Primus Home Phone Explained

Who knows about Wholesale Line Rental?
Wholesale Line Rental is one development that has opened up the UK home phone market to competition. It’s one way customers can reduce their line rental costs and enjoy cheaper phone bills from an alternative supplier to BT.

Wholesale Line Rental – what’s in it for the customer?
Only BT and cable phone suppliers actually own telephone lines. However, BT now has to offer other suppliers the opportunity to rent its lines. This is called Wholesale Line Rental. The major benefits are that the customer can get cheaper line rental charges and receive one bill from Primus for their line rental and calls. The customer can also also keep their number and no work is required on their phone line.

What are the disadvantages of Wholesale Line Rental?
With Wholesale Line Rental you can keep your existing phone number. Because there’s no need for any extra equipment, Primus won’t need to visit your home. The only real disadvantage is that Wholesale Line Rental is only available to customers with a BT line!

What are Primus offering new customers?
Primus provide new CPS customers with the option of taking their calls and line rental so all their phone charges are on one convenient bill. You may also choose additional features to be added to their line rental such as Call Divert or Three Way Calling. (Please see the below, ‘Network Features’). Primus will then be your single point of contact for their phone service for any queries about their bill, faults or amends to features on their line rental.

What are Primus offering existing customers?
The same as new customers.

FAQs

What is the minimum contract period?
Primus line rental plans have an 18 month contract length and are subject to a 30 day notice period.

Does it cost any extra for non-Primus line rental customers to call Primus line rental customers?
No, to call a customers line will cost the same as calling a home phone line from BT.

Can I keep the same phone number?
Yes. (However, there may be some instances where we're unable to guarantee this).

Will Primus be doing an equivalent package for business customers?
Yes, we provide line rental packages for our Business Customers.

Can I make my number ex-directory?
Yes. This can be arranged via the WLR Service Team.

Does my phone number remain in the phone book?
Yes, if you are currently listed then they will still be. Likewise if they are not listed, your number will remain unlisted.

Does the customer need to dial a code before dialling the number they want to ring?
No, this isn't necessary with Primus Home Phone.

Can I use multiple handsets?
Yes, although we recommend a maximum of 3.

I have an annual Primus Broadband contract and want to add Primus Home Phone. Can I have Home Phone as well as the Broadband service?
You would still need to pay for your annual Broadband Phone contract. However, Home Phone and Broadband are two separate products, so it would be possible to signup to Home Phone and use both services on the same account.

Do I need to set up a Direct Debit?
Yes. The Home Phone order will not be processed unless they have an active Direct Debit setup. This is the same for all Residential post-paid customers with CPS.

Who do I pay for phone calls once I have a Primus broadband, home phone and calls package?
All calls will be handled and charged by Primus where appropriate.
Remember, the Primus Home Phone Saver plan includes unlimited evening and weekend calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers and the Primus Home Phone Saver Max package includes all local and national calls to 01, 02 and 03 numbers.

Who will bill me and how?
You will be billed by Primus on the usual monthly Residential cycle (around the 22nd-24th of each month).

Are there additional call charges for the Home Phone call packages?
With the Primus Home Phone plans you get some inclusive calls to certain types of numbers. Calls to other numbers need to be paid for as do calls when you outside the inclusive limit. See the Rates section of this site for more details.

Do I get an itemised bill?
Yes, Primus provide you with an itemised bill online.
You can choose to receive a postal bill for an additional £1.76 per month.

Is there minimum and maximum call charge duration on chargeable calls?
All calls are subject to a minimum charge. See the Rates section of this site for more details. The minimum charge differs depending on the call type.

Will I still need to pay BT a line rental fee?
No. The price for your Primus line rental replaces your BT line rental. You won’t need to pay BT for anything if you take out the Home Phone line rental with Primus.

Who does I contact for queries about my calls and telephone line?
If you take out a phone line and calls package with Primus, we will deal with all your queries.

If there is a problem with my line, will there be a charge for having it fixed?
If the problem is out of the customer’s control Primus usually won't charge the customer. However, if the BT Openreach engineer finds that the fault is caused by the customer (e.g. damaged wiring or master socket), you will be liable for a call-out charge of £58.75 (inc. VAT).

Will I have to start a new contract for my broadband?
You can add on a phone and landline rental plan without changing your broadband service or contract. However, you will be entering into a new contract for both their calls (CPS package, e.g. Primus Saver) and line rental.

What features can I add / will Primus offer?
There is a selection of free, pay-per-use and pay monthly features available to order during signup including:

• 3 way calling (pay-per-use)
Talk to 2 people at the same time, even if one of them is abroad.

• Reminder call (pay monthly - unlimited use)
Customers can set their phone for an alarm call.

• Ring back (pay monthly - unlimited use)
Get a call back if the number their dialling is engaged.

• 1471 Last Caller Number (free)
Find the number of the last person to call you.

• 1471 Call Return (free)
Customers can ring the last person who called them.

• 141 Number Withhold (free)
The customer can keep their number secret from the person they’re calling.

• 1471 Erasure (free)
Clear the last number stored using 1471.

• Caller Display (pay monthly)
See who's calling before they answer the phone.

• Call Waiting (pay monthly)
Customers get an alert if somebody tries to call them when they’re already on a call.

• Call Divert (pay monthly)
Customers can divert calls to any UK landline, mobile, and most international destinations.

• Anonymous Call Rejection (pay monthly)
Customers can bar incoming calls from people who withhold their number.

• Voice Mail
Never miss a call with this answer phone style service.

• Voice Mail Extra (pay monthly)
Advanced Voicemail service with extra features such as remote access. Also known as Call Minder.

Find out more about these call features and how to set them up in the Home Phone Features Guide.

How do I add or remove call features?
You can add or remove Call Features by calling our Home Phone customer service team on 0800 036 3839. Please note: only one order can be in progress at any one time. Also, adding and removing features cannot be done at the same time.

Example:
Customer calls Primus customer services to add call waiting to his set up. The order is placed and processed. In the time it takes to process this order, Customer decides he wants to remove Caller Display. As Customer already has an order in progress to add Call Waiting, Customer must wait until that order has completed before he can remove Caller Display.

Please note: multiple call features can be added/removed at the same time, providing they are added/removed as part of the same order.

How long does it take to add or remove call features?

Adding
New features will be added to your service on the next working day. However, voicemail features will take 3 working days to add.

Removing
Unwanted features will be removed from your service after 1 working day. However, voicemail features will take 3 working days to remove.
Please note: If you request to remove any call features you cannot add or remove any further features until this is complete. This can be checked at any time with the Primus Customer Service Team.

Can I have both Voicemail and Voicemail Extra on their Home Phone service?
No. You cannot have both these features at the same time.

How long does it take to move to Primus Home Phone?
Moving your phone line across can take as little as 10 days.

What are the setup fees?
There are no charges to the customer for moving the phone line.

Will customers spend time without their phone when they switch?
No, moving your phone service to Primus is designed to be seamless, and can be done without an engineer having to come to your house.

Is it possible to change a Primus telephone line to another provider?
Yes, in much the same way as you would transfer to Primus.

What are the leaving fees?
If you choose to leave the Home Phone service, you must give 30 days written notice and are responsible for paying an amount equal to the fixed monthly Primus Home Phone package fee (for Carrier Pre Select and Line Rental) for each of the remaining months of the contract which would have been paid by you if the contract had been completed.

I am not a Cable customer but I have a phone line from another provider other than BT (e.g. Talk Talk). Can I move to the Primus service?
Yes, you can move in exactly the same way as you would from BT. However, if your provider is currently Kingston Communications you will be unable to move to Primus Home Phone.

Can I move my phone line back to BT and keep my broadband with Primus?
Yes.

Can I move my broadband to another provider and keep my line rental and calls with Primus?
Yes.

Can I call mobiles and international numbers?
Yes, you can call mobiles and international numbers.

Can I call 999 emergency services?
Yes.

Are there any numbers I cannot call (e.g. premium rate numbers)?
No, you can call any number.

Can I make Operator calls?
Yes. Operator services are provided by BT, so BT call charges apply. It is your responsibility to ask the Operator how much your call will cost, before you are connected. Please note: Primus charge the same Operator service rates as BT Retail to all Operator calls.

Can I switch if I have just moved house?
You need to activate your account with BT before you can switch to Primus line rental. If there is an existing standard (BT) line in your new home, then you need to call BT to get it re-activated, which is free. If there is any damage to the line, there may be a charge for this.
If there isn’t a standard (BT) line, then you need to pay for one to be installed. This will cost £69. Primus can arrange for this to be installed through our line supplier.

Can I switch if my phone bars outgoing calls?
You will need to remove the outbound call barring on your phone, before you can switch. If you requested the bar, you need to disable it by calling your supplier.
If calls are barred because you owe your current supplier money, you will not be allowed to switch until you have paid your bill and unbarred your phone.

Can I switch if I am on a light user scheme?
No. If you are on a light user scheme (offered by BT), you will need to move to BT Option 1 before you can switch. Please contact BT to arrange this.

Customer Faults

“I can't receive calls”

Ringer switched off or low
Make sure that you have the telephone bell or sounder switched on and turned up. Also make sure that you have the telephone plugged in correctly.

Phone placed on soft surface
Many telephones have the bell or sounder positioned on the telephone base. Make sure this is not placed on a soft surface which could affect the ring tone.

REN value too high
Every telephone has a Ringing Equivalent Number (REN) – most have a REN rating of 1. (You can check this by looking on the base of your phone).

You can have a maximum number of 4 (adding the REN values of all your connected equipment together). Fax machines, answer machines and modems may have high REN values, so you should check what equipment you have connected.

Overloading a telephone line may result in your telephone failing to ring when incoming calls are made. Try reducing your overall REN value by removing one or more connected items on your line.

If you are still having problems, there may be a fault with the supplier network so we recommend that you call Primus Customer Services.

“I’ve got problems making calls”

Check the area code
Check that you are using the right area code for the location of the call you want to make.

Use an override code
Use the override code 1280 before the number you want to dial.

Check your phone and cables
Try unplugging all your equipment on the line (e.g. their telephone, PC's, modems, Freeview or satellite boxes and any cables). Now plug your phone directly into your main telephone socket with nothing else attached. Do you get a dial tone? This way you can check whether the fault is with your cables or phone.

Also, if you have more than one phone in your premises make sure that you have all the handsets on the hook.

Service problems with the number you are ringing
There could be problems with the number, or you may just be trying to dial the wrong number. Try dialling another number that you know works to see if you can make a successful call.

Phone switched to an unsuitable setting
Check your phone's manual to see if it is multi-frequency (MF or touchtone) dialling. Some Home Phone calling features will only work if you have an MF or touchtone telephone.

If you are still having problems, there may be a fault with the supplier network and we recommend you contact the Primus Customer Service Team to log a fault.

We will usually ask you some questions such as the following:

• Are you having problems when receiving incoming calls?

• Are you having problems when making calls to a mobile telephone?

• Are you hearing a dial tone before dialling an outgoing call?

• Are you able to receive a dial tone after dialling (engaged, ringing tone or number unobtainable)?

• Does the problem happen all the time or just sometimes?

• Are calls cutting off?

• Are the calls faint?

• Is there background interference (high buzzing or crackling)?

• Can you overhear other people's calls?

• Are you getting one way transmission (i.e. can you hear the other person but they can't hear you and vice versa)?

• Are you getting crossed lines? (Similar to overhearing other calls although you will be able to talk to all parties if the lines are crossed).

Use an override code
Use the override code 1280 before the number you want to dial. This will route calls back to BT temporarily while the problem is fixed.

Noisy/Poor call quality

Test a different phone
Remove any extension cables and try plugging a different phone (not a cordless phone) directly into your main telephone socket.

Phone needs recharging
If you have a cordless phone check that the batteries are fully charged.

Microfilters are not being used (for customers with Broadband)
Make sure that every piece of equipment connected to your line has a microfilter attached. If you don't use microfilters this will create interference - which will affect the quality of your Home Phone calls.

Also, one or more of your microfilters may be faulty. You can test these by replacing them with new microfilters which are available by contacting the Customer Service Team.

Service problem on other number
If you are getting noisy/poor call quality when only ringing the same number it is likely that the other number has a service problem.

If you are still having problems, there may be a fault with the supplier network and we recommend you contact the Primus Customer Service Team to log a fault.

We will usually ask you some questions such as the following:

• Have you tried using another phone?

• If you have a cordless phone, have you charged or changed the batteries?

• Have you checked the microfilter set up and/or tried a different microfilter?

• Does the line noise occur on all calls that you make or is it intermittent?

• Does the line still appear noisy or crackle when you plug directly into the master socket?

How can I log a fault with Primus?
Simply call 0800 036 3839.

Change of Address

I want to move my Home Phone to a new address. What do I need to do now?
You need to notify the Primus Customer Service Team on 0800 036 3839.

Important: Please do not to contact another provider to activate the phone line at your new address. This will cause problems when Primus come to move your existing service to your new address.

I am moving to a new address which doesn't have a telephone line. What should I do?
Our service supplier (BT Openreach) will need to install a new line. Primus will arrange this for you and you will be charged a standard fee of £69 to do this.

My new address has a telephone line but this has been disconnected. How do I get it connected again?
This rarely happens. However if yournew property does have a disconnected telephone line, it will need to be reconnected by our service supplier (BT Openreach). Primus will arrange this for you and you will be charged a standard fee of £69 to do this.

An engineer will be visiting my new address to reconnect a telephone line soon. Can I get them to move/add new telephone sockets at the same time?
Yes. However, you will be charged for any other work that you ask the engineer to do (over and above the standard installation work). You should ask the engineer when they visit your new address what these costs will be.

I have two telephone lines at my new address, which one will I get my Home Phone service on?
You should simply check which line is active. You can find out by plugging a phone directly into each of your white telephone sockets, then seeing if you get a tone. Whichever line is active will be the one which your broadband and Home Phone services will be provided on.

How much will I be charged for removing a hard-wired telephone line and installing a new one?
If this is to install a new connection the cost will be included in the standard installation charge (£105). If you are not having a new connection installed the engineer will arrange for this work to be carried out. Once an appointment has been booked Primus will let you know. In this case we will be unable to say what the full charge will be until our service supplier (BT Openreach) completes the order.

How do I update my telephone directory listing?
During the house move process you may choose either a directory or ex-directory listing. Once your line rental order has completed your listing will be updated.

How long will it take to get a telephone line installed?
If the new address you are moving to is moving to has an existing telephone line, our service supplier can usually reconnect this in a minimum of 5 working days (or on a working day of your choice after this). Your broadband will be moved once your Home Phone has been moved to your new address.

Can I keep Carrier Pre-Select on my new telephone line?
No. CPS (a feature which allows you to choose which carrier you make outgoing calls through) will be removed during the move. CPS will need to be reselected if the phone number is retained.

Does I need to be at my new address on the date of my Home Phone move?
You don’t if the address you are moving to already has a telephone line. However, you do need to be in if:

You are moving to an address where the old telephone phone was hard wired and you need new telephone sockets installing.

You are moving to an address with no existing telephone wiring.
In both cases Primus will let you know if you need to arrange for an engineer to visit your new address.

Can I keep my current telephone number?
Yes, but only if the address you are moving to is serviced by the same telephone exchange. Where your number has to change due to a house move a charge of £35.85 will apply. In most circumstances moving your Home Phone service will mean this has to be relocated to a new telephone exchange. Your existing telephone number cannot be kept where a change of telephone exchange is needed.

Billing and Payment

Does I get an itemised bill?
Yes, we provide you with an itemised call bill online. This includes information about the type of call made, call duration and cost. If you choose to receive a paper bill then this will be charged at £1.76 per month.

Will I still need to pay BT a line rental fee?
No. The price for your Home Phone package replaces your BT line rental. You won’t need to pay BT for anything if you take out a Primus Home Phone package.

Do I pay by Direct Debit or credit card?
The Home Phone service is only available to customers paying by Direct Debit. However, during signup you are also given the option of providing card payment details (e.g. your debit or credit card details).

Who will I be billed by and how?
You will be billed by Primus on the usual monthly Residential cycle (around the 22nd-24th of each month).

The first itemised bill will show calls made during the period between your Home Phone activation (CPS & Line Rental) and first billing date. If the amount is below £1.00 then this is charged on your next billing date. If the amount is over £1.00 then this is charged for and invoiced straight away. On the next billing date you will be charged for your subscription and calls as normal.

What happens if I fail to pay or payment could not be taken?
You must ensure your payment details are up-to-date and correct. If your Direct Debit has been cancelled, or Credit/Debit card has expired you must make sure that this is setup again.

If we can't take payment Primus will issue a letter to you to let you know. The letter will explain what you need to do next and how you can pay the outstanding amount.

Is there a minimum and maximum call charge duration on chargeable calls?
Please refer to the individual call plan in the Rates section of this site.

Are calls rounded up?
Calls are rounded up to the nearest 1p exc VAT.

Am I charged different peak and off peak rates?
Yes. However, most call types have different rates depending on the time of day. Whenever you make a call using Primus Home Phone your call falls into one or more of the following call bands:

Daytime: Mon - Fri - 08:00:00am to 17:59:59pm

Evenings: Mon - Fri - 18:00:00pm to 07:59:59am

Weekends: 18:00:00pm Fri to 07:59:59am Mon

Please note: Calls may begin in one charging band and run into another charging band. If this happens, each portion of the call is charged at the applicable rate.

EXAMPLE: Customer calls his friend at 17:55:00pm and then ends the call at 18:05:10pm (a 10 minute 10 second call). Customer is charged:

5 minute - charged at Daytime rate.

5 minutes 12 seconds - charged at Evening rate.

I have a query/dispute about a premium rate number service. What should I do?
Firstly you should check what other pieces of equipment are connected to your telephone line (apart from their telephone handset). One or more of these may be dialling out to premium rate numbers without you knowing.

Sky/Digital TV boxes – You should check with your TV service provider what numbers these dial. Then check their Home Phone itemised bills.

Fax dial-up modem (not their broadband router) – You should disconnect this from your telephone line and run a virus check on your PC. A virus may be dialling out to premium rate numbers when you switch your PC on.

Security and fire alarm systems - Many of these connect to a telephone line. (This is because if a break in or fire happens an alert can be raised, as well as to ensure that the alarm is still connected to the alarm company). You should contact the alarm company and ask under what circumstances the alarm system automatically dials them.

You can find out more about who provides any premium rate number at the ICSTIS (the premium rate services regulator) website. This won't always show the company, but will let you find out the operator (e.g. BT operate '09' numbers for other companies such as ADT Fire & Security alarms).

How are Typetalk calls charged?
These calls are not supported by Primus Home Phone. Typetalk calls will not count towards any inclusive minutes, also, unlike some other providers we cannot offer a discounted price on any Typetalk call charges. Typetalk calls are classed a operator-assisted calls, so our standard operator charges apply.