"Phoning HMRC, you think you wouldn't be calling on a premium number. I just can't believe it, nobody can believe it."

Emma Oliver, from Amble in Northumberland, was also charged £112.24 for a 29-minute phone call at the end of June.

Emma Oliver made the call through Bounce Tech after her father's death

"It was the week my dad had died, so I was actually off work and was making lots of phone calls to various companies regarding his death and pensions and payments," said the 52-year-old.

"I don't even know who Bounce Tech are, I wouldn't personally ring them. I just think I just assumed you were ringing the company you were trying to ring, I had no idea."

According to the PSA, while pricing information is available from Bounce Tech, it is easy to overlook due the speed at which it is played on the phone, and because of its lack of prominence on their website - particularly on a mobile device.

Lesley Carthy said she had been refunded in full by Bounce Tech for the call and Emma said she had also been refunded £104.82 by them.

How to spot a call connection service:

• Official numbers usually begin 01, 02, 03 or 0800

• If the number begins 09, 087 or 084, it is likely to be a connection service and will cost more

• When searching for a number on a search engine, be aware that the first number may not be the one you are looking for

• Look out for paid-for ads - these may be connection services.

After contacting the PSA about Bounce Tech Ltd, the regulator confirmed it had opened an investigation into the company.

The PSA said Bounce Tech operate premium rate numbers costing £3.60 per minute plus the phone company's access charge, and connect customers to organisations including HMRC and O2.

In July, the PSA issued a warning letter to Bounce Tech, explaining the company's pricing information was not clear enough, was misleading, and customers had experienced undue delay while using the service.

It was also "concerned that the message on the phone call did not clearly state the cost for continuing the call and being connected".

In addition, it said the language used may "have the potential to mislead consumers into believing they are calling the company they are looking for directly".

Bounce Tech Ltd has agreed to the action plan to resolve the issues identified by the PSA.

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The action plan includes an agreement to improve the prominence of pricing, ensure consumers are aware they are not contacting the end organisation directly and ensure the required information is clearly audible at the start of the phone call.

Bounce Tech Ltd has also agreed to refund complainants who have been charged by them via their phone bill.

A HMRC spokesperson said: "Most customers prefer to deal with us online and we strongly encourage them to do so but if they need to call us, they shouldn't use costly call connection services advertised online."

It encouraged customers to contact HMRC directly on its 0300 helpline numbers that are "free or charged at the national landline rate".

The PSA said it had "very strict rules" for connection services, and enforcement action is taken if providers break these rules.

It also said it would cap all call costs at £40 from 18 September.