Changes to BT 1280

Victors_Bruvver

Heinz wrote: »

What BT calls plan are you on?

Remember, only 'in plan' 0845/0870 calls will be free on BT now - so if, like most people who use a CPS calls provider, you are on BT's lowest package (the Unlimited Weekend Plan), using the 1280 prefix will only get you free 0845/0870 calls at weekends.

Needed to call an 0870 number at the weekend and I thought I would give it a test run by prefixing the call with 1280. Just looked at my recent calls online at BT and they have charged me, I think, 45p for the call.

Heinz

Victors_Bruvver wrote: »

Needed to call an 0870 number at the weekend and I thought I would give it a test run by prefixing the call with 1280. Just looked at my recent calls online at BT and they have charged me, I think, 45p for the call.

If it wasn't an indirect access calls provider's number (which would be excluded from the 'free' offer), challenge the charge.

*informer*

BexTech wrote: »

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.

I would question this response. Whilst BT can control the rental services, they have no control over the CPS service, which is sometimes as LLU service. The CPS provider can request the IA bar on calls and therefore the call is routed via their own network and not carried by that of the IA number.

My suggestion would be if no clear answer is provided, Ofcom is contacted to offer advice and clarity on the matter.

Victors_Bruvver

Thanks for your replies.

I had to phone the tax man this morning (Saturday) and as it was an 0845 number routed it over 1280. Tomorrow, I will take a look at my BT online account and check it out. and let you know if last week's was just a one off.

Doc_N

Heinz, I think you may know what's going on here, but I'm puzzled.

I've been with Primus (the free Saver Option 2) for about a year now. Very happy with it, using 1280 when I prefer to route a call via BT.

I recently signed up with BT for the 12 month renewable contract 'unlimited evenings and weekends' deal to get the free 0845/0870s that now go with it. It worked fine, and by using 1280 I was getting free 0845/0870 calls, as promised.

Yesterday, though, I had a call from 0800 3289393 - someone calling 'on behalf of' BT. He said that because I had not cancelled the Primus CPS I was not entitled to the free evenings and weekends deal. To get that, I would have to cancel Primus, or let him do it. I said I'd consider the position. He also said that because it was now BT Wholesale, 1280 would no longer work.

Does this make any sense to you, please, Heinz? And have others been getting similar calls?

Heinz

Doc_N wrote: »

Heinz, I think you may know what's going on here, but I'm puzzled.

I've been with Primus (the free Saver Option 2) for about a year now. Very happy with it, using 1280 when I prefer to route a call via BT.

I recently signed up with BT for the 12 month renewable contract 'unlimited evenings and weekends' deal to get the free 0845/0870s that now go with it. It worked fine, and by using 1280 I was getting free 0845/0870 calls, as promised.

Yesterday, though, I had a call from 0800 3289393 - someone calling 'on behalf of' BT. He said that because I had not cancelled the Primus CPS I was not entitled to the free evenings and weekends deal. To get that, I would have to cancel Primus, or let him do it. I said I'd consider the position. He also said that because it was now BT Wholesale, 1280 would no longer work.

Does this make any sense to you, please, Heinz? And have others been getting similar calls?

I think, but, not being an insider, I cannot be sure, BT are trying it on.

It is my understanding that you can have ANY BT call plan (the Unlimited Weekend Plan, the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan or the Unlimited Anytime Plan) and still have a CPS calls provider.

Let's face it, you cannot have a BT line without the Unlimited Weekend Plan anyway, so you must be getting free weekend UK 01/02/03 (and 0845/0870 now) calls of up to 60 minutes each if you dial 1280 to hop back onto BT.

So, if you pay for (or agree to a 12 month renewable contract) an upgrade to the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, what's the difference? Similarly, agreeing to pay for the Unlimited Anytime Plan shoud make no difference.

I'd like BT to show where it says in their T&Cs that you cannot have the free calls which are part of your BT calls plan if you have a CPS calls provider.

Doc_N

Heinz wrote: »

I think, but, not being an insider, I cannot be sure, BT are trying it on.

It is my understanding that you can have ANY BT call plan (the Unlimited Weekend Plan, the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan or the Unlimited Anytime Plan) and still have a CPS calls provider.

Let's face it, you cannot have a BT line without the Unlimited Weekend Plan anyway, so you must be getting free weekend UK 01/02/03 (and 0845/0870 now) calls of up to 60 minutes each if you dial 1280 to hop back onto BT.

So, if you pay for (or agree to a 12 month renewable contract) an upgrade to the Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan, what's the difference? Similarly, agreeing to pay for the Unlimited Anytime Plan shoud make no difference.

I'd like BT to show where it says in their T&Cs that you cannot have the free calls which are part of your BT calls plan if you have a CPS calls provider.

Heinz - thank you so much for your help, for the incredibly quick reply, and also for all the other useful posts you've made on telephony. Following your advice has saved many of us a great deal of money.

Like you, I can't see anything in the T&C which prevents this, and I did make this point to the guy who called. He glossed over that, adding that it wouldn't be possible to use the BT free calls anyway because 1280 wouldn't work as it was via BT Wholesale. That was news to me!

It may well be that they were trying it on, because the whole thing was left somewhat in the air, with me saying I'd think about it. 1280 appears still to work, but I'll check in a day or so to see if anything's changed.

Meanwhile, I'll stay with Primus, but if there's a problem I can see no particularly compelling reason not to let BT have the line fully back and drop Primus.

[Deleted User]

Just a word to the wise re: Returning to BT from Sky

I decided to bite the bullet and leave Sky on the 31st January and return to BT on the Unlimited Anytime Plan with Mobile Saver.

I received an e-mail thanking me for the order stating "that the order has been submitted successfully and will become effective on your account within 1 working day."

I just checked my Sky account, online, and horror of horrors I have been charged for calls in February!

Just spoken with several people, in BT, Oh yes we amended your a/c but your still getting your calls from another provider!!!!!!! It took a while for the penny to drop that if I was going to pay BT for Unlimited calls why would I want another provider.

They are now going to do the job properly and notify SKY and change me to another connection in the exchange - this will take 11 working days. They have also agreed to refund the call charges that Sky raised when I thought I was back with BT.

So those of you that decide, as I did, to return to BT check to make sure that you have been properly disconnected from whoever you were with.

Patr100

On DocN's point, I'm on BT by default it seems on the free weekend only plan, using Primus for free evening & w/e 01 calls and 18185 etc for other day calls.

On Primus we don't get free 0845/0870 calls with BT.Got a letter inviting me to bring my call back to BT as other have.The small print may not say it but can we then go on free eve / WE plan with BT and stay with Primus ?

Tempted to switch back maybe to BT to also get the free 0870/0845 unless there's a good reason to stick with Primus?

Heinz

Doc_N wrote: »

Like you, I can't see anything in the T&C which prevents this, and I did make this point to the guy who called. He glossed over that, adding that it wouldn't be possible to use the BT free calls anyway because 1280 wouldn't work as it was via BT Wholesale. That was news to me!

Meanwhile, I'll stay with Primus, but if there's a problem I can see no particularly compelling reason not to let BT have the line fully back and drop Primus.

I agree with your last paragraph (except for those like me who were able to switch to Primus's Penny Mobile 2 CPS package).

The 'BT Wholesale' bit of your conversation appears to show that the (BT Retail) person who called you had, like many BT personnel, muddled understanding.

He's probably aware that some CPS calls providers (e.g. Sky, Talk Talk and AOL - and probably others by now) who have changed to buying 'calltime' from BT Wholesale under their new WCLI (Wholesale Calls Line Independent) offering, effectively bar the use of 1280 and so users cannot 'hop back onto BT' to make calls. That is simply because their calls are being carried on the BT network anyway!