International & UK CallChecker discussion

NonGeographicalMan

oldharryrocks wrote: »

Plusnet do advertise all tariffs https://www.plus.net/home-broadband/tariffs/.

However I bet its jolly hard to find that link and that they also give much greater prominence only to the cost of calling numbers starting 01, 02 or 03 that are included in their various evening and weekend or anytime call packages.

And that of course is why the OP on this subject was unaware he was going to have to pay a different price from the BT price for calling this 0844 phone number.:eek::mad:

Also when someone (such as myself in this case) makes a quite long posts there is really no need to re-quote the whole of that post to make it clear which post you are referring to. Usually just the most relevant sentence or two to the point you are making will be sufficient.

oldharryrocks

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

However I bet its jolly hard to find that link and that they also give much greater prominence only to the cost of calling numbers starting 01, 02 or 03 that are included in their various evening and weekend or anytime call packages.

And that of course is why the OP on this subject was unaware he was going to have to pay a different price from the BT price for calling this 0844 phone number.:eek::mad:

Also when someone (such as myself in this case) makes a quite long posts there is really no need to re-quote the whole of that post to make it clear which post you are referring to. Usually just the most relevant sentence or two to the point you are making will be sufficient.

Doesnt the Intl Call Checker and most cheap call providers websites make it clear enough then you can pay more then bt,s rate.

The next thing your have us doing is complaining to BT that plusnet line rental,call bundles etc are cheaper.:D

NonGeographicalMan

oldharryrocks wrote: »

Doesnt the Intl Call Checker and most cheap call providers websites make it clear enough then you can pay more then bt,s rate.

The customer is a Plusnet customer anyway.

He clearly did not expect Plusnet to charge more than BT for this call since the whole point of Plusnet is to be cheaper Yorkshire flavoured version of the BT brand. One of the selling points of Yorkshireness is the focus of Yorkshire folk on value for money.

BT need to be very careful indeed with Plusnet's broadband and calls pricing as if they don't get Youview launched fairly soon on Plusnet and also keep on cutting BT main's FTTC broadband prices then there will no longer be any point in the existence of the separate Plusnet sub-brand.

In fact at the moment its sole purpose seems to be to offer significantly cheaper basic copper broadband than is available from BT Main.

buglawton

YouView can be a standalone box not even connected to a phone line or the Internet.

NonGeographicalMan

buglawton wrote: »

YouView can be a standalone box not even connected to a phone line or the Internet.

Without an internet connection it would just be a normal Freeview box and recorder?? What would be the point?

A vanilla YouView box can do catch up tv but does not have much other online content access other than Sky's relatively expensive Now Tv.

My point was actually why pay as much or more to Plusnet than BT for fibre broadband and end up without a YouView box.

buglawton

Yes I'm corrected - you need an internet connection but any internet connection will do. So if you have Plusnet internet, all you need to do is buy a Youview Box, connect to internet and you have Youview. You do not need to be 'offered' it by your phone/internet provider.

NonGeographicalMan

buglawton wrote: »

You do not need to be 'offered' it by your phone/internet provider.

If it is not offered by your broadband provider it won't offer as much content. For instance TalkTalk makes monthly subscription Sky Sports and other channels available on their YouView box and BT offers various extra channels on their box not available with a Vanilla YouView box.

tfboy

Although it's probably obvious and the checker does point out the list is computer generated, there is quite a difference between the prices quoted and what you'd get charged.
As an example, by selecting from a Virgin landline to France mobile, cost should be 1.5ppm using 123dial instant (http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/france-mobile/virgin/easy)
However, access number they use is 08438 390065 and looking up Virgin's ridiculously long 174-page pricing table says that numbers with prefix 08438390 cost 15.94p CCF then 5.61ppm which is a fair bit more than 1.5ppm! (bottom of page 156 on their guide here: http://store.virginmedia.com/content/dam/eSales/Downloads/010214_Non_Geo_V2.pdf)

So always double check!

NonGeographicalMan

tfboy wrote: »

As an example, by selecting from a Virgin landline to France mobile, cost should be 1.5ppm using 123dial instant (http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/france-mobile/virgin/easy)

However, access number they use is 08438 390065 and looking up Virgin's ridiculously long 174-page pricing table says that numbers with prefix 08438390 cost 15.94p CCF then 5.61ppm which is a fair bit more than 1.5ppm! (bottom of page 156 on their guide here: http://store.virginmedia.com/content/dam/eSales/Downloads/010214_Non_Geo_V2.pdf)

So always double check!

I have been using MSE listed 084 alternatives to call Spanish mobile numbers at only 1p per minute (although unfortunately plus 12p connection) quite a bit lately as this does work out a lot cheaper than www.18185.co.uk (still annoyingly charging 8p per minute +4p connection to Spanish mobiles despite their fairly competitive 1p per minute to Spanish landlines) for longer calls so I was a bit worried by your post, although my landline is with the generally more honest and straightforward Post Office Homephone.

Anyhow I checked all the main 084 alternatives at 1p per minute listed in the Post Office Homephone's code table and they fortunately were all charge at the stated rate by MSE of around 1p per minute and 12p per connection.

So it sounds to me like P O Homephone is charging a fair rate to dial thru numbers but that some of its greedier competitors (Virgin are the most notorious for this behaviour and make even TalkTalk look like good boys by comparison) are deliberately over charging to Dial Thrus because they can resent not being able to charge their only normally extortionate rates to overseas landlines and mobiles.

As OfCoN has also now permitted the blocking of dial thru services like 18185 on all lines (even though BT haven't yet done it and nor has P O Homephone on my line even though its on an exchange with a TalkTalk LLU) surely they must now step in and prevent the other telcos from charging greedy and outrageous rates to these overseas dial thru numbers as a way of preventing customers from going elsewhere for international calls other than via the relatively cumbersome and longwinded route of using Voip?

Then again this is OfCoN we are talking about and only public embarrassment on something like Radio 4 You and Yours can usually forces them to intervene (they were pretty quick to lean on BT over it upping its minimum payphone charge on credit and debit cards from an already high £1.20 to a quite despicable £6.50 even though they have theoretically deregulated their price controls over BT when You and Yours put a spotlight on this) so I won't be holding my breath that any of the six figure civil servants with OfCoN company provided mobiles will actually be able to imagine what paying for your own phone calls is like.:eek::mad::mad::mad:

thelawnet

Does anyone have any tips on trading off quality and price? Am I better off with something like Lycamobile, or should I stick with the 'just dial' numbers from my BT landline?