Can you use 18185 or similar with Virgin?

Stuart_W

lai30 wrote: »

Interesting reading above. I am also using a virgin landline , I am looking at the cheapest way to ring Canada and according to the virgin info , its going to cost me 30p per minute and a international connection plan charge of £0.293 per minute so for this is 32p per minute, which if I reading the info correctly does not seem to bad. But can it actually be cheaper time you have rang round using all the "oh so cheap calls enter the number before ringing the number you require" plans/operators. Comments please.

On a Virgin landline...
call Canada for 1.5p/min NO CONNECTION FEE via 0800 0662266 > Telesave
call Canada fpr 0.5p/min and 4p connection fee via 0808 1703 703 > 18185

Heinz

lai30 wrote: »

Interesting reading above. I am also using a virgin landline , I am looking at the cheapest way to ring Canada and according to the virgin info , its going to cost me 30p per minute and a international connection plan charge of £0.293 per minute so for this is 32p per minute, which if I reading the info correctly does not seem to bad. But can it actually be cheaper time you have rang round using all the "oh so cheap calls enter the number before ringing the number you require" plans/operators. Comments please.

The MSE International Callchecker shows that, from a Virgin landline, 18185 (via their 08081703703 gateway number) is cheapest to call Canada.

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/canada/virgin/easy

Open a 18185 account online (setting up Direct Debit payment arrangements recommended);
Dial 0808 1 703 703 and wait for the voice prompt;
Dial 001 followed by the Canadian number;
Dial #

4p connection and ½p/minute. No Virgin media charges at all.

wheelz

donnac2558 wrote: »

I am with Virgin and just use the 185185 no problem. Get the prompt and dial number and then hit #.

So does it mean I can't program the whole number in (incl the 0808 number) like I used to do when I had a BT line?

I don't understand 'hit #'? How do I choose my number from the addressbook (in the phone)?

Heinz

wheelz wrote: »

So does it mean I can't program the whole number in (incl the 0808 number) like I used to do when I had a BT line?

You can if your phone will store that many numbers. By my calculations, you'd need to be able to store 24 digits - and 5 pauses (if the phone can do that). IIRC, most phones have a shorter maximum number string.

wheelz

Ah thanks. I'm less interested if you have to dial the number every time. Shame.

Mark_In_Hampshire

Sarita wrote: »

Hi everyone; I've googled around, read this board, and the 18185 website, and I'm still not clear whether I can use 18185 for domestic calls if I switch to Virgin - and if I can, which number to call, and what it will cost!
Can anyone clarify, from their own experience?
The 18185 website has a misleading link about Virgin which takes you to a page about *international* calls (irrelevant, as I use the MSE callchecker for those). They have no contact form for other queries - and neither do Virgin. Help!
Many thanks,
Sarita

PS before anyone replies saying 'don't go to Virgin' - I'm only doing this as I have a mystery fault on my phoneline which hugely affects my broadband; BT keep saying they've mended it (remotely); and if I ask them to send an actual engineer round and they can't find a fault I'll have to pay a huge fee. I'm concerned as I had an engineer round when I first moved in (for something else) and he tested the line and could find no fault. I have a Virgin cable box from a previous tenant so my option seems to be, Move!

Much cheaper to lose you as a customer than to repair it.

Guessing there's a physical line fault, and all the ISP is doing is resetting the IP Profile remotely which will then simply drop straight back down to what it was before when the fault next occurs.

If you did want it repaired, this ISP makes a point of advertising that they are good at kicking BT ****:

http://www.aaisp.com/broadband-trial.html

However that's a fair bit of hassle. Cable should be faster and better, though as it's a parallel install and doesn't take over your service/sockets as they stand now, you can try and see - dont forget you can exit within a month if not satisfied enabling you to try the other route if it came to it.

By the way, the "if we don't find a fault we charge" is fobbing you off, as that's not how it works. You are only supposed to be charged if the fault is with your own equiment downstream of the master socket though if you scroll through the pages here, you'll find cases of charges where thre should be none.

Once you have a working connection and especially if you have a smart phone (iPhone, Android) you might like to check out Voice Over IP since you keep the ability to call from your mobile, but pay VOIP rates as the call goes over your broadband connection (you install an app on the phone which means you don't have to be sitting at your PC to make or receive calls). Sipgate.co.uk used to charge £5.90 for 1000 landline minutes.

lai30

Heinz wrote: »

The MSE International Callchecker shows that, from a Virgin landline, 18185 (via their 08081703703 gateway number) is cheapest to call Canada.

[callchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/intcallchecker/canada/virgin/easy[

Open a 18185 account online (setting up Direct Debit payment arrangements recommended);
Dial 0808 1 703 703 and wait for the voice prompt;
Dial 001 followed by the Canadian number;
Dial #

4p connection and ½p/minute. No Virgin media charges at all.

So agree this would be cheapest method rather then using virgin. but did a check whois.co.uk and found that 18185 is Reg'd in Switzerland. why ? , avoid UK tax laws maybe ?

comment please.

redux

lai30 wrote: »

So agree this would be cheapest method rather then using virgin. but did a check whois.co.uk and found that 18185 is Reg'd in Switzerland. why ? , avoid UK tax laws maybe ?

comment please.

It's part of a group of brands which trade all over the world, as do lots of other phone companies with a presence here.

It is perhaps rather less public than some in the amount of information available about it, but it's been trading as that brand for several years, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Heinz

lai30 wrote: »

So agree this would be cheapest method rather then using virgin. but did a check whois.co.uk and found that 18185 is Reg'd in Switzerland. why ? , avoid UK tax laws maybe ?

comment please.

My gas provider is owned by a German company and my electicity supplier is owned by a French company.

Many of my Amazon purchases come from their Channel Islands subsidiary.

I expect the latter (at least) is to avoid (not evade) UK taxes.