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No BT Line - What Are Our Options?

soupface
soupface Posts: 51 Forumite
edited 8 December 2009 at 9:11PM in Broadband & internet access
My fiance and I moved in to our current house in September, and we've been snarfling next door's Internet (with their permission) since then. Obviously, we do need to get our own eventually, but we have no phone line in the house at all. It's not just disconnected, it's been physically cut off outside. BT quoted us £135 to reconnect, plus £50 credit check (?!?!), plus some other crap that my fiance didn't hear because he hung up.

Plan B was to go with Virgin Media and get fibre optic broadband, because we don't especially need a landline and Virgin's prices seemed okay. Then I read all the negative feedback for Virgin on the Internet ... eep!

So now I don't know what our options are. I wanted to ask this though: since we're renting our house, is it the landlord's responsibility to have a phone socket installed? I feel like in this day and age it should be, but I'm the first to admit that I'm not savvy when it comes to stuff like this. Help? :)
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Comments

  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 8 December 2009 at 8:29PM
    It's nothing to do with the landlord. BT are currently offering free connection, but this will require you to contract to 18m line rental. The standard reconnection charge is £122.50. Other providers may connect you, but all will require some payment and forward committment.
    Other than Virgin, your only other option is mobile broadband. All other ISPs require a BT /ADSL line.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • soupface
    soupface Posts: 51 Forumite
    Thanks macman. We don't just need the reconnection though - we need an entirely new phone line/socket installing in the house. The wire outside has been cut. I don't know if BT would still waive the connection fee if we took the line rental contract because of that? Maybe something to ask them about. Could we get them to waive the credit check fee too? It's for the house, allegedly, not us!
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    soupface wrote: »
    Thanks macman. We don't just need the reconnection though - we need an entirely new phone line/socket installing in the house. The wire outside has been cut. I don't know if BT would still waive the connection fee if we took the line rental contract because of that? Maybe something to ask them about. Could we get them to waive the credit check fee too? It's for the house, allegedly, not us!

    It makes no difference whether it's a reconnection or a new line, the price or free offer is the same for either. If you take the line rental you will get the line free. Sorry can't help you on the credit check fee, presumably that address has bad debts against it.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • kwikbreaks
    kwikbreaks Posts: 9,187 Forumite
    It's probably not a fee - it could be a security deposit which would (eventually) get refunded.
  • soupface
    soupface Posts: 51 Forumite
    It makes no difference whether it's a reconnection or a new line, the price or free offer is the same for either. If you take the line rental you will get the line free. Sorry can't help you on the credit check fee, presumably that address has bad debts against it.
    Ah, okay, that's not bad then, thanks!

    Kwikbreaks, fiance says it was indeed a deposit, which would be refunded after six months. Without the installation/connection fee we could probably afford it now, so we'll look into it! Thanks both for your help.
  • robt_2
    robt_2 Posts: 3,401 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    soupface wrote: »
    Plan B was to go with Virgin Media and get fibre optic broadband, because we don't especially need a landline and Virgin's prices seemed okay. Then I read all the negative feedback for Virgin on the Internet ... eep!

    To be honest you can find negative feedback about any service provider on the Internet. You find more for Virgin because they are so big. That doesn't mean a higher percentage of customers are unhappy. What about the tens of thousands of happy customers for every complaint you read - do they not count for anything? Just something to think about :)

    If you are in a cable area, I would go for it.
  • Id have cable over bt anyday, u wont have to pay a line rental and internet package, friends have got virgin it used to be nynex many years ago when they first got it and have never complained.
  • Madasafish can install a (BT) line for £49.99 with a 1 month contract, then you are free to move to anyone else if you wish. There prices are the same as BT (from January).

    http://www.madasafish.com/talk/new-line-installation.shtml

    http://www.madasafish.com/frequently-asked-questions/talk.shtml#a7
  • bryanb
    bryanb Posts: 5,034 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Why not just share the costs with your neighbours? With 2 people paying you could possibly upgrade.
    This is an open forum, anyone can post and I just did !
  • bryanb wrote: »
    Why not just share the costs with your neighbours? With 2 people paying you could possibly upgrade.

    This would work if it weren't for the fact that they tend to turn their router off when they don't need it (plug socket shortage in their house), but often we're still using the 'net when they do this. With my fiance at uni and me looking for jobs online a lot, we'd really like to have always-on Internet. :)

    Still not sure what to do, anyway. All of the above options seem viable so I guess it's just a case of taking the plunge with one. I got a code in the post today from Virgin for free BB/phone/whatever for 2 months if I sign up before the 31st of this month - think it's just for a bundle rather than BB on its own though. I'm just going to ring them and see what they say... I'm sure they'll be nice to me if I say I'm thinking of signing up though, haha!
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