NewCall Telecoms aka Primus Saver

[analyst]

I have a phone line and calls from this Carrier Pre-Select (but thankfully no broadband).

It was first class for 4+ years under original Primus Telecoms but in Nov 2010 was taken over by NewCall Telecoms and has gone severely downhill.

 

(aside) This was the company that was touted by the Daily Heil in 2011 for bringing its call centre back from Mumbai to Burnley because they could employ people there more cheaply, on minimum pay rates, than the Indian staff.

 

As far as I am concerned no 'contract' exists as it was a continuation of a service I first subscribed to in 2006 with Primus.

However, within the past week I have been unable to make any outgoing calls. Dialling out brings the standard BT response " sorry, your call has not been accepted"

This is actually being increasingly widely reported across UK in other consumer forums.

Added to that, all their service and business lines are NEVER answered. (Dial-in is cut off after 1hour 30 mins waiting) Many have tried, no success yet reported.

Their 'on-line chat' permanently reports the office is closed.

Their web pages are still up, but you can't get a 'human' response to anything.

All emails are only given an auto-response.

(now I know what you are thinking, 'cos I'm thinking it too)

 

So now the legal bit:

I have instructed my credit card provider to suspend all further recurring transactions as it was being paid by CC continuous payment authority. My thought is that should NewCall reinstate and make good their service I will resort to payment upon billing (or e-billing)

 

Ought I to officially inform them, given that they now appear to be completely incommunicado, of my actions in suspending their auto payment method, to avoid future repercussions?

 

(prepare for more posters on this company)

[locutus]

You still pay BT for line rental right? Prefix 1280 on your calls should put the call on the BT bill (and therefor connected thrugh BT rather than NewCall)

 

Dunno if that info is any use, but I'd rather you have it and not need it than the other way around

[analyst]

No, the line rental is included in the NewCall package, and payable to them not BT. Obviously acting as BT resellers.

 

However, it raises an interesting question. Since using 1280 does route through to BT and allows calls to proceed, but I have no actual BT billing or account, where will the call billing go?

[locutus]

CPS or Carrier Pre-Select means your calls should go through your carrier, and your line rental through BT.

 

If you pay them your line rental you have WLR (Wholesale Line Rental).

 

This is an interesting question... and one I dunno the answer to

[analyst]

Doh!