The International CallChecker discussion thread 2

Heinz

muniuni wrote: »

The card I used last week has UK-Australia listed as 1 pence per minute.

Welcome to the MSE forums muniuni.

You've obviously not realised that, using the example you quote, the 1p/minute (plus the connection charge and/or plus the cost of the call to the 'local charge number' [whatever that is]) is twice as expensive as at least two of the gateway providers listed in the MSE International CallChecker.

jhp

muniuni wrote: »

I don't really have time to do too much site searching to see if this has already been listed. But for international calls it may be worth your while checking out the phone cards you can buy for 5 or 10 pounds. Quite a lot of people I speak to seem not to have heard of these, but they can be bought locally mainly from asian shops. Check their windows for posters with prices listed per country. Some do have a connection charge, but for long calls this becomes of a lessened impact. The card I used last week has UK-Australia listed as 1 pence per minute.

In principle you dial either an 0800 number ( or sometimes a local charge number) enter a secirity code from the card, followed by your number. The call will usually tell you time remaining.

No need to go round looking in shops Subscribe to http://www.voipdiscount.com/en/free.html
Buy some credit and get free calls to Australia and other places.

hansie_2

I am quite displeased with the current international cheap calls, re 0844 and 08444 listed in moneysavingexpert for calls to South Africa. Previously, we made our calls and all was well, but since December 2007 all is not well. The 2p calls are all not valid, always "engaged" as is the case with the 2.5 p calls. Half of the 3p calls are also very unpredictable, you get cut off, lines are very poor quality, etc. Please cheque them out for us again and have a new list of working numbers?
Thank you.

Heinz

Welcome to the MSE forums hansie.

I think you may misunderstand what the MSE CallCheckers do and how they do it.

MSE has a program which, every night, 'trawls' the various web sites which advertise cheap calls to various number groups (e.g. international destinations). The program picks up the latest information and the search engine you and I use then displays what is advertised as being available.

Probably 9 times out of 10, that results in a successful call and a saving on standard BT rates. Occasionally though, calls fail.

I don't think MSE would ever assert that the system guarantees success on every call and, unfortunately, you appear to have been hitting more than your share of the one out of ten recently.

Personally, I tend to stick with 18185 - with which, in my experience, failure is extremely rare. At the moment, 18185 charges 3p/minute to call South African landlines and has the advantage that you don't start paying halfway through dialling as you do with the 0844-type gateway numbers. The slight disadvantage is that you have to open an account before you can use 18185.

ludemon

Have tried to call India this morning MSE website lists 0844462 3434. When you try the Indian phone number the call rate and the access number changes and the rate changes to a higher rate. Anyboby else experience this

buglawton

I have been quoted £24.99/month with TalkTalk which includes:

Line Rental + Broadband + Free Calls any time of day to a list of countries inc Germany, France, China + 100 UK mobile minutes. Plan is Talk3 Global.

Have I understood this correctly and is anyone else using this plan to good effect?

ess39

Any ideas please? Any deals with UK telecom providers? Phonecards etc? thanks.

Heinz

ess39 wrote: »

Any ideas please? Any deals with UK telecom providers? Phonecards etc? thanks.

Cheapest I've seen is €0.033 (3.3 €urocents) per minute with http://www.direct-telecom.es/

andybradshaw

Hi

I am getting fleeced by Orange!!

I regularly need to call a mobile phone in the Republic of Ireland from my (Orange) mobile phone in the UK.

Is there a cheap way of doing so?

Andy

utilitybroker

andybradshaw wrote: »

Hi

I am getting fleeced by Orange!!

I regularly need to call a mobile phone in the Republic of Ireland from my (Orange) mobile phone in the UK.

Is there a cheap way of doing so?

Andy

Are you on payg or on a contract with inclusive minutes.