Thinking of changing call provider - currently with BT

FTB83

Hi

I've been thinking about changing our call provider for some time, and have looked through Martin's moneysaving article for this.

We're currently with BT Together Option 2 with add ons for International call and Callmobile (neither of which I requested, but that's by-the-by). Anyway, we use our house phone very little - in fact our last bills have shown around ten between one and two minute calls per month (mostly to local numbers, but one or two to mobiles) - on average our calls costs are less than £1, but the total bills are nearly £20 due to the cost of the Together option and add ons.

We make most of our calls in the evening and weekend, and I use my mobile for most calls anyway as I get a good number of free minutes per month, and I know a £19 phone bill isn't much at all, but we really need to save money wherever possible and I would rather not pay a fixed fee for something we're not using.

I see the Primus Saver option 2 sounds good - but can anyone confirm that there genuinely is no monthly cost and that you only pay for calls you make? Also, the override options sound good for weekday calls. I really just need adice on whether people have used these services and think it's worth us switching.

Thanks,

FTB83

Heinz

Don't even think about moving your line provider - stay with BT but 'downgrade' to BT Together Option 1 and cancel those add-ons (the cost will then be down to £10.75/month if you opt for online only billing and pay by DD).

Then, click the 'HERE' link in my signature below for some suggestions/recommendations for the way ahead.

Primus Saver Option 2 has no monthly charge and does give you competely free evening and weekend calls of up to 90 minites (redial to avoid charges) to UK 01/02 numbers.

Coupled with 18185 for your weekday daytime UK 01/02 calls and all your landline to UK mobile calls (if you have to make any), that'll make most of the possible savings.

FTB83

Awesome - thanks very much. I'll call BT this afternoon to change the plan to Together 1 and go from there.

This is going to be a really stupid question, but how does it work that Primus charge you for calls and that you don't then also get charged by BT?

Heinz

FTB83 wrote:

This is going to be a really stupid question, but how does it work that Primus charge you for calls and that you don't then also get charged by BT?

Primus Saver Option 2 is, like many others, a CPS (Carrier PreSelect) service.

That means that, although you have a BT landline and your incoming calls still arrive on BT (so Caller Display, 1471* and 1571* work normally), you will have opted to have the BT exchange programmed so that, by default, (nearly) all your outgoing calls are sent via the CPS provider (and BT don't even 'see' the calls even though they carry the first leg).

The 'default' part of that sentence is the key to CPS. It means that, if you want, you can use a prefix to send an individual call via another provider (i.e. override the CPS programming for a single call). For example, using a 1280 prefix will send that call out via BT, using a 18185 prefix will send that call out via www.18185.co.uk (if you have an account with them and have registered your phone number) and so on.

In other words, CPS allows you still to pick the best carrier for your calls even though you've opted, normally, to use one provider (in your case, Primus Saver Option 2 because of the free evening and weekend UK 01/02 calls).

* The nasty side of 1571 part 1.

* The nasty side of 1471 and of 1571 part 2. If you dial 3 after checking who called on 1471 or dial 0 after checking a 1571 message (because that nice BT lady's voice invites you to and it seems like the easy way to return the call), BT charge 7½p regardless of whether the call is connected or not. Additionally, you have to pay BT prices for the call because such 'returned calls' do not route via your CPS provider (if you use one) but are sent via BT.

FTB83

Ah, ok, that makes sense. I had no idea how this all worked.

I've also read your 1571 warning - we've been looking at getting a separate answerphone anyway because we quite often miss messages on 1571 - this might just push us towards doing it sooner rather than later.

Really big thanks Heinz. :T

BLUESUNSHINE_2

Stick with BT but have a look at 1899.com . Its a telephone carrier service .
Use BT for line rental and 1899.com for your phone calls

umami

This sounds stupid, Heinz, is primus saver option2 suitable for my friend who doesn't know any thing about e-mails, ineternet etc.?
She is prepared to pay by direct debit.
I am trying to find her a cheaper option and have read your article but internet is out of the question for her.

hurrah

BLUESUNSHINE wrote:

Stick with BT but have a look at 1899.com . Its a telephone carrier service .
Use BT for line rental and 1899.com for your phone calls

https://www.18185.co.uk its sister company, is cheaper overall.

But why paymore ? for your evening and weekend 01/02 geographical calls when you can get them free from Primus Saver 2

http://www.planet-talk.co.uk/SaverProducts.aspx?source=saver

Heinz

chun wrote:

This sounds stupid, Heinz, is primus saver option2 suitable for my friend who doesn't know any thing about e-mails, ineternet etc.?
She is prepared to pay by direct debit.
I am trying to find her a cheaper option and have read your article but internet is out of the question for her.

It'd be a problem - Primus use online only billing (and that's how you get to look at your itemised call logs if you want to).

They do use DD though and, as opening the account can all be done on the phone, if someone (you?) could access the account online for them if necessary, it's possible (although, for security, not ideal, of course).

The same applies to www.18185.co.uk and www.call1899.co.uk so, it's really a case of, if someone is prepared to log into your account occasionally, how much do you trust them to have such access? I'd be far more wary of allowing someone else to access these on my behalf though because it's possible to add extra numbers to an account with a few clicks of the mouse.

umami

Thanks heinz and hurrah.

hurrah

Heinz .

They say on their site they provide Free fully itemised monthly statements. Are they only accessible online?