I've been with TalkTalk (CPS over BT landline) with just under 12 months now.  I joined through a promotion they were doing at the time of Big Brother(!) and I'm on the Talk 1+ 12 plan which has given me free evening and weekend calls at no cost (no cost per call and no monthly charge).

However, my time's just about up and it doesn't look like they're going to offer a deal worth staying for!  So, it's off to Primus to join their Saver Option 2 plan  ;)

I've given Primus a quick call (to check there's no hidden extras!) and it's free to join, free connection and free evening and weekend calls to landlines.  The account is completely internet based for billing and customer support options (that's fine by me!).  I've checked up the cost of dialing 0844 numbers (as used for Dial Around etc.) and there's no surchages imposed.

All of this is probably old, old news to the rest of you (sorry!) but I just wanted to do a final check that this was the best option and that there weren't any stings that I haven't checked!

Any and all confirmations (or otherwise) will be gratefully received!

Thanks,
RDD.

If you have a BT line on BT Together Option 1, pay by DD, use Primus Saver Option 2 for free evening and weekend UK 01/02 calls, 1899 for 3p per call weekday daytime UK 01/02 calls and 18185 for your calls to UK mobiles, peak 0870 calls and many international destinations, you'll have found 95% of the available savings.

This site and use of dial-through providers when appropriate saves a bit more but you're beginning to have to spend more time searching than the saving's worth if you go much further.

VOIP is next but from a PSTN point of view, that's about it.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions, Heinz!

I don't really call international numbers, just UK (01/02x, non-geo and mobiles) and I figure that it's actually cheaper not to use VoIP!

We (my partner and I) do have VoIP.  We have a Linksys PAP2 which we both use for our incoming business lines (one line each).  However, even if we had a provider where the calls were free, we'd still be paying for the bandwidth of the call.  Hence, if we can get free calls over the standard land line, then that's the way to go.  Cheaper carriers are also best for 0845 and 0870 numbers (of which we have to call a few) and now mobiles at 1ppm from Discount Dial is fantastic!

I guess the only time where VoIP outgoing calls might be cheaper would be for daytime calls to 01/02x numbers.

When we got VoIP we did anticipate making more calls with it, but when there's better savings to be made elsewhere then that's where we'll go!

RDD.

Discount dial UK landline to  mobile calls are now 2p a minute. ;)

18185 are also the cheapest supplier of peak calls to 0870 numbers.4p a min and  4p connection.Worth bearing in mind when placing calls.

They didn't waste their time there then!  I guess it was a bit of a marketting ploy to encourage new users.

Stil, 2ppm is still cheaper than any other provider that I know of.

Yep, we use 18185 for daytime 0870 calls.  We use a Dial Around number for daytime 0845 calls.  From memory, evening and weekend 0845 and 0870 calls are cheapest through BT (or at least not any more expensive).

Hi,

I have been with talk talk now for AGES i have gone from talk 2 to talke 1 to talk 3 to talk 1, I have never paid more then the line rental each month. I just got given talk 1 +12 this month so i get free evening and weekend phone calls. Just ring talk talk up and say b.t offered you half price opition 2 with free caller display 100 text messages and free voice mail. Bt did offer me this and i rang talk talk up and then moved me on talk1 + 12 ASAP with a credit each month of 50p so i will only pay £10 a month line rental and o870 and 0845 numbers has i never use the phone in daytime as i have 500 mins any time any network on my mobile to use.

I always keep a eye out on bt prices and if they lower them i ring talk talk up asap and let them know ;)

You might have to go to a special department thou this is what they did to me.

Hope you get this sorted

Justin

Im on talk 2 and 512K broadband (I also get free BB from my council but I dont like them knowing that I visit websites like saynoto0870.com and them reading any non https webpage).

512K broadband is £14.99 (but a £5 credit gets applied to my landline bill to pay for talk2)
talk 2 is £4.99 a month
Plus I  get a £5 "Customer Loyalty Credit".
I phoned up and had a moan about better offers going to new customers and that was discrimination, bloke said he could stick a £5 credit on for the next 12 months.

So all in all, I get free talk2 and get 512K broadband for £9.99 a month. I just waiting for TalkTalk to notice the messup and start charging me more.

mc661 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2006 at 11:12pm:

Im on talk 2 and 512K broadband (I also get free BB from my council but I dont like them knowing that I visit websites like saynoto0870.com and them reading any non https webpage). 512K broadband is £14.99 (but a £5 credit gets applied to my landline bill to pay for talk2) talk 2 is £4.99 a month Plus I  get a £5 "Customer Loyalty Credit". I phoned up and had a moan about better offers going to new customers and that was discrimination, bloke said he could stick a £5 credit on for the next 12 months. So all in all, I get free talk2 and get 512K broadband for £9.99 a month. I just waiting for TalkTalk to notice the messup and start charging me more.

If they notice they will admit it is there mistake and still carry on, they have made mistakes on my account and not charged me :)

Just to say thanks for the responses to my post.  I've taken the plunge and TalkTalk's on the way out to be replaced with Primus Saver Option 2  ;)

However, I'm now looking at the Post Office HomePhone service (see another thread)!

RDD

mc661 wrote on Feb 11^th, 2006 at 11:12pm:

Im on talk 2 and 512K broadband (I also get free BB from my council but I dont like them knowing that I visit websites like saynoto0870.com and them reading any non https webpage).

I bet www.saynoto0870.com is not the only website that you don't want the Council's IT manager to know you visit and/or that it is not acceptable for you to be seen to visit using public money. ;)

Do the council give you a whole separate phone line at your home with broadband on it?  Otherwise I can't see how you would have a separate phone line to have a second broadband connection on - since as we know a BT line can only have one ADSL service on it at any one time.