Just got my first BT bill after switching to SkyTalk and found they are charging me £7 for using 1571 and "free" caller display. I have never paid for these services before, they were always free. Will this be the cost from now on? On the sky website it says they should remain free.

If you were sensible and did NOT hand over your line rental to Sky as well (i.e. you still pay BT £10.50 or £11/month by DD for BT Together Option 1), you can still get Caller Display and 1571 for 9p/month for both (see HERE).

However, on behalf of your friends and family, may I urge you to DUMP 1571 (you can do so by just completing their online form - see HERE).

OTOH, if you handed over your line rental to Sky, you pay whatever they decide to charge you.

My line rental is still with BT.

I never used to pay BT for caller display, instead I had it free with that privacy protection programme (forget its name), so I thought it would still be free as it's separate.

Is skytalk even worth bothering with? At the moment it seems cheaper to stick with BT.

It's free as long as you make some calls with BT. BT started to police this sometime last year, and made it a requirement you need to make at least 2 calls per month or 6 per quarter (depending on how you are billed).

I'd advise dumping the nasty 1571, and just remembering to make the 2 calls per month (6/qtr) via BT - dial 1280 to place a call over BT.

With Sky Talk (phone calls package only) you get inclusive evening and weekend calls for no extra fee. Just remember to place those 2 calls per month back over BT to stop being charged by BT for Caller Display are part of BT Privacy.

It's always a matter of opinion and, of course, whether you're talking about Sky Talk Freetime or Sky Talk Unlimited. Then, the 'worth' of either will depend on your calling pattern.

Changing your line rental from BT is never a good idea IMHO.

Sky Talk Freetime CPS is easily beaten by Primus Saver Option 2 CPS (calls can be up to 90 minutes before redialling instead of Sky's 60 minutes and there's no need to maintain a Sky TV subscription too) but Sky Talk Anytime CPS, at £5, is quite good value even if the anytime calls to UK 01/02 numbers and ten international destinations are limited to 60 minutes each.

With the Penny Mobile 2 add-on on top of Primus Saver Option 2 CPS (calls to UK mobiles capped at 20p for up to 20 minutes), it's what I use!

ok thanks

At the moment I am benefiting from free and evening weekends. However, since the daytime calls costs more than BT, the overall cost of calls is about the same.

Is it best to use 1280 before all daytime calls so that they go through BT and just use skytalk for evening and weekend calls?

No. If you're on Sky Talk Freetime, use 18185 for calls to UK 01/02/03 numbers for 5p each (unlimited duration) weekday daytimes and use Sky for the free evening and weekend calls.

18185's prices for calls to UK mobiles are difficult to beat too - 5p connection and 6p/minute during the week (3p/minute at weekends).

www.18185.co.uk

ok sounds like a good deal

Where's it from? I've not heard of using 18185 before. Who's it billed through?

It will be billed through 18185. You'll be billed every month or so, depending on how much you spend with them. They take payment either via Direct Debit or off a credit / debit card (though CCCA's are never wise, best stick with DD like any other company).

You just prefix 18185 before each call you want to make.

Money Savers have been using this group of companies for several years with out problem.

So it's a case of use Sky Talk for your inclusive calls, use 18185 for other calls, remembering to use BT for a couple of calls so you don't pay full whack for 1571/ CLID.

Sign up online (pay by DD recommended) and view almost real time call logs online too.

Online (only) invoices usually once a month or once every two months depending on use.

It's one of the recommendations in my regularly updated '6-steps to cost reduction for BT residential landline subscribers' - see HERE.

ok thanks for your help

one last question, what/who should I use when calling mobile numbers?

18185 (see post #7 above) - 5p connection and 6p/minute during the week and 3p/minute at weekends.

ok got it all now

thanks again