Tesco home phone - still competitive or not?

judosteffer

Got sent this today from Tesco home phone:



"We're writing to let you know about important changes to your Tesco home phone service.


Rate changes from 20th November
Calls you make during the day to standard UK landlines* will increase from 2.5p per min to 2.8p per min. Our daytime rates will also now apply from 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Evening rates will therefore be from 6pm to 6am.

Good News

From 20th November we are also bringing down the cost of our Talk packages to make sure that you keep getting great value from Tesco home phone.

- Talk 2 is cut from £3.97 to £3.87 a month

- Talk 3 is cut from £10.97 to £9.87 a month


All inclusive calls in our Talk 2 and Talk 3 packages will be chargeable after 70 minutes (1p/min evenings & weekends and 2.8p/min during the daytime to standard UK landlines).


Not to worry just make sure you hang up and redial before 70 mins to avoid any call charges.


Don't forget you will still benefit from:

- Inclusive calls to other Tesco home phone customers!

- Unlimited calls to 118 321 Tesco directory enquiries at no extra cost


Yours sincerely


Tesco home phone team."

Are they still any good - any views/opinions?


*Standard calls to UK landlines are to numbers starting 01 and 02.

Heinz

In answer to your thread title, not (in fact, was it ever?).

With a BT landline, you can, for NO monthly fee, get free evening (6pm to 8am) and weekend (effectively 6pm Friday to 8am Monday) UK 01/02 calls of up to 90 minutes with Primus Saver Option 2 and only pay 4p for UK 01/02 calls of unlimited duration at other times, calls to UK mobiles for 4p connection and 6p/minute weekdays (2p/minute weekends) and cheaper weekday calls to 0870 numbers by using 18185.

I estimate that making the above two choices saves most people at least 66% of their previous (BT) call costs.

BTW, that 2.5p/minute to 2.8p/minute Tesco price rise is a 12% increase and changing the definition of the time 'daytime' starts from 8am to 6am will be a nice little earner for them too!

acezing

Tesco have been running two different uncompetive tariff,s for a while now, one for old customers ,one for new ones.

http://www.tesco.com/tescotalk/tariff/

They are just bringing in line the old customers with the new ones.

molerat

I am currently with Tesco but got a shock when I tried to access my account to view some specific calls and could not due to the changes in the system and will have to wait until I get my next bill in 2 months time. I have just looked at Uswitch and it has come up pretty accurate with my usage and actually puts BT as cheaper than Tesco and only £2.50 pa dearer than Primus. I have received no info about increased charges or changes to the on line service. Very poor customer service. I think a change of supplier is in order. And their customer service number has changed to an 0845 from 0800.

Are Tesco changing their carrier as the billing now links to an outside website.

judosteffer, my contract states 14 days notice of change to contract terms (including call charges) and will be attatched to the bill, so was your notice with the bill ?

edit. The BT offer is only for 12 months of an 18 month contract so after the initial 12 will be tied into 6 x 3.95 = £23.70 which wipes out any savings in the first year.

billsavings

molerat wrote:

I am currently with Tesco but got a shock when I tried to access my account to view some specific calls and could not due to the changes in the system and will have to wait until I get my next bill in 2 months time. I have just looked at Uswitch and it has come up pretty accurate with my usage and actually puts BT as cheaper than Tesco and only £2.50 pa dearer than Primus. I have received no info about increased charges or changes to the on line service. Very poor customer service. I think a change of supplier is in order. And their customer service number has changed to an 0845 from 0800.

Are Tesco changing their carrier as the billing now links to an outside website.

judosteffer, my contract states 14 days notice of change to contract terms (including call charges) and will be attatched to the bill, so was your notice with the bill ?

BT may be cheaper then Tesco and nearly as cheap as Primus but are you sure you dont have to sign up for an 18 month contact,where the low price only operates for 12 months.

molerat

See my edit