Sticking with BT

mammag_2

Was looking at coming away from BT, rang them today and got them to put me on basic Option 1 (£11 per month which I think you need for Primus etc anyhow) plus they are giving me free weekend and evening calls by crediting me with the £3.95 charge they make on their special offer. I had to sign up for 18 months, but as I've been with them from the year dot, I couldn't see the problem. Have now also signed up for 18185 to override the daytime calls. Seems like not a bad deal - is it? :j

silvercar

I got the same deal but the small print is worth watching.

The free weekend calls they are giving you for free for a year is normally charged at £3.95. You are agreeing to take that for 18 months. So for the 6 months after the free year has ended you will be charged the £3.95.

Heinz

mammag wrote:

Was looking at coming away from BT, rang them today and got them to put me on basic Option 1 (£11 per month which I think you need for Primus etc anyhow) plus they are giving me free weekend and evening calls by crediting me with the £3.95 charge they make on their special offer. I had to sign up for 18 months, but as I've been with them from the year dot, I couldn't see the problem. Have now also signed up for 18185 to override the daytime calls. Seems like not a bad deal - is it? :j

Welcome to the MSE forums mammag.

Oh dear. You fell for it.

BT have been offering that 'free' upgrade to BT Together Option 2 for some time now subject to you signing up, as you have, for an 18 month contract.

The catch is that, although the £3.95/month credit appears to make evening and weekend UK 01/02 calls (of up to 60 minutes only) free for the first 12 months, the fact that the £3.95/month charge kicks in for the final 6 months means they're not really free at all (it averages out at £1.32/month for those free calls). As BT only charge 5.5p for UK 01/02 calls (up to an hour) evenings and weekends, only when you exceed 24 such calls each month will you be making any saving.

OK, £1.32 is not a lot but you could've had free evening and weekend calls of up to 90 minutes from Primus Saver Option 2 for no monthly fee and without having to agree to any length of contract or could make them for 4p each via 18185.

Anyway, having agreed to it doesn't prevent you from making your weekday daytime UK 01/02 calls and all your 077, 078, 079, 0845 and 0870 calls far more cheaply using 18185 instead of BT.

bikeman

As BT option 1 is standard and offers calls up to 1hour eves and wkends for 5.5p - you have to make a lot of calls to justify £3.50.

Even worse NTL charge £5.50 for free eves and weekends - don't they bother reviewing BT's prices anymore?

I have NTL's talkunlimited24 (free day, eves and weekends). It costs a whopping £14 a month (again BT are less at only £9.99) - I get it for free because I said I was going back to BT.

The smart money uses BTopt1 eves and weekends and call18866/1899 etc on weekdays.

utilitybroker

bikeman wrote:

The smart money uses BTopt1 eves and weekends and call18866/1899 etc on weekdays.

No the smart money ,would be on

https://www.18185.co.uk for peak 01/02,and all ngn, mobile,and intl calls,and Primus Saver 2 for FREE 01/02 Evening and Weekend calls.

mammag_2

Thanks to all. I shall review the small print, as Ihave 7 days to change my mind. Have already signed up to 18185 too.

Cheers.