Landline only telephone costs

[Laughton]

I'm trying to help a very elderly neighbour, living on her own, with her costs of living and today's project is to see if she can save on her telephone costs.

She has a landline only telephone - no broadband, no computer and no desire for either.

She currently has an old plan (no longer available) with a company called iTalk and this month's bill came to £45.79 including VAT. That was for a total of 44 telephone calls (14 of which were free and included in the iTalk 3 Loyalty Package and 30 calls to mobiles almost all of which lasted less than 30 seconds).

She received a letter today saying that the cost of her iTalk 3 Loyalty Package will increase by £6.90 per month from May 6.

I can only seem to find BT that currently offers landline only telephone services but does anyone know if there are any other companies out there that do and might be cheaper? Failing that, does BT offer any discounts or deals for the elderly or people surviving on Pension Credit that might be applicable (BT website doesn't seem to mention anything)?

Her latest bill made up as follows, in case it helps:

Calls made - 44 41.09 mins total £14.88
1571 service £ 3.29 (I've explained that she really doen't need this)
Bill Production Charge £2.91 (I've explained that she doesn't really need this)
iTalk 3 Loyalty Package £17.08
VAT £ 7.63

Total £45.79

Any other suggestions of places I can look would be welcome.

I don't think she could cope/manage with just a mobile phone.

[DrFfybes]

Have a look at...
https://www.cable.co.uk/home-phone/

Basically, ignoring the 'virtual lanlines' which use VOIP, her options are very limited.

Generally a LOT cheaper to get a basic Mobile package and a DORO handset.

Paul

[CliffEdge]

For my wife, who has no interest in technology, we have a Huawei 4g modem with standard pots cordless handsets plugged in, on a 1p mobile tariff, min £2.50 month I believe.
To her it operates like a standard landline telephone.

[Watis]

I found this site, which explains the BT landline-only tariffs (despite its name):

https://www.choose.co.uk/broadband/guid ... ine-calls/

Another page specifically mentions the options for people receiving pension credit, which you referred to in your OP:

https://www.choose.co.uk/broadband/bt/r ... ssentials/

HTH,

Watis

[XFool]

I'm trying to help a very elderly neighbour, living on her own, with her costs of living and today's project is to see if she can save on her telephone costs.

She has a landline only telephone - no broadband, no computer and no desire for either.
...
Any other suggestions of places I can look would be welcome.

I don't think she could cope/manage with just a mobile phone.

Just a reminder - wrt "broadband" and "mobile phone" - that BT/Openworld are still planning for the end of ordinary phone landline services by December 2025. So might as well consider looking at alternatives now?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/58233766

If she was with BT she could continue, with BT supplying a gizmo to plug in between her phone and socket. But with current supplier?

[AF62]

does BT offer any discounts or deals for the elderly or people surviving on Pension Credit that might be applicable (BT website doesn't seem to mention anything)?

BT Essentials (as others have mentioned) - https://www.bt.com/exp/broadband/home-essentials is the page to apply (it says broadband but if you put in the postcode the phone only plan will also appear).

Full details here - https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt/help/ ... Online.pdf

£10 a month on a 12 month contract and it includes unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles.

[stewamax]

For my wife, who has no interest in technology, we have a Huawei 4g modem with standard pots cordless handsets plugged in, on a 1p mobile tariff, min £2.50 month I believe. To her it operates like a standard landline telephone.

Which may be very appropriate indeed for someone who is unfamiliar with mobile phones: remember that on a mobile you need to 'dial' and then click a Call key; on a landline phone you just dial. Even DECT handsets can be confusing
I would have thought that an analogue phone with large keys linked to a 4g modem/mobile-phone on a low-use contract could be spot on.

[Laughton]

Many thanks all.

I should have mentioned that, whilst there is a telephone line to our properties it is not capable of supplying broadband. In any event a VOIP or mobile phone is definitely not for her. Clickable buttons and no screen/camera/apps is what she needs.

BT Home Essentials for telephone only is definitely the way to go. I've just spoken to BT and they have confirmed that she is eligble. Unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles for £10 per month - so full steam ahead.

A saving of over £44 per month - that's a big contribution towards her inflation affected bill at Tesco. She'll be delighted.

A few hours well spent.

[Laughton]

Nothing quite as simple as hoped for.

Went to neighbour's house to call BT back as they needed her to be available to confirm details (stupid really as it could just as easily be my wife they were talking to pretending to be neighbour). Anyway, I happened upon a "new" BT employee who knew nothing about Home Essentials and who, after 35 minutes taken to confirm postcode, date of birth etc.etc multiple times, said I had to contact existing supplyer first to get a MAC code in order for BT to process order.

Probably best to wait until Monday rather than a Friday afternoon when everything bound to go wrong. Neighbour really worried that there will be a problem keeping (porting) her existing number which she has had for the past 25 years meaning none of her friends will be able to get hold of her.

Now I'm worried in case my recommendation to change supplier causes problem with keeping telephone number

[XFool]

...I thought MAC codes were only needed for transferring Broadband? I also thought MAC codes were not anyway now necessary for the subscriber to deal with, it was the joining telecomm suppliers job to look into that? Like transferring an ISA.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/switching/switching-landline

"Under a 'gaining provider led process', your new provider will arrange the switch for you.

You only need to contact the provider you wish to switch to, who will notify your old provider of the intended transfer - you do not need to cancel your contract with your old provider."

[Laughton]

Yes, I thought so too but, as I said, I happened upon a newbie at BT although he did end up talking to his "team leader".

Not much option but to talk to the existing supplier to see what they have to say.

I think another problem might be that my neighbour lives in a house with a name and a number. The existing supplier (and HMRC, local Council etc. etc) all use just the house name but the BT database only has the number. So BT can't reconcile the telephone number to the house name.

Monday is another day.

[monabri]

Many thanks all.

I should have mentioned that, whilst there is a telephone line to our properties it is not capable of supplying broadband. In any event a VOIP or mobile phone is definitely not for her. Clickable buttons and no screen/camera/apps is what she needs.

BT Home Essentials for telephone only is definitely the way to go. I've just spoken to BT and they have confirmed that she is eligble. Unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles for £10 per month - so full steam ahead.

A saving of over £44 per month - that's a big contribution towards her inflation affected bill at Tesco. She'll be delighted.

A few hours well spent.

Well done!!

[AF62]

Nothing quite as simple as hoped for.

Went to neighbour's house to call BT back as they needed her to be available to confirm details (stupid really as it could just as easily be my wife they were talking to pretending to be neighbour). Anyway, I happened upon a "new" BT employee who knew nothing about Home Essentials and who, after 35 minutes taken to confirm postcode, date of birth etc.etc multiple times, said I had to contact existing supplyer first to get a MAC code in order for BT to process order.

Probably best to wait until Monday rather than a Friday afternoon when everything bound to go wrong. Neighbour really worried that there will be a problem keeping (porting) her existing number which she has had for the past 25 years meaning none of her friends will be able to get hold of her.

Now I'm worried in case my recommendation to change supplier causes problem with keeping telephone number

My suggestion would be NOT to approach the existing supplier as they will undoubtedly scare your neighbour with tales of doom to try to retain them as a profitable customer.

If it was me I would go to the webpage I mentioned before (http://www.bt.com/broadband/home-essentials) and select the ‘I am new to BT’ option and then just follow it through on the £10 option it will give you. Within the process it will give the option of the number you want to transfer and contact details (you could always get your neighbour to agree for you to provide your email address so you get updates).

That way the whole process doesn’t rely on BT training of its staff, but should just proceed through correctly.

And if you have a tablet and a mobile that does a WiFi hotspot you could always do it at your neighbour’s house.

Whichever route you go I would make sure to tell your neighbour that they might receive a call from their existing provider trying to retain them as a customer when they are notified by BT the line is moving, and that the existing provider may try to scare or confuse them into staying and to just to be adamant that she isn’t staying with them.

Lastly if you have any issues with BT, then the best approach is to make a formal complaint (you can do it with the advisor on the phone) and then the calls are escalated to people who have been trained, and in my experience, actually have the ability to fix issues.

[Laughton]

Thanks very much for that AF62 - have had a quick look and that does look the best way to proceed.

Need to collect some paperwork from her tomorrow so that I have all the answers in advance and will attempt to complete order tomorrow.

She's not the sort to be scared by existing supplier - she'll just tell them to call me

[Laughton]

Used AF62's link to apply online. All went very smoothly. Interestingly they didn't ask who the current supplier is but I guess they must know.

They've given May 2nd as the "not later than" date for changeover. Assuming that it does go off without a hitch that's a substantial saving for my neighbour, so thanks to all Fools for their suggestions.

[Laughton]

You can't beat the system.

The continuing saga - for anyone who's even a little bit interested and hasn't lost the will to live.

So, yesterday I got a text from BT saying there was a problem with our on-line order and asking me to telephone them. Seems that their system had "failed" the order but the sales person couldn't tell why. BT said that the only way to proceed was to cancel the order, wait for 24 hours for the order to be fully cancelled and then for me to phone to process the order over the phone.

I phoned today after the 24 hours had passed. 1 hour and 15 minutes later we haven't moved on. The sales person eventually said that the property would need a new line installed and offered an engineer appointment. I did get the case escalated to their "formal complaint" department who confirmed that a new line would have to be installed with a new number and that I would then have to get a MAC code from the existing supplier and BT would then switch the numbers over once their line was live. "That's what the system says and there was no way around it". Not possible to escalate the complaint any higher - he said he was as high it goes.

Unfortunately (or not) the elderly neighbour was with me when all this was going on. She is 90 years old, lives on her own and relies on her phone for much of her contact with the outside world. She's convinced that she will lose her existing number which, for her, would be terrifying. I explained this to the complaints person at BT but he said there was nothing he could do about it.

At the moment she doesn't want to go ahead and take the risk. She got really upset (I think she felt bad that I had spent over an hour and got nowhere.)

Thinking about it after calming down, I'm sure that she would eventually end up with her existing number but I'm not convinced enough to give her my 100% guarantee that it will all go fairly smoothly. What would I say to her if it doesn't?

Probably best to give it a day or two before broaching the subject with her again.

[ReformedCharacter]

Thank you for being a good neighbour.

RC

[Laughton]

Thanks.

It's just so frustrating. Here's a lady who could save roughly £40 per month (her existing plan goes up by £6.80 on May 6) which she could certainly do with. If for nothing else whe could improve the quality of food she buys each week.

We'd both feel a bit better if BT could just explain why they need to have an engineer call to install a new line. All they come up with is "that's what the system says". I bet if the engineer does call they'll just use a couple of the extra wires in the existing cable and attach a new socket.

I even suggested that they call the number we want switched to prove that there really is already a line in the house, but they're not interested.

[CliffEdge]

Thanks.

It's just so frustrating. Here's a lady who could save roughly £40 per month (her existing plan goes up by £6.80 on May 6) which she could certainly do with. If for nothing else whe could improve the quality of food she buys each week.

We'd both feel a bit better if BT could just explain why they need to have an engineer call to install a new line. All they come up with is "that's what the system says". I bet if the engineer does call they'll just use a couple of the extra wires in the existing cable and attach a new socket.

I even suggested that they call the number we want switched to prove that there really is already a line in the house, but they're not interested.

Contact your MP and local newspaper. This stinks. Be patient, play the long game. Don't let the swine get away with it.

[DrFfybes]

If BT are insisting she has a new line, then can *you* place an order with BT as a customer at that address with no existing service, pay the £90 or so 'new installation' fee, then once up and running she could 'move house' into her existing residence and port the number over?

At the very least someone from Openreach would come out and find out what the issue is with reassigning the existing line

Paul