1899: Tarrif Price Doubled - Cable Customers!!! merged

Flimber

Via our Telewest telephone line, the nice (?) ladyvoice just told me I was paying 1p/min for a national call. I've just checked the website and it's true. Was 0.5p the same time yesterday.

HTH,
Mike.

utilitybroker

Thats only if you use the 0808/020 access numbers.!!!

Its still 3p connection and nil pence a min if you are able to use 1899 access number.

Cable Customers using 1899 for evening calls would be better off using First Telecom Cable Saver or the Phone Coop.

Shaanbles

utilitybroker wrote:

Thats only if you use the 0808/020 access numbers.!!!

Its still 3p connection and nil pence a min if you are able to use 1899 access .

I'm on NTL so can't use "1899" access - that's only for BT customers and their tariffs haven't gone up. I get the same message - "this call will cost 1p a minute"

Have all the "cheap call" companies doubled their tariffs for non-BT customers?

Flimber

Same here, Shaanbles. BT customers are so much better off than us on these cheap deals. It's a disgrace. I don't suppose anyone's got a good argument handy which might interest OFCOM have they ?

Mike.

Heinz

Because cable providers are not obliged to allow access to other providers via short codes (only BT is), companies like 1899 have to pay for a freephone number for cable customers to use to access their service.

The 2 words 'pay for' say it all really.

MonkeyGirl

Pleased I've seen this thread, as I thought it was just me when I phoned someone earlier so I stopped the call and re dialled.

At the moment though it is still cheaper than telewest but for how much long is the question I'm wondering about.

MumofThree

I'm an NTL user and just got the same message 1p/min instead of the 0.5p/min! This is the second time they've done this and I only signed up in August last year then it was 0p/min like BT users!

Martin, can your excellent call price checker be amended to show these diffent rates for non-BT users and therefore continue to help us find the cheapest calls?

In the meantime does anyone know of a cheaper service? I know 1p/min is still cheap but why should be be penalised compared to those with a BT line who are still getting 0p/min!

Shaanbles

MumofThree wrote:

I'm an NTL user and just got the same message 1p/min instead of the 0.5p/min! This is the second time they've done this and I only signed up in August last year then it was 0p/min like BT users!

I only signed up a couple of months ago and like you enjoyed the 0p a minute AND I bought the orchid dialler!

Two price hikes in such little time is not on - but no one else seems to be coming out any cheaper.

Don't want to, but it may be cost effective to go back to BT, although just negotiated a good deal with NTL for combined BB and phone rental charges

Stuart_W

http://wakeup.to/cheapercablecalls has a list of companies that work via a cable phone line.

The PhoneCoop is one that is worth a look for evening/weekend calls - their home user tariff allows calls upto 60 minutes for 4.7p per call. There is no additional monthly fee.

MumofThree

Thanks for that Stuart_w, I will have a look

Shaanbles, would you mind telling me what good deal you've negotiated with NTL for BB and phone? and we're you an existing customer when you did this?

Don't want to, but it may be cost effective to go back to BT, although just negotiated a good deal with NTL for combined BB and phone rental charges

I can't afford to go to BT as this was a new house when we bought it so they would charge the £100 or so new customer fee, despite the house being used a a sales office and already having a BT line in. This was why we originally went with NTL.

Shaanbles

MumofThree wrote:

Shaanbles, would you mind telling me what good deal you've negotiated with NTL for BB and phone? and we're you an existing customer when you did this?

Sure happy to share:
My 12 month contract isn't due to expire with them until April - I had, as a new customer, BB 1MB for £17.99 a month and then they gave me free line rental.

But called them this morning to say I wanted to find out when I had to give my one month notice (didn't say I was definitely leaving) and she said not until 10/3/06 - however why was i thinking of doing this or leaving etc.

So said I could get better deal elsewhere, after virtually no haggling I've got 2MB BB for £19.99 a month for 6 months (goes up by £5 after that - but sure I can re-negotiate it in 6mths) and still get free line rental for 12 months (saves a tenner a month). So for 20 quid get 2MB BB and the phone rental

Decided I couldn't go through hassle of changing to BT to say a few quid on phone bills - 1899.com still saves me some money!

Hope that helps.

Shaanbles