Cheap calls though 18185 - experiences please?

poppasmurf_bewdley

I've been a customer of 18185 for at least 10 years, and probably more, and used them to make all my calls to both this country and abroad. They were (and still are) much cheaper than BT, TT, etc, etc.

I hardly use them nowadays simply because I rarely use my landline to make calls since starting to use my mobile bundle for all my calls.

I have several friends who still 18185 for calls abroad as they are again much cheaper to the landline providers.

One thing you have to be wary of when using 18185 and their siblings is that the number being called could see 'International' on their caller display when you ring. This is because they sometimes route their calls through foreign companies. This once caused a problem for me when I was working for the Home Office and rang someone who lived in this country and they wouldn't believe who I was because their display said 'International'.

You pays yer money and you take yer choice.

Fortyfoot

Brill.

Fortyfoot

parasush

According to me, 18185 is consistently cheap.
It charges 6p/min for the day and 7p/min during the weekend and 5p connection charge per call.

Heinz

parasush wrote: »

According to me, 18185 is consistently cheap.
It charges 6p/min for the day and 7p/min during the weekend and 5p connection charge per call.

............ to call UK mobiles.

To call UK 01/02/03 numbers (if you don't have an inclusive calls package), they charge 4p connection and 0.7p/minute now.

For me, that increase from 0p/minute (first to 0.5p/minute and, shortly therafter, to 0.7p/minute) means it's now a minimal saving on a BT Anytime calls package (shortly to increase to £8.50/month) and, although the 1p reduction in the connection charge slightly offsets the increases, a rethink must be imminent.

chrisstiles

These days I rarely use 18185, which is down to how everything has changed rather than their service going particularly downhill.

For national daytime calls (and calls to mobiles) I just use the bundled minutes with my mobile.

For international calls, I use localphone with a gigaset sip phone (they are as cheap as 18185, but generally the call quality of going directly voip on the first leg helps).

The only time I use 18185 is when I need to take international calls whilst out and about via my mobile.

Ian011

When BT's Anytime Unlimited call plan starts to include calls to standard UK mobile numbers, it will be all over for 18185 as far as making calls within the UK is concerned.

Since 1 April 2016, the Mobile Termination Rate (for calls to numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079) has been lower than the termination rate for calls to non-geographic numbers starting 03.

Other landline providers have already changed their plans.
Sky's anytime deal includes calls to UK mobile numbers as standard.
TalkTalk offers an inexpensive add-on for making calls to UK mobile numbers.
Virgin Media offers an expensive call plan that covers calls to UK mobile numbers as well as calls to a variety of international destinations.
BT is now the odd one out in still charging a per-minute rate for calls to UK mobile numbers.

Ofcom's changes to the Mobile Termination Rate mean that calling a mobile number should now be no more expensive than calling a geographic number starting 01 or 02 or calling a non-geographic number starting 03.

Beware that numbers starting 070 and 076 are not mobile numbers, except 07624 which is one of the many Isle of Man mobile number ranges.

cbrown372

cbrown372 wrote: »

Anyone still using an Orchid dialler? Have one at the office but just got a huge bill from BT business showing 0345 calls at 20p a minute. Checked the 18185 bill and seem to be double charged for same calls?

Ian011 wrote: »

When BT's Anytime Unlimited call plan starts to include calls to standard UK mobile numbers, it will be all over for 18185 as far as making calls within the UK is concerned.

Since 1 April 2016, the Mobile Termination Rate (for calls to numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079) has been lower than the termination rate for calls to non-geographic numbers starting 03.

Other landline providers have already changed their plans.
Sky's anytime deal includes calls to UK mobile numbers as standard.
TalkTalk offers an inexpensive add-on for making calls to mobile numbers.
Virgin Media offers an expensive call plan that covers calls to UK mobile numbers as well as calls to a variety of international destinations.
BT is now the odd one out in still charging a per-minute rate for calls to UK mobile numbers.

Ofcom's changes to the Mobile Termination Rate mean that calling a mobile number should now be no more expensive than calling a geographic number starting 01 or 02 or calling a non-geographic number starting 03.

Beware that numbers starting 070 and 076 are not mobile numbers, except 07624 which is one of the many Isle of Man mobile number ranges.

When I started looking into our office bill a month or so back re my above post, I discovered that BT offer a package for our Business account of £10 a month for all 01/02/03/0800 and all calls to UK mobiles, its a no brainer, changed straight away.

ETA plus line rental of course.

Ian011

I am not sure that BT can claim calls to 0800 and 0808 numbers are 'inclusive'. Since 1 July 2015, calls to these numbers are free-to-caller from landlines and mobiles, irrespective of call plan or not.

It's good to see the business deals include calls to mobile numbers. It can't be long before this is extended to residential call plans.

brewerdave

18185 will still be cheaper for people like myself who make few phone calls from home during Mon-Fri 7am -7 pm - I'm averaging ~ £1.50pm bill to 18185 which is a LOT cheaper than either phoning via my supplier or taking one of their packages.

notbritishgas

Made a call via 18185 yesterday and the announcement said 1p per minute.
Just checked the website and yes an increase from 0.7p to 1p.