erick.p wrote on Jan 26
th, 2006 at 8:28pm:
1. "Calls may be subject to connection charges of Xp", where X can range anywhere between 4p to 15!
As I said above, 1899 currently have a connection charge of 3p and 18185 have a connection charge of 4p. Bt have a minimum charge of 5p. Yes you do need to keep an eye on on the connection fee with 18185 & 1899 etc, but for UK inland calls
that is all you pay at any time of day irrespective of the length of the call.
erick.p wrote on Jan 26
th, 2006 at 8:28pm:
1. "Calls may be subject to connection charges of Xp", where X can range anywhere between 4p to 15! This effectively makes the call charge similar to competing providers.
I don't personally know of a "similar ... competing provider", unless you have an inclusive package, or maybe BT one-hour off-peak calls.
erick.p wrote on Jan 26
th, 2006 at 8:28pm:
2. They require your credit card info.
or Debit card, and with some of them I understand you can now use Direct Debit.
In my experience - and from others I have seen on this site - they are very reliable with the credit card billing.
erick.p wrote on Jan 26
th, 2006 at 8:28pm:
Call me paranoid,
erick.p is paranoid!
erick.p wrote on Jan 26
th, 2006 at 8:28pm:
but I prefer services like
www.telestunt.co.uk, which do NOT require any contact from you at all.
Well you have to have contact with someone to pay for the calls!
I've just looked at the telestunt site - you top up your credit with a premium call and then they presumably deduct your calls from it - but (from my brief look) you have no record of your calls, no record of their cost, and no guarantee that they have used your credit and deducted amounts directly.
With 18185 & 1899 you have an itemised bill available on-line; you can check it immediately after making your call (yes, you can check calls not yet billed); you are paying for the calls in arrears, not in advance like telestunt; and if you don't spend much in a month, they don't always bill you every month because it's not worth their while until the amount os over about £5.
erick.p wrote on Jan 26
th, 2006 at 8:28pm:
All call charges are announced, so it is transparent,
All call charges (except the connection charge) are also announced with 18185 & 1899.
It is even more transparent because, as I said above, you get an itemised bill and can even check it immediately after each call if you're that paranoid.
I don't consider myself paranoid, but I wouldn't trust a firm that sounds as if they are trying to pull a "stunt" and which doesn't give you itemised bills.
But clearly, you pays ur money and you takes ur choice!
erick.p used the title "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"
- but you could equally apply that to telestunt!
I have used 1899 for several moths now, and 18185 for 2-3 months and would unhestitatingly recommend them.