Im sure this was talk about a few months ago but I could not find it. Will BT ever bring there cost of calls down a little more as well as there internet. I know they have in past put there cost of a call down a little but then put there service charges ups. You would think with all the other companies out there BT would try and keep there cost down a little. BT may are still ok and I do use them and have tried another company for call but though time went back to BT.

Darren

BT in the main aren't allowed to drop their prices - OFCOM want the market to drive costs down generally - one way of doing this is to regulate BT's charges to a slightly uncompetitive level compared to the competition (the thinking being that people will vote with their wallets).

However like almost every previous-monopoly PTT company in the world, BT rely to an extent on customer apathy and inertia - here you are complaining about high call costs, yet through not much expenditure of effort you can get much lower call costs - you choose not to for whatever reason and then expend more effort telling us all about it

Stay with BT for your line rental but route (most of) your calls elsewhere - HERE are some suggestions.

I don't see why people have such an aversion to BT. Not the cheapest, but the service is 2nd to none. One bill for everything. Easy peasy happy days

When I was with BT, I used them only for line rental and the odd call, it would be stupid not to route calls elsewhere when you can save a lot of money.

I had line rental and free caller display with BT (now £11), I then had free calls to 01 and 02 numbers at evenings and weekends for NO monthly fee, and daytime calls for 3p per call (was 2p per call and 1p per call before).

BT daytime charge 3p/min, yet 1899 charge 3p per call.

BT charge 5.5p for an hour evening and weekends, yet Primus Saver 2 charge ZERO.

Yes, keep line rental with BT, but route your calls elsewhere.

Now I just use VoIP so save on line rental.

I get my Phone and Broadband in one bill from BT. Im happy with BT but just think they could try and be a little cheaper like some others. Once in a while my BT service charges come to just over a little more than the cost of calls I make in the 3 months. I used to be with Tiscali Smart talk(now Tiscali talk) and got free evening and weekend calls and daytime calls was 2.7p a min. They seemed good but I had one or two billing mistakes with them and there customer service was poor and still is poor from what I hear. I went fully back to BT in Feb when I got BTYahoo broadband put it.

Darren
Last edited by ney : 15-06-2006 at 07:04

Hopefully soon BT will be cheaper, once OFCOM drops the constraints on BT to keep their costs higher than most of the competition.

Roll on July 2007 - it seems to be a date at which ofcom will loosen BT's strings a bit.

http://www.adslguide.org.uk/newsarchive.asp?item=2674

Oh, and I would never have my line rental with anyone with BT. They are reliable and if you want to you get the full complement of competitors to choose from. I also make the few landline calls I make through BT - I don't care about switching to xyz other provider to save a few pence per call.

When it arrives, you'll probably wish it hadn't.

BT will probably drop its call charges to compete with the other players - however expect rental charges to increase to compensate.

If you only make a few calls with BT then the increase in line rental will probably outweigh any savings in call costs.

Yes... but it took me 6 attempts to get them to take the line, and they couldn't even do that right. So I gave up, and after having issues with other companies prior to that, I then took a decision NOT to use another phone company for my calls, no matter how cheap they are. I am on BT Together Option 3 with BT Option 1 broadband, my DD is fixed each month, and I am a happy customer.

I don't care if you can get it cheaper. If it's worth the hassle, then do it. Me? Can't be bothered with it. I will stick with BT thank you.

They must not like you, no one I know personally has ever had any problems, though it was probably BT screwing up the transfer.

The only problem I had once was with BT taking back my calls from my CPS provider without my permission, when I queried this their response was "Oh, as we had changed our pricing, we'd thought you'd want to come back to BT".

I was like you... Couldn't be arsed with the hassle/choices.

However, had no issues sigining up with Primus(chose JD prior to Talk Talk taking over) and although not a heavy user I'm still saving about £10 to £15 per month.

Can't moan.

Apparently, BT will be changing their prices next week to do a combined calls/internet package. will wait for that.

Glad Primus worked out for you. I won't be changing though, thats for sure

I moved my calls to Tiscali free weekend package but still had BT for line rental . Got all my calls free at the weekends and in the evening my calls was nearly free also for the had a connection charge for evening calls then it was free after that. Anyway I had one are two billing mistakes with them in the two years I was with them for phone. I was also with Tiscali and on old evening and weekend package for my dial up internet. When they last year changed me to anytime dial up they made a mistake will my first payment as well and internet that was ment to be free got charged at pay and go. They said it was due to changes with BT prices . Load of crap if you ask me. Anyway it got sorted out. Im glad to have everything back with BT since Feb in one bill. Even if I no longer get free weekend calls.

Darren

Time to call 0800 036 0094 and get those free evening and weekend calls (to UK 01 and 02 numbers) back!

And, if you want to save even more, consider some of THESE suggestions

Having more than one bill never bothers me, but there are a few people who think one bill is better, I'd rather spend virtually nothing on my phone bill and have 3 or 4 billing companies, than spend many £s, just because it's on one bill, that is just crazy.

I agree. In fact I just counted the number of DDs I have set up on my current account and was astonished to find it's reached 20 (although only 5 are for telephony)

That's your choice, and I applaud you for that. However I do take exception to your theory that I am crazy due to what I do or don't have on my phone line. That is my choice and no-one elses business but mine. BT's service is fine with me and I am happy to pay for it. What's the issue?

No, my post didn't say you personally was crazy or was meant to imply that, just I think it is crazy when you can be spending pennies on phone calls instead of ££s.

Its paying everything by DD that I dont always like. I sometimes like getting a bill and paying it that way. Ok I got one or two things DD but dont like the idea of everything being payed by DD. Tiscali for phone was a cheap service but they had the odd mistake billing wise and there customer service is poor. They sent a bill every month or so but tried a few times to get me to change to DD and I told them no. Im glad in a way not to have anything from Tiscali anymore. BT are a little dear and there customer service is not the best but cant say they are the worst but BT are 98% fine.

Darren

I prefer paying everything by DD, I like the idea of lower costs and not have the hassle of sending off payment, going to bank/PO to make payment.

You can easily cancel a DD, you get the bill before the DD is taken, so you can check the amount before it is taken, DD has a guarantee scheme so if anything goes wrong you get refunded.

Even when I had a BT line, that got paid by DD, as it was £12 per year cheaper, yes it's only £12, but that's £12 in my pocket, just for the convenient DD, even larger saving when paying by DD on Gas and Electric unless with Ebico who charge the same rates for pre-payment, cheque or DD - though not the cheapest supplier if you pay by DD.

Virtually everything of mine is DD, not paying by DD is way too much hassle, and more expensive. I just can't see the point in paying more and in some cases much more and then have the hassle of paying it.

Im now to get free evening and weekend landline calls for up to and hour per call when I get the BT broadband Talk service this week and it will act like a second phone line without getting another line put in.

Darren

You can get free evening and weekend calls for NO fee on your standard BT landline, by routing your calls via Primus Saver option 2 - http://www.planet-talk.co.uk/SaverPr...x?source=saver

Nothing I have read so far would make me move from BT for my calls.

Looks a good cheap service but BT a claiming a chearer service thought the Breadband later this year and the free evening and weekend landline calls up to an hour per call are now part of the new BT broadband packages and im to get an updated router this week to get the broadband talk service. I was also emailed my new broadband talk number starting 05 and password friday evening.

Darren