To ask if I can claim this back from work?

[chocolatescones]

I recently got a new phone contract though very similar to my old one, it's pay monthly and includes unlimited calls. I occasionally work from home and normally there's one teleconference each day that involves calling an 0800 number and signing in. I obviously dial 800 thinking it's free from my mobile (we have a landline but no phone).

I got a text last night saying I'd gone £30 over my line rental, and when I called up I was told it's the 0800 calls being 20p a minute.

I was completely shocked as have never heard of 0800 not being free if you dial 800 from a mobile.

So now I feel both outraged as feel it's so sneaky of the phone company not to include them but also really stupid - am I the only one not to know this?!

So firstly AIBU in being outraged or am a total thickie?
And WIBU to ask my manager if I can claim it back on expenses? I have no idea what the done thing here is but looking into it apparently there are ways round it including using Skype or I suppose I could just buy a cheap phone for the landline.

Anyway sorry this is a fairly boring AIBU... BTW I work for a very nice company and manager so don't think I'd get laughed at/ thought less of.

Yes I knew that, but your not thick that you did not.
I honestly think it depends on how the working from home thing was arranged, if it was mainly at a benefit to me I would suck it up this time and discuss what to do going forward.
If it was more of a benefit to business, I would be more inclined to ask about claiming it back.

I thought they warned you that 0800 calls from a mobile were chargeable. You can download an app as well.

My company is lovely but they wouldn't pat for this I'm afraid.

this is a great website for alternative numbers for 0500, 0800, 0808, 0842, 0843, 0844, 0845, 0870, 0871, 0872 and 0873 numbers

Thanks. Loads of people work from home a lot and if none of us did there wouldn't be enough space in the office so it's a bit of both I suppose, the last day I did was because I was snowed in... If it was £20 I'd suck it up but it was £30 last month and will be another £30 this month :-(

YANBU to ask the question of your employer at all. the worst that can happen is that they say no. If they do then see whether the person hosting the call can ring you so there are no charges coming your way.

My company would pay for call charges incurred on a private mobile or provide a work mobile if working from home (I work from home 1 - 2 days a week )

when conference calling we as a company tend to use Internet based services such as Skype or Goto - might be worth looking into something like this?

Reputable 0800 numbers will warn you before you connect that you will not be connecting for free. I would feed it back to your work that this has happened and that their teleconferencing service does not alert mobile users that it is not free.

If your employer is a good employer I would expect them to feed this back to the provider and express their unhappiness this has occured. If they are a really good employer they will refund you.

But I don't really think that you can claim it back unless your employers will do it for good will.

I don't think you'll get it back, check your expenses policy - going forward though ask for the mobile dial in number from your IT dept. there will be one, it's normally an 020 no.

If there is an alt number for dialling in from mobiles you've no chance of getting it back I'd think.

Thanks everyone. It's strange as I've checked my call register and I definitely dialled 800, I've just dialled it again now and when I dial 800 here's no warning but when I dial the 0800 number it gives a warning saying it's not free and to leave off the first 0! I'm going to call O2 again but thanks MoanCollins I'll also phone up at work and see what they say as I think it should be free!

Oh dear it's my 3rd week in a new role after getting promoted hope they won't think I'm totally useless!