Loyal or stupid !!!!???

CraftyCavalier

I would welcome some advice. I have been with the same ISP/Broadband provider since 1999 (originally Freeserve, then Wanadoo, Orange and now EE). I am currently paying £18.37 per month for a broadband only plan which is recorded on my bill as 1 Meg speed and 2GB cap. However when I checked the speed of my line with a speedchecker it says my download speed is 9 MB and the upload speed is 1 MB. I have have never really shopped around for a better deal as it was adequate for my needs. However, I have just purchased Sky's Now TV box, which has made me question whether I am actually getting a fair deal as I don't think a 2GB download allowance will be sufficient. The line rental is via BT, and I also have an ancient "freeserve" e-mail address. I would welcome any advice. Many thanks.

kwikbreaks

Anybody that sticks with any service is likely to be getting ripped off. Shopping around and probably changing at the end of each minimum term to get cashback is the way forward. Loyalty means only one thing to most big companies - a sucker .

JJ_Egan

Plus Net fibre download 37Meg Upload 9meg
Costs me £23 per month with BT line .

quish

There seems to be no benefit to being a loyal customer anywhere these days, I always shop around and move to become a new customer seems that's where all the best deals are

Bradfield

I was with Orange for many years just like you. It was not loyalty that kept me there: just the fact that I did not have a problem with the service (at that time).

Whether you are getting maximum line speed, or can get it, is something that "macman" will be able to advise you on.

Having had some experience with Orange/EE I can give you a little bit of advice. You are now only required to give minimum notice when/if you leave. On no account let them persuade you to take on a new contract, unless you are absolutely certain that it is in your best interest.

They can be very persuasive. If they hook you in to another contract you will be tied with them for another year or so and lose all your freedom of action.

MillicentBystander

Anyone planning on using a streaming TV service like netflix or Sky Now really should look at getting an unlimited BB deal. They are plentiful and 'cheap' these days.

Don't know about Sky Now but certainly an hour of netflix at 'best' (not HD) quality burns 700mb of data so that's more than a third of the paltry allowance the OP is getting gone right there. I bet EE can't believe their luck TBH.

Sooler

use a non ISP email - gmail, yahoo, hotmail whichever

esuhl

I haven't looked recently, but there are sometimes some good broadband offers on Quidco. I signed up to O2 for an unlimited 16Mb/s contract and got £100 cashback and another £100 in M&S vouchers. It costs me £6.25 a month (it's half price for the first year), so when the contract runs out, I'll be £125 better off! (Actually, since Sky bought O2/Telefonica, I think I can cancel any time now...)

Chances are you'll lose your email account when you move to a different ISP, so set up an account with another provider as suggested above (I use GMX.com) and start updating your contact details with any sites you're registered with (and letting all your friends know your new address) before you actually move to the new ISP.

Pincher

I'm paying £15 a month, plus BT line rental for the fibre optic speed of 35Mb download, 7Mbps upload according to uswitch.com. The BT test claims 38/9. Will be getting £100 Sainsbury voucher. I couldn't be bothered with Quidco.


I just upgraded to the BT Infinity 40GB package, which is optical fibre to the green cabinet on the pavement. The BT engineer will come and change the master socket to a VDSL one, for which there is a £30 connection fee. They post the HomeHub 5 to you for about £6.


I thought I would have to watch my usage, which is 40GB a month, but they are saying the usage monitor is not working for a "small number of customers", so they won't charge me if I go over the limit, so for the moment, it's effectively unlimited. You can always upgrade to Unlimited if you need to.


For £5 more a month, you get BT TV, which currently includes BT Sport, and the TV streaming does not count towards the 40GB. You get a set top box connected to the router, just like the Now! box. I understand BT overpaid to outbid Sky for some crucial football rights, so you might find the Sky Now! pointless soon.


I find regular browsing doesn't use that much, and 40GB should be plenty for one person. For a big family, I think Unlimited is the way to go. The BBC iPlayer doesn't use that much, if you avoid the HD version of programs. I record most things with a PVR any way.


The amount of voucher keeps changing, and it's £50 right now for what I went for. Wait a few days, and it will be £100 again.

PennyForThem_2

I am a 'freeserve' oldie - I rent telephone line from BT but get net access via EE.

Pay £10 for unlimited and the speed is fine for streaming live via IPlayer onto TV

I negotiated the price down some years ago. Happy with what I have at the moment - BT keep cold calling but until recently could not compete with 'unlimited'.

Recently EE updated exchange and it has been faster....

CraftyCavalier

Many thanks for all your helpful replies. After getting armed with some information thanks to the help on here, I phoned Orange/EE last night. I have now been offered a new deal which includes unlimited broadband with a speed up to 9 MB, but I would have to switch my line rental over as they no longer do broadband only deals. The total cost would be £31.75 a month "with a £6 recurring credit for 12 months plus 1 month free". This would be a 12 month contract. I could potentially save around £10 per month. It does sound tempting, though I am a little anxious about switching from BT (am I likely to be able to keep my landline no ?). Any thoughts on the offer ? Thanks again.