Cheapest Home Phones Article Discussion

SteveB · 29 January 2009 at 1:37PM

I am using Toucan as my line provider and at £8.80 per month, with free weekend calls, I can’t seem to do better and they allow indirect access codes like 18185 without being asked. However, at the end of February they are being changed to Pipex and I don’t know how that will affect access codes. One change I can see is that the free weekend calls will be free up to 90 minutes not unlimited as it is now.

I am quite a light user and my 01, 02 daytime & evening calls usually are about a £1 a month from 18185, so this works well for me as I am not on a LLU exchange & probably never will be.

TalkTalk · 29 January 2009 at 4:03PM

1280 is no longer supported on TalkTalk CPS so if thats a service you need you're best looking elsewhere.

Cheers
EmmaL x

Neil49 · 29 January 2009 at 7:46PM

The offer of £10.50 is now on the main Carphonewarehouse website, rather than the beta version, and requires you to either to phone up or visit the store.

If you use the Availability Checker and then continue on you won't get it (according to the Carphone website).

There is no mention of this offer on the Talk Talk site (strange!!)

TalkTalk · 2 February 2009 at 4:27PM

Hi Neil,

As the offer is only available through certain sales channels its not publicised on the TalkTalk Website to avoid any confusion with customers signing up online.

Cheers
EmmaL x

Gilly_flower · 21 February 2009 at 1:04PM

Hi,
I have just rung Primus to update my package to "Primus Penny Mobile 2" and got told in no uncertain terms that they stopped doing the "penny mobile" bit 2 years ago. I said I didn't think that was right and he said "well maybe one to two years ago". (He did put me on hold and checked with supervisor)
He said I could have the Primus Saver, then when he got me to confirm the package, he said it was an 18 month contract. At this point I said don't do anything (I'm on an old primus tariff) & thought I'd check here before comitting.
Heinz, have you heard that penny mobile has ended?
Anyone had recent sucess?

thanks,
Gill

Heinz · 21 February 2009 at 2:44PM

On 6-1-09, I emailed Primus:

Dear Sirs

As you know, I changed from your Primus Saver Option 2 CPS package to your Penny Mobile 2 CPS package in October 2007.

I have found that extremely useful and effective (particularly the ability to use BT's Call Diversion Calling Feature to divert calls to my mobile for 20p each - provided such diversions don't go over 20 minutes) and, as a result, I have been recommending Penny Mobile 2 CPS to many others.

However, since your call centre was moved from Glasgow to India, potential customers are being 'fobbed off' with comments such as "there's no such package" when they try to sign up.

As I am on the package, I know it does exist but I am now in a quandary as to whether I should continue making (unpaid) recommendations or just warn people off.

Perhaps you could enlighten me please.

On 7-1-09, I received a strangely-worded reply:

We are glad that you are referring customer to use our services.

If do provide the Penny Mobile 2 plan.

We are sorry for the misinformation provided to you.

Please call our Sale Team on 0800 036 0094 and they will be glad to assist you with required information.

You can also visit our website www.primussaver.co.uk

Looking forward for your business with Primus Telecommunications Ltd

Customer Service

I replied the same day:

I'm sorry, I do not understand what you are trying to say in your second paragraph ("If do provide the Penny Mobile 2 plan").

Please can you explain. Is Penny Mobile 2 CPS still available?

They replied on 8-1-09:

Dear Mr Heinz,

Yes we do offer the Penny Mobile 2.

Thanks,
Customer Service.

I sent the following on 13-1-09:

Many thanks for the clarification that Penny Mobile 2 CPS IS still available.

As you don't advertise Penny Mobile 2 and as it isn't shown anywhere on your website, all callers asking for it will have been recommended by me.

The same day, they replied:

Dear Mr. Heinz,

As per our understanding we can only provide the Penny mobile 2 Option to the existing customers.

For the new customer we are unable to offer this plan.

Thanks,
Customer Service.

So, Penny Mobile 2 is still available (or is still available to existing customers only).

The problem is the Indians appear not to know what the hell they're doing and make up 18 month contracts and so on as they go along.

TBH, I am on the verge of changing my recommendation to, incredibly, BT's Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan on a 'renewable' 12 month contract!

Gilly_flower · 22 February 2009 at 2:18PM

Thanks Heinz,
I've just tried again but there's no supervisors there today so I am getting a call back tomorrow. I'll post back with the outcome.
I'm curious as to you thinking of switching to BT - what factors are making you change your mind? (just curious as if I get myself into a contract with primus I don't want to kick myself!)

Heinz · 22 February 2009 at 3:02PM

Gilly_flower wrote: »

I'm curious as to you thinking of switching to BT - what factors are making you change your mind? (just curious as if I get myself into a contract with primus I don't want to kick myself!)

Ignoring the bonus of Penny Mobile 2 CPS's fixed rate 20p for 20 minutes calls/diverts to UK mobiles, Primus Saver (formerly Primus Saver Option 2) gives, for no monthly charge, free evening and weekend UK 01/02/03 calls of up to 90 minutes each.

But, it's a CPS service so 'subscribers' (in quotes because there's no monthly fee) have to have a BT landline and, as a minimum, that includes free weekend UK 01/02/03/0845/0870 calls of up to 60 minutes each.

Hence, if it isn't possible to get onto Penny Mobile 2 any more, Primus Saver really only has the advantage of giving free evening and weekend calls of 30 minutes longer each. But, if 60 minutes per call is sufficient (which must be the case for most people), just upgrading to BT's Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan on a renewable 12 month contract (hence, no monthly charge) would suffice and Primus Saver would be unnecessary.

Primus's appalling new call centre in India (or, rather, the lack of 'service' emanating therefrom) makes it difficult to continue recommending them to money savers.

Heinz · 26 February 2009 at 8:45AM

(1) Change from lending BT money each month to 'whole bill Direct Debit' as soon as possible;

(2) £60/month, if that is anywhere near your actual expenditure, is high (it suggests you are spending nearly £50/month on calls via BT). Please see HERE for some suggestions on how to cut down on that.

Bridge_Teacher · 27 February 2009 at 12:30AM

The article states "If you're with BT, Virgin, Talk Talk or anyone else, you're paying too much."
However, I've been with Virgin for 5 years for Broadband and recently upgraded to Broadband, Telephone line rental plus free 60 minute UK calls 24/7 to 01/02/03 numbers and their basic TV package and I pay just £16.75 per month for the whole package. Like RAYDOR and his Tiscali package, I must be one of the lucky ones.

Cheapest Home Phones Article Discussion

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