Nasty tricks of State and telephone company

This column appears in this week's Independent News and Media Irish regional newspapers.

By Michael Commane
Some time back in this column, I wrote about the German writer, Hans Fallada, and his book 'Alone in Berlin'.

Another of his books is 'Little Man, What Now', a brilliant account of what life was like for the ordinary person in Berlin before Hitler came to power. It’s a great read.

These days, I’m forced to think about the fictional characters created by Fallada in a frightened and depressed Germany. All the time the dice was clearly stacked against the small person. The person, who had little. Those ‘little’ people were scared and behaved accordingly.

I received my telephone bill from my mobile phone provider last week. The bill was issued on January 3.

On the first page it gives me an overall breakdown.

Then down on the bottom I read VAT at 23 per cent

It wasn’t until the next day it dawned on me: the phone bill was for December 2011. Why was I being charged VAT at 23 per cent when the rate changed from 21 only on January 1?

I jumped through all the automated voice hoops and eventually got through to ‘customer service’. All that call did was annoy me. To the company, it all is a fait accompli. That was that.

I was mad. I called the Revenue Commissioners. Eventually, I got through to a nice, apparently kind, man. He is surprised I have been put through to him as it is not his area of competence. But he takes my details, assures me he will make some enquiries and get back to me.

True to his word, within two hours he calls back and explains to me that my bill is correct. The ruling is that bills issued after January 1, the day the new VAT rate came into operation, charge the new rate. He cited some rules and regulations explaining why the VAT charge works like this.

He seemed like a good man and I got the impression he was embarrassed explaining the ruling to me.

I don’t care what the rules and regulation are. I firmly believe that the Irish State has stolen money from me and all those thousands like me. With the VAT charge it has behaved in a deceitful, even fraudulent way.

If I was billed for services provided when the VAT rate was 21 per cent, then sure under natural law, never mind common sense, why should I, or anyone else, be charged at the new, higher rate?

It’s not fair. But much worse, it makes the ordinary person feel powerless and alienated.

This is a crass rule and I, as a citizen, don’t like it. In so many ways it demoralises me, especially when I see what the wealthy get away with – usually the ones who make the rules.

The kind Revenue man told me that if the VAT had gone down then I would have availed of the reduced rate. When last did VAT decrease by two per cent?

The various telephone providers offer myriad deals to customers. My package gives me one gigabyte of data plus ‘free’ calls to subscribers who use the same provider. In addition, I have 100 ‘free’ text messages and 100 ‘free’ minutes to subscribers of other networks.

I monitor it like a hawk, constantly checking how I stand as the month progresses.

On December 31 at 13.26 my telephone provider tells me via an SMS that I have 17 any-network minutes and five free SMSs. Yet, when my bill comes I am charged for four text messages, although I have five to spare.

I telephone them. They agree with me and credit my account for four text messages. I forgot to check if the VAT they added was the 23 per cent!

Okay, this is all about a few cent.

How many people are as crazy as I and check their bill in such detail?

What chance has the little woman/man got?

What in God’s name must it be like for the close to half a million people who have no jobs?

There’s something wrong and tinkering with the edges ain’t going to work.

Whatever is done, the little man has to feel important. At least more important than she or he does right now.

People come first and the Gospel tells us the little woman/man should be a key player.