As a newbie I’m confused regarding “free” internet calls with my new connection. Are they free?

[Giovan]

I'm on Sky Broadband Ultrafast 1. Which includes Sky pay as you talk. Which seems to imply there are call charges.

However as a newbie I’m confused regarding “free” internet calls with my new connection. Are they free?

Reading through some previous thread, calls made via this "voip" seem to be chargable...Really?

Would  someone clarify this for me please? 

And if it's still causing confusion why hasn't Sky changed the wording to read that calls are chargable and give the call rates, so we all know where we stand.

Cheers...🥂

[Highlinder]

@GiovanThere are charges if you make calls on Pay-as-you-talk, other than to 0800 or other similar numbers. Calling Sky is free.

[Giovan]

Thanks @Highlinder 

So unless I call "free" 0800 numbers the calls are not free... What a great promotion...not..

How to mislead customers..Advice to Sky,  don't state calls are free, it's misleading..

Cheers 🥂

[Mr+Slant]

Want to link the "free calls" promotion you refer to?

I suspect you have simply misunderstood what you've read.

[Giovan]

You're probably right..

This is one of the links.. https://www.sky.com/help/articles/about-internet-calls

I need to fish out others..and my bill makes some reference also, but must admit it's not worth it to me anyway as nearly all calls are on mobile these days anyway..Something for the future, maybe, or not. I think for most the landline id dead anyway : )

But thanks for your reply.

🥂

[Highlinder]

@Giovan  Here is something from that very link that you put up " Talk packages cost the same whether you have Internet Calls or not. " With Pay-as-you-talk, there is no calls package, so you pay as you talk it is in the name.

[TomThumb5ive · Accepted solution]

The choice of terminology used by sky could have something to do with the confusion, 

Sky quote:

"Our home phone network is getting an upgrade, using the internet to make calls instead of a traditional phone line. So, making and receiving calls on your home phone will use the same internet connection as your broadband and you’ll get the same call experience with high quality sound. This new technology is called VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. But that’s a bit of a mouthful, so we’re just calling it Internet Calls.

here is another snippet from the referenced link.

"There’s no extra charge for Internet Calls, our Broadband & Talk packages cost the same whether you have Internet Calls or not."

@Giovan  i hope the forum has cleared up any confusion set out by sky's marketing blurb.

while the medium / hardware / facility to make internet calls is indeed supplied free by sky,

the cost / charge for making internet calls is not free.

Tom...

[TimmyBGood]

@Giovan 

Incidentally, telcos claim they still charge for VOIP calls to cover the cost of those which land on PSTN extensions.  Obviously this will be completely bogus after PSTN switch-off, but they are unsurprisingly reluctant to give up an income stream which they have relied on for over a century.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Giovan wrote:

I need to fish out others..and my bill makes some reference also, 

🥂

---

To add to the confusion, you'll find your bill contains the word 'FREE' very prominently, but you're supposed to understand that to mean the service is free but actual calls are charged.

[Giovan]

Yep, thanks, got it straight now..No extra cost for internet calls, you just have to pay for internet calls..

😂😂😂 🤣🤣🤣..

Just imagine Mc Donalds advertising that, no extra cost for chips when you buy a big mac and chips..

But, just to let you know after your purchase your big mac and chips as advertised, of course you have to pay for the chips...yep clear as mud...

I wonder whether that would cause confusion?

[TimmyBGood]

@Giovan 

I've raised this with Sky elsewhere, because I'm concerned that it's potentially extremely misleading as millions of their broadband subscribers get transitioned over to SOGEA broadband with VOIP provision in the next few years.