Phoning China from a BT line

Mr. X · 25/04/07 - 13:30

I've got a bog-standard BT landline with no international plans or anything, just the most basic package.

I need to phone someone in Beijing. How much will it cost me?

chrisjr · 25/04/07 - 14:29

Select your call plan/time of day from here...

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=15742&&cntryStartAlphabet=C

Heinz · 25/04/07 - 17:08

Instead of paying BT's standard more than 20p per minute prices, you have a choice of three 0844 gateway providers offering ½p per minute rates:

Budgetcom - ½p/min (0844 200 4040)

Dialwise - ½p/min (0844 200 1515)

DiscountDial - ½p/min (0844 200 9595)

Telestunt - ½p/min (0844 200 2020)

BT charge a 3p connection fee too.

Or see HERE.

Mr. X · 26/04/07 - 10:46

Cheers for that.

Tell you what's annoying, mind. I've got to ring in business hours and their 9am is our 5pm! Grr. I completely forgot and tried to call at 5am their time yesterday

Heinz · 26/04/07 - 12:31

Stockport Road wrote:

I've got to ring in business hours and their 9am is our 5pm! Grr. I completely forgot and tried to call at 5am their time yesterday

You now have 4½ hours to practise your Mandarin!

Mr. X · 26/04/07 - 15:10

I can't do timezones. I need to ring at 10am Chinese time, which is 2am our time. For a job. I'm really going to sound bright and up-for-it at that time!

I can't quite believe you can talk to China for half a p a minute; what's the catch? I called the Budgetcom number and got a Chinese dial tone, so it definitely works... but I don't quite get how it can be so cheap!

Heinz · 26/04/07 - 16:16

Stockport Road wrote:

I can't do timezones. I need to ring at 10am Chinese time, which is 2am our time. For a job. I'm really going to sound bright and up-for-it at that time!

I can't quite believe you can talk to China for half a p a minute; what's the catch? I called the Budgetcom number and got a Chinese dial tone, so it definitely works... but I don't quite get how it can be so cheap!

So, you've even longer to refine your Mandarin!

The other question, of course, is how can BT be about forty times more expensive?

You're right, Beijing is GMT +8 hours (http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=33).

Good luck with the job.

Mr. X · 27/04/07 - 02:04

I've just got off the phone with them, finally. Was a bit thrown when they answered in Mandarin at this English-speaking department but they did talk to me in English after I said "yer what, duck?" (or words to that effect).

I still can't believe it's cheaper to phone Beijing than London. Can I use that service to phone people in this country too?

Heinz · 27/04/07 - 09:13

Stockport Road wrote:

I still can't believe it's cheaper to phone Beijing than London. Can I use that service to phone people in this country too?

½p/minute* to Beijing, 0p/minute** to any UK 01/02 number from a BT landline.

* BT 'call set-up fee' of 3p applies.

** Connection charge of 5p applies.

See THIS.

TheFirstCut · 27/04/07 - 20:29

Stockport Road wrote:

I've just got off the phone with them, finally. Was a bit thrown when they answered in Mandarin at this English-speaking department but they did talk to me in English after I said "yer what, duck?" (or words to that effect).

I still can't believe it's cheaper to phone Beijing than London. Can I use that service to phone people in this country too?

Is it, you can call the UK for free or at most 5p for the entire call (used to be 1p for the entrie call a couple of years back, but has crept up slightly).

Hey there!

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Phoning China from a BT line

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