Cheapest Home Phone Provider

Buzz_Irl

Can't find a forum that deals with landlines.

I'm fed up with large eircom bills - SMART Telecom seem to offer a good deal - has anybody got info aon a good telecom provider for home line ( I also have broadband from eircom)

Thks
Buzz

alleepally

To be honest, you'd need a lot of time to actually work out who is cheaper because you'd have to look in detail at your call patterns and see where the bulk of your calls go and if you're making savings with different Eircom options. All the other providers I know of always quote savings on Eircom's standard rate.

Basically, I didn't want to give Eircom a cent more than necessary so I swapped to UTV along with flat rate internet access.

off top of my head here's 3

cinergi - www.cinergi.ie
esatbt - www.esatbt.com
ryanairtelecom - www.ryanairtelecom.ie

Xcellor

How much is your average phone bill?
What calls do you make most often (to which countries)?

There are a wide range of providers but they cater for very different phone users.

We have smart on one of our phonelines... It definitely beats the socks off of Eircom, but setup charge on all calls... regardless of whether you get connected or just engaged tone (ive been told).

Vartel are supposed to be better than Smart, I got told this by an Eircom technician fixing my phoneline. Off the record...

Eircom use Vartel apparently to carry their International calls.

But even cheaper than Vartel for International calls is Yaptel.ie... I don't know if they do CPS,, but I believe for businesses they may do. 0.16c to Mexico is really cheap.

There are heaps of others...

X

bk

It all depends on the type of calls you make.

You should keep and then check your last 2 or 3 bills.

What type of calls are the bulk of your expense.

If you make more then e20 - e25 per month on local and national calls then EsatBT Advantage Plus would be very good.

If the bulk of expense is international then one of the company's like Vartec are probably a lot cheaper.

I'm not sure who would be best for mobiles.

Buzz_Irl

ok - off for those phone bills !!

WezzyB

We moved to Smart Telecom from eircom back in September got three months of free weekend calls cos we signed up for Direct Debit.

Have kept an eye on the other providers (Esat, Ryanair, Vartel) but haven't seen enough of a reason (promo/prices etc) to move.

Would like to see Single Billing ASAP, should be in after March 31st deadline (hopefully).

Also would be good if I could check my Smart Telecom phone bill online and see stuff before I get a bill, just like what 02 have on their site.

Have used Vartel's service to make some international phone calls to Vietnam/Cambodia, their prices are about 140 per minute whereas eircom are 230 or so!

Pataman

Originally posted by Xcellor
How much is your average phone bill?
What calls do you make most often (to which countries)?

There are a wide range of providers but they cater for very different phone users.

We have smart on one of our phonelines... It definitely beats the socks off of Eircom, but setup charge on all calls... regardless of whether you get connected or just engaged tone (ive been told).

Xcellor they are not allowed to charge you unless the number is answered

RobertFoster

Originally posted by Pataman
Xcellor they are not allowed to charge you unless the number is answered

Don't you get charged for ringing a mobile that doesn't answer with eircom? I noticed that a couple of years ago, but it might have change.

Xcellor

Originally posted by Pataman

Originally posted by Xcellor
How much is your average phone bill?
What calls do you make most often (to which countries)?

There are a wide range of providers but they cater for very different phone users.

We have smart on one of our phonelines... It definitely beats the socks off of Eircom, but setup charge on all calls... regardless of whether you get connected or just engaged tone (ive been told).

Xcellor they are not allowed to charge you unless the number is answered

Well you can call the Eircom guy that came to sell Eircom to us as the new cheaper telecom provider a liar then . We are still of course on with Smart and Esat I argued a bit with him coz that sounded weird to me, but he insisted even if the person doesn't pick up the phone you are charged standard setup charge.

Personally I think he was speaking off the top of his head. He really knew nothing about anything and didn't even know Eircoms BB offering was half that of the competition (4 gb compared to 8 at the time).

X

Pataman

They cant charge you if you dont get connected. If someone answers or it goes to a mailbox then you will be charged. If you have call listing when the bill comes in, try this. Ring a number, let it ring once then hang up, make a note of the time and date in your diary and check it when the bill arrives. If they charge you complain to comreg, they are not allowed to.

Pataman

Had a spotty faced prat in work today trying to get me to change to another telco, clear systems or some name like that. Usual waffle, then he says I am charged a setup fee even if not answered. Frothing at the mouth, I tell him thats a load of crap, he insists otherwise. So I ring Comreg and he confirms that yer man is talking ****e. He suggests that I call the company, so I did, he talked the same ****e and wouldnt believe or ring comreg. The moral of the story is - dont trust what a spotty prat says find out for yourselves.

Thanks, I feel better now,
calm now....:o