Scary News From Talktalk!

Heinz

Bleata wrote:

Thanks very much for last two replies - I will find out today exactly what deal my Mum has. For certain it doesn't include Broadband, as she does not have a computer.

It's all still complicated though!

Thanks again,

Bleata

All you really need to do is to establish whether she still pays her line rental to BT each month or each quarter?

If she does (please ask to see her latest BT bill to be certain), then she is on one of Talk Talk's CPS (Carrier PreSelect) plans and her calls will normally go out via Talk Talk but dialling the 1280 prefix to 'hop back onto' BT (or 18185, 1899, 18866 to use one of those companies) for individual calls will work - and calls made using those prefixes will be billed separately from her Talk Talk bill.

bbb_uk

Didn't TalkTalk a while ago stop doing CPS only and started pushing their linerental as well (for obvious reasons)?

The last offer I looked at from TalkTalk included taking their linerental and even the last time I looked their packages mentioned linerental from them (TalkTalk).

If your mum has just her outgoing calls only with TalkTalk (therefore her linerental is with BT) then there are cheaper packages like Euphony for £7.25 or if she's a Sky customer then with SkyTalk for £5.

Other options include, as mentioned by Heinz, dialling Call18185, etc which would probably save more money this way but does mean having to dial 18185 before each geographical call or by an Orchid Dialler.

qadri

dont think that talktalk can 'force' you to take their line rental too....

imho - i think that the savings on line rental dont warrant the possible restrictions suffered unless you take a package with everything [linerental/tel/cable tv/bband etc]

bbb_uk

qadri wrote:

dont think that talktalk can 'force' you to take their line rental too....

They can if they wish! I'ts entirely upto them how they sell their products. They would probably increase their customer base by allowing just calls only but they benefit a lot more by including their linerental due to the fact that they earn a little bit of money from linerental (not much however) but more importingly they can block accesses to other providers as and when they want.

imho - i think that the savings on line rental dont warrant the possible restrictions suffered

There is no savings on linerental with TalkTalk as its the same price as BT but with BT you can get free Caller Display.[/QUOTE]

billsavings

bbb_uk wrote:

Didn't TalkTalk a while ago stop doing CPS only and started pushing their linerental as well

Existing TT CPS customers could keep it without taking Line Rental,as Edinburghlass has done.

They no longer actively promote CPS only to new customers,but if pushed they will offer it ,but the tariffs are dearer then if you were to have their line rental.

If you still have your line rental with BT they cannot possibly block 1280 access,nor can they block the use of short codes.

If you have your line rental with TT even if you could dial 1280,they would bill you for the calls anyway,as BT could not, because you would no longer have an account with them.

They can also block short codes if your line rental is with them.They have already done this to some customers.But they dont block the equivalent 0808 access numbers.

Even if you had line rental with them it would not be possible to charge you intl rates for a call made by a 0844/0845/0870/0871 gateway number,as you start paying their ngn rate when you hit the announcement.They would have no way of knowing what your final destination is.

Bleata

Dear Everyone who's replied,

Thanks very much for the time you've put into answering me - really appreciated. It's definitely all a bit complex. I have now discovered that my Mum's line rental is still with BT but she has that deal with Talk Talk. I reckon the "supervisor" at Talk Talk wasn't exactly accurate. They're always so polite at the call centre in India, but on a completely different wavelength.

Out of interest - if you have a basic line rental with BT and no deals with Talk Talk or the like - presumably no problem making long distance calls with these codes?

Thanks to all,

Bleata

Heinz

Bleata wrote:

I have now discovered that my Mum's line rental is still with BT* but she has that deal with Talk Talk.

Out of interest - if you have a basic line rental with BT and no deals with Talk Talk or the like - presumably no problem making long distance calls with these codes?

Please click on the 'HERE' link in my signature below (as your Mum is still [sensibly] paying line rental to BT, she could make considerable savings).

Bleata

Wow - is that actually Mr. Martin himself answering my posts personally? I am both honoured and starstruck!

I take on board the advice - I will just mention the fact that 18185 won't help with this trip - as they do not cover Vietnam and Cambodia. The 0844 nos. on your Int. Call Checker do though.

Many thanks again,

Bleata

linda-ann

Just been reading this thread a quick query please

Line Rental with BT
Calls with Talk Talk (free evening & weekend calls )

If i sign up to 18185 will calls at other times cost 4p for each geographical call no matter how long (just UK).

Edinburghlass_2

Quick answer, yes