Matt Sabin

Hi
Not sure if anyone has posted on this yet? What do people think about this 'register for a free UK phone number' thing that's being advertised through the site. Anyone any experience? Is it worth doing?
Cheers
Matt

Pootle

Hi Matt!
Saw a thread on this a while back and someone posted another link to someone else who did it cheaper! I haven't personally looked into it - my parents use a phone card to call here which works out between 1 - 2 p a minute. I'm sure a few on here have registered for the number and will be able to tell you more about it.

Ruth

(ps - they go home today!!!)


edit - here was the thread:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=phone+number

Matt Sabin

Thanks Ruth
I'm sure my parents should be able to get a calling card in the UK but they don't seem that up on it. When I mentioned it to my Dad, he said he had asked in a shop and they didn't know what he was talking about so that was that!! It would be nice for them to phone but Dad tells me that at the moment using his landline it would cost 20p a minute (!!) so we always end up by phoning them. Where, in the UK, can you get the calling cards from, do you know? If so, then I can point him in the right direction. I thought they would be on sale at any newsagents.
Hope you had a good time with the rellies - bet you're looking forward to it just being you again though. They've been here ages haven't they?
M

Pootle

Feels like it!!

20p a minute!! That's expensive! My mum has her home phone with tesco and can call direct for 4p a minute. I think she gets the cards from a newsagent or post office. I'll ask her and let you know.
If you google 'phone cards' on google uk it'll give you different providers and I think you can get them online - maybe you could order one on their behalf?
Do you use a phone card here? We use GPS which gives an hour to the uk for $1.

Got to go to take daughter to school now,
Speak later!
Ruth

h2oskineil

Hi Matt

We are using it and it is good. Just 3p for the UK caller and the line is always crystal clear.

Neil.

moneypenny20

I registered and then told UK folk about it but I got this back:

"Telesavers is the 1p per minute that I rang you on today. I have 08448612525 as the access no followed by your landline no.

On Telesavers web site this is also 0871995454 also 1p p/m. When people in England dial the access no. a voice tells them that call charges are 1p p/m.

So they know exactly what they are paying.

It doesn’t matter if they are on BT or NTL or other."

Seems easier for the oldies to manage than worrying about a card. The UK number idea actually confused some of them

Hutch

We use a bit of Skype-like software called Gizmo, which is hooked up to a UK phone number. Rather than being an 0845 or whatever number, it's actually our old dialling code (01453) - they have codes for pretty much every town in the UK. You buy a number which costs $35 for a year's subscription and that's your only dial-in cost. You can also buy dial-out credits, just like you can with Skype - but we've found the call quality to be far better and much more reliable (Skype has a habit of dropping after 10 minutes).

debilloyd

I looked at this Matt but it says it is 3p per minute. I have number that my friends and relatives use that only costs them 0.5p per minute so it wasn't really worth it for me.

Debs

Adelaideman

The British expats service will have new features released soon including voicemail, so if your loved ones can’t get through to you their message will be recorded and sent to you as an mp3 in email.

kevinbloomfield

As someone else has pointed out, it is only 0.5p per minute to call an Australian landline number. This is cheaper than ringing a UK number. I think the free number you get is either an 0844/0845 or a 0870. These all cost far more than dialing Australia via a 3rd party number.

Have a look here to find the cheapest way to dial

http://callchecker.moneysavingexpert...ntcallchecker/

Matt Sabin

Blimey - thanks everyone. First, I thought 4p a minute was good - then 2p a minute, then Telesavers 1p/min seemed a bargain... and now on the last link I see discountdial does 0.5p/min. Brilliant.

The Brownos

Hi i use a Post Office phone card to call Australia, freely available from all good PO's.
A £10 card gives me about 4 hours worth of chat time, maybe a little more not sure too busy talking to have noticed!!!!
Cheers'en The Brownos

Watty'n'Arls

Hi

I have been using a company called GoTalk for years. It costs 3-4p per minute to phone Oz.
you can either register on their website whishc is: www.gotalk.co.uk
or Freephone: 0800 097 7777.

They are dead helpful and once your parents have registered they just have to pick up the phone, put a 4 digit code in and it tells you how much credit you have and then asks you to dial the number in full.

When we move I will set up our parents as it is simple to use and i know what my dad is like!!!!!

Hope this helps

Watty'n'arls

DerekM

I used to use telediscount and others as recommended in moneyexpert for cheap calls. You have to remember that on top of the cheap deals offered such as 0.5p to call Oz that you add the cost of dialling the 08 number which could be 3p for example. So the British Expats deal does not seem too bad at 3p! Plus sometimes with the cheap diallers you can get poor lines at peak times. Now I am in Cyprus I often use a telecard to call overseas and we have terrible lines sometimes! So the idea of having a UK number sounds attractive, providing the quality is ok.

Rebecca Bloomswood

Talk Talk currently have a great offer where you pay a one off £29.99 and you can call 28 countries abroad, including Australia, FREE!!!! Beat that!