Advice: Broadband no landline required

revmatt

I need some advice please!

Am moving house very soon, currently with BT but want to take this opportunity to ditch a company who while providing a reasonable product have not shown me very good customer service.

I'd like to switch and get:

1) Broadband
My uses are email, browsing, a bit of Iplayer in the evening, light Itunes use, a little gaming but not serious levels.

2) No landline required.
While I understand I might have to pay line rental, a phone package isn't really what I need.

3) Good customer service with good english spoken.
For instance I spent a while talking to an 'IDNET' advisor today which was thoroughly UNfrustrating, unlike with BT.

The postcode is RG31, tilehurst near reading.

I'd love some advice please. I've been looking on some of the compate sites recommended in other threads - is there much difference between the top 10ish highly rated providers for what I'm wanting?

Thanks in advance to you for your knowledge and guidance.

Revmatt

macman

Firstly, you do have to have a landline and pay line rental in order to have any sort of ADSL broadband service, no 'might' about it.
Does the new property already have a working landline? if so, with which company?
Suggest you do an exchange search on www.samknows.com and look for yor LLU options.
If you are actually on the Tilehurst exchange, and not an adjoining one, then the obvious choice is O2's LLU service:
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/THTT

revmatt

Thanks Macman

The samknows exchange search reveals 'reading tilehurst' as the exchange name.

An enquiry call yesterday to IDnet revealed a BT line installed and already activated (i.e. I wont have to pay BT £100+ to activate it)

With those in mind, can you explain to me (a total novice) why O2 is my best option?

Thanks so much for your time

Matt

macman

One of the LLU options is cheapest, as then the ISP does not have to pay BT the wholesale charge. So you can get 02 LLU service. 02 LLU broadband is widely recommended on this board and elsewhere. On price, the basic 02 service (line rental and 20GB cap broadband, assuming O2 mobile discount)) is £15.50 a month as a bundle. IDNet is a good service, but being non-LLU will cost you a minimum of £24.99pm on a bundle.
Also factor in the current 02 offer of 1st 3 months free and £50 Quidco cashback, and your first year cost is much lower with them (in fact as low as £1.83pm for the broadband component).
If 20GB is not enough you can upgrade to the mid-range package for another £4. IDNet Home Starter has a 4GB only peak cap (20GB off-peak).

revmatt

just had a long convo with an O2 rep online. The 3 month free offer has expired, but I can use teh quidco voucher online. Seems like a good package will possibly plump for all rounder at £24.50 pm

There's the £25 connection fee, which they'll waive if I get a pay as you go sim but I'll need to put £10 on it every 3 months so I'll end up not saving money in the long run.

I'm also considering the 30 day rolling contract. While this costs £29.99 the cancellation fee for leaving the 12 early is £50 with notice or £80 immediate.

Thanks Macman, any other thoughts?

rev

macman

revmatt wrote: »

just had a long convo with an O2 rep online. The 3 month free offer has expired, but I can use teh quidco voucher online. Seems like a good package will possibly plump for all rounder at £24.50 pm

There's the £25 connection fee, which they'll waive if I get a pay as you go sim but I'll need to put £10 on it every 3 months so I'll end up not saving money in the long run.

I'm also considering the 30 day rolling contract. While this costs £29.99 the cancellation fee for leaving the 12 early is £50 with notice or £80 immediate.

Thanks Macman, any other thoughts?

rev

The 3 months free offer is a regular with O2, so if it's expired it may well be back on again in the next few weeks.
The cost of getting the £5 pm mobile discount is £40 pa, the saving is £60pa, so it's still worth it even if you don't use the PAYG. It does not have to be your own phone or even one in the same household-any O2 phone will do, as long as you have the owner's agreement and it is in contract or topped up every 3m.

Moonslick

Hi first post so be gentle.

I have close dealings with this and would just like to clear up a couple of points. getting the prepay sim is better as you DONT have to top up every 3 months, just use the phone. if you put credit on and havent used this credit just make a phone call send a text etc to keep the handset from being classed as ceased.
as for the 3 month foc, it has been officially withdrawn, but bear in mind it was withdrawn at the beginning of Oct, Sept and august too, i think you get the idea.

revmatt

The 3 months doesn't apply to 30 day rolling contracts, and indeed isn't running currently.

I'm having a mare with 02. Cant get the website to work, keeps coming up with technical and card match errors, despite all being fine my end.

Also trying to call them, and 'high demand' means I get automatically disconnected to try later.

Loosing patience, considering I'm after something with good customer service. Any second best suggestions?

Rev