Argh horribly confused newbie! Please help!

youngoldlady

I'm trying to sort out a home phone/broadband package of some sort for a flat I'm moving to soon. I'm a newly single parent and money will be very tight. Unfortunately I can't get the BT Basics deal as my benefit is not on the list Silly name changes!

I'm hoping that the TalkTalk deal + £50 cashback is the best one for me but I really don't understand much about this. Usage is not a problem as I don't stream or download anything really. But internet and phone line are very important to me not only for paying bills and banking but because I will be rather isolated.

Could someone please explain whether I need to pay for the TalkTalk package PLUS line rental to BT or whether I need to just have BT phone sockets??

Many thanks for your help

i8change

You can check what is available in your area here:-

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/broadband_checker

If Talk Talk is LLU in your area, they will provide the phone line rental for £12.30 and broadband for £3.49 (half price for 12 months.) You do not pay BT anything so you will get phone and broadband for £15.79 per month for the first 12 months, £19.29 afterwards.

This "Essentials" package gives free evening and weekend calls with a 40GB download limit on the broadband. You will have to pay extra for free anytime calls.

They are not the best reliability wise and have poor telephone support but you can get many years of OK service unless you are unlucky.

Plusnet, or Sky LLU, are cheap-ish alternatives but are a bit more expensive than todays Talk Talk offer:-

http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/broadband

The downside of the cheap LLU package with Talk Talk (or Sky) is that if you want to change providers in the future you may have to return the phone line to BT first, on a 12 month contract. The only exception to this is Virgin cable.

If you need a new line/free connection check the "small print" at the bottom of their webpage. "Half price offer does not apply" etc.

youngoldlady

Thank you so much for your help. That makes sense now The SamKnows link says that I can get TalkTalk, Plusnet and Sky. Cost will have to be the deciding factor. I'm not sure whether I can begin to set it up before I move (signing contract in a week ish) but I could ask them about that. You sound very experienced on the subject - which would you go for? My ex has always dealt with broadband here. We have Virgin cable and have never had any reason to phone customer services.

i8change

which would you go for?

It is very hard to quantify, all suppliers can be problematic in some cases. You have to cross your fingers and hope you are not one of the unlucky few.

Sky LLU offers better, but still not brilliant support and unlimited broadband but is £21.25. They are doing 3 months free, last time I looked.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/articles/11_Best_UK_Broadband_ISPs/

Plusnet are owned by BT, but have better support (based in the UK.)

They do phone for £11.99 with free evening and weekend calls and 10GB broadband for £6.49.

If you go over the 10GB you pay in £5 steps for every 5GB over, but overnight downloads are free/unlimited. Alternatively, they charge £11 for 60GB per month.

With them you are on the BT system and can easily change either phone or broadband, or both, to other suppliers after the 12 months.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/articles/11_Best_UK_Broadband_ISPs/02.php

If money is tight I would either take a slight gamble with Talk Talk or, if you worry about service if things go wrong, go with Plusnet but put up with the 10GB limit and download things overnight.

I have just left Talk Talk but got 3 years decent service and saved some money, so it can be fine.

If you go with Talk Talk edit your account to select no promotional calls from them or third parties. If you do not do this they will ring you with offers, the catch being that they tie you in to a new contract.

It is better to be on a rolling 30 day contract after 12 months, just in case things go wrong. They charge £8 per month to get out of contract for "Essentials."

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2010/06/cheaper-charges-for-uk-consumers-to-end-phone-contracts/

Hope it all goes fine, it usually does.

youngoldlady

What a wealth of information! Thank you so much for all your help You've explained it very simply and easily without lots of the confusing jargon I keep coming across. I think I am going to have to gamble and go with Talk Talk - like you said I may not be one of the unlucky ones I'm not sure whether I can begin setting things up now before I move, as I haven't signed the tenancy agreement yet or had the application 100% approved. So I'll miss the cashback offer, but Talk Talk is still the cheapest bundle provider x x