topic Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband in Talk

Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Thet — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:42:19 GMT

My Bill tels me

Sky WiFi

FREE

Sky Talk Internet Calls

FREE

Sky Pay As You Talk

FREE

But if I make any calls I am charged for them. To me this seems like advertising a free parking space and then charging some one who parks on it. I was under the impression that when I took out Ultrafast FTTP that calls made through VOIP would be free as my Bill seems to state, Free internet calls and Free Pay As You Talk but I have been charged. If I hadn't looked at my Bill I could have gone on being charged without realising it. In future My VOIP phone will be used just on incoming calls. My outgoing calls will be made on my Unlimited calls Sky mobile.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

lettice — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 08:03:04 GMT

The Sky Pay as You Talk service itself is free.
But that Sky Pay as You Talk package is as the name suggests is Pay for calls as you talk.
Some calls like 0800 are free, but most other calls are not.
The call tariff for this and the other Talk packages are here;

Sky Talk - Tariff guide

If you want free landline calls, you will have to upgrade your Sky Talk package.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Mark39 — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 09:37:03 GMT

@Thet wrote:

I was under the impression that when I took out Ultrafast FTTP that calls made through VOIP would be free...

I'm afraid that's not the case. Calls made via Sky VOIP are charged in exactly the same way as calls made via a standard Sky phone line. The Pay as you Talk package is free, in that there's no monthly subscription charge, but all calls are chargeable. I agree it's not clearly explained in the billing.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Thet — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 09:43:33 GMT

Hi Mark39

Yes you are right it isnt explained clearly. In my book FREE means FREE and in my limited knowledge using Sky Broadband under VOIP is the same as using my mobile connected to Sky Wi Fi to make calls which in the mobile case does not incur a charge for use of the internet through Sky Ultrafast broadband. This I believe should be explained more clearly by Sky.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

TimmyBGood — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 10:32:45 GMT

@Thet wrote:

This I believe should be explained more clearly by Sky.

That's probably something Ofcom would be interested in. Using the word 'Free' in that context could well be misleading.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Thet — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 10:37:34 GMT

Hi Timmybegood,

They probably would but what concerns me is all the friends I have recommended Ultrafast and VOIP to as being Free..

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Mark-Br — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 11:18:44 GMT

@Thet wrote:

My Bill tels me

Sky Talk Internet Calls

FREE

Sky Pay As You Talk

FREE

Hi @Thet

Thanks for using the Sky Community.

Just to throw in my tuppence worth.

Sky Talk Internet Calls - this is effectively confirming that there are no additional line rental costs, these days they are built into the broadband costs. This also confirms the underlying tech that your landline is using.

Sky Pay As You Talk - is your call package, this has no cost with your package.

Feel free to use these contact options to raise these concerns directly with Sky. 🙂

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

sidav — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 20:02:22 GMT

I was told specifically by an advisor that when I upgraded to Ultra fast my call would be free as they were now void.

I am extremely unhappy to find that now I get charged for ordinary calls within the UK. And, they're not cheap!

Personally, I think it's a P take.

It's not as if my £100 + a month to Sky is a pittance.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Mark39 — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 22:20:21 GMT

@sidav wrote:

I was told specifically by an advisor that when I upgraded to Ultra fast my call would be free as they were now void.

Suggest you ask for the call recording to be listened to and ask Sky to release you from your contract on the basis of what you were told.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

sidav — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 07:13:05 GMT

Wonderful answer. More messing about and go back to a standard phone line?

You don't get the point here.

Sky are sadly lacking in customer service skills.

It's voip, therefore standard calls should be free. Obviously, premium or international should be charged for.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

GD1 — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 07:35:38 GMT

@sidav Not sure why you think Voip calls should be free, no other VoiP provider gives you free calls unless you have the appropriate calls package.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Mark39 — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 08:15:10 GMT

@sidav wrote:

It's voip, therefore standard calls should be free. Obviously, premium or international should be charged for.

Sky don't offer free VOIP calls, so that won't happen. Nor is there any reason why they should. I don't know any other provider that does so either.

So I think you have two options: pay for a calls package with Sky, or see if Sky will release you from your contract as I posted previously and pay for a calls package with another provider.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

TimmyBGood — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 12:26:46 GMT

@sidav wrote:

It's voip, therefore standard calls should be free.

Why? Calls that are made from a VOIP service to a non-VOIP endpoint still have a cost per minute to the carrier at the point where the traffic breaks out to PSTN. There may be an argument that VOIP to VOIP calls should be 'free', but that's still only a very small proportion of usage.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Sarky+T — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 10:53:16 GMT

I use my mobile over sky voip and it is free.. So why should the landline be any different. It is doing exactly the same thing!.. And yes, they need to be a lot clearer with their use of the word 'free'.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Mark39 — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:04:37 GMT

@Sarky+T wrote:

I use my mobile over sky voip and it is free..

How do you do that?

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

GD1 — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:10:19 GMT

@Sarky+T You mean over wifi? Not the same thing.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Sarky+T — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:52:23 GMT

True but the call goes over the internet.. The method of connection is neither here nor there.. It's still using the internet protocol.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Sarky+T — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:54:49 GMT

It's a setting on your phone.. When you lack signal the phone uses your wifi connection.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

GD1 — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:56:48 GMT

@Sarky+T But your a not Using VOIP on your mobile it is wifi calling, there are 2 seperate things regardless of what you assume them to be.

Re: Call Charges Under VOIP Ultrafast Broadband

Mark39 — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:17:37 GMT

@Sarky+T wrote:

True but the call goes over the internet.. The method of connection is neither here nor there.. It's still using the internet protocol.

Calls over Sky VOIP break out to the landline network. They're only carried over broadband up to a point.