Phoning the tax office

Have you ever tried phoning the tax office?  No?  Then don't bother!!!


Trying to phone the tax office must be one of the most frustrating things that you can ever do in your whole life.


Over the last month I have tried to phone the tax office more than 13 times.  I've been phoning the tax office from a BT landline.  Naively, I thought that phoning from a landline, would be cheaper than phoning from a mobile.


Apparently - not so!  I have been told that 0300 numbers are included in inclusive minutes for mobiles, though I must admit I've not tested this information yet.


Every time I have phoned the tax office I have been charged 59p (+ VAT I think? - I'll have to check on that one).  My phone bill for phoning the tax office and listening to all their automated blurb is now more than £10?  I wonder if I can claim all that back from the tax office????


Don't you just love the tax office? NOT!  You listen to loads & loads of automated blurb and press loads & loads of buttons......................  But the end result is always the same......................


.................'Sorry we have no one available to help you at the moment.  Please call back later.'


Well, I'm getting fed up of 'calling back later'.  I'm getting fed up that there's never, ever, a real life person for me to talk to.  I'm getting fed up of listening to automated messages that go on and on and on and on.  And then just tell me to call back later and the line goes dead.


What kind of a service is this???


It is not a service. 


I'm trying to speak to someone in the TAX OFFICE for gods sake.  I don't want to listen to automated blurb.  The question I want to ask does not 'fit into' any of their stupid, stupid FAQ ('frequently asked questions').  If it did, do they not think I would already have found my answer?


How on earth does anyone ever manage to solve any of their tax problems when this is the type of service that they are offering?


I have spent hours and hours trying to sort out my tax problems, I've spent hours and hours phoning the tax office.


Is the tax office going to refund my phone bill for the number of times that I've phoned them and not got any response (apart from their stupid, stupid, automated ansaphones?)  Is the tax office going to refund me for the amount of my time I have wasted phoning them, being kept on hold, listening to their stupid, stupid, automated messages only to be told, 'please call back later'.  And is the tax office ever, ever, ever, going to get it's act together and be able to offer a proper personalised service???


I think not!


Grrrrrrrrr................................


This is soooooooo annoying!!!