Should you move your Line Rental From BT?

utilitybroker wrote:

PS: Dont blame BT for this line rental increase.Ofcom forced it upon them in the interests of competition!

BT could have increased the differential between their prices and the third party operators by dropping the wholesale line rental costs further. BT chose to increase their retail line rental cost.

This is another example of ofcom's regulatory practices - I'm sure they have the power to enforce a WLR price cut, but they always seem to leave a way out for BT which does not benefit the consumer.

[QUOTE=utilitybroker
3.Once you move your line rental you have to use that providers call tariffs.You cannot CPS your calls to another provider like you can on BT.So you can no longer react quickly to the cheaper call offers that may be available.(EG.The two current Free Evening And Weekend Call Offers to 01/02 numbers.JDS and Primus Saver are only available to BT Customers).[/QUOTE]

This is not strictly so. You could in fact use alternative providers via 0800/0808 access numbers. You may also still be able to take advantage of services using 0844 too.

utilitybroker wrote:

But it is correct i said you cannot CPS your calls if you move your line rental to another this is true.I did not say you couldnt dial 0800/0808 access numbers.However if the new supplier wanted to he could block those were they being used to access the likes of 1899,just as he could block 1899 type codes.They would not block normal day to day freephone numbers of course.Also if they allowed you to continue to phone these freephone access numbers you would pay the cheap call supplier more for the priviledge would you not.

As for 0844 i doubt if they would block these as their are so many,but they could increase the prices to call them.EG If you moved your line rental to One-Tel they charge 10% more then BT to call 0844 numbers!

Yes, I agree that you are correct in that you cannot CPS your calls if you decide to take your exchange line rental from BT.

I wanted to make the point that it still may be possible to route your calls via altrnative carriers using 0800/0808/0844 prefixes.

Heinz wrote:

Unless, as they are allowed to do (BT are not), the "BT line rental re-seller" decides to bar any or all of those specific numbers.

As I said in my previous post, it "may" still be possible to route your calls via alternative carriers.

utilitybroker wrote:

Yes i agree,it is possible. All i ever said in my op was that the new supplier can block access numbers.I didnt say he automatically would though.

If the supplier ever decides to block indirect access codes, you can always vote with your feet and move to a different line rental provider.

I'm not sure that any provider could bar specific prefix codes, or indeed would want to block the 0800/0808/0844 prefix numbers - after all they are legitimate voice calls made via your existing calls provider - even an 0800 number generates revenue, the call is paid for by the called party.

utilitybroker wrote:

However you normally agree to use the new supplier for all your voice calls,when you sign up with them.,and they normally say they will bar access codes,charge you more,or bar you altogether if you breach these conditions.

Onetel's t&c do not say that they will do any of these things - they say that they may, thus reserving the right to. As they choose not to, this doesn't currently cause a problem for users of indirect access codes. If they decide to change this policy and it affects you, you can always give them 7 days notice and change line rental provider.

While onetel are making a profit from the line rental, however small, I can't see why they would want to - the alternative would be for them to provide a CPS service with BT as the line rental provider.