SAYNOTO0870.COM - BT "Service Charges"

NonGeographicalMan

Ex Member

Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #30 - Jan 14^th, 2006 at 6:41pm

Dave wrote on Jan 14^th, 2006 at 4:10pm:

But the fact still remains that BT has pushed up the price of LUS by £1.50 (or £2.50 if there was a discount for paying DD) in the last 18 months. I appreciate that's not a lot compared to what most of us have had to put up with, but it's still pushing up the cost of a telephone for all. It is an outrage that a basic telephone line costs 50% more than it did on 30 June 2004. This isn't progress!

Yes it does seem hard to understand BT being allowed to impose a similar monetary value increase on In Contact Plus line rental (£1.25 versus £1.50) when it amounts to a far, far, larger amount in percentage terms than on Option 1. And surely given the hugely narrow criteria for qualifying for the Light User Scheme and In Contact Plus these really will be the very poorest members of the community. I suspect that Ofcom didn't even realise that by removing the cap on BT line rental increases above inflation, in a pathetic attempt to try to make Wholesale Line Rental products look cheaper, that they were also saying yes to these much larger rises on InContactPlus and Light User.

What I can't understand is that in gas and electrcity I can choose betweeen 10 or 15 suppliers and numerous different tariff options on each (yes even here in the deep countryside) including a No Standing Charge option with higher unit price as well as a standing charge option with lower unit price. But with the phone if I need to have broadband here in the countryside but do not need BT PSTN facility my only option is BT Option 1 at £33 a quarter. A service that 18 months ago cost £28.50 a quarter as BT Standard with £6.50 call rebate (so £22 net). I also can't understand why Ofcom hasn't insisted on a lower cost line rental option without having to pay for a BT customer discount scheme for CPS customers and any other customers who route all calls away from BT (eg 1899 customers)

The only conclusion is that Ofcom is just totally incompetent so it likes to content itself with thinking it has achieved something whilst achieving absolutely nothing at all. In fact it has probably made things even worse than before it started meddling.

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reggie Full Member Offline Posts: 199	Re: BT "Service Charges" Reply #31 - Jan 20^th, 2006 at 11:43am Please what is the 1280 override code. I think this website is great but sometimes I get the feeling that you forget about us "Non techies" and don't explain things enough.
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NonGeographicalMan

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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #32 - Jan 20^th, 2006 at 5:16pm

reggie wrote on Jan 20^th, 2006 at 11:43am:

Please what is the 1280 override code. I think this website is great but sometimes I get the feeling that you forget about us "Non techies" and don't explain things enough.

1280 is the code you dial on front of the normal number to route your call via BT if you have CPS (Carrier Pre-Selection) on your BT line so that all calls are routed with Tiscali, Toucan, TalkTalk etc without you having to dial the code. 1280 doesn't work if you have transferred your entire line rental including to someone else like TalkTalk, Tiscali or Toucan Telecom. Your only option then are the dial through services like www.dialaround.co.uk where you dial and 084, 087 or 09 number to make cheap calls. The snag theer is you pay 5 each time even if your call is not connectedl

A search for 1280 and BT under UK only at Google brings up over 10 pages of results...............................

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bigjohn

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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #33 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 12:29am

reggie wrote on Jan 20^th, 2006 at 11:43am:

Please what is the 1280 override code. I think this website is great but sometimes I get the feeling that you forget about us "Non techies" and don't explain things enough.

"1280 doesn't work if you have transferred your entire line rental including to someone else like TalkTalk, Tiscali or Toucan Telecom."

NonGeoMan.

Its my understanding that it does still work as such,but you are billed top wack by your supplier for using it.

See this extract from Homecall line rental T&C.

4.7 Where You make a telephone call by dialling the “BT Break Out Code” (1280) and You have the Homecall Line Rental Service, We will raise Call Charges in respect of that call at the then current standard BT day time retail rate or at Our then current Call Charge rate, whichever is the higher, for the telephone number dialled.

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« Last Edit: Jan 21^st, 2006 at 3:21pm by Dave »

BJ.

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NonGeographicalMan Ex Member	Re: BT "Service Charges" Reply #34 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 12:38am Post Office and TalkTalk both assured me that 1280 would not operate and that I could not route calls with BT or any other indirect or CPS call carriers.
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bigjohn

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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #35 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:11am

Quote:

Post Office and TalkTalk both assured me that 1280 would not operate and that I could not route calls with BT or any other indirect or CPS call carriers.

From what i have read around the web.

You can still use short codes like 1899,18866 with the likes of PO ,TT, Onetel etc although they dont actively encourage it,and can bar you if they so desire.But it still works at moment.But even if they bar the short code could they bar the free phone access numbers of these providers? Bulldog are blocking codes, but freephone access still works.

As you point out you cant truly CPS your calls to another provider if you move your line rental from BT.

As i said, i think 1280 still works but it cannot be charged by BT as you dont have an a/c with them.So i assume thats why your supplier charges you.(Its not just Homecall i have seen it mentioned for other line rental suppliers as well).

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BJ.

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NonGeographicalMan

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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #36 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 9:00am

bigjohn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:11am:

You can still use short codes like 1899,18866 with the likes of PO ,TT, Onetel etc although they dont actively encourage it,and can bar you if they so desire.But it still works at moment.But even if they bar the short code could they bar the free phone access numbers of these providers? Bulldog are blocking codes, but freephone access still works.

Well it makes me more inclined to go with the Post Office and their £50 Cashback for line rental then. Although after £15.75 cost for Caller ID for three quarters I suppose this reduces the saving to £35 or so. Anyhow I keep meaning to get one of these ATA thingies to go to Voip but I'm slightly put off by it costing as much as a whole year's calls with 1899. Shocked

If the worst comes to the worst there are still a lot of dial through providers for getting the best rates on overseas calls but clearly the best rates on uk calls are only available on Voip. Anyhow the Post Office tells me that you get the second £25 Cashback on the third bill which you get just over 6 months after you join them - they send the first bill as soon as you join and the £25 Cashbacks are on the 2nd and 3rd bills. This seems better than TalkTalk where you have to stay a whole year to get all the Cashback. And as I understand it they credit me with the Cashback automatically - I don't have to send in the bill to ask. And armed with this saving I would then be able to afforc to buy my ATA adapter. Wink

Hopefully after 6 months with the Post Office some other phone provider may be offering a nice Cash Back offer for WLR and so on and so forth................

Looks like my relationship with JustDial may be shortlived. I see TalkTalk once again have not sent me a letter notifying me of the transfer of my CPS service to them though. It really is a disgrace that Ofcom can't make a telephone company even this big and important comply with its rules. Ofcom still just hopes that everyone will be a "jolly decent chap"

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« Last Edit: Jan 21^st, 2006 at 9:00am by N/A »

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trevord

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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #37 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 11:54am

bigjohn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 12:29am:

4.7 Where You make a telephone call by dialling the “BT Break Out Code” (1280) and You have the Homecall Line Rental Service, We will raise Call Charges in respect of that call at the then current standard BT day time retail rate or at Our then current Call Charge rate,

whichever is the higher

, for the telephone number dialled.

So, if they are going to charge you the

higher

rate of the two, then the ability to route a call via BT using 1280 is less than useless.

bigjohn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:11am:

1280 ... cannot be charged by BT as you dont have an a/c with them.

Good point - hadn't thought of that!

bigjohn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:11am:

As i said, i think 1280 still works ...

I think it's misleading to say it "still works":

As you've pointed out, BT can't bill you.
You only get charged the BT rate if it's
higher
.
Hence the whole point of using an alternative carrier to route the call, i.e. to get a
lower
call rate, is defeated.
So, as I've said above, the theoretical ability to choose BT via 1280 is less than useless.

bigjohn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:11am:

You can still use short codes like 1899,18866 with the likes of PO ,TT, Onetel etc ...

Can you please indicate whether you are stating this from personal experience of merely "from what [you] have read around the web."?
I would be interested if anyone can confirm that 1899, 18185, etc. are definately still available with the PO HomePhone service.

bigjohn wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:11am:

But it still works at moment.But even if they bar the short code could they bar the free phone access numbers of these providers?

Presumably they could bar the freephone access numbers? Even if they don't, these are still more expensive than dialling 1899, etc. directly - but could still be worthwhile with the cash-back.

The problem would presumably be if you swapped to the PO service on the basis of it being cheaper to use overall in conjunction with the 1899 freephone numbers, and then the PO barred those numbers before you'd got your cashback!

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NonGeographicalMan

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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #38 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 12:03pm

trevord wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 11:54am:

The problem would presumably be if you swapped to the PO service on the basis of it being cheaper to use overall in conjunction with the 1899 freephone numbers, and then the PO barred those numbers before you'd got your cashback!

It would be wise to plan to switch to moving to making calls using www.voipcheap.co.uk if one moves across to the Post Office's line rental deal. I do feel that the Post Office is a less thoroughly deceitful and badly organised outfit than CPW/TalkTalk. Their customer service centre is on an 0800 number for instance and calls seem to be answered almost instantaneously.

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trevord

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West Sussex, UK
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Re: BT "Service Charges"
Reply #39 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 4:29pm

Quote:

It would be wise to plan to switch to moving to making calls using www.voipcheap.co.uk if one moves across to the Post Office's line rental deal.

That's not a bad idea - I hadn't linked the two things together.

On the other hand, VoIP is not practicable in certain circumstances, e.g.:

one person on the computer and another on the 'phone;
two 'phone lines, with one person on each line at the same time;
talking on the 'phone with a cordless 'phone while cooking dinner, etc. (unless you can have bluetooth / other radio connection between a headset and the computer?)

I have used Skype in the past for Skype-to-Skype calls, but hadn't thought VoIP to be significantly cheaper than 1899, etc. to make it worthwhile using for calls to regular telephone numbers, domestic or N.America. But it might be worth another look when I replace my 4-year old laptop which is too slow and full for much more!

Quote:

I do feel that the Post Office is a less thoroughly deceitful and badly organised outfit than CPW/TalkTalk.

Yes, that's probably true despite their misleading claim of call features being the same price as BT.

I note that they do not list the cost of 0844, 0871 & other misc. numbers on their website, altho' they do list them in a PDF file.

Incidentally and interestingly, on the 'Call Rates' page of their website, there is a drop-down box labelled "Premium rate and other numbers" where the only numbers listed in the drop-down list are 0870, 0845, 0820, 0808, 0800, and Directory enquiries 118xxx numbers - specifically NO 07 or 09 numbers are listed. This seems to be consistent with the growing implicit recogition that 0870 & 0845 are really premium numbers.

Who are "CPW", please?

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Heinz Supreme Member Offline Posts: 1,362 Essex	Re: BT "Service Charges" Reply #40 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 8:08pm trevord wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 4:29pm: Who are "CPW", please? CarPhone Warehouse.
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trevord Full Member Offline Posts: 248 West Sussex, UK Gender:	Re: BT "Service Charges" Reply #41 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 11:40pm Heinz wrote on Jan 21^st, 2006 at 8:08pm: CarPhone Warehouse. Thanks! That had dawned on me during the evening when I heard an advert for their TalkTalk. I had forgotten that they did TalkTalk.
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