Cheapest Home Phones Discussion

Heinz

Welcome to the MSE forums maglett.

Yes, phone BT to change to BT Together Option 1 if you're not already on that and phone Primus to opt for the Primus Saver Option 2 CPS package.

TBH, I am still not certain whether the Penny Mobile 2 is an add-on or replacement to/for Priumus Saver Option 2 (it seems to be identical with the capped rate of 20p for 20 minutes for calls to UK mobiles added).

PM me an email address and I'll send you Priumus's PDFs on the 2 so you can read them through before phoning.

bow1508

I'm finding this all more than a little confusing. Did Martins budget planner and have just removed my head from the oven! So are there any hidden meanies with the sky package does anyone know? Did TalkTalk a few years ago ahmm never again, BT make me so angry completely useless and Tiscali have started acting up in the last few months and today I get a package welcoming me as a new customer! very odd. Just seems to me that at least I can keep a close eye on it all if I go with the sky package and I get free evening a weekend calls and broadband for a fiver if I get the TV too. HELP! i'm so confused with all this why can't companies just get customers on the fact that they do their job well and at a decent price and not try to rip you off all the time! ooo martin's on an advert on the TV now!!! MARTIN FOR LONDON MAYOR!

jordylass

I'd appreciate some insight into my situation. I currently have Talk Talk international. After the initial problems getting connected we have not needed to speak to CS and everything seems to run smoothly. We are a long way from the exchange and have a very slow connection that is not going to be faster anytime soon.
We have thought about moving to cable for some time and decided to go ahead with this. They are coming out to install at the end of the month. All we really wanted from them was cable broadband, but it's cheaper over the year to take their 2 for £20. (Telephone and broadband).
I have always used the Orchid dialer, will this work over cable? Otherwise at 7p connection for every call that is made off plan it could become very expensive.

Is there anything else I could have considered?

Heinz

jordylass wrote: »

I have always used the Orchid dialer, will this work over cable?

Yes, Orchids work on cable landlines.

You won't get the full cost-savings of using 1899 and/or 18185 and/or 18866 because you'll have to use their freephone access numbers and pay higher prices but you will make considerable savings.

little_acorn_2

BT's small print points out that calls are only free to geographic landlines - ones starting 01, 02, and 03. If you're phoning an 0870 number, remember to check on www.saynoto0870.com for geographic number.

allanmc

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=23734&s_intcid=con_intban_btcom_con_hub_callingpackages_june_promo_homepage_largeadslot
Free evening and weekend "normal" landline calls (up to 60 mins) if you sign up for a 12 month rolling line rental contract. Works out at £10.50 per month, inclusive of these calls and line rental, if you pay by DD (monthly or quarterly) and opt for their online paperfree billing service. If you want to pay by any other method it's an extra £1.50 per month and another 50p per month if you want your bill in the post.The only obvious catch, that I can see, is that you are unable to downgrade your package, or leave BT, for 12 months. At the end of 12 months you can downgrade, leave or commit for another 12 months on the same deal...................and so it goes on.
Can anyone see any other catches or issues? If this is what it initially seems, this looks like a pretty good deal to me at £10.50 a month and wee bit less hassle than the Primus deal. Go with 18185 for your longer daytime weekday landline calls, and mobiles, and that's about as cheap as it gets with the minimum of suppliers and hassle...........Unless someone can see what I am missing?

dweeby

allanmc wrote: »

Free evening and weekend "normal" landline calls (up to 60 mins) if you sign up for a 12 month rolling line rental contract. Works out at £10.50 per month, inclusive of these calls and line rental, if you pay by DD (monthly or quarterly) and opt for their online paperfree billing service.

I was talking to customer services at BT last night about something completely different. The (sales?) guy asked if I wanted to change my contract from option 1 to the new one you're talking about, and I said "no". He was quite persistant, but I still said no.

I personally never get pressurised into anything, preferring to mull things over a little. Is this a good deal, worthy of signing up to? Not sure about the 1 year rolling contract...

allanmc

I can understand your reluctance. I am similarly blessed. I keep going over this and find it difficult to find an easier or cheaper option for us.

Heinz does recommend using BT for your line rental, which would give you your inclusive evening and landline calls for a year without having to involve any other companies. Why not get as much as you can from BT for the £10.50 that Heinz recommends you pay anyway? Apart from the 12 month commitment, the only downside is that you only get landline calls up to 60 mins included. With Primus you get 90 mins and you can opt for their capped, 20p for 20 mins to mobiles arrangement.

As well as avoiding paying more than you have to, I am also a great believer in an easy life, and this offer seems to tick both boxes for us. It will also make it easier for the other members of my family to help keep our phone costs down without having to engage their brain. This has proved to be a bit problematic in the past.

If a 12 month contract is an anathema then this is clearly not for you. I am trying to point out that this seems a pretty straightforward, and VERY competitive, deal that will suit an awful lot of people who are maybe not as penny wise as they could be, or can't be bothered.

In both of these cases (Primus & BT or the BT Option 2, 12 month deal) the cheapest line rental is £126 for the year. The choice then comes down to whether you feel it is worth the hassle of involving another company or whether you feel you can accept BT’s sweetie of inclusive calls in return for your 12 month commitment.

Neither option is wrong. It depends on how your home phone line is used and how easy the solution needs to be for all of those that will use it. If you regularly make evening and weekend calls in excess of 60 mins (and don't want to hang-up and dial again), or call mobiles, Primus, with BT line rental, looks the best option. If you do neither regularly, and are happy to commit to BT line rental for 12 months, then BT looks the easier option for EXACTLY the same monthly cost.

I think that the BT Option 2 offer would, possibly, also qualify for the free caller display via BT Privacy without having to make monthly chargeable calls, but am not 100% sure on that.

The recommendations from Heinz for any other, not included, chargeable calls will work in both of these scenarios and the costs incurred will be exactly the same.

Either way the total costs are virtually identical, unless you regularly call mobiles.

Only you will know what the best option for your situation is.

The decision, is yours..................................:T :T :T

neilcr_2

I am moving to from Sky Talk unlimited to BT anytime as although it's a 12 month contract you get the 1st 3 months free making a £6.45 saving over Sky plus I make a further saving over Sky with the 200 inclusive text which will come in useful as non important text replies can wait till I get home as I have cancelled my mobile contract and use pay as you go.

Just the included texts make it worthwhile to me to switch back to BT.
Also no need to faf about to get free caller display, cheaper mobile calls at less than 5p with friends & family and call itemization is better on BT.

Paul_Varjak

allanmc wrote: »

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=23734&s_intcid=con_intban_btcom_con_hub_callingpackages_june_promo_homepage_largeadslot
Free evening and weekend "normal" landline calls (up to 60 mins) if you sign up for a 12 month rolling line rental contract. Works out at £10.50 per month, inclusive of these calls and line rental, if you pay by DD (monthly or quarterly) and opt for their online paperfree billing service. If you want to pay by any other method it's an extra £1.50 per month and another 50p per month if you want your bill in the post.The only obvious catch, that I can see, is that you are unable to downgrade your package, or leave BT, for 12 months. At the end of 12 months you can downgrade, leave or commit for another 12 months on the same deal...................and so it goes on.
Can anyone see any other catches or issues? If this is what it initially seems, this looks like a pretty good deal to me at £10.50 a month and wee bit less hassle than the Primus deal. Go with 18185 for your longer daytime weekday landline calls, and mobiles, and that's about as cheap as it gets with the minimum of suppliers and hassle...........Unless someone can see what I am missing?

An even saimpler no-brainer option is Talk Talk assuming you live in area where free broadband is available, and that 40gb/month is enough for you. It is £20.49p/month for line rental, broadband, inclusive free calls (24/7) to UK landlines and 36 international destinations. I would not recommending using 18185 with Talk Talk; better to use one of the other finarea offerings that use geographical numbers for access to international destinations (where Talk Talk is not free) and also to UK mobiles.