Virgin phone-cheapest way to make uk calls & calls to France?

DEBTMONKEY1A

Hi,

Moving in 3 wks & have virgin media booked to be put in. I'm SO glad for this website as I was not aware as to how dear virgins landline was!

Ok...I may make a handfull of local/national calls a week...certainly not more that say 5 calls max duration 20 mins or so. G/F calls france twice a week & talks for 30-45 mins.

On our old BT line we dialed the 'o845' override numbers (Or teletop-£1-50 call to premium rate then free calls to france-5 p connection fee) & used the 1/2pence per minute systems. Same for the UK calls...would use 05 pence & pay 1/2p minute.

On looking through the posts on here & digital spy frums it seems that first telecom are a GREAT bet for cheaper calls....providing a box.

I wondered what the forums view was on this? Also....if using 1st telecom to call an 0845 number to access an 'override' provider i assume the 'minimum call charge' of 6.1p would be levied & THEN you would pay the override providers rate per minute? So for example if it was a 10 minute call to france at the override providers cost of 0.5 p a minute it would be 50P + connection charge/minimum call charge of 6.1 p? If it was teletop (who do the £1-50 premium call) who provide a uk London number to access your foreign number I again assume you'd pay the minimum call charge/connection charge of 6.1p & THEN the teletop rate (5p connection & zero pence a minute).

Obviously on the 'M' pack we're on there are free calls to landlines at weekends so we'd make use of that(!).

Sorry to be ultra thick but I guess NO phone charges would show on Virgin if using first telecom? The monthly call bill would be with them?

It's all SO confusing but money will be tight so we want to make sure we get it right. Any advice from you good people?

Ypaymore

Would you not be better off dialing direct using 18185 via their 0808 Freephone Number.

http://www.18185.co.uk/mobilerates.php

If you used an 0845 number to access Uk/France you would pay whatever FT charged you to call an 0845 number for the complete duration of the call,you dont pay the override provider anything.

At the times you have got inclusive minutes www.callsdiscount.com allow you to call France at no extra cost via a geographical number.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Ypaymore...cheers for your help! So unlike a BT landline (where you just pay for the duration of the call until override provider connects you...ie the minimum call charge) with FT you'd pay the WHOLE duration of the call and whatever FT charges for 0844....is that right?

I'm guessing then that for example teletop (who ask you to dial an 09016 number that 'credits' you with £1-50...then they just charge you 5 p connection a call & ZERO/minute for ringing france-accessed by a London 0207 number which is betwwen 0.8 & 1.6p a minute on FT) would be a good option for times NOT included in inclusive minutes?

Will check out your links..thanks!

Edit...is this number from callsdiscounts 0203 3473399 counted as being a local or national call that can be included on virgins inclusive minutes?

Edit Edit...sorry...been a bit thick! Checked Virgin site & 0203 is included...1st I clicked on the French flag & saw an 0811 number??

THANK YOU so much.......this will save us a fortune!

Ypaymore

Hi DEBTMONKEY1A.

1. Even on BT when you call the access no your charged by BT to call it not the provider unless its it an inclusive call on BT.All the access code call provider does is take a cut of the call from the phone line provider.

2. Teleptop is not such a good idea becauseIf you use them you would still have to pay VM to call the Teletop 0207 access number throughout the duration of the call, if it was not included in your inclusive minutes.

Hope This Helps.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Hi, but of I dialed the 0207 access number through 1st telecom (0.8-1.6p/minute) them surely I'd be ok with teletop? Their 5p connection fee (& 0 p per min. to France) would just be deducted from the £1-50 premium call?

Ypaymore

DEBTMONKEY1A wrote: »

Hi, but of I dialed the 0207 access number through 1st telecom (0.8-1.6p/minute) them surely I'd be ok with teletop? Their 5p connection fee (& 0 p per min. to France) would just be deducted from the £1-50 premium call?

You should be able to dial a geographical access number via FT. Why use Teletop ,cut them out, use the callsdiscount number at no extra charge to make calls to France.

At peak rate 18185 5p connection and 1p a minute will possibly work out cheaper to call geographical access number for France.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Ypaymore...just out of interest....what does the asterisk next to the '0' pence per minute mean on callsdiscount...

This is my 1st email to them....


Hello,

Can you tell me what the '*' means in this (copied from your web-site).
France0203 3473399 (0 pence/minute*)
Is there any extra charge for calling this number? Is that what the '*' means?

Thanks!

Their reply which makes NO sense to me....

Hi,
when you have an all included subscription, you can call for free to France.

Have call fun!

BR,

Pieter

Ypaymore or anyone....any ideas on the asterisk? Just curious...(!)

Heinz

That makes sense to me (even if the person replying clearly does not have English as his first language).

It means that, if you have an inclusive calls package with your calls provider (i.e. calls to UK 01/02 numbers are included in your package), calls to their 0203 number would be included therein.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Thanks heinz...I kinda thought that was what it meant but needed a 2nd opinion! I've looked at some of your posts over the years...GOOD WORK! Phone costs, etc can cost SO much (as my G/F found out in her old flat-calling France/friends in the UK & ending up with HUGE bills & debts)...so having someone such as you/this forum that can put the (sometimes confusing) world of cheap calls/override numbers in to PLAIN english is great!

Do you think my choice of 1st telecom is a good one with virgin (based on my useage in my 1st post)? Looks so to me...

Heinz

You have to do something to mitigate Virgin Media's voice telephony charges!

I have no personal knowledge of FT but would suggest a comparison with using 18185 (via its 08081703703 gateway number) might be worthwhile.

DEBTMONKEY1A

Will do Heinz....0808 numbers i guess are free on the 'M' package phone with Virgin?