I have a BT line at £11 per month direct debit.

I currently subscribe to 18185 and 1899, and also pick and choose from the various '0844' providers depending on who's cheapest for whatever type of call.

I've seen Primus Saver Option 2 mentioned a few times on this site. And I'm wondering what the catch is.

If I opted for it, do I still pay my line rental directly to BT, or is that shifting to Primus Saver. And if I use 1899, 18185 and the '0844' providers, would I still be paying exactly the same per call as I currently do with BT.

I can see how I would save money on my local/national evening/weekend calls. But, as I use the other providers a lot, especially '0844' calls to Spain, Portugal and USA, I don't want to see my Primus Saver 2 savings wiped out or eroded by 'losses' on the other calls.

Primus Saver Option 2 is a CPS (Carrier PreSelect) service (like the recently changed Sky Talk packages and many others).

That means that, although users still have a BT landline and their incoming calls still arrive on BT (so Caller Display, 1471* and 1571* work normally), they will have opted to have the BT exchange programmed so that, by default, (nearly) all their outgoing calls are sent via the CPS provider (and BT don't even 'see' the calls even though they carry the first leg).

The 'default' part of that sentence is the key to CPS. It means that, if users want to, they can use a prefix to send an individual call via another provider (i.e. override the CPS programming for a single call). For example, using just a 1280 prefix will send that call out via BT, using just a 18185 prefix (not 128018185) will send that call out via www.18185.co.uk and so on.

In other words, CPS still allows users to pick the best carrier for their calls even though they've opted, normally, to use one provider (in my case, Primus Saver Option 2 because of the free evening and weekend UK 01/02 calls).

So, for those with a BT line, CPS has the advantage of allowing the line rental to be left with BT (now £10.75 per month if you pay by Direct Debit and opt for online only billing) - leaving 'all options open' for making your calls. In other words, the use of 1899, 18185 etc. will remain possible because BT are obliged to allow it (unlike other firms now providing either LLU or WLR landline rental which can, and do, bar such access).

Although I'm on Primus Saver Option 2 and use them for the free evening and weekend UK 01/02 calls, I use 18185 (5p per call regardless of duration) for my weekday daytime UK 01/02 calls - as I do for my calls to Spain (5p connection and ½p per minute at any time).

For my 0844 and 0871 calls, I use a 1280 prefix to 'hop back onto' BT (because I know the call charges will be in a accordance with BT's published list).

Similarly, for 0845 and 0870 calls, I usually just use the 1280 prefix but, if I can be bothered, I check HERE to establish whether 18185 is cheaper at a particular time/day.

* If you dial 3 after checking who called on 1471 or dial 0 after checking a 1571 message (because that nice BT lady's voice invites you to and it seems like the easy way to return the call), BT charge 7½p regardless of whether the call is connected or not. Additionally, you have to pay BT prices for the call because such 'returned calls' do not route via your CPS provider but are sent via BT.
Last edited by Heinz : 25-01-2007 at 10:45

Edit (error above)

18185's price for calls to Spain is currently 5p connection and 1p/minute.

BTW, the distinction between local and national calls ended in July 2004 when BT started charging the same for calls to any UK 01 or 02 number.
Last edited by Heinz : 25-01-2007 at 11:18

Thank you Heinz, you managed to answer my questions and allay any fears ! I have nothing at all to lose as I will still be able to select my preferred carrier, and now be saving on the evening and weekend calls with Primus Saver Option 2.

The only losers would be Primus who wouldn't make an awful lot of money out of me !
Last edited by go_braves : 25-01-2007 at 19:23

Yes, I have (possibly rather stupidly) avoided the Primus 2 option because I keep expecting them to discontinue it.

If the 1899/18866/18185 provider can't make a profit charging a 4p connection fee I can't see how Primus can afford to continue to have a bunch of freeloaders using them for evening/weekend calls and not making anuthing from it.

One other point.

BT originally said that you need to use them as your main provider (i.e. no CPS) in order to get CLI free. Has this changed or would you loose free CLI if you switched to Primus?

As Heinz has already said, CLI is an inbound feature.

Primus is an outbound service so you would still retain the service.

If you look at what I wrote, you'll see that that is not actually the point of my question.

BT were touting CLI as something they would provide free if you were not using CPS. You were also supposed to make at least one call using BT to get it free.

What I asked was: Are BT now providing CLI free even if you are using CPS?

Almost, but not quite.

They recently announced that they would charge £1.75/month for the service if someone on monthly billing did not make at least 2 chargeable calls via BT in the month (£5.25/quarter for someone on quarterly billing not making at least 6 chargeable calls in the quarter).

Unless they can automate checking though (a not-necessarily-cheap software change), policing that would be expensive though - so I have my doubts.

OTOH, 6 x 5½p calls in a quarter = 33p. I'd say that was a bargain for a useful service like Caller Display. I've programmed the number of my local Indian takeaway into my phone with a 1280 prefix and, that way, I know I'm certain to meet the 6 calls requirement!
Last edited by Heinz : 31-01-2007 at 17:13

Apologies qpw3141.

Still a tad bleary eyed when I posted.

No problems. Have done the same myself on, erm, more than one occasion