Having checked my mobile phone usage over Christmas, I was confused to find that on two different days in December I’d been charged an extra £14 by O2 for “service calls” to 0845 450 0130.
Thinking that this was some sort of scam, I called O2, but it doesn’t seem to be able to get to the bottom of it – though the company has offered a refund of half the cost.
Advice please. KS, by email
Last year mobile phone users were being warned not to return missed calls to unknown 0845 or 0843 numbers after a spate of cases which resulted in large sums (as much as £300) appearing on bills.
Having now looked into this properly, O2 is adamant this was not the case here. The number you called turned out to be that of a home emergency services firm, though you may have thought you were calling another brand. As a gesture of goodwill, O2 has refunded you in full.
Note: there is no reason to be calling 0845 numbers from a mobile. Most firms now have standard 01 or 03 numbers that are included in calls packages.
Meanwhile, if you get a missed 0845 call, ignore it. If it’s important, they will call back or leave a message.
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