Primus Saver Carrier Preselect - Can you opt for a different CPS?

Matt_Taylor

Ok, I'm finding all this very confusing. I have just had a new Primus phone line installed (BT engineer did line test today, all running). I'm on the Saver 2 package for £8.99 with free landline calls evening and weekends. According to the T&Cs, I am on a 18 month contract paying them for the line rental (£8.99) and the carrier preselect service (call package) is free.

So - am I able to opt for a different carrier preselect call package to get cheaper broadband, or is this breaking my contract with Primus? I.e. if I bought the Sky Broadband package - which would require subscribing to their carrier preselect home phone service for free whilst keeping my Primus line rental - would this be possible within the Primus contract?

As I am technically only paying for the Primus line rental, it would make sense but can't find this info anywhere. This is unbelievably complicated.

Any help appreciated! Matt

Heinz

You have to pay line rental to BT to have a CPS calls provider so the answer is no, you cannot have any 'other' CPS with your Primus line rental (you do not have CPS with Primus, you just have one of their calls plans).

Matt_Taylor

Thanks for your reply Heinz, sorry if I've misunderstood. I'm still trying to get my head round the structure of UK telecommunications.

In the terms and conditions of my Primus contract it specifically states that they are providing me with the land line rental and CPS. This makes sense to me - all calls are routed across a landline (that they resell from BT) to BT's exchange, but these calls are then routed through the Primus network - hence the call package. But from what you say this is not CPS? If not then what exactly is CPS? Is it when you have a different land line and "calls package" provider?

And hence with the Sky Broadband + Free Calls package - does this free calls package constitute CPS, since the land line rental would be with a different provider?

Thanks for helping me understand!

Heinz

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=6858653&postcount=2

Matt_Taylor

Ok thanks Heinz. So Primus do not allow CPS on their rented lines. Ok, question regarding buying call plans from other CPS providers in order to get cheaper broadband: answer = no. However, if like you say, Sky uses WCLI - would this be possible?

So whilst I'm clearer on that, the technology structure still isn't making sense. From your link, it appears that from BT's perspective, Primus Saver is indeed a CPS service. Is this right?

So the structure appears to me as so: BT owns the line, sublets it to Primus to resell it. Calls by default with this package routed via CPS provider, Primus. Primus do not allow the CPS provider to be changed under their line rental contract (i.e. contract is always Line Rental AND CPS, rather than Line Rental OR CPS). Does this logic follow?

Heinz

Primus used to only offer CPS (i.e. you paid BT for your line rental but you had Primus as your CPS calls provider). Although, by default, that meant calls went via Primus, using a 1280 prefix would allow subscribers to 'hop back onto BT' to make calls if they wanted.

Then Primus started re-selling BT line rental and that meant 1280 no longer worked (you no longer had an account with BT so you couldn't 'hop back onto BT') and it also became slightly more difficult to move calls away from them (you had to move your line rental back to BT first).