BT vs Talk Talk for pensioner

xxdeebeexx

cobster wrote: »

Hi

Many thanks in advance for helping me and my 82 year old Aunt who calls TalkTalk ChatChat!!

Cobster

I was going to move my elderly parents onto Talktalk but I have had really shoddy service from them. When it works it's brilliant, but often we can go for hours/days without a phone connection. I felt that my elderly parents needed a reliable phone service in case of an emergency...... BT, although costly, is ,in my opinion, the most reliable service available.

Dx

cobster

Hi - thanks everyone. My uncle died last month and trying to be efficient I wanted to change the bill into her name but BT said that I would need to change the plan from the LUS and sign in for 18 months which I was not happy to do without surveying the marketplace. Plus they said that it was a line rental of £11.25 (with me printing her bills out) and then the weekend/evening package on top. She won't qualify for the Basic package as she is not on the eligible benefits. She is swayed by what her friends have and we've come a-cropper on that before - stairlifts and mobile phones to name two recent ones.

Her bills are not incredibly high but she does like the freedom to call during the day and these are sometimes to mobile numbers (but she won't use the mobile - it only gets turned on and charged up when she knows I am coming over!).

Sounds like we should just wait and let them put her on a package and fingers crossed it will be the basic one and I can monitor it from there. What I was wary about was letting another provider take over the rental of the line from her. I think it's important that she retains the BT line in case we have to change again.

Thanks again all

cobster

Have just investigated the Post Office one and that looks to be quite competitive and staying with a brand that she likes (am gradually getting her to realise that loyalty is not such a big thing to some companies). You can get 10% off 10 Loved Ones calls so that will probably cover the majority of the calls that she makes.