BT line or onetel line

bbb_uk

paul_h wrote:

As far as I am aware, onetel offer the same fault service as BT, through BT, i.e response by the end of the next working day.

In addition to my previous post, I noticed the following on OneTel's website for their line rental here:-

Choose Line Care Levels
These are levels of care that you can opt for to give you extra peace of mind. If there's a problem with your line, BT will respond to a fault report either by the end of the next working day or within four hours, depending on the Line Care Level you choose. You can set your Line Care Level in the My Account section after the service has been activated.

Paul_h, can you post here any info you can find on this Line Care Level they refer to - thanks.

paul_h

bbb_uk wrote:

I also have free evening & weekend calls with OneTel but pay BT line rental direct. I do this not just because of the savings when using CLI (as mentioned by pricefighter) but for the added peace of mind that we can choose whoever and whatever provider for calls whether it be via CPS or ANY indirect access numbers like Call18866 we may want to use for any particular call. With other non BT providers this freedom and more choice may not be possible and if it is then these non BT providers can easily/quickly do a u turn and block or charge extra for using an alternative call provider which I suspect will happen once the likes of OneTel (and the rest) gain sufficient customers in their line rental section.

I moved my LR to onetel because it was a bit cheaper at the time, and I wasn't particularly enamoured with BT. If onetel ever block my access to any indirect access numbers, I'll move my LR back to BT - simple!

I'm not going to move it back to BT for free CLI until I know what's happening this year. If Bt turn out be cheaper after the changes, then again, I'll move the LR back to BT.

paul_h

bbb_uk wrote:

Paul_h, can you post here any info you can find on this Line Care Level they refer to - thanks.

The extra 'Line Care' options they offer is over and above the standard free service, at additional cost. See on their website here -

http://www.onetel.co.uk/index.php?node=faq&cat=56

They are just reselling the BT services available only to business users for a few pennies less.

http://www.bt.com/store/product/detail.jsp?oid=256009


Additionally, onetel will give you the highest level of 'Line Care' FREE is there is anyone in the household at special risk, i.e. on Home renal dialysis machinery, Home peritoneal dialysis machinery, Artificial ventilator, or if you are housebound due to chronic long term illness or disability, saving over £45 per year.

This is 365 day, 4 hour cover for those who most need it.


So, not much difference really, just that onetel offer these options to residential customers as well, and they give £45 py worth of free 365 day/4 hr line care for those who need it.

bbb_uk

paul_h wrote:

I moved my LR to onetel because it was a bit cheaper at the time, and I wasn't particularly enamoured with BT. If onetel ever block my access to any indirect access numbers, I'll move my LR back to BT - simple!...

I believe there is a 3month minimum term for those transferring line rental (not for CPS though). Therefore, if anyone was to transfer over now and then OneTel, etc decide they now want to block access to other providers or even from using BT then they'd have to wait 3months.

As BT are sometimes cheaper on some calls, are you currently still able to use CPS Override (ie use BT) via access code 1280 when you use OneTel for both CPS and line rental?

TalkTalk have in their t&c (for when they start doing line rental), that anyone wishing to use BT may have to pay more than what BT currently charge now!

paul_h

bbb_uk wrote:

I believe there is a 3month minimum term for those transferring line rental (not for CPS though). Therefore, if anyone was to transfer over now and then OneTel, etc decide they now want to block access to other providers or even from using BT then they'd have to wait 3months.!

You have give onetel 7 days notice to transfer line rental back to BT or any other provider, see here

It says -

What if I change my mind or choose to cancel my service with One.Tel?

You can cancel within 10 days of placing your original order for Line Rental or Select and your service will continue with your current provider.

You just need to give seven days’ notice of cancellation.

We currently charge you one month in advance for your Line Rental and any call plan fees. If you move your Line Rental and calls away from One.Tel, you will receive a pro rata refund of fees paid from the date of disconnection.


I double checked this with onetel before I signed up.

bbb_uk wrote:

As BT are sometimes cheaper on some calls, are you currently still able to use CPS Override (ie use BT) via access code 1280 when you use OneTel for both CPS and line rental?!

I can use CPS override and technically I could use the 1280 access code, but I no longer have an account with BT and they do not bill 'calls only' - I can use access codes for other companies I have an account with.

As far as I am aware, certainly the only calls I make which are very slightly more expensive are 0845 calls - but I can use other company for these.

bbb_uk wrote:

TalkTalk have in their t&c (for when they start doing line rental), that anyone wishing to use BT may have to pay more than what BT currently charge now!

Nice clause!



Hope all this is of interest!

One thing I do like about onetel is that you can find all this information. Their bills are simplicity themselves, and the T&Cs are not ridiculously convoluted like some companies'. When I was with BT, I was always amazed how complicated they could make a telephone bill look, I'm sure this is just to make direct comparison more difficult.

A few other good things about onetel -

Onetel have a friends & family type deal which is slightly better than BT's.
Fully itemised bills as standard.
Free directory enquiries.

bbb_uk

paul_h wrote:

You have give onetel 7 days notice to transfer line rental back to BT or any other provider, see here...

That isn't too bad then.

If they reduce their line rental cheaper (especially if BT increase theirs) and OneTel do free caller display then I wouldn't mind giving them a try. I don't mind 7 days (or even 2weeks notice) as it was just the 3months that put me right off. I would need my BT account left open though for those calls that are cheaper via BT and in case we would need to make a quick transfer back.

A friend of mine that was meant to use OneTel just for calls got talked into taking the LineRental as well and was told by them it was subject to a 3month minimum term contract. Hence reason why I thought it was 3months. At the time of them moving linerental I couldn't actually see any minimum period within their t&c on their website though but obviously they've updated their t&c now, or I missed it when I checked them!

Update:

I emailed OneTel shortly after BT introduced free caller display and was informed that they had no plans to offer free caller display. It would appear they are now having second thoughts.

paul_h

bbb_uk wrote:

If they reduce their line rental cheaper (especially if BT increase theirs) and OneTel do free caller display then I wouldn't mind giving them a try. I don't mind 7 days (or even 2weeks notice) as it was just the 3months that put me right off. I would need my BT account left open though for those calls that are cheaper via BT and in case we would need to make a quick transfer back....

Update:

I emailed OneTel shortly after BT introduced free caller display and was informed that they had no plans to offer free caller display. It would appear they are now having second thoughts.

I don't think BT will bill 'calls only', I have no account or connection with them at all now (suits me).

Just use an alternative cheaper provider if it's a problem - which types of calls are you thinking about? As far as I am aware, apart from the slight anomaly with the 0845s, all calls via onetel are either the same as BT or cheaper...

As for the CLI, I'm not sure if they will offer it for free, or if they may make sure the saving on the line rental will cover it, who knows - as I say it's all up in the air at the moment. Best sit tight for now and see what happens...

tweeter

will onetel attend to outside lines which detach from your house.Bt replaced mine last week two hours after phoning them.Is this the place to ask this type of question?

paul_h

tweeter wrote:

will onetel attend to outside lines which detach from your house.Bt replaced mine last week two hours after phoning them.Is this the place to ask this type of question?

As the physical lines are still owned by BT, they still carry out any maintenance which is required.

As onetel use the same BT network engineers for repairs, they offer the same promise that BT do - response by the end of the next working day.

Unlike BT, however, if you wish you can pay extra for the better service BT only offer to business users, for about the same cost as BT.

bbb_uk

paul_h wrote:

...Just use an alternative cheaper provider if it's a problem - which types of calls are you thinking about? As far as I am aware, apart from the slight anomaly with the 0845s, all calls via onetel are either the same as BT or cheaper...

I take it you can still currently use Call18866 via their 18866 indirect access code then?

I do plan on waiting to see how things go in a few months time before deciding and will review it more indepth then.

Thanks