New landline provider - who to choose?

bigbobbyfrog

I'm just about to move into my first home after getting the keys on Friday and would like some advice on what my best option of landline provider is.

The previous tenant was with Orange and paid line rental with them too.

I currently have my broadband free with Orange through my mobile contract so would like to transfer this to my new home (I don't have a phone plan as I'm still at my parents). However, I phoned Orange today and was told that I'd need to contact BT first to activate the phone line. And that they'd have to convert my current line (i.e. my parent's) to Orange calls before transferring it to my new property! That seems madness as my parents will still need their phone line as it stands.

I then contacted BT who told me that I would have to take their cheapest call package, Unlimited Weekend Calling Plan, and then transfer to Orange. But the Unlimited Weekend Calling Plan is a minimum of 12 months and I will probably need to pay an installation fee too...

Having read some of the horror stories on the forum about BT's service, I'd prefer to avoid them completely if possible. What are my options?

Thanks in advance for everyone who provides any advice.

Heinz

Welcome to the MSE forums bigbobbyfrog.

Orange can, like any of the other 'line providers' (including BT Retail) now in the market, employ Openreach to connect the line - but they choose not to because it is approximately £100 cheaper FOR THEM to take over a working BT line.

You appear to have been very lucky with Orange broadband. I read the below post on here recently which put me off even considering them.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/33625185#Comment_33625185

happyandy63

When you start your BT contract don't take anything other than the line rental. Even if they say its free. They did the same to me. They tried to add things and say this is how we do it. I said no I don't want all I want is phone line. Nothing else. I don't think the line rental has a 12 month contract its the 'free things' they add.

Have a look at uswitch or similar before you switch. There are some new players in the market and Orange may not be your cheapest.

acc

You would be well advised to avoid BT, but as Heinz says, the other line providers like Orange are also forced to use OpenReach who have a monopoly on installing their telephone lines.

BT deservedly come bottom of the annual customer satisfaction surveys, and much of the poor customer service is directly due to BT. For example their website offers a £29.99 installation for an 18 month contract yet every one of their sales centre staff lies that there is no such offer, the website is wrong, the offer has finished, the offer applies only to ex-Virgin Media people (if you are not ex-Virgin Media), BT can withdraw any offer without notice, it was the wrong type of snow, etc etc. You will already have seen numerous other examples of the many ways in which BT rip off their customers, including what happyandy says above.

However a large part of the poor customer service as regards installations is due to OpenReach, who take months, and still cannot complete a line installation. They also have a variety of excuses for their abominal performance, not meeting appointments, rescheduling, and recycling their excuses, blaming the local council, blaming the previous telephone company, etc, etc.

To avoid both BT and Openreach, you should use cable, Virgin Media, if that is available in your area.

Heinz

happyandy63 wrote: »

When you start your BT contract don't take anything other than the line rental. Even if they say its free. They did the same to me. They tried to add things and say this is how we do it. I said no I don't want all I want is phone line. Nothing else. I don't think the line rental has a 12 month contract its the 'free things' they add.

BT's basic residential line rental comes with the (free) Unlimited Weekend Plan.

However, a 12 month contract for the line rental is mandatory.

Mark_In_Hampshire

bigbobbyfrog wrote: »

I'm just about to move into my first home after getting the keys on Friday and would like some advice on what my best option of landline provider is.

The previous tenant was with Orange and paid line rental with them too.

I currently have my broadband free with Orange through my mobile contract so would like to transfer this to my new home (I don't have a phone plan as I'm still at my parents). However, I phoned Orange today and was told that I'd need to contact BT first to activate the phone line. And that they'd have to convert my current line (i.e. my parent's) to Orange calls before transferring it to my new property! That seems madness as my parents will still need their phone line as it stands.

I then contacted BT who told me that I would have to take their cheapest call package, Unlimited Weekend Calling Plan, and then transfer to Orange. But the Unlimited Weekend Calling Plan is a minimum of 12 months and I will probably need to pay an installation fee too...

Having read some of the horror stories on the forum about BT's service, I'd prefer to avoid them completely if possible. What are my options?

Thanks in advance for everyone who provides any advice.

Orange don't want you as a customer. If they did then they would get the line connected for you.

If you want to go with them, have the Post Office or IDNET connect the line (one month contract, setup circa £117) and then you can migrate it to them.

bigbobbyfrog

Thanks for the comments, guys.

I've never had an issue with Orange for their broadband service (other than their customer services department being based in India) so I'd like to continue that, seeing as it's free with my mobile contract anyway. But I see what you're thinking about them not wanting me as a customer if they don't want to connect the line for me.

I think the line at the new property has yet to be disconnected as BT still recognise it as a current line. I'm hoping that will mean no connection fee will be necessary but will I need to "connect" it anyway if I'm starting a new contract with a supplier?

I'm shocked that you can't just request a line from BT without having to take a package with them. It seems like they are trying to coerce new customers into taking their calls with them too.

Mark_In_Hampshire

bigbobbyfrog wrote: »

I'm shocked that you can't just request a line from BT without having to take a package with them. It seems like they are trying to coerce new customers into taking their calls with them too.

Other suppliers can also connect lines.

Some countries have the option of 'naked dsl' which is ADSL only, no calls.

OFCOM decided there was no market for that in the UK.

bigbobbyfrog

Mark_In_Hampshire wrote: »

Some countries have the option of 'naked dsl' which is ADSL only, no calls.

OFCOM decided there was no market for that in the UK.

That would be ideal for me as I don't use the landline anyway (given the free minutes on my mobile).

That's another thing I want to avoid - the minimum number of calls a month to ensure that charges don't go through the roof too.

I don't know if it's worth abandoning the free broadband with Orange to try and get a better package deal elsewhere. The Orange broadband isn't costing me anything at the moment so if I have to start paying for a package elsewhere, it might be a better option.