18866 and protecting your data (or Who Wants Cold Calls?)

Yes I do find them odd. However, their service overall so far seems very proffessional. Billing is detailed and accurate. They have been around for quite a while now, and most users judging by posts in here seem very satisfied.

Yes they are a completely different class of organisation IMO. I have used their service for many years as my main indirect phone service provider. Until 18866 came to my notice actually. I used them when the phone service was initially AXS and then Liberty Surf. Until recently their rates have been amongst the best but they are realistic IMO. However, Tiscali have been heavily criticised for their services, particularly their ISP services. When they took over Liberty Surf they took a long time to correct the inherited billing problems.

Could be many reasons. e.g. old stock, loss leaders, part of a package etc. But the vendors will not be able to sell all there stock at less than they pay for it indefinitely and stay in business.

"Colin Reddish" wrote in message news:vR40d.211$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...

There was someone on uk.telecom recently complaining about the call quality on

18866 to 0845 numbers! And people often use phones with memory buttons and either store the prefix or prefix all their contacts' numbers. I doubt many would have multiple entries for their contacts for use at different times of day (eg Fred mobile evenings, Fred mobile weekends).

Erm, exactly. That was my point. TT give away free calls hoping people will route chargeable calls through them. Similarly 18866 have what are probably loss leaders hoping people will route profitable calls through them.

And Nestle? Swiss-based AND they've buggered up all the good old Rowntree brands such as Smarties, Kit Kat and the rest!

TT is a CPS service though so they are more likely to get other types of calls because of the "catch-all" set-up.

Oliver.

Are you sure?

I'm not.

You can store a DECT phone for years, and still sell it, so overstock is not a big deal.

Excess telecomms capacity is about the most perishable commodity in the world. I can think of loads of ways it could be sold off cheap.

And for many, many months they were half a year behind with their billing, and when they caught up, they were only billing less than a third of the calls I'd made.

When I asked a telecomms guru, I was told that they'd be making a profit if they only charged for an eighth of the calls. Whether that's true, I have no way of knowing.

Then they started billing me on time, and charging for all my calls, so I switched to 18866.

Wombles, someone here has suggested that there may be a difference between how debit cards are processed and how credit cards are porcessed. However someone else has pointed out that it is not the card which makes the difference as much as the type of withdrawal which you authorise.

For credit card users (and I know you said you used a debit card) there are certainly dangers as these quotes below show. You may (or in your case you may not) recall them as I have posted them to this group recently. However you seem to raise things with me which have already been covered very recently so maybe you are not reading it all.

S.

===================================================== "Warning over credit trap" BBC Moneybox

If you set up a regular payment on your credit card you have no automatic right to cancel, Money Box has learned.

In some cases, it can be practically impossible to end the agreement and disputes can take up to six months to resolve.

---------

3.8 Entering into a recurring payment agreement with a supplier of goods or services (continuous authority Transactions), gives the Merchant full authority to debit Your Account until You or the Merchant cancel this payment arrangement. As such, continuous authority Transactions cannot be cancelled by ourselves and will continue to be processed by Us even if Your Account is closed or the credit facility suspended.

s/creditcards.jsp

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3.8 Entering into a recurring payment agreement with a supplier of goods or services (continuous authority Transactions),

gives the Merchant full authority to debit Your Account until You or the Merchant cancel this payment arrangement. As such,

continuous authority Transactions cannot be cancelled by ourselves and will continue to be processed by Us even if Your

Account is closed or the credit facility suspended.

s/creditcards.jsp

--------

The chart at the bottom of this page might be very useful in explaining the difference.

The text needs reading carefully to understand some potentially confusing terminology. For example:

"There are different features/restrictions of Recurring Transactions (RT) [or Continuous Authority Transactions] depending on which model you use: Direct Debit or one of the Credit Card models."

I remember that. Those of us who hadn't signed up with these ISPs breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly "there but for the grace of God go I". Or words to that effect.

More UK scams listed below.

Card Fraud

Financial Scandals Don't Be A Mug by the DTI. Scams Reseller Addictivity has entered liquidation following a 'card-not- present' fraud. etc.

The company which trades in the UK as Nestl and is licensed to use the brand name Nestl on its goods has a deliberately intricate corporate structure but several of its companies are UK registered. Its parent company is based in Switzerland. I remember them well as I did some work for them at their head office in Vevey. Most memorable thing for me is their well-provided dining room overlooking Lake Geneva.

This multi-national structure is totally different to that of FINAREA which is registered in Switzerland and trades direct from there with its UK customers.

NESTLE UK LTD ST GEORGE`S HOUSE CROYDON CR9 1NR

NESTLE HOLDINGS (UK) PLC ST GEORGES HOUSE, CROYDON, SURREY CR9 1NR

NESTLE PURINA HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED ST GEORGE'S HOUSE CROYDON CR9 1NR

Yes I am sure. Run back through uk.telecom where people have done the cost calculations on 0800 incoming to a telco and placing that call to a landline.

Am not counting mobiles because cost-conscious users would use a cheaper telco than 18866's current charges.

"Andy Pandy" wrote in message news:4141e94d$0$30788$ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

Well I do it differrently because being on a cable line I have to use 2 stage dialling (0808 access), so I have memory locations for one each for

18866, 1899 and Tiscali. Virtually all my calls are to landlines so I use 18866 at 1p per call all the time. I use NTL for non-geographic calls and any calls to mobiles are made using inclusive minutes on a mobile.

My point was that those TT users who could not be arsed would use TT for all their calls because they would not bother to route chargeable calls to another provider.

But not at anything like the original price surely?

But as I understand it the costs payable to BT for originating and terminating calls are fixed and non-negotiable and these costs are higher than the charges made by 18866?

But lots of other people did.

I was one of many who got a good deal out of RHA and was sorry to see them go . Wombat .

Then I'm afraid you haven't been paying attention.

David

"Colin Reddish" wrote in message news:0bj0d.140$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...

Likewise i've used them since the days they were AXS. Tiscali have consistently undercharged me, whilst providing reliable connects, and have loads of Orange access numbers available, so I'm quite happy with their service.

But I wouldn't dream of using their incompetently run ISP, not when there are so many alternatives

Steve Terry

Oh hell Tiscali aren't starting to do that are they. Does that mean I can expect a bill from them this year? ;-)

Steve Terry