Re: Internet services provider and phone bill (rant)

[Guest guest]

>I have just had my phone bill through this morning and I nearly had a

>heart attack! £305.54p and not a teenager in sight! I have gone

>through the bill scrupulously and yes there are calls to DH's mobile,

>but only £16 worth and calls the internet but only £17 worth, so where

>is the rest from? Ok, I have £58 to rent my BT surftime and freeserve

>hometime, which gives me free evening and weekend internet access, and

>covers my usual line rental.. So total calls are £178.54+Vat, but

>still that is horrendous, my DDebit will have to go up to £100 per

>month!

Kirsten, just an idea, and I'm afraid I don't remember the ages of your

child/children, but do you have digital TV? Could someone be playing with

this and unwittingly logging on?

I say this because I frequently find that is playing some

interactive TV game, which involves dialling up and playing online.. (Yes I

know a) that I shouldn't let him play with it unsupervised and that there

are parental controls to stop this happening, but due to my totally

haphazzard method of parenting whereby the children basically entertain

themselves while I sit at the puter, neither of these basic checks are in

place)

So I too am a little nervous about the next phone bill.

Newsletter Editor, Leighton Buzzard & District NCT

SAHM to 19/9/97 and Caitlin 12/1/00.

Photo Album

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=697874&a=11513591

[Guest guest]

>I have just had my phone bill through this morning and I nearly had a

>heart attack! £305.54p and not a teenager in sight! I have gone

>through the bill scrupulously and yes there are calls to DH's mobile,

>but only £16 worth and calls the internet but only £17 worth, so where

>is the rest from? Ok, I have £58 to rent my BT surftime and freeserve

>hometime, which gives me free evening and weekend internet access, and

>covers my usual line rental.. So total calls are £178.54+Vat, but

>still that is horrendous, my DDebit will have to go up to £100 per

>month!

Kirsten, just an idea, and I'm afraid I don't remember the ages of your

child/children, but do you have digital TV? Could someone be playing with

this and unwittingly logging on?

I say this because I frequently find that is playing some

interactive TV game, which involves dialling up and playing online.. (Yes I

know a) that I shouldn't let him play with it unsupervised and that there

are parental controls to stop this happening, but due to my totally

haphazzard method of parenting whereby the children basically entertain

themselves while I sit at the puter, neither of these basic checks are in

place)

So I too am a little nervous about the next phone bill.

Newsletter Editor, Leighton Buzzard & District NCT

SAHM to 19/9/97 and Caitlin 12/1/00.

Photo Album

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=697874&a=11513591

[Guest guest]

>I have just had my phone bill through this morning and I nearly had a

>heart attack! £305.54p and not a teenager in sight! I have gone

>through the bill scrupulously and yes there are calls to DH's mobile,

>but only £16 worth and calls the internet but only £17 worth, so where

>is the rest from? Ok, I have £58 to rent my BT surftime and freeserve

>hometime, which gives me free evening and weekend internet access, and

>covers my usual line rental.. So total calls are £178.54+Vat, but

>still that is horrendous, my DDebit will have to go up to £100 per

>month!

Kirsten, just an idea, and I'm afraid I don't remember the ages of your

child/children, but do you have digital TV? Could someone be playing with

this and unwittingly logging on?

I say this because I frequently find that is playing some

interactive TV game, which involves dialling up and playing online.. (Yes I

know a) that I shouldn't let him play with it unsupervised and that there

are parental controls to stop this happening, but due to my totally

haphazzard method of parenting whereby the children basically entertain

themselves while I sit at the puter, neither of these basic checks are in

place)

So I too am a little nervous about the next phone bill.

Newsletter Editor, Leighton Buzzard & District NCT

SAHM to 19/9/97 and Caitlin 12/1/00.

Photo Album

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=697874&a=11513591

[Guest guest]

Kirsten, here's a copy of my answer that I sent out recently (sorry to be so

lazy!)

I use NTL and have found no problems with it yet, can always get on when I want

to, if there has been an engaged signal I've just disconnected and kept trying

and it usually goes through on the 2/3 attempt.

You don't have to be in a cable area (you get an adapter box thing if your not)

and it costs £15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the internet and

also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think is a pretty good deal,

considering freeserve.

O plus you pay BT for line rental (if your not in a cabled area) but because all

your calls are going through NTL your on the low user rate which cost me about

£13.00 every 1/4.

HTH

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

Kirsten, here's a copy of my answer that I sent out recently (sorry to be so

lazy!)

I use NTL and have found no problems with it yet, can always get on when I want

to, if there has been an engaged signal I've just disconnected and kept trying

and it usually goes through on the 2/3 attempt.

You don't have to be in a cable area (you get an adapter box thing if your not)

and it costs £15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the internet and

also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think is a pretty good deal,

considering freeserve.

O plus you pay BT for line rental (if your not in a cabled area) but because all

your calls are going through NTL your on the low user rate which cost me about

£13.00 every 1/4.

HTH

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

Kirsten, here's a copy of my answer that I sent out recently (sorry to be so

lazy!)

I use NTL and have found no problems with it yet, can always get on when I want

to, if there has been an engaged signal I've just disconnected and kept trying

and it usually goes through on the 2/3 attempt.

You don't have to be in a cable area (you get an adapter box thing if your not)

and it costs £15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the internet and

also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think is a pretty good deal,

considering freeserve.

O plus you pay BT for line rental (if your not in a cabled area) but because all

your calls are going through NTL your on the low user rate which cost me about

£13.00 every 1/4.

HTH

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

>>Anyone else have a bill like this?

Yes, afraid so. I am sure it used to be around £250, but now it's always £300 -

can I blame nct-coffee I wonder? Probably, plus the fact that I work from home

part of the time now, and so connect much more during the day. I USED to blame

the fact that I have to ring home to Norway regularly, but reality is now that

we normally e-mail instead.

It's crazy, isn't it?

Everyone goes on about how cheap the internet is, all local calls, but it still

adds up! I'm sure my bill is not a mistake...

Still, we have signed up for BT ADSL now, which is a pretty high sum per month

but means you are connected all the time, so at least I wont need to agonise

over using the net anymore. Will keep you posted as to whether the next quarter

bill has gone up or down as a result...

Karina

Mum to Emilia (Oct 98) and Sebastian (Aug 00)

[Guest guest]

Jo writes:

I use NTL ........£15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the

internet and also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think

is a pretty good deal, considering freeserve.

What is the problem with Freeserve Jo?

I am on Freeserve, a great deal, 24/7 access. Dialling probs - maybe

once or twice a week, and can usually get through on 2nd attempt

immediately. Whatever I pay, I get the same amount of free voice

calls by dialling 162 before the number. I pay £10 p month but the

deal will change in June. I have never managed to clock up more than

£4 on voice calls - even when DH callss MIL for 2 hours at a time :-))

I think the current offer is £12.99 a month for Freeserve AnyTime,

first month is free, from looking at the website.

HTH

Barbara

[Guest guest]

I have Freeserve Time which I think has now been replaced by Freeserve

Anytime I know some people on here have had problems with it but I love it,

we pay £10 a month (soon to be increased to £15?) and get unlimited free

phone calls 24hours a day.

Cerys

[Guest guest]

That's interesting Barbara - I've never bothered to use the 162 thing as I

reckoned we were getting such a good deal anyway but perhaps I should give

it a whirl!

Cerys

-----Original Message-----

From: Barbara Wyant

Whatever I pay, I get the same amount of free voice

calls by dialling 162 before the number. I pay £10 p month but the

deal will change in June. I have never managed to clock up more than

£4 on voice calls - even when DH callss MIL for 2 hours at a time :-))

[Guest guest]

That's interesting Barbara - I've never bothered to use the 162 thing as I

reckoned we were getting such a good deal anyway but perhaps I should give

it a whirl!

Cerys

-----Original Message-----

From: Barbara Wyant

Whatever I pay, I get the same amount of free voice

calls by dialling 162 before the number. I pay £10 p month but the

deal will change in June. I have never managed to clock up more than

£4 on voice calls - even when DH callss MIL for 2 hours at a time :-))

[Guest guest]

That's interesting Barbara - I've never bothered to use the 162 thing as I

reckoned we were getting such a good deal anyway but perhaps I should give

it a whirl!

Cerys

-----Original Message-----

From: Barbara Wyant

Whatever I pay, I get the same amount of free voice

calls by dialling 162 before the number. I pay £10 p month but the

deal will change in June. I have never managed to clock up more than

£4 on voice calls - even when DH callss MIL for 2 hours at a time :-))

[Guest guest]

Still, we have signed up for BT ADSL now, which is a pretty high sum

per month but means you are connected all the time, so at least I wont

need to agonise over using the net anymore. Will keep you posted as to

whether the next quarter bill has gone up or down as a result...

>

> Karina

> Mum to Emilia (Oct 98) and Sebastian (Aug 00)

ADSL should only cost you about £40 a month unless you are on a

business connection. But it's fast (business connections go up to 2

mb or more I think) and permanent. Also with business deals you can

usually have multiple users; we have every pc in the house connected

to the same line and each with their own ip address so my pc doesn't

have to be switched on for others to use the net.

Ruthie

[Guest guest]

Freeserve anytime £15 per month, unlimited access day and night - my

phone bill was worse than yours if its any consolation. )

Lesley,

Antenatal teacher, trainee breasteeding counsellor.

Demented mother of 3. Worthing.

" We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse " .

Internet services provider and phone bill (rant)

> Dear All

>

> I have just had my phone bill through this morning and I nearly had

a

> heart attack! £305.54p and not a teenager in sight! I have gone

> through the bill scrupulously and yes there are calls to DH's

mobile,

> but only £16 worth and calls the internet but only £17 worth, so

where

> is the rest from? Ok, I have £58 to rent my BT surftime and

freeserve

> hometime, which gives me free evening and weekend internet access,

and

[Guest guest]

dare I say it ;o) but AOL is a pretty good deal day and night .. You can

always sign up to a different mail provider to get your mail in where ever

you like (we sign up on aol but use lineone for mail)

Lonnie Mama to Phoebe and Eloisa

The answer probably lies some place

between chocolate and conversation.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all your advice so far!.

Can you use NTL if you are with BT?

And I have tried to get onto this Freeserve anytime, but the web page

says that it is unavailable.

What does dialling 162 do?

And what is this BT expensive alternative?

Sorry confused by the influx of fantastic advice! keep it coming

though, I might eventually get my phone bill down to below £200, which

would be a small miracle

Kirsten

now broke Mum to 1yr 9 mnths

Re: Internet services provider and phone bill

(rant)

Jo writes:

I use NTL ........£15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the

internet and also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think

is a pretty good deal, considering freeserve.

What is the problem with Freeserve Jo?

Um don't know why I stopped in mid sentence there!?! - anyway the

reason I didn't like Freeserve was I could never get on in busy

periods, it was ok in the day, but evenings and weekends, it was

nightmare trying to get on forever engaged.

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

Jo writes:

I use NTL ........£15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the

internet and also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think

is a pretty good deal, considering freeserve.

What is the problem with Freeserve Jo?

Um don't know why I stopped in mid sentence there!?! - anyway the reason I

didn't like Freeserve was I could never get on in busy periods, it was ok in the

day, but evenings and weekends, it was nightmare trying to get on forever

engaged.

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

They're supposed to have improved it recently and we've never been

unable to get on. Our pooter does a clever thing where it just keeps

redialling automatically so I wander about and make myself a cup of

tea if its an evening session and then come back and its connected.

Having said that I just reconnected on first dial this evening.

I am an NTL phone/tv customer but because its on the old Cable and

Wireless network they can't do the internet access yet. I got sick of

waiting so reconnected the old BT line as a second line which is great

cos I can use the pooter and not get moaned at for blocking the

phone!!

Try www.freeserve.com/time/anytime it just worked fine for me.

Lesley,

Antenatal teacher, trainee breasteeding counsellor.

Demented mother of 3. Worthing.

" We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse " .

Re: Internet services provider and phone bill

(rant)

Jo writes:

I use NTL ........£15.00 a month for unlimited any time access to the

internet and also includes £15 worth of calls a month, which I think

is a pretty good deal, considering freeserve.

What is the problem with Freeserve Jo?

[Guest guest]

Jo writes:

- anyway the reason I didn't like Freeserve was I could never get on

in busy periods, it was ok in the day, but evenings and weekends, it

was nightmare trying to get on forever engaged.

Ah yes - I have heard someone else make the same comment, I think it

depends on area. Also I have found that their 'help' is very sparse,

luckily apart from a long wait to get on to the service, I haven`t had

any bother.

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Here hopefully are some answers:

Thanks for all your advice so far!.

Can you use NTL if you are with BT? - yep, you just get a little box you plug

into your phone line, you still pay line rental to BT but cos your not making

any calls you go on there low user rate which I think mine was baout £16 for the

quarter.

And I have tried to get onto this Freeserve anytime, but the web page

says that it is unavailable. - Couldn't get on with freeserve at all forever not

working, and had trouble when it was working actually getting on line as it was

constantly engaged.

What does dialling 162 do? - It's a code that you dial infront of the telephone

number so that the call is routed through Freeserve therefore getting a cheaper

rate - but you do have to have signed up to Freeserve to use it.

And what is this BT expensive alternative? - It's called ADSL (asymetrical

digital subscriber line) or broadband by some other companies it's basically a

digital line that is always " open " therefore you only pay a set fee per month

and don't pay for " calls " as the lines always open, also the service is very

fast for internet usage. - last time I looked it was about 40 squid a month, O

and also you can only have this service if you don't live more than about 3km

from the exchange and I think the exchange has to be one of the modern ones as

well! but hopefully as they work on the technology this distance should get

greater.

Sorry confused by the influx of fantastic advice! keep it coming

though, I might eventually get my phone bill down to below £200, which

would be a small miracle

Hey that should be possible?? - I assume your talking £200 a quarter not a

month!?!? - Anyway sounds like ADSL could solve your problem if your close

enough to an exchange if not probably one of the deals for around £15 a month

any time internet usage that includes calls.

HTH

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

Here hopefully are some answers:

Thanks for all your advice so far!.

Can you use NTL if you are with BT? - yep, you just get a little box you plug

into your phone line, you still pay line rental to BT but cos your not making

any calls you go on there low user rate which I think mine was baout £16 for the

quarter.

And I have tried to get onto this Freeserve anytime, but the web page

says that it is unavailable. - Couldn't get on with freeserve at all forever not

working, and had trouble when it was working actually getting on line as it was

constantly engaged.

What does dialling 162 do? - It's a code that you dial infront of the telephone

number so that the call is routed through Freeserve therefore getting a cheaper

rate - but you do have to have signed up to Freeserve to use it.

And what is this BT expensive alternative? - It's called ADSL (asymetrical

digital subscriber line) or broadband by some other companies it's basically a

digital line that is always " open " therefore you only pay a set fee per month

and don't pay for " calls " as the lines always open, also the service is very

fast for internet usage. - last time I looked it was about 40 squid a month, O

and also you can only have this service if you don't live more than about 3km

from the exchange and I think the exchange has to be one of the modern ones as

well! but hopefully as they work on the technology this distance should get

greater.

Sorry confused by the influx of fantastic advice! keep it coming

though, I might eventually get my phone bill down to below £200, which

would be a small miracle

Hey that should be possible?? - I assume your talking £200 a quarter not a

month!?!? - Anyway sounds like ADSL could solve your problem if your close

enough to an exchange if not probably one of the deals for around £15 a month

any time internet usage that includes calls.

HTH

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

just a thought, but if your already a NTL customer, but are still on the

" old cables " why don't you give them a call and ask for the little box you put

in front of your phone line (ie. the same as if you were a BT customer) and then

you would get the freephone NTL internet number, surely they could work this

into your package somehow?

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

just a thought, but if your already a NTL customer, but are still on the

" old cables " why don't you give them a call and ask for the little box you put

in front of your phone line (ie. the same as if you were a BT customer) and then

you would get the freephone NTL internet number, surely they could work this

into your package somehow?

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

just a thought, but if your already a NTL customer, but are still on the

" old cables " why don't you give them a call and ask for the little box you put

in front of your phone line (ie. the same as if you were a BT customer) and then

you would get the freephone NTL internet number, surely they could work this

into your package somehow?

Jo

SAHM to Ethan

HB 29.06.00

[Guest guest]

> What does dialling 162 do?

once you have Freeserve - the 162 followed by a voice number routes

the call through Freeserve so that it is added to your Freeserve bill,

rather than BT. However a lot of numbers - e.g. 0870 numbers (like the

NCT enquiry/bf lines) , and the Who Wants To be a Millionaire line -

can`t be routed thru freeserve, or at least my phone says they can`t!

http://www.freeserve.com/time/anytime/

To get deals with Freeserve, you need to have a BT phone line.

HTH

Barbara