Important prices changes to SkyTalk package
Effective from 15th April 2008

Increase in international countries with inclusive calls from 10 to 20 on for those on SkyTalk Unlimited:
Existing 10 inclusive countries:
USA, Ireland, Spain, Austrailia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Italy and the Netherlands (calls to USA & Canada mobiles included).

Additional 10 inclusive countries:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Rep, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden.

Connection Fee:
The connection fee for all non-inclusive calls will increase from 6p to 7p, unless a separate connection fee or minimum fee is specified.

UK Landline rates:
Daytime rate for calls to UK landlines (01, 02 and 03) for those on SkyTalk Freetime will increase from 3.25p/min to 4p/min

Changes to non-geographical call rates (0845, most 0870):
Calls to 0845 numbers will change from 2p/min in the daytime and 0.5p/min in the evening to 6p/min AT ALL TIMES.

Calls to most 0870 numbers will change from 6p/min in the daytime and 1.5p/min in the evening to 10p/min in the daytime and 8p/min in the evening, seven days a week.

Free calls to Sky contact centres from 1st July 2008:
All calls to Sky call centres will be free from 1st July 2008 for SkyTalk customers (eg all calls to Sky's 0870 and 0844 numbers).

IMHO, a clincher NOT to proceed when considering whether to switch line rental to Sky (and lose access to BT via the 1280 prefix) rather than just use Sky Talk as a CPS calls provider.

After the changes, comparisons:

0845
BT - 6p + 2p/min. (½p/min. Evening/Night)
Sky 7p + 6p/min. (6p/min. Evening/Night)

0870
BT - 6p + 6p/min. (1½p/min. Evening/Night)
Sky 7p + 10p/min. (8p/min. Evening/Night)

Also noticed if you forget to hang up before your hour is up each additional minute now costs 4p per minute, increased from 0.8p per minute.

BT charge 3.25p per minute for each additional minute beyond your first hour on an inclusive call if you forget to hang up and redial.

Correction: BT are also increasing their additional minute charge to 4p/minute from 1st April 08 so no different to Skytalk.
Last edited by SportBilly : 29-03-2008 at 12:12

Yes, i forgot to mention that calls lasting more than an hour for those that get inclusive calls will be charged 4p/min instead of 0.8p/min after the hour.

Due to DS posting setups, I'm unable to add this to my original post.

So, the ineffective regulator (Ofcom's) rhetoric about 'light touch regulation' being effective at encouraging competition and driving costs down is proven to be garbage - it's follow the leader time again (at the expense of Jo Public).

Sky's sly too - the 0870 charges go up on 15-4-08 but the 'free calls to Sky numbers' don't start until 1-7-08. That'll be a nice little earner for 2½ months then to boost the profits.

I have had Sky Talk Unlimited now for over 12 months and pleased that I can ring my son in Germany for no extra cost and his girlfriend is Greek so the addition of Greece is a bonus. However, I am pleased I kept my BT line , because this does still give me to option to use BT for these 08xxxx numbers.

I assume you have an Orchid dialler and it takes care of the routing automatically for you depending on time of day, type of call, etc.

Sky has switched to 0844 numbers per previous postings - but yes, it's a bit convenient

I've always said it and will say it again, never move line rental away from BT.

Move to Primus Saver 2 and opt for Penny Mobile too. However don't move line rental away from BT.

It's not like warnings about moving line rental away from BT weren't given, maybe next time those people who were silly enough to ignore the advice will listen.

But are you not on Virgin phone?

Interesting how this was started by a Virgin Customer, and there is no mention of the BT call changes that come into effect from the 1st of April.

Also, have Virgin not just announced new pricing structures?

Yes, I am but for those who have to pay for line renal and a calls package, then they shouldn't move line rental away from BT to a provider that uses the BT lines for their service.

I was able to drop BT for landline several years back as I was using VoIP over a cable broadband connection, the only reason I now have a cable line for the phone is simply because I don't pay for it, nor the calls package or caller display.

So does that mean if you dial 1280 prefix then there is no change in the pricing after 15th April or are BT planning to up their prices to the same rates.

I am not aware of any BT price rises planned for 0845/0870 calls (they only reduced them on 1-8-2007).

My Orchid's already programmed to use BT or 18185 as appropriate.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...8&postcount=59

You can dial 1280 as long as you still pay BT for line rental.

As Heinz mentioned, BT reduced the costs for these calls not so long back, while VirginMedia increased theirs and now Sky.

Nice try by Sky to take the focus off the increases by having the 'Great news for Sky Talk customers - FREE calls to Sky call centres' at the top of the letter. Anyway may I ask what an Orchid is?

And now Tiscali.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....html?t=830819


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...99#post9779599

Scroll down.

Aye, Yes. I'm a member of MSE too, been there years.

I'm just moving back to BT Option 2, which is free and gives you free evening and weekend calls (only on 12 month contract) and I have been informed by BT rep it includes 100 free SMS messages from your home phone per month. (Worth upto £10 per month if your on payg as I am) We only use phone in evenings if not, its usually to an 0845 or 0870 number. So there is no point in remaining with Sky Talk.

I also have a BT dialup which I use every couple of months just to keep alive for emergencies.

If you did transfer completely to SKY can they provide other services like caller display, etc etc.

does that mean we are being charged for dialling 150 to sky - I was told that was free

I wasn't aware that SkyTalk operated a 150 service. As all other landline providers that operate 150 do it for free then I assume it is free but cant comment for definite.

Either way, come July you can ring them using their normal contact number and the call will be free.

One of the best ways to avoid being ripped off by Telecom companies.

These new $ky charges make $ky look extremely expensive when it comes to cost of phone calls.

However, I would really recommend people to do what I have done and not use a landline at all for daytime or mobile calls. Since going onto the Virgin Mobile 300/300 pay as you go tariff, my bill for a month's calls to landline and mobiles has gone from between £15 and £30 per month via 18185 to the £10 charged for the 300/300. And I get 300 texts every month on top of that which can really reduce the number of calls made. I still use the landline for free evening and weekend calls via the Virgin phone service provided free of charge with their £10 pm broadband connection over our BT landline.

Even if you change to Sky Talk does your package you had with BT still exist.
So if you had the free evening and weekend calls with BT can you use 1280 and not get charged the extra?

I have been campaigning against all companies using non geographical numbers. There appears to be some change but not enough to shout about. Simply boycott companies who want you to use 0844, 0845, 0870,0871,055. They will eventually come to their senses. People power etc. Please see my thread Landline and Ofcom!!

If you only move calls to Sky and NOT move line rental to Sky.

That is if you still pay BT for line rental (the wise choice) you can bypass the Sky billing by dialling the short access code - 1280 for BT. 18185 for Call 18185. 1899 for Call 1899 etc.

You simply prefix the call with the short access code at that call will go via the chosen provider and not the CPS (carrier pre-select) Sky Talk in this example.

18185 and 1899 both work on mine
i have sky line rental and sky talk
also 150 is free on sky rental