Virgin Mobile: Less than half price cross network calls (15p/min)

student100

I did post this on the old forum but it got lost in the confusion...

Last week I discovered how to make cross network calls on Virgin Mobile for only 15p/min instead of 35p/min.

To do this you need to call the access number for Telesavers/Telestunt/Telediscount (they're all owned by the same company) for UK mobiles. These 0871 access numbers are charged at 15p/min by Virgin, but when you dial them you can dial any UK mobile number and you will be connected. (Virgin normally charge 35p/min for "cross-network" calls.

The access numbers: you can use any of:
0871 999 5995
0871 999 5252
0871 999 8282
0871 999 6868
and maybe some more. Virgin have told me these ones are definitely charged at 15p/min.

The disadvantages:
- You have to pay for the 30-40 seconds while the call is connected and when the phone is ringing (at 15p/min)
- You have to pay as soon as the 0871 number is connected, so if there is no answer you have to pay anyway (although as most people have voicemail you'd still have to pay at least 5p calling from Virgin).
- On your bill/online account just the 0871 access number shows up not the onward mobile number.
- Make sure you don't use this method for calling Virgin (i.e. same network) numbers seeing as it'll be more expensive.

Note that even caller ID works - Telesavers etc forward the caller ID to the person you're calling so they can't tell the difference.

Some phone companies may charge 40p plus per minute to access the 0871 access numbers, but Virgin only charge 15p/min, which is why this is worthwile. I have in writing (email) from them the following:
"We've spoken to our Finance Team today and are pleased to confirm that any calls made to the numbers 0871 999 5995, 0871 999 5252, 0871 999 8282 and 0871 999 6868 will be charged at 15p per minute."


It is possible to program the access number into your phone along with the contacts, to avoid dialling it each time. You'll still want to keep the original contact in your phonebook for sending text messages and incoming caller ID - in my Nokia phone I have entered the cheaper number for calls for each contact as the "Fax" number for each contact.

Entering the number into a Nokia phone
These instructions apply to my Nokia 6100, other phones may differ
To enter the number, e.g. for Joe Bloggs who has a number of 07123 123456:
Find Joe Bloggs in your contacts book
Press "details"
Make a note of Joe's mobile number
Press "options"
Go to "add number"
Select "fax" (or "office" or whatever you want to use)
Type in the Telesavers etc. number (08719995995 or whatever)
press * three times, a 'p' (for "pause") will be displayed
Type in Joe's number followed by a '#'
so now you will have 08719995995p07123123456#
Save the number

MAKE SURE that you know the person isn't on Virgin first; if they are this method will be more expensive

Now when you want to text Joe, you do it as normal, but if you want to call him you find him in the contacts book, press "options", then find the "fax" number, then press call.


I can't guarantee that this will work for you; I only started doing it last week. I would recommend you check your account online regularly just to check nothing is going wrong.

bubieyehyeh

student100 wrote:

I did post this on the old forum but it got lost in the confusion...

Last week I discovered how to make cross network calls on Virgin Mobile for only 15p/min instead of 35p/min.

To do this you need to call the access number for Telesavers/Telestunt/Telediscount (they're all owned by the same company) for UK mobiles. These 0871 access numbers are charged at 15p/min by Virgin, but when you dial them you can dial any UK mobile number and you will be connected. (Virgin normally charge 35p/min for "cross-network" calls.
[/b]

I think its cheaper to use 18866 or 1899 for this if your going to make more than 5mins of X-net calls a day. Since 0871 is 15p/min on virgin. The 0207 access number for 18866 or 0207 is 15p/min initially, but after 5 mins of calls on virgin that day, the cost drops to 5p/min. Unless of course virgin know the access numbers and are penalising them, however I think they play a warning message if this is the case.

student100

bubieyehyeh wrote:

I think its cheaper to use 18866 or 1899 for this if your going to make more than 5mins of X-net calls a day. Since 0871 is 15p/min on virgin. The 0207 access number for 18866 or 0207 is 15p/min initially, but after 5 mins of calls on virgin that day, the cost drops to 5p/min. Unless of course virgin know the access numbers and are penalising them, however I think they play a warning message if this is the case.

If you're making daytime or evening cross network calls, 18866 will NOT be cheaper.
Whilst calling their 020 number costs 15p/min for the first 5 minutes and 5p/min thereafter, you also have to pay 18866 12p/min on top of that (on your 18866 bill).
i.e.
Using 18866 020 access
First 5 mins = 15p/min to Virgin + 12p/min to 18866 = 27p/min
After 5 mins = 5p/min to Virgin + 12p/min to 18866 = 17p/min

Using Tele(stunt/savers/discount) 0871 access
All the time = 15p/min to Virgin + no extra fees = 15p/min

Only if you were making long calls at weekends (when 18866 is 3p/min) would it work out cheaper.

This works because when you use 18866 they get their cut from your 18866 bill, whereas Tele(stunt/savers/discount) get their cut from the "revenue-sharing" 0871 access number.

student100

Using 1899 would be slightly cheaper than 18866 (they charge 3p connection + 10p/min, or 3p/min at weekends), but Telesavers etc. are still cheaper apart from weekend calls.

student100

As 18866, 1899, Telesavers, Telestunt, Telediscount plus more of these brands are all owned by the same parent company, I think they rely on you picking on one brand because it is cheapest in one case, then sticking with it. In fact they can charge slightly different rates so it pays to compare the different brands to find the cheapest option.

chris28sc

can this also be used with orange/vodafone etc? do orange charge 10p/min to 087 numbers while voda charge 12p/min? that would be cheaper than using virgin

student100

chris28sc wrote:

can this also be used with orange/vodafone etc? do orange charge 10p/min to 087 numbers while voda charge 12p/min? that would be cheaper than using virgin

I don't know. You'd have to ask their customer services dept and post your findings here if you wouldn't mind.

0871 numbers are often charged at a higher rate than 0870 numbers by mobile providers, so you must check before you try this on other networks.

Note that if you have cross-network minutes included in your contract you won't want to do this anyway. (Virgin don't provide any bundled minutes.)