Signing up for call1899/18866/18185

Heinz

I'm not sure about post-1st August (after which 0870 calls are supposed to cost the same as 01/02/03 calls unless an pre-call announcement is made) but your assumption is certainly currently correct for 0845* and 0870 calls (but no other 08xx numbers) at most times - see HERE.

* Use the 0808 1 703 703 access number instead of the 18185 prefix for the cheapest prices.

i8payingbills

I've cancelled after working out that, because of the connection fee, it's actually more expensive. Crazy!

Heinz

i8payingbills wrote: »

I've cancelled after working out that, because of the connection fee, it's actually more expensive. Crazy!

I think you'll find you're wrong there (see the linked-to post).

0845 - weekday daytime
BT 8p call set-up fee + 2p/minute;
18185 (via 08081703703) 5p connection + ½p/minute.

0870 - weekday daytime
BT 8p call set-up fee + 6p/minute;
18185 (via 08081703703) 5p connection + 5p/minute.

janh_2

BT's connection charge is 8p??? :eek: When did that happen?

Heinz

janh wrote: »

BT's connection charge is 8p??? :eek: When did that happen?

It'll go up again (to 9.05p) on 1-10-2009.

OTOH, BT's charges for 0870 calls now mirror their 01/02/03 charges - currently 4.25p/minute weekdays if you're not on the Unlimited Anytime Plan (but that'll be 5.25p/minute from 1-10-2009 so 18185 will then be cheaper than BT again).

janh_2

Thank you, Heinz (I think! )

Is "We always try to confuse customers so much they lose the will to live" in BT's mission statement I wonder?

I just visited their website & am utterly baffled by the following:

Firstly, this page:

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do;JSESSIONID_ecommerce=q1S7K1CQdp43QRG8m04f5dpx3vbKJzxxb5ryzZ0hcnRKXmx7y4tm!-1492805529?categoryId=CON-HOME-PHN-R1

includes this information:

"Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan


£0 a month

plus £11.25 line rental
(12 month renewable contract)




Get the Unlimited Evening & Weekend plan now

• <LI class=includedTick>Unlimited calls to UK* landlines at weekends and evenings
• Inclusive calls to 0845 & 0870 numbers^ at weekends and evenings"

but (as in another thread here about BT's charges for this plan) I am actually paying £15.45 - £2.95 = £12.50 a month for this package, not £11.25, and I am being charged for 0845 & 0870 calls (I think...)

Secondly, I found:

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=15732

which says

"Calls are subject to a minimum charge of 5.5p. Calls with BT Together Option 1 are charged at 5.5p for up to an hour at evenings & weekends and some calls on BT Together Options 2 (evenings & weekends only for Option 2) and 3 are free for up to an hour."

This is presumably live information. If 5.5p is a minimum charge where does the 8p come in? (& how can we be charged anything for "inclusive" calls?)

Heinz

The £11.25 price example is after the £1.25 paper free discount (£12.50 - £1.25 = £11.25).

That must be a cached page you're looking at. The minimum charge was abolished ages ago (as were the old BT Together Option 1/2/3 packages).

janh_2

Ah - OK - will switch to paperless then (if I can find out how)

How can you tell if a page is cached? I didn't click on a cached link. Anyway BT's work is done - I am now terminally confused.

edit: Ha! I did it! :T

Heinz

No, it's not cached, I get it too. It must be a page BT has forgotten to change/delete (all the Friends & Family info on that page is out-of-date too).

As I think you've found, BT has some of the most convoluted websites - and they're clearly too much for them to handle too!

donnac2558

Well it seems Virgin have blocked my use of 18185 using the code 08081703703. Tried to phone today and you input the code and then dead silence no message.

Update. Seems it is working again. Yeah!!!