Changing from 18866 to 18185

marylee

I am considering registering to 18185after reading posts in this forum. I did not even know the connection if gone up. I mainly use 18866 for 01/02 and BT for 0845/0870. For international numbers I use different codes, the only problem is they have several digits and it is difficult to remember. I do not mind paying to use 18866 but will be betterwith off with 18185 using the international rates. Before I decide, can somebody please explain to me the connection fee. I know there is a minimum of 5p when I use BT, but what I want to know if I make a phone call and it costs 3p a min, does bt charge me 3p+5p connection? I have used 18866 to make mobile call and never knew, there is a connection fee + the mobile phone call. If I get this right, you only pay 4p connection for UK numbers.

Does 18866/18185 charge you when there is no answer and the phone is ringing? I know the other company charge as soon the voice mail come through. I do not know whether they are doing this deliberately for the clock to tick as they seem to talk a lot, telling you the name of the company etc. What I like with 18866, the voice mail is short and to the point. Am I right to think that 18185 is cheaper for ringing 0845/0870 and mobile than BT and 18866?

Are they any good? Thanks.

pault123

Hi Mary,

I use 18866, 1899 and 18185. All from my mobile with the freephone access number. If you use the freephone access number from your landline (bt i presume?) its free of charge with no connection.

The different connection fees are as follows

1899 charges 3p connection and
UK fixed lines 0.5
UK mobiles (sat/sun) 3
UK mobiles (weekdays) 10
UK (070 Personal) 15
UK (0845 Local) 4
UK (0870 National) 7

18866 charges 3p connection and
UK fixed lines 1
UK mobiles (sat/sun) 4
UK mobiles (weekdays) 14
UK (070 Personal) 20
UK (0845 Local) 4
UK (0870 National) 9

18185 charges 4p connection and
UK Fixed 1
UK mobiles (sat/sun) 2
UK mobiles (weekdays) 10
0845 Local (sat/sun) 1
0845 Local (weekdays) 3
0870 National (sat/sun) 2
0870 National (weekdays) 4
070 Personal 25


Hope this is of use!

pault123

I have been charged the connection fee in the past for connecting to the service but not per minute charge until i get through. For example if I called 18866 got the voice prompt then hung up I have been charged connection for that.

18185 are slightly cheaper for mobiles 0870 and 0845, but more expensive for landlines and charge more connection fee than 1899.

All 3 are the same company.

Sign up to all 3 and save the prefix in your phones memory buttons and just use whoevers cheapest for that call!

Paul

Steve_xx

pault123 wrote:

Hi Mary,

I use 18866, 1899 and 18185. All from my mobile with the freephone access number. If you use the freephone access number from your landline (bt i presume?) its free of charge with no connection.

The different connection fees are as follows

1899 charges 3p connection and
UK fixed lines 0.5
UK mobiles (sat/sun) 3
UK mobiles (weekdays) 10
UK (070 Personal) 15
UK (0845 Local) 4
UK (0870 National) 7

18866 charges 3p connection and
UK fixed lines 1
UK mobiles (sat/sun) 4
UK mobiles (weekdays) 14
UK (070 Personal) 20
UK (0845 Local) 4
UK (0870 National) 9

18185 charges 4p connection and
UK Fixed 1
UK mobiles (sat/sun) 2
UK mobiles (weekdays) 10
0845 Local (sat/sun) 1
0845 Local (weekdays) 3
0870 National (sat/sun) 2
0870 National (weekdays) 4
070 Personal 25


Hope this is of use!

I believe that 18866 is now charging 4p per connection, not 3p.

Also, your mobiile operator will charge you if you call via the 0800 access or the 02 access if these are not included within your free bundled minutes. Only Orange allows 0800/0808 to be carried free of charge currently, and Orange are withdrawing that starting on 1st December for most people on their tariffs.

Steve_xx

marylee wrote:

I am considering registering to 18185after reading posts in this forum. I did not even know the connection if gone up. I mainly use 18866 for 01/02 and BT for 0845/0870. For international numbers I use different codes, the only problem is they have several digits and it is difficult to remember. I do not mind paying to use 18866 but will be betterwith off with 18185 using the international rates. Before I decide, can somebody please explain to me the connection fee. I know there is a minimum of 5p when I use BT, but what I want to know if I make a phone call and it costs 3p a min, does bt charge me 3p+5p connection? I have used 18866 to make mobile call and never knew, there is a connection fee + the mobile phone call. If I get this right, you only pay 4p connection for UK numbers.

Does 18866/18185 charge you when there is no answer and the phone is ringing? I know the other company charge as soon the voice mail come through. I do not know whether they are doing this deliberately for the clock to tick as they seem to talk a lot, telling you the name of the company etc. What I like with 18866, the voice mail is short and to the point. Am I right to think that 18185 is cheaper for ringing 0845/0870 and mobile than BT and 18866?

Are they any good? Thanks.

If you make a call via BT they do not charge you 5p+3p. The 5p is the minimum fee that BT charge per connection. So if a call via BT was 3p per minute, for your minimum charge of 5p you would be allowed 1 minute and 20 seconds before you incurred the next minute charge.

With 18866/1899/1815 you incur a connection fee for each call, currently 4p, for which you are allowed no time, the exception being for UK national calls where the call is untimed. If you use 18866/1899/1815 via their 08 access numbers then slightly different rules will apply, ie UK numbers are timed and there is a charge per minute and overseas calls are generally more expensive via this route.

So then, BT have a 'minimum charge' of 5p per call, whereas 18866/1899/1815 have a 'connection fee' but no minimum charge.

If you make a call and you encounter voicemail, then for charging purposes the call is regarded by all of the carriers as 'answered' and you will be charged accordingly.

You should not receive a charge for 'ringing' or 'engaged' tone.

pault123

Steve_xx wrote:

I believe that 18866 is now charging 4p per connection, not 3p.

Also, your mobiile operator will charge you if you call via the 0800 access or the 02 access if these are not included within your free bundled minutes. Only Orange allows 0800/0808 to be carried free of charge currently, and Orange are withdrawing that starting on 1st December for most people on their tariffs.

I just called orange and they applied a FOC freephone calling card bundle which gives me another year of FREE freephone calls :beer:

marylee

Thanks to all of you for taking the trouble to answer my post. I have jut signed to 18185 since it is cheaper to ring France,0845,0870 and mobiles. I have read their Q&A and they do not charge you until the phone is answered. I will be using them for all my calls which will work cheaper even with the connection fee. I am also registered to 18866 which I will not be using, is it better to keep it as I read somewhere you cannot cancel your continuous authorisation payment be credit card? I have been trying to get my sister-in-law to register but she is put off by the CAP. I am a very light user paying less than £2 a month. At present 18866 bills me very three months. Also does anybody know if you make any mistake and dial 118185, an extra 1 digit, is it an expensive number, I did that with 18866 by dialling 118866, easily make and have to pay £1 per minute? I have also noticed that some of my calls have by passed 18866 and I have been charged by BT. Thanks again.

utilitybroker

marylee wrote:

I have jut signed to 18185 since it is cheaper to ring France,0845,0870 and mobiles.

It depends on the length of the call whether or not its cheaper to use 18185 to call France.Using one of the 0844 1p a min access numbers on BT,a five minute call would cost 5p,where as the same call on 18185 would cost 7p.(4p connection 3p for the call.But overall 18185 is the best bet,as long as they maintain their 0.5p promotional rate.

Evenings and Weekends BT is the cheapest supplier of calls to 0845/0870.At peak rate 18185 is the cheapest to 0870,but not to 0845. https://www.dialaround.co.uk is 1p cheaper a minute using 0844 2p access number.

118185 is allocated to a Cable DQ service! Consider getting yourself an Orchid Dialler,to avoid misdialling.

redux

In post #2, pault123 quotes all the tariffs for calls made from his mobile. Calls made using 18185 from BT landlines have several cheaper tariffs, particularly to UK mobiles - at the moment 5p per minute vs 10p at peaktimes.

http://www.call18185.co.uk/rates.php

fbrj

redux wrote:

In post #2, pault123 quotes all the tariffs for calls made from his mobile. Calls made from BT landlines have several cheaper tariffs, particularly to UK mobiles - at the moment 5p per minute vs 10p at peaktimes.

http://www.call18185.co.uk/rates.php

pault123 displayed rates were for calls from a mobile (would be the same for a cable user too) rather than from a landline. Calls to a mobile from 18185 using a landline are 5p peak/evenings and 2p w/end per min + connection. BT is more expensive than that surely?

Heinz

pault123 wrote:

If you use the freephone access number from your landline (bt i presume?) its free of charge with no connection.

But DON'T DO THAT - using the 1899 prefix is far cheaper.