Everything about calling Co-operative Bank from abroad
Who the Co-operative Bank is, and why mortgage customers ring from abroad
The Co-operative Bank is a UK retail bank offering current accounts, savings, credit cards and mortgages. Its contact page lists the telephone lines by product. For mortgages it gives 08000 288 288: existing Co-operative Bank mortgage customers can speak to an adviser about borrowing more or moving house, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. The same number takes requests for a mortgage copy statement, 8am to 5pm on weekdays. People who need it from outside Britain may include UK homeowners working abroad for a while, or customers who let out a UK property after moving overseas.
Why a UK 0800 number can fail from a foreign network
Inside the UK, the bank's call charges table says 0800 and 0808 calls are free from landlines and mobiles. That rule is written for UK networks. From abroad the same number becomes an international call, and many foreign carriers refuse the +44 800 format or play a message saying the number cannot be reached. The bank's only word on the subject is this: "Charges for calls made outside of the UK will be determined by your network provider."
What Losali does with UK freephone lines
Losali is an independent dialler that works in a browser. The call leaves your device over the internet and Losali's telecom carrier connects the call to the bank's 0800 number. The foreign network your phone is roaming on does not route it. There is nothing to install and no SIM to swap. Minutes are prepaid with no subscription, and the per-minute rate is shown beside the number. The panel at the top of this page gives the current state of the line.
- The security details you normally use to identify yourself on the telephone.
- Your mortgage account details, and what you want to discuss: borrowing more, moving house, or a copy statement.
- An address where letters or statements can reach you, since post outside the UK takes longer.
- The UK clock: the adviser line is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
- A note of when your call began, in case a charge needs querying later.
Mortgage details without a call
The bank's contact page says you can see helpful details about your mortgage, including the balance, the interest rate and the remaining term, online. Once logged in to online banking, you can also send a secure message from Help and support. The telephone is for what those routes cannot settle, such as a conversation with an adviser about borrowing more or moving house.
The number type on this page
08000 288 288 is a UK freephone number, written 0800 028 8288 in the usual grouping. It is non-geographic and points at no particular town. Inside Britain it costs nothing from a landline or a mobile. Outside it, how the call is handled depends on the foreign carrier. For current accounts, savings, credit cards and lost or stolen cards, the bank publishes separate 03 lines on its contact page, which this page does not dial.
Practical points before you dial
Check the hours first. The mortgage adviser line is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and mortgage copy statements are taken from 8am to 5pm on weekdays, both UK time. The line is closed at weekends. If a statement or letter is being posted to you outside the UK, decide where it should be sent before you ring.
What kind of number is this?
Freephone 0800 / 0808. Free to call from inside the UK. With Losali the call is billed at €0.99/min, per whole minute, prepaid, and the price is shown before the call starts.