Quick question - cancelling BT Broadband?

Mrs_Ryan

Hi everyone, just a quick q.

I currently have BT Broadband (just the lowest type one) and I'm coming to the end of my 18 month contract. I want to cancel altogether as I have mobile broadband with 3 which is sadly way more reliable :mad:

The contract is due up on the 26th of August. Do I need to give them 30 days notice, and do I just ring them or send a letter? Broadband is in OH's name although I use it and pay for it so it will have to be me who sorts it - I'm not used to cancelling stuff!

Thanks!

Mark_In_Hampshire

Give at least 30 days notice, and very importantly - do it in writing (email should suffice) and get an acknowledgement.

If you end up speaking to anyone, note the date, time and name.

I'm not saying it will go wrong, but these boards have a number of horror stories to tell about auto-renewing contracts, so make sure you have what I'd call "balance of proof".

If it's in OH's name, then it will have to be OH who sorts it. In BT's defence, there are plenty of threads where people have rightly criticised them for accepting instruction from "whoever calls them up" and it ought to be the named account holder.

macman

Remember that cancelling yor ADSL broadbandf seervice (as opposed to migrating it using a MAC) will result in a £25 cease charge on your final bill.
If you find mobile broadband better than ADSL, that suggests that the problem is BT itself, so why not just switch to a decent provider? Mobile broadband is not generally an adequate substitute for ADSL unless you are a very light user and can get a decent 3G signal.

Mrs_Ryan

Thanks everyone Mark, OH will give his permission for me to speak. He's not able to do it himself due to his disability, so I will do it on his behalf with his authorisation.
Macman, I live in a very rural area and not many broadband companies operate out here. The signal from my dongle is perfect here (I have 2 phones on 3 as well which I use the internet on heavily and its fine) During any sort of inclement weather the BT tends to go off for days and days on end but I've had no such issue with my 3 broadband.. I basically only use the net for general browsing, I dont download/stream etc so dont really need a lot of capacity etc.. I'm happy enough with my 3 broadband which is why I want shot of BT... bit useless really.

macman

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

Thanks everyone Mark, OH will give his permission for me to speak. He's not able to do it himself due to his disability, so I will do it on his behalf with his authorisation.
Macman, I live in a very rural area and not many broadband companies operate out here. The signal from my dongle is perfect here (I have 2 phones on 3 as well which I use the internet on heavily and its fine) During any sort of inclement weather the BT tends to go off for days and days on end but I've had no such issue with my 3 broadband.. I basically only use the net for general browsing, I dont download/stream etc so dont really need a lot of capacity etc.. I'm happy enough with my 3 broadband which is why I want shot of BT... bit useless really.

No, there are hundreds of ISP's offering their services on every exchange in the country. What you may not have are any LLU options. Do an exchange search on https://www.samknows.com and post the LLU options that come up, then proper advice can be given.
Not being on an unbundled exchange does not limit you to BT as an ISP!

Mrs_Ryan

These are the LLU options...

AOL:Not available
O2 / Be:Not available
C&W / Bulldog:Not available
Edge Telecom:Not available
Entanet:Not available
Lumison:Not available
NewNet:Not available
Node4:Not available
Orange:Enabled
Pipex:Not available
Sky / Easynet:Not available
Smallworld:Not available
TalkTalk (CPW):Enabled
Tiscali:Not available
Tiscali TV:Not available
WB Internet:Not available
Zen Internet:Not available

We were previously on Sky but that was horrifically expensive due to us being out of area and I'm sceptical about talk talk because the speed they offered us was something stupid,I laughed at them. Wouldnt touch Orange with a barge pole. Any other suggestions??

macman

So your only LLU options are TT or Orange-totally agree with your comments on the latter. What is the issue with speed on TT though?
If you don't want to go with TT, then you should look at one of the non-LLU providers such as Plusnet, Zen, IDNet etc, but they won't be as cheap (except you can get Plusnet 10GB Value service if you are on a market 3 exchange).
Your speed is primarily determined by distance from the exchange and line condition-both factors which are outside your ISP's control.

deklan99

Your options are not just TT or Orange. TT just use the Carphonewarehouse network, a wholesale product available to other ISPs and totally seperate from TalkTalk.
Drop sales at xilo or vivaciti or an email and see what they can do for you - http://www.xilo.net/ , http://www.vivaciti.net/ . Don't believe everything you see on here from those with thousands of posts. Many do.

Mrs_Ryan

thanks macman and deklan. TT offered something like 2 when I was getting something like 5/6 with BT.. cant be doing with slow internet. Think Plusnet is available round here - may well look into that. The cost is an issue - paying about £15 for BT at the moment as well as the £20 for my 3 internet... thats why I was thinking about just cancelling broadband altogether. Have to have the dongle as I travel a lot and need my lappy with me.

macman

I suggest that you recheck, there is no reason why TT (if LLU on your exchange) cannot offer at least as much as BT-they're running over the same local loop. Check using the exchange mapping facility on samknows.
Plusnet is available on every exchange in the country. However you will pay the higher rate of £12.99, being on a Market 2 exchange.

Mrs_Ryan

Had a phone call from BT today offering cut price bb, but OH has put his foot down and said we're cancelling it - end of. Cheers for all your help - tried to argue reason but hes not having it - its in his name so theres bog all I can do! Thanks for your time, and help macman.