Cheap calls though 18185 - experiences please?

unable to ring on 18185 is it down I am a bt customer

I did some sums.

The 18185 bill for the last 13 months has been about £26. With this change it would become about £39. Using a certain VoIP brand instead will cost about £2. And I already had that credit. Other VoIP accounts might cost £5 to £10.

That's why I bought this phone in the first place. As I hinted above, more persuasion needed to get someone to use it.

And I can use it with my mobile phone as well. Under a penny a minute to landlines using callback.

The_Groat_Counter wrote: »

Interesting... this isn't the BBC so I'm sure you can mention the "certain VoIP brand" on here! In fact I'd be interested if you did. Is it the same service that you use for the mobile callback calls? (And how exactly do the mechanics of that work?)

The other issue is needing to buy the VoIP compatible hardware, i.e. the VoIP cordless phones, something which isn't free. How compatible are different types with each other - can you mix-and-match brands and models, or do you need to stick with one type?

It is one of the Dellmont VoIP brands, of which there are 4 or 5 dozen. Their rates change from time to time, so what is a good choice at one moment may not be quite as good a year or two later. People with higher use than here might chose one with some free calls to landlines for 3 or 4 months per €10 top up, 1 cent after the fair use policy or that time, but I've chosen one with a lower rate all the time.

Callback consists of the provider setting up two calls, to your phone and the destination, and connecting them together. Thus it can be independent of the outgoing tariffs on the phone you are using. For example when roaming abroad on a mobile the incoming rate is often cheaper than outgoing, or even free, so even adding the 2 legs with the callback provider may give a net saving. Also use with for example direct calls to hotel room extension (chat up receptionist to find out number).

There are a number of trigger methods: calling a non-answered gateway and hanging up, sending a text, or via internet, either web address or application. For the Dellmont brands there is an app called MobileVoip which uses several call methods. I have this on Nokia and Android phones.

The home handset is from Gigaset, formerly or perhaps still part of Siemens. They of course have ordinary cordless DECT extension phones, but some have an extra box and do IP calls as well as landline. This one was bought secondhand on eBay for about £25. New prices from maybe £60 upwards. Only one handset here for now, but I've seen secondhand extra ones from £10 to £30. I imagine that other handset brands might not be compatible.

No - you'll be charged when the call is passed to the gateway that will deliver the call to its destination. BT did their part, and charged their fee for the connection - it doesn't matter if the distant end doesn't answer. Calls wholly handled within BT's own network will only be charged on answer - which is why these alternative' options are not as attreactive to use, especially for unanswered calls.

Just looked at my latest 18185 invoice -I've actually been charged less for a call to my aged mother - 4.5p !! and I was on for just under a minute leaving a message ;also a short call to a mobile at 10p -looks like they have only applied a 4p connection charge for both??