OneTel ceases (phone) service

I've just received (several) letters from OneTel informing me that as from
1st October 2006 that I will no longer be able to make calls from my line
using 1877/1878/1696 prefixes or a PhonePal (no mention of the 0808 overides
is made) and reference is only made to my some of my landline numbers (none
of my mobiles). No mention is made of the calling card, dialup/broadband or
OneTel Mobile services either.

It goes on to say that I can make calls using over providers, e.g. TalkTalk
18418 and if not registered with TalkTalk then I should contact my other
call provider to make alternative arrangments.

It seems a bit strange that TalkTalk would buy OneTel and then cease the
service - they didn't seem to have used the opportunity to sell me the
TalkTalk service (other than mentions on the web site), I don't recall the
paper bills really saying anything.

Anyway any good alternatives out there? Must be able to be used from a BT
line (with prefix), a cable line (via 080x) and mobiles (via 080x/01/02),
have paper bills, and paid for by direct debit (and of course
similar/cheaper rates). Call quality, reliable first time connection are
more important than getting the very cheapest service.

And does anyone know whether they are ceasing all their services?

--
Nadeem

For people like me who have all numbers routed via OneTel (but without a
PhonePal) I suspect nothing will change. They probably just want to abandon
the occasional user who dials with OneTel prefix numbers,

"Nadeem" <bambi@null.five-ten-sg.com> wrote in message
news:C1xQg.29967$cx.27593@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
> I've just received (several) letters from OneTel informing me that as from
> 1st October 2006 that I will no longer be able to make calls from my line
> using 1877/1878/1696 prefixes or a PhonePal (no mention of the 0808
> overides is made) and reference is only made to my some of my landline
> numbers (none of my mobiles). No mention is made of the calling card,
> dialup/broadband or OneTel Mobile services either.
>
> It goes on to say that I can make calls using over providers, e.g.
> TalkTalk 18418 and if not registered with TalkTalk then I should
> contact my other call provider to make alternative arrangments.
>
> It seems a bit strange that TalkTalk would buy OneTel and then cease the
> service - they didn't seem to have used the opportunity to sell me the
> TalkTalk service (other than mentions on the web site), I don't recall the
> paper bills really saying anything.
>
> Anyway any good alternatives out there? Must be able to be used from a BT
> line (with prefix), a cable line (via 080x) and mobiles (via 080x/01/02),
> have paper bills, and paid for by direct debit (and of course
> similar/cheaper rates). Call quality, reliable first time connection are
> more important than getting the very cheapest service.
>
> And does anyone know whether they are ceasing all their services?
>
> --
> Nadeem
>

"Frogman" <uk_frogman@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:mn.ad0e7d696849a3be.60348@bigfoot.com...
> Nadeem explained on 21/09/2006 :
>> And does anyone know whether they are ceasing all their services?
>
> Well I have Broadband through OneTel and have heard nothing at all.

Not surprised, they're a shite outfit. A call to customer services confirms
the level of competance regarding their products that is provided regularly.

They may be cheap, but you get what you pay for.

David R wrote:
> "Frogman" <uk_frogman@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
> news:mn.ad0e7d696849a3be.60348@bigfoot.com...
> > Nadeem explained on 21/09/2006 :
> >> And does anyone know whether they are ceasing all their services?
> >
> > Well I have Broadband through OneTel and have heard nothing at all.
>
> Not surprised, they're a shite outfit. A call to customer services confirms
> the level of competance regarding their products that is provided regularly.
>
> They may be cheap, but you get what you pay for.

OneTel as an organisation with staff ceased to exist many, many moons
ago. My friend used to work for them. She says they were crap even
then. Everyone got fired late 2004 or early 2005 except for a few who
were forcibly carted up North to train subcontracted call-centre
replacements. So for a long time OT has simply been a few servers, some
bundles of wiring and some sub-subcontracted staff trained by p-ed-off
OT people with one eye on their P45s looming over the horizon.

The tragedy of it all is that new owners Carphone Warehouse are just as
bad, just much bigger. They have no time for customer service, their
focus is on supplying superficial information to trigger impulse
purchasing. Anything not directly linked to (pref. mobile phone) sales
is low-priority. HTF they got a royal warrant I just don't know!
They're not even efficient - if they were, they would have made sure
that OneTel customers are kept up to date in order to pull them into
CPW.

O.