Moving into first home - how to get set up?

kathryn2

Ok, on friday I move into my very first flat, all on my own, having lived with my parents since I left university.

What I'm struggling with a bit is how to get myself set up with phone/internet. I know the current people have a BT phone line and are with O2 for broadband, but I don't know the actual phone number - or whether they were planning to take it with them to their new place. And I'm certainly not going to get hold of the MAC code for transferring the broadband - and everytime I try to look up broadband deals they seem to want the phone number to check availability.

Anyone got suggestions for sorting it out? Phone BT and ask for a number (even though I might want to get a phone/internet/TV bundle with someone else)?

Help would be appreciated!

macman

Can't you just ask the/estate agent/landlord/occupants for the phone number? Or ring BT with the address and ask for the number? The broadband will (presumably) be terminated by the outgoing occupants, so a MAC is not relevant.
First thing you need is a working BT line, then get your broadband from there. Once you have the number (or just the exchange would do) go to samknows.com and do an exchange search to see what your LLU options are.
If you can get O2 on LLU that is an excellent choice, but do not sign up for O2 Access, which is not.

kathryn2

Well, last time I asked for the phone number the agent wouldn't give it to me, but that was before we exchanged contracts. I could try calling BT - I just don't want to get into a situation where I get a load of sales talk from them. I looked up the exchange already and it seems I do have quite a few LLU options, and I'm not convinced O2 is the best one for me, since I'm not a mobile customer with them.

I was thinking of going for that Talk Talk deal in the newsletter this week, since I don't have a digital TV provider at the moment.

My head is a bit all over the place at the moment!

Edit: Just placed a call to BT. First thing the electronic system wants is the phone number!

Just managed to get through to a human being. Can't do anything until I have moved in and they have switched the existing line off. *sigh*

macman

Try a phone book or directory enquiries-not everyone is ex-directory.
You are unlikely to get a better deal than 02 LLU, with the current 3 months free and Quidco offers. The O2 mobile discount saves you £60pa, so get an O2 SIM and do the quarterly £10 top up and you still save £20. You don't have to own the O2 mobile number, you just to register a number with them-friend or relative will do fine.
Ask the outgoing occupiers not to have the service disconnected, otherwise BT will want to try and charge you £125 for reconnection of the existing line.

kathryn2

But if I go with O2 I have to remember to top up by a tenner every 3 months for the sake of saving £18 over a year, which I'm not convinced I will remember to do, as I don't actually want to change mobile phone provider, and I still have to pay for separate landline rental, calls and digital TV.

Whereas if I go with the Talk Talk bundle, with free connection and cashback it'll cost me £15.27 a month (as opposed to £7-odd just for broadband) but that includes line rental and digital TV, as well as free evening and weekend calls. It's much easier to sort out that way.

I don't think the £125 charge applies for reconnecting an existing line, that's just for putting new lines in. And it's too late to ask them not to do it anyway - it's done.

macman

O2 actually text you to remind you if you haven't topped up. You don't change the provider, you just buy the SIM and top up.
If you go with TT on an LLU exchange then you need to take line rental with them, not with BT, so you'll need to get them to reconnect the line. If you get the free BT connection it locks you into 12m lne rental.