Call override Providers - recommendations?

Cuilean

Forgive my dinosaur era knowledge here! Many moons ago, I used an over-ride service (Call188 or something like that) because I lived away from home, and calling family back home via my BT line was costing me a fortune. It saved me plenty of money, and I was happy. Then I moved back to my hometown, and cancelled the over-ride account.

Ten years on, I'm married and living away from my hometown again. We signed up for Virgin Media in our new house, and despite me telling the husband that our free calls are weekend only, he has used the landline on weeknights, and in the space of just a few calls, has spent £7. A 35 minute call came in at £3.45. Ouch. He's learned an expensive lesson, and is now using his mobile's free minutes. We're both on low usage mobile tariffs though, and I can see our 100 minutes disappearing quite soon. It got me thinking - there must be a cheaper way to use the landline when necessary.

I'm aware of things like Skype and other VOIP services, but not everyone I'd be ringing has an internet connection.

I can see from MSE that over-ride providers still exist, and I'm happy to use them, but I'd value opinions from people who actually use them. Any recommendations, or ones to avoid?

Ian011

You only need to be making about 40 minutes of calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers per month on weekday daytimes for an anytime inclusive call plan to work out cheaper than having a weekend plan or evening & weekend plan where you pay a large per-minute rate for out of plan calls.

Once you have the anytime call plan, you can make as many calls as you like to 01, 02 and 03 numbers, anytime of the day or night, without incurring any further charges. Most people have an anytime call plan because the weekend plans and evening & weekend plans are usually a false economy.

Now that retailers, traders, passenger transport companies, government departments and agencies, public services, NHS services, banks and financial services are adopting 03 numbers in place of 084 and 087 numbers it is even more important to have a good deal in place for calling 01, 02 and 03 numbers during business hours.

Roger1

We use 18185.co.uk. The same operation has other similar plans.

For 'normal' UK calls, the cost is 0p per minute + 5p connection fee. An hour for 5p.

International calls cost a per minute fee + 4p service charge.

We call international a lot. Unless there are serious changes, we will continue to do so, even though calls to our main Swiss destination have increased in price by a heady 50% - from 1p per minute to 1.5p per minute. An hour to Switzerland for 94p at the new rate. This is cheaper than Skype voice calls. Some countries are cheaper, others are more expensive.

OldGreyFox

But you cant use indirect access numbers like 18185, 1899, and 18866 indirectly on Virgin Media they are barred.

You have to use their 0808 Freephone Number access number which charges different rates still a lot cheaper then Virgin Media.

See http://www.18185.co.uk/mobilerates.php

You need to work out if its worth buying a inclusive bundle, and which one. If your going to make more then about 800 minutes of calls a week peak and evenings . Your better off taking the 24/7 inclusive bundle for £8 a month extra.

See http://store.virginmedia.com/phone/about-virgin-media-fibre-optic/index.html

Or if its mainly landline calls your be making you could well be better off using 18185 via 0808 number,depending on your useage.

From the 1/7/2015 0808 calls will also be free from your mobiles.So you can register them as well to benefit from cheaper landline calls.

If you have smartphones and you take an inclusive bundle your be able to use them on your mobiles as well. See: http://store.virginmedia.com/discover/phone/smartcall.html

Cuilean

Many thanks, OldGreyFox. Shortcode barring is something I did not know about Virgin Media. I'm loath to pay VM any more for their bundle since I already feel we're not making the most of the one we have. Your suggestions have given me plenty to consider.


Since both you and Roger have mentioned 18185, I shall look into that one, and how I can make the most out of these 08 number changes for mobile.

Roger1

18185 calls made using the 0808 number are charged at different rates (usually higher) but worthwhile.

Ian011

Roger1 wrote: »

18185 calls made using the 0808 number are charged at different rates (usually higher) but worthwhile.

This is because the service provider using the 080 number has to compensate the caller's landline or mobile provider for the fact that the caller paid nothing for the call. This Call Origination Fee is currently a couple of pence per minute. Mobile providers reckon this payment doesn't fully cover their costs and hence charge the caller for calls to 080 numbers. Unfortunately, most mobile providers charge excessively for these calls.

When calls to 080 numbers become free from mobile phones on 1 July 2015, this fee will rise to reflect that the cost of call origination is higher from a mobile than from a landline. Indirect access providers may well start to publish dual rates depending on whether you call their freephone number from a landline or from a mobile.