18866 connection charge to 4p (merged)

bikeman

j-baby-scotland wrote:

U are charged for engaged tone... if you have a teenager (& result is self-evident on bill) it'll be easy to see... but they do... it , quote BT... 'ties up the line'

@£0.042 plus VAT per time

BT DO NOT CHARGE for getting to engaged tone.

Please ensure of your facts before posting statements of fact...

economiser

Bikeman

From Martins's instructions, rules and guide to posting:

"remember…. Be nice to your fellow MoneySavers"

bbb_uk

Can someone confirm whether Call1899 allow payments via direct debit same as Call18866?

I've just gone to sign-up with them (for obvious reasons) and there is no option to pay via direct debit.

Thanks in advance.

mobilegossip

You can only use d/d on 18166. 1899/18185 do not offer it.

bunking_off

utilitybroker wrote:

The point i was trying to make was that 1899/18866/18185 were probaly to blame, not the BT Exchanges as at their 1899 etc Peak Weekend Times, when lots of folks use their cheap services,they havent got enough leased bandwith to deliver the traffic.Having said that do tell people on some codes they cant join because they have reached capacity.(Unless you are aware of the register your mobile first loophole ).

The situation with indirect access providers such as 18866, and also CPS services, is that in general the call originates on BT, then is routed to the provider's network. The provider may use a third party to provide the network, e.g. OneTel's national calls are provided by C&W, as are the Post Office's and Tesco's; various providers use Thus etc etc. Some even buy the network from BT, but it's not particularly cost effective to do so. If the call is terminating to a BT landline, the indirect access provider also has to buy terminating service from BT, and again they may do that via a third party.

I don't know what the situation is with 1899/18866 : the chances are they use a third party to get deep connectivity into BT's network (hence secure the lowest rates), but then may route at least some of the calls via their own network.

From the reports I've been seeing on this thread, they've clearly been experiencing congestion on some of the access links from BT's network : in this situation it's routine to put a "stop sell" in the areas concerned, until new capacity can be put in place (typically approx 55 working days from memory). I'm saying this on the basis that the stop sell is clearly not network wide, as I've been able to register my landline. A previous poster is correct that the congestion won't be in BT's network as such, it will be on the interconnect between the two networks.

1899 must be cursing the fact that the loophole of registering a mobile has been picked up on, because it buggers up their network dimensioning and congests service for their existing customers (better to have 99 happy customers than 100 who are p*ssed off because they keep getting network busy tone). However, I think they'll probably be taking the view that not too many people are exploiting the loophole so it's not material : if it became so they could simply put the same "stop sell" on anyone trying to register an additional number onto an existing account, in areas where congestion is being experienced.

fairylights_2

Whilst I appreciate it's my own stupid fault for not noticing that little thing at the bottom of the email a month ago, why does my December invoice say 3p connection? surely they ought to have everything saying the same thing? :mad: If I can get 1899 to take me, I'm going to move!

Edinburghlass_2

If you have a "capacity" problem when signing up for https://www.call1899.co.uk try again and enter your mobile number then once you get the confirmation email add in your landline number

Please also look at https://www.call18185.co.uk for cheaper landline to mobiles calls.

fairylights_2

dunnit! thank you one and all! I don't often call mobiles (once in a blue moon, if that) so am holding off. Might cause too much confusion in this house with 1899, 18866, just dial saver and A N other!

pricefighter

fairylights wrote:

dunnit! thank you one and all! I don't often call mobiles (once in a blue moon, if that) so am holding off. Might cause too much confusion in this house with 1899, 18866, just dial saver and A N other!

Consider getting yourself an Orchid Dialler soon recoup your outlay.

See http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=15502

pennymakespounds

there's obviously an awful lot of us who are users of 18866 ..... but now hearing that 1899 hasn't moved up from 3p .... but if both are the same company then the question is are they going to increase also ?

In this sort of situation ... and when it is such an important topic ... and MSE has also actively "promoted" these companies ... before we all go changing ... (a terrible thought when, as with many people it's taken me ages to get all the family to " remember to dial 18866 .. the thought of trying to change them is terrible !!)
....

shouldn't someone at Moneysaving Towers take an official position and ask 18866/1899 for concrete information on what is happening with their charges.

Have been other occassions where i've raised same topic ... just seems a bit silly when mse has been so good at getting people together and to work together ... that in this sort of situation to having everyone scurrying off in differrent directions is so wrong.

( for what it's worth i think a tough stance should be taken with 18866 if it is going to leave 1899 cheaper .. ... it would be madness for them to have had everyone sign up and support over the months and then sh*t on them in this way !! )