International & UK CallChecker discussion

junglechaz

Been using it for years - saved loads and been able to have longer conversations with those whom work with mentor and help develop as leaders in Africa and elsewhere.

Callchecker has been great and I used to simply cut and paste the tables for the counties I use into word and print them out to keep in a file on my deskand then updated regularly. Got more difficult and times consuming with the advent of skype format access numbers.

With the most recent changes and upgrading of the call checker that just dosn't work - all one gets with the paste is something not in a usable format.

What would be most helpful is a print format tab with perhaps the number of entries one wants to take. Soemtimes one can't get through with one provider and has success with a different one. Hope you can help - have recomended the call checker to loads of friends who call overseas - would be great if it could be kept simple to make use of.

Chaz

ferrero_2

I've been using this site for years to call countries around the world but since the recent "makeover" of the page I've noticed that the old call providers I used aren't there anymore and the new ones are considerably more expensive! This is true for all the countries I call.

Luckily I've still got some of the old numbers that the "old" Call Checker provided and they're still working but I can't be the only one who has noticed this can I??

MSE_Martin

ferrero wrote: »

I've been using this site for years to call countries around the world but since the recent "makeover" of the page I've noticed that the old call providers I used aren't there anymore and the new ones are considerably more expensive! This is true for all the countries I call.

Luckily I've still got some of the old numbers that the "old" Call Checker provided and they're still working but I can't be the only one who has noticed this can I??

Hi as far as I know we didnt remove any (i will check) we only added. It may just be the numbers have changed with some providers (or the number of the countries called)

If you can let us know the names of the providers - we'll take a look to see if we can add any you think are missing.

Martin

sach1636

crazyvish wrote: »

It was quite interesting to note that MSE has come up with something like this - finding cheap call provider. Congratulations for whoever has come up with this idea. I do know there are other websites which provide similar information. But I believe MSE's list is unbiased.

I was about to report regarding Teletop and MondoTalk. eagertosave has already mentioned the catch I found regarding MondoTalk.

Regarding Teletop, it charges 5p connection fee I think was missed including in your database.

Bit surprising to see lycatalk not in list of service providers. I have been using it since long to call asia and calls cost just 1p for india. Best of all there is no connection charges and they have a website where all account activities can be monitored.
hope it helps.

rapido

Planet Talk 9p/min Simply Dial
0871 335 0011


Doesn't work to Tunisia landlines, either now or before (tried last month too).

Get a message informing to enter the "full UK number"(?) before disconnecting.

Probably should be removed from the list.

-rapido

JamesU

MarkJMartz wrote: »

I've been looking for a list of Primus call charges (specifically for these non-geographic override numbers) but couldn't find them. How did MSE get them?

MarkJMartz wrote: »

I've been looking for a list of Primus call charges (specifically for these non-geographic override numbers) but couldn't find them. How did MSE get them?

OPs should note that the MSE International call checker suggests call set up fees of 7p for Primus non-inclusive overide numbers whereas in the small print of the Primus T+Cs the costs are actually 9.5p or 10.5p depending on the T+Cs of the Primus package. BT charges 11.5p at present.

Primus has also increased these call set up fees for customers on older Primus packages without notifying them. The cost increases are substantial, particularly for those OPs on older packages where the fees used to be much lower.

Example here using Primus to phone France:

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/france/primus/all

I cannot find overide numbers for UK non-inclusive phone calls any more on MSE, perhaps this is being updated, but the same increased Primus charges are applied when using overide numbers to make 0870 and 0845 calls.

JamesU

Heinz

JamesU wrote: »

I cannot find overide numbers for UK non-inclusive phone calls any more on MSE, perhaps this is being updated, but the same increased Primus charges are applied when using overide numbers to make 0870 and 0845 calls.

That is correct if you're using what I describe as a gateway provider's number (e.g. 0844 xxx yyyy) but not if you're using what I describe as a prefix provider like 18185 (i.e. you just dial the prefix).

BTW, the MSE UK CallChecker has numerous options for those non-inclusive UK 01/02/03 calls (1899, 18866 and 18185 are top of the list every time).

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ukcallchecker/

JamesU

Heinz wrote: »

That is correct IF you're using what I describe as a gateway number (0844 xxx yyyy) but not if yu're using an override provider like 18185 (i.e. you just dieal the prefix.

Good clarification. Yes exactly as the gateway numbers are often significantly cheaper than 18185 overide. In typical example above using an overide number for a phone call to France costs only 0.5p/minute on a gateway number whereas on 18185 it would be 1p/min i.e. twice the cost. But now on the former, one also had to account for the increased call set up fee.

JamesU

Heinz

JamesU wrote: »

Good clarification. Yes exactly as the gateway numbers are often significantly cheaper than 18185 overide. In typical example above using an overide number for a phone call to France costs only 0.5p/minute on a gateway number whereas on 18185 it would be 1p/min i.e. twice the cost. But now on the former, one also had to account for the increased call set up fee.

JamesU

..... and that the gateway provider starts incurring you costs when you're halfway through dialling (before you've even started dialling your target number in fact);

.....and you'll pay for every second your listening to your target number's ringing or engaged tone.

JamesU

Heinz wrote: »

That is correct if you're using what I describe as a gateway provider's number (e.g. 0844 xxx yyyy) but not if you're using what I describe as a prefix provider like 18185 (i.e. you just dial the prefix).

BTW, the MSE UK CallChecker has numerous options for those non-inclusive UK 01/02/03 calls (1899, 18866 and 18185 are top of the list every time).

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ukcallchecker/

18185 certainly seem to be best of gateway providers for non-inclusive 0845, 0870 and International numbers (France as example).

But using a prefix provider seems to be cheaper for the International calls as already mentioned. And given the call set up fees are now so similar with Primus and BT it does not make much difference which provider you are with as far as the International calls are concerned.

The increase in Primus call set up fees and Primus packages do not include the expensive 0845 and 0870 numbers which are free in the BT calling packages, so it really looks like a move back to BT and using gateway and prefix providers is more cost-effective now.

As mentioned with the errors in the MSE International Call checker costs (see post above), OPs should note that the MSE UK Callchecker prices also seem to be incorrect as in link below, where for Primus a 7p fee is suggested for the prefix providers, but which has actually increased to 9.5p or 10.5p depending on the Primus package.

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ukcallchecker/0870/daytime/primus/easy

JamesU