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Switching providers?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 219
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in Landline Phones and VoIP Services #1
Hi, I am considering switching my landline and calls provider from BT. As I always paid my bill at the post office but when I received my recent bill found they had charged me £4.50 processing for doing so there was no warning for this and is the last in a long line of disappointments from them.
As there are many to choose from does anyone have any recommendations? I already have free anytime local/national calls through my orange broadband connection but would like cheap mobile calls as I call them a lot. I am willing to pay direct debit. Also will changing landline provider affect my broadband or sky? Thanks for any help.:)

Comments

  • HeinzHeinz Posts: 7,210
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    #2
    I agree £4.50 is OTT for not paying by DD but you appear not to have realised that you've been paying £3/quarter for years for not doing so. In other words, on 1/5/07, BT increased that charge from £1/month to £1.50/month. As a point of interest, Virgin Media charges £5/month for not paying by DD.

    Personally, I recommend you don't change to whom you pay your landline rental because, if you move from BT, you lose the ability to route your calls via CPS and/or prefix-dial calls providers.

    The line would still be maintained by Openreach anyway and, in most cases, BT would still be paid most of what you pay your new 'supplier'.

    I've paid BT (and most of my other bills) by DD for many years and have never had a problem but, if you don't feel comfortable doing so, why not just route most of your calls via CPS and prefix-dial calls providers and save (a great deal more than) the £1.50/month that way.

    HERE are some ideas/suggestions on how to do so.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 219
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    #3
    Thanks for your suggestions. I did realise that I was paying extra £1 a month but now its doubled as I am now paying £11 instead of £10.50 for line rental on top of the 4.50 charge. I have now decided to stick with them for the line because I think it might affect my broadband connection but am looking for a calls provider preferably not a prefix number one. Any ideas?
  • HeinzHeinz Posts: 7,210
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    #4
    Primus Saver Option 2 will give you free evening and weekend UK 01/02 calls of up to 90 minutes for no monthly fee but 18185 is the easy winner for weekday daytime UK 01/02 calls, calls to UK mobiles and many international destinations.

    It depends on your usage pattern. If you need to make a lot of weekday daytime UK 01/02 calls, an 'inclusive' package may be for you (that link suggests 3 possibles - but none is particularly competitive for calls to UK mobiles or abroad).

    I've gone for an Orchid LCR so transparently use BT, Primus, 18185 and 18866 for my calls. Best of all worlds IMHO.
  • Captain CodCaptain Cod Posts: 2,469
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    #5
    www.firsttelecom.com have been good for me as a cable user - don't know how they stand up for BT users. I've always found them friendly when I've phoned them. The no connection charge bit has saved me loads, as I make many short calls. You don't need to take their line rental!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 185
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    #6
    Hi all,

    i'm thinking of getting the Orchid V4 dialler, i have BT's caller display, will i need the V4 + model.

    The only reason i mention it, is that i do not have a 13amp socket near the BT master socket. Will i get away with using the standard V4 dialler?:confused:
  • HeinzHeinz Posts: 7,210
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    #7
    Betty Swallocks wrote: »
    Will i get away with using the standard V4 dialler?
    Probably. You don't need the V4+ - it's just that the V4+ has an additional mains transformer (12 volts, I think) to provide a second power supply to the V4 (the telephone line provides 50/75 volts). It's a backup for the BT power supply - which can fail.

    Go for the cheaper V4 (£10.80 if ordered via Orchid's Online Shop).
  • TheFirstCutTheFirstCut Posts: 7,306
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    #8
    KCMAC wrote: »
    Thanks for your suggestions. I did realise that I was paying extra £1 a month but now its doubled as I am now paying £11 instead of £10.50 for line rental on top of the 4.50 charge. I have now decided to stick with them for the line because I think it might affect my broadband connection but am looking for a calls provider preferably not a prefix number one. Any ideas?

    Before May you were paying:

    £12 for line rental.

    After May you were paying £11 for line rental + £1.50 for not paying by direct debit.

    Those who paid by direct debit all the time have had no change in what they pay as:

    Before May line rental was £12 with a £1 discount for paying by DD

    After May line rental is £11.

    So you are only 50p per month worse off than you were previously.

    You could save money by paying by DD and going on paperless billing, Line Rental will then be £10.50

    You see line rental before may was £12/month with £1 discount for paying by DD, now it's £11/month with £1.50 surcharge. So it's only 50p dearer than it was if you don't pay by DD.

    I would advise against switching line rental from BT, it is not a wise choice as you would end up paying more in total.

    Follow Heinz's advice, that's usually the best way to go.
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