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[sarahllord]

For our home phone, we have Option 1 line rental through BT, our calls our through Virgin as part of our broadband package and we use 1899/18185 for daytime calls.

I've just received a letter from BT warning me that some call providers are changing the way they provide calls, which will mean that even if we use the 1280 prefix to put calls through BT, BT will not be providing the call and our calls provider will charge for it. The result will be that we cannot make chargeable calls through BT and therefore cannot qualify for free caller display or BT Answer 1571.

BT's website does not state which call providers will be changing their service, so I can't confirm whether or not we will be affected.

Also, if dialling 1280 will not route the call through BT, does that mean that other prefix numbers such as 18185 will also cease to work? Or could it be a ploy by BT to get more customers to sign up to their call packages? Call me cynical, but...

Is there any more information out there on this?

[BritBrat]

I hope you are wrong.

As far as I know BT have to allow access to all providers.

I think they may be talking about LLU and then the line rental would not be with BT.

[Drunkstar]

Its called something like 'Wholesale Access Calls' instead of the normal CPS. Who uses it and who doesnt I dont know. But yes, its true.

[BritBrat]

Using Google:

BT Wholesale Access

Does this only apply to people on the WLR3 service?

1.

Outline of the Service

Wholesale 1571 (WS1571) and Wholesale Access Call Minder (WA CM) are chargeable Messaging Services available to Wholesale Line Rental (WLR), Wholesale Access (WA) Analogue Communications Providers (CPs) sold by BT Openreach on behalf of BT Wholesale.


SOURCE:

Becoming a WLR3 Customer

Whether you are already an existing Openreach customer (Communications Provider), or brand new to our portfolio of products, the first thing you need to do to get on board with WLR3 is to contact our Customer Establishment team at:

They will then explain and guide you through all the steps and processes that you need to go through to become a WLR3 customer. This includes such activities as product familiarisation, connecting to Openreach platforms and integration onto our systems.
A customer guide to the WLR3 Analogue and ISDN 30 product establishment process can be found below.


SOURCE:

[acopp]

I'm afraid it appears Sarah is right. I tried making some calls yesterday as my BT rental bill is due shortly and I wanted to keep the free Caller Display and 1571. But all the calls went via Sky despite using the 1280 prefix. So there is no way I can make the necessary calls now and I face £8.25 extra charges from BT. There more about it on BT's site http://www.bt.com/1280

Apparently Sky has made the changes public but some other operators are not disclosing the changes. The new service is provided for them by BT Wholesale. I must admit to feeling a bit p*ssed off about this as I can do nothing about it it seems.

[BritBrat]

Changes to 1280 - FAQs

Changes to 1280 - FAQs

How will I know if my Call Provider is making these changes?

A number of Call Providers are making these changes. Some of these, such as Sky, have made this information public. However, other Call Providers have chosen not to do so, and the information remains commercially confidential.

FAQ

Just have to hope Primus don't change.

[Heinz]

I regard this as very bad news and have therefore sent the following to my CPS calls provider:

As you know, I am currently subscribed to your Penny Mobile 2 CPS (Carrier PreSelection) service. That means that, by default (i.e. without me having to dial a prefix), my outgoing calls go via Penny Mobile 2 even though I still pay my line rental to BT.

In order to retain free Caller Display from BT, I occasionally use the 1280 prefix to override the CPS programming at the exchange and send a few calls out on the BT network.

BT has advised that some CPS calls providers are, without informing their customers, moving to a new BT Wholesale system which disables the efficacy of the 1280 override prefix and without the knowledge of and against the wishes of the subscriber, causes all calls (even those on which the 1280 prefix has been dialled), to be sent via the CPS calls provider.

Having been a customer since December 2005, I would hope that you would have the common decency to inform me if you were considering such a change. Having heard nothing from you, I assume you are not doing so.

I would, however, seek your assurance that you have no intention of doing so.

An early reply would be appreciated.

[BritBrat]

Looks like Primus will be doing it sometime:

http://www.primussaver.co.uk/faqs.html

[QQuaver]

What about TalkTalk?
I don't have line rental or broadband with them. Just CPS

[Heinz]

Originally Posted by BritBrat

Looks like Primus will be doing it sometime:

http://www.primussaver.co.uk/faqs.html

That appears to be only about those who move or who have moved their line rental to Primus (or any other 'line provider').

Such 'line provider' companies 'provide' lines either using BT's WLR (Wholesale Line Rental) or, via their own equipment at the BT exchange, LLU (Local Loop Unbundled) but, in both cases, the 'final mile' is still maintained by BT. However, the subscriber has no direct dealings - or any account - with BT (although, of course, the new 'line provider' has to in order to have that 'final mile' maintained).

In the WLR or LLU line rental scenario, I would not then expect the 1280 prefix to work because, having moved line rental from BT to another supplier (and, therefore, no longer having an account with BT), it would be unreasonable to expect to still be able to make calls via BT.

Instead of openly barring the use of the 1280 prefix though, Sky (and others?) now ignore its use and connect the call normally - charging its own rates.

[BritBrat]

Lets hope you are right Heinz.

If my broadband stops I will be angry, mind you I don't really understand these changes at the moment.

First I became aware was reading this thread today.

But I have read it as even CPS calls will be treated the same.

My BT account No starts with SS, I did or thought I did read ages ago WLR3 accounts have another prefix to the number.

Yes my account number begins with GB, what is the significance of this ?

But you already knew that Heinz.

Originally Posted by Heinz

It means your account is on BT's new WLR3 computer system - which has a number of 'issues' and that accounts for your (and many others') problem.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...1&postcount=17

I will keep an eye on my account number now.

[sarahllord]

I have trawled through the Virgin website and have only found their old FAQ information about using 1280. As they have not updated this, I am assuming that at present, dialling 1280 will still route my calls through BT. However as soon as I'm able to log into my account, I will be sending them an email to ask them to confirm their position. If BT Wholesale are offering the calls providers a cheaper calls service, then I'm sure the majority will take the new service, and we will lose out, unless we switch back to BT.

BT seem to be offering free weekend and evening calls for no extra cost, but with a 12 month tie in.

Hopefully each of the calls providers will have the courtesy to inform their customers if they do switch services!

[BritBrat]

I have followed Heinz and Emailed Primus.

[Bufflowbill]

By doing this Sky Talk are forcing people to pay their expensive 0845/0870 Non Geographical prices. They can still be reduced by using 18185 if your line rental is still with BT.

[darren72]

Does anyone know if this will be affecting AOL Talk users ?

Thanks

[BexTech]

The reply I got from Primus was:

If your line rental remains with BT we as a CPS provider can not block 1280 as this is a BT service and they still control the line.

[Tiby]

We have only recently signed up with Bt and SKY. Line rental will be with Bt and Sky tv talk and broadband for £26. But we asked bt for £29.99 installation with 18 months contract and will have to make 10 calls via bt every month. I panicked after reading about 1280 changes and phoned sky. The customer services person said that if my landline rental will be with bt then calls made using 1280 prefix will be charged by bt not sky. According to him 1280 calls will be charged by sky if the landline rental was with sky as well. I hope he is right.

[Heinz]

Originally Posted by BexTech

The reply I got from Primus was:

If your line rental remains with BT we as a CPS provider can not block 1280 as this is a BT service and they still control the line.

Thanks, that was what I was hoping (although I've had no reply yet).

However, that reply only applies to BT line rental + CPS, not WLR or LLU line rental.

It appears this whole issue came about because of BT trying to clarify the position for those using 1280 on lines now rented from third parties and, rather than giving (more complicated) explanations of the (different) positions with WLR and LLU, have just made a blanket "it's not our fault" statement.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...5#post13028005

[BritBrat]

Panic over, I hope BT don't think it's a good idea and change it.

We already knew LLU and line rental with someone else could lose the BT option for 1280 and others.

[sarahllord]

My reply from Virgin was completely irrelevant to the question that I had asked, so I doubt their agents are even aware of possible changes.