Brit' passport holders in Southern Africa can no longer submit passport renewals to their local high commission or embassy but have to send them to the British High Commission in South Africa. Not only do they now have to pay international courier fees but if you want to ask any questions about your application, you have to call an 0208 number (at the usual international call rates - usually significantly higher than those from UK and without access to any calling plans to minimise costs) and when it is answered you have to provide a credit card number so that you can be charged 69p a minute + VAT for any advice or answers you might get.

Slightly off topic, but many doctors surgerys are now using 0844 and 0871  numbers to contact them with the usual 'six' options, appointments, prescriptions, see the nurse, etc etc.  It took sixteen minutes the other day to get through.   The Doctors get half the cost of calls and BT the other half.  One receptionist told me that they had been told to let the phones ring because it makes money for the surgery.  The Goverment have told doctors that they must use local numbers at the cheap rate and stop using the expensive 0844 and 0871 numbers, but many surgeries appear to be ignoring the instruction. 

Edited by Maverick22 - 11 March 2010 at 7:40am

             

Thank goodness I moved to Wales. Not only do we get free prescriptions but there is a normal telephone number to the doctor's surgery. This is the Labour policy of screwing the public so they can get lots of money for themselves going too far. When they prey on the sick, they are really scraping the bottom of the barrel. What price this Labour government supporting the NHS now?




Edited by Penbwlch - 11 March 2010 at 12:08pm