Moving home: BT Basic + Virgin Media + 18185

freespirit

Hi everyone, would really appreciate any suggestions.

I'm moving home, from Scotland to England, in mid May. I eventually got onto BT BASIC after 5 months of no application form arriving. I now shouldn't have any penalties if/when I come off BT, and for now, my bills are reduced.

Looking for most economical set-up at new home.

I read that 18185 doesn't work on BT's 'light-user scheme',but I'm pretty sure my bt basic account HAS kicked in and yet I successfully called my own mobile today without any message telling me I couldn't use 18185 etc.

I've yet to contact Virgin Media, my current ISP, who I have mixed feelings about. Cost for unlimited BB = £18.35 a month. So, if I took them with me, along with BT Basic (£13.80 every 3 months = line rental + £4.50 to spend on calls per quarter), would this be a good deal? BT said I am limited to the speed of broadband they could sell me while I'm on BT BASIC, and offered me 10gb d/l limit package, or come off BTbasic and get: line, calls and b/b for over £28 a month. Wasn't convinced by that, I've found cheaper packages, eg- orange and SKY.

Please give me your comments. Thanks

ps- I've been with virgin for more than 18 months, so should have no contract to finish with them.

freespirit

Looking on comparison sites again, and am wondering if I can keep BT BASIC and take a broadband with unlimited calls package, but no line rental included..... Does anyone know?? Orange B/B is £15 a month, both with or without unlimited calls, so would be daft not to take the calls if I could!

macman

You can't bundle BT basic with broadband, you have to simply take one of the standalone broadband packages.
How could you want BT Basic with unlimited calls?-it would defeat the whole purpose of the tariff.

freespirit

Makes sense I guess. I thought BT Basic was mainly a reduced line rental for people on benefits. Thanks, I'll probably go with Orange BB only, or do some sums and see if it'd be worth coming off BASIC.

dave_dph

freespirit wrote: »

ps- I've been with virgin for more than 18 months, so should have no contract to finish with them.

Is the new home in a Virginmedia cabled area?

macman

If you've made any change to your Virgin package/tariff in that period, it will have started you on a new 12m contract.

freespirit

Hi dave_dph, I'm not on cable at the mo, and I just checked the website, and the area I'm moving to isn't cable either. I will give them a call on Tues and see if they can offer me a better price than Orange.
Thanks

HappyMJ

macman wrote: »

You can't bundle BT basic with broadband, you have to simply take one of the standalone broadband packages.
How could you want BT Basic with unlimited calls?-it would defeat the whole purpose of the tariff.

I'm on BT basic and have broadband with BT and also have free evening/weekend calls with BT Broadband Talk. True it's not a bundle but it's still quite cheap.

Saeed

HappyMJ wrote: »

I'm on BT basic and have broadband with BT and also have free evening/weekend calls with BT Broadband Talk. True it's not a bundle but it's still quite cheap.

If you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay for all this?