Cheap Calls - guide discussion

andyt8

Thanks - I just picked this up as I have the announcement set on my account.

Patr100

See my postings below: Why couldnt you have informed us way back in Jan on the previous offical International & UK CallChecker discussion thread that checker advice had been updated?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=69975607&postcount=521

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=70551325&postcount=524

billsavings

The Cheap Call Guide is in fact here :

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-overseas-calls

There is no longer a Call Checker as such.

The_Groat_Counter

There are still other places on the web that list indirect access numbers (0844, 0843, 0871 etc), such as the long running Nifty list, however it's worth noting that since the pricing changes of July 2015 - which affected all operators - the price listings/ pricing information on this and other similar sites, including many of those advertising one specific service, have not been updated and are now (very) misleading.

You are now charged an access charge and a service charge for calling 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers.

Your provider (e.g. BT, TalkTalk, Sky etc) levies the access charge, then the company/organisation you are calling then levies the service charge.

This is explained by OfCom here:
http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/telephone/ukcalling

Niftylist and other similar websites often only show the service charge - e.g. calling the USA via 0843 015 6958 (run by a company called LowCalls), the service charge is 1p a minute - however you need to add on your providers access charge - current charges from some operators are...
TalkTalk 7.5p/min, Sky 9.5p/min. BT 10.24p/min or 10.19p/min (depending on tariff).

It can sometimes still make sense to call via these indirect access numbers, but now you have to be aware of what your providers access charge is or you'll get bitten.

If you're calling abroad often, it'd probably be better to opt for an alternative solution.

Patr100

billsavings wrote: »

The Cheap Call Guide is in fact here :

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-overseas-calls

There is no longer a Call Checker as such.

Yes, I know, as I say in my linked post the old Call Checker
which I kept as a bookmark, now forwards to the page above.
But having updated this in Jan somehow no one at MSE could have told us in the original OFFICIAL thread.

SusanPineBank

I have one free 0845 number allowed with my Talktalk phone contract so please can we have the cheap international call checker back?

kondormid

I think some information about localphones callback should be added. In the example a 30 min landline call would be 30p (15p for the call back, 15p for the outgoing call) as it is 0.5p for each half of the call per min, which equals 1p per min and is cheaper than the 1.2p + 5p connection the 18xxx number in the table offers saving of 10p per 30 min call. I did inc all the VAT.

landline to mobile using that method would be 2.3p per min, 1.8p + 0.5p. Which for the 30 min call example would make it 69p... much cheaper than the 18xxx number at 6p per min and 5p connection which comes to £1.85. Inc all the VAT as far as I can see.

The fact it also doubles as a voip account, offering sip web calls and iphone android apps kind of makes it the winner from what I can see.

It is also worth adding this works from your mobile too, and the charge then would be 1.8p + 0.5p = 2.3p to call a landline, and 1.8p + 1.8p = 3.6p to call a mobile.

Ian011

Another site that gives useful call cost comparisons is http://telecom-tariffs.co.uk/.

markrobbo

Re: the Cheap Calls article, as feedback, it should be clearer that the VoIP provider (Vyke) only deals with calls via your mobile phone and not your landline

willinwales

I have used these for some 3 years.... I still have a credit balance of some £10...but it seems their site is down....anyone know if have they gone bust? Or if not how to access / contact them?
If they HAVE gone bust...any suggestions for best way to make occassional calls from Uk to EU.... landlines or mobiles at either end?
thanks in advance.