First of all just a little about ourselves:  As registered Independent Telecommunication Consultants, we continually monitor the industry to bring new ways to improve the range of quality services that we can offer our customers at the lowest prices possible.  Our aim is to get you the customer the best deal we can, not only with regard to price, but also the quality of calls with a Customer Service second to none. You do not pay for our services. At present, for domestic and business clients, we are delighted to be able to recommend Primus Telecom and its very high quality of service. We can also offer you other services depending on your specific needs.  My colleague Irina or I will be only too pleased to help you with any queries you might have regarding landlines, mobiles, or Internet access.  We have a wealth of experience in these different areas, as we have been advising the expatriate community for over 10 years.  We have over 10,000 expatriate customers here in France.  Apart from saving you money, our other principal consideration in recommending a company is the quality of service that they are able to provide.  Unfortunately, we find this is sadly lacking in many companies today.
 
Primus is an exception with a very high level of customer service and satisfaction Primus is the 6th largest carrier company in the world providing the major Telecom companies, such as France Telecom, British Telecom etc., with quality links worldwide and is a member of the prestigious 'Fortune 1000.’  It has over 3 million residential and business customers. Primus itself does not advertise, but solely relies on recommendations from their existing customers.  Here in France the quality and speed are identical to France Telecom, but with massive savings.  The French Telecoms market is at present complicated and very confusing, especially with the introduction of ADSL Broadband and calls ‘via the Internet.’   These calls, known as VoIP, (Voice Over Internet Protocol) are not at all the same quality as a normal telephone.  The quality varies depending on a number of technical issues, least of all that your Internet service works 100% of the time, which is often not the case in rural areas. 

How quickly can I be connected to Primus?  Following receipt of your application, connection is normally within 24 hours. We will inform you by telephone and email as soon as you are connected.

Will I still have to pay France Telecom a two monthly abonnement (line rental)?    Yes.  At present the two monthly abonnement is 32.00€.  The only exception is if you live in a major city, then your Internet ISP may be able to offer you an alternative.  More and more this is being offered by other providers, but most of the time it is called ‘Dégroupé Partial’ which means that you are still using France Telecom’s equipment in your local exchange.  It just means your ISP has an arrangement with France Telecom.  (See my ‘How to Connect to Broadband ADSL’ page).

Is my France Telecom line altered in any way?    Not by Primus. Primus operates a system in conjunction with France Telecom called ‘présélection,’ that is to say your application includes what is known as a ‘mandat de présélection.’ Primus forwards this mandate to France Telecom, who in turn switch your outgoing line so that all your vocal and fax calls are routed automatically via Primus. This 'présélection' option then allows you to dial absolutely normally, as you do at present. Internet access and French 08*** numbers are not affected and are still routed via France Telecom. ADSL is not affected either.  Your incoming line is still connected to France Telecom in the normal way.

Will my Internet access or ADSL line be affected in any way?   No. Your Internet access will still be routed via France Telecom, as will any special numbers such as 08*** and Minitel numbers. Don't be confused by items marked as "autre operator" or "audiotel" on your France Telecom itemised account. These are NOT Primus connections but are attributable to a number of different specific 08 numbers here in France.  The only thing to be careful of, is if you change to ADSL after you have joined Primus that you are still on 'preselection.'  See way of checking below. 

Can I check whether I am on 'présélection' with Primus?  Yes very easily; dial 01 56 76 28 50 (without 1656) and if you are on présélection you will receive a ‘Welcome’ message in French and English.  If you get an engaged tone, or a lady solely in French, then you are still connected to your previous operator. 

Can I ring Premium Service numbers in the UK such as 0800, 0870, 0845 series etc?   Yes. However, the whole 08 UK system is now a 'minefield,' due to the explosion of these numbers in the UK with different price structures.   Added to this all 'other operators' are routed through France Telecom at your local exchange and then onto your 'other operator' that you have chosen, like Primus.  The database of numbers at France Telecom is not always kept up to date and consequently your number does not connect.  Carrier companies outside of the UK are charged very high prices, which have no relevance to UK prices, consequently some companies in France bar these types of numbers due to their cost.  However, Primus allows dialling of all these numbers.  On all systems all 08***UK numbers are charged at 27.5 cents with a connection fee of 10 cents. If you have to dial one of these UK numbers, please ask your recipient to give you a normal number to use.  There is a very useful internet site with alternatve geographical numbers to the 08 UK series numbers at www.saynoto0870.com  which is a database of 08*** numbers that gives the normal geographical equivalent.

Do I get a monthly itemised bill?   Yes. You will get a monthly itemised account, posted to your home. Any account using less than 20€ in any month will be held over to the next month, but you will automatically receive your bill after 3 months even if you have not exceeded 20€. You may have your account posted to a different address if you so wish, such as the UK.

Do I pay in advance for my calls?   Not On ‘Particulier’ you will receive your monthly account around the 14th of the month, following the month that you have made your calls in and your Bank account will be debited around the 20th of the month. 

On the ‘Unlimited’ offers, the direct debit authorisation will be sent to your bank on the 5th of the month and your bank will  debit your account 5 to 10 days later in the month that you are using.   If your direct debit fails for any reason, Primus may well levy a small charge the following month, to cover the bank charges to them of a rejected direct debit.  The bill will show any calls made outside the forfait (deal). 

Are there any joining or cancelling fees?   No. There are definitely no joining, monthly or cancelling fees levied by Primus or France Telecom.   What happens when I cancel my Primus account?  If you do need to do this France Telecom can take up to 10 days approximately to switch your line back to them or to another operator.  We will ask France Telecom the day you request cancellation, but we cannot be sure when it will be done.  If you are on an ‘Unlimited’ service, then you have paid till the end of the current month.  If you cancel before the 20th of the month, please use 1656 as a prefix till the end of the month.  After the 20th we cannot be sure France Telecom will switch you in time and therefore Primus insists that you are charged for the following month. 

How do I pay?   Payment is by French Bank Direct Debit (prélèvement) which must include a printed RIB from your bank.   Credit cards or cheques are only accepted in exceptional circumstances.    

Can I change from one contract to another?   Yes within reason.  For example; you may start on ‘Particulier’ and then decide to change to an ‘Unlimited’ offer, but the transfer will take place at the start of the next calendar month.  This is necessary for accounting purposes.  We will always try and carry out your wishes within reason.

I have a Numeris (ISDN) line - can I still use Primus?  Yes, on ‘Particulier’ system, but not on the Unlimited offer.  The reason being that the ‘Unlimited’ offer is specifically for one line, whereas Numeris has two lines that you can use at the same time.   If you are using Numeris, I need to know your "principal number or NDF" - this can be found by ringing 08 11 92 93 94 from the phone in question.

If I join Primus, is there any way that I can still use France Telecom?   Yes, just ring or write to your local France Telecom office that you would like their "8 FT" option. This allows you to use France Telecom by prefixing your call with the number 8 before a call. There is no charge made by France Telecom for this.

Can I retain my discounts with France Telecom and join Primus?   Yes you can, but normally this would not be a sensible thing to do. If you are a subscriber to Primus, it is highly unlikely that France Telecom can suggest any offers to you that would be an improvement.  The France Telecom computer might even redirect some of your calls back to them.  

What happens to my discounts that I already have with France Telecom if I join Primus?   I suggest that you check your France Telecom bill after joining Primus, to make sure that they have been cancelled.  A single line connected to France Telecom is charged a rental fee of 30.00€ per two months including TVA.  I will supply you with a letter to send to France Telecom in French, cancelling any options you might have. 

Can I still ask France Telecom for items such as "Liste Rouge" (ex directory)?  Yes, but be very careful, as any alteration whatsoever to your French Telecom account will mean that France Telecom might cancel your Primus connection. Any alteration to your France Telecom account means that France Telecom considers that you have altered your contract with them and as such will cancel your connection to another operator. However, in this case you can check whether you are still on présélection, by ringing 01 56 76 28 50 (see earlier question above).

February 2008