We live in a rip off world, if the government is willing to stitch you up what chance have you against anyone else.
It's the same with me and my new car insurance policy {I got it on line} I've rung a couple of times and to date the calls have cost me just over £13 for a total of about 15 minutes I kid you not, and I don't think I'm done yet.
It's the same with almost anything, we booked a holiday that we had seen on line a few years ago, when we rang the company to book it the number wasn't premium rate and it was answered within 3 rings and we booked and paid for the holiday in a "resort" the girl on the other end said was lovely, we subsequently found out from others that where we had picked made the black hole of Calcutta look like Disneyland, so I rang to change the destination { and hand out a bo**ocking}, I tried twice on my own {mobile} phone and just listened to music so one day I was so frustrated I used the works phone {I'm not proud of that} and left that line on speaker determined to speak to someone, it was finally answered after 55 minutes and I believe it was a premium line.
These companies only aim in life is to squeeze as much dosh out of you as they possibly can, whenever they can by whatever means they have at their disposal and phone lines are a cash cow for them.
This time with the car insurance, I was determined to go back to a high street insurance broker and scrap on line quotes, but because of being messed about on line till the 11th hour, it was too late to get any more high street quotes so I had to go with them again but I'll be ready come time to renew.
I think it's about time to reverse the trend. Switch off the shopping side of computers and start re vitalising our high streets before it's too late, for those that say they can't find the time to go to shops and businesses my answer is yes, yes you can always find the time if you need to. Visit a REAL establishment, talk to a REAL person, if you do need to contact them by phone for any reason it's a LOCAL number.