Internet When Bankrupt

BobbyEwing

Afternoon all

To cut a (very) long story short, I will soon be moving into a flat. I'm scraping together furniture, white goods etc for the move and that side of things should be OK. However, I will need internet access for my job. Currently I am a lodger and so use my landlord's wi-fi, therefore I don't have my own account. Once I move I will need my own. I've tried applying via BT, but they said I need to wait until I am discharged (ie 7 months) before they will give me a contract.

Has anyone had any experience of getting broadband when bankrupt and, if so, which providers offer a service? Many thanks.

alltaken

Hi,

Whilst undischarged I applied with BT with the same result (fully expect a demand for a deposit if you apply after bankruptcy also).

In the end I signed up with talk talk for a £25 deposit which came back on my first bill. I also signed up to plusnet with no deposit, they don't run a credit check.

seatbeltnoob

gosh, the things we take for granted. Dont know what i'd do ifI couldnt get a good stable internet connection.

BT are acting like they are going to make you a custodian of a £1000 gold coin or something. It's just a basic internet connection, if customer doesn't pay up they can just teriminate the connection next month. It costs them very very little to get a customer signed up.

TheGardener

Silly really because they were happy to keep me as a customer and had no problem with a new account when I moved - all while undischarged. In the end I went with another provider anyway and they were quite happy to have me too. Shows there is little consistency.

BobbyEwing

I was wondering that I might have better luck if I apply for just Internet and phone and not the TV package which involves them sending a set top box etc.
The problem is that it's a new build apartment block with an FTTP line and only BT offer packages on those at present. Sky and Talktalk can't even find my address on their system. I also am worried that they will do another credit search which will scupper my chances with other providers.

alltaken

I applied for Infinity option 1 & landline of course. Rejected in under 24 hours by a phone call from a back office BT team asking if I was discharged; Nope, okay we can't offer you service at this time.

BT have a wonderful position on FTTP lines currently, with openreach offering sale to providers but with the pricing being absurd, makes easy sales for BT Retail since they are effectively the only stable provider, a legal monopoly of sorts.

Anyway, my gripes with BT aside, have you tried Plusnet for FTTP? They do from time to time offer service.

A&A and Zen are a couple of others but those are unknown on the credit check side to me.

A last resort for you is go via BT Basic, I know, I can here the scoff already (rightly so) but bare with me; signing up to this on your FTTP line is an unknown to me, I would exhaust this option with the aim of successful sign up, wait a couple of months and then upgrade? Talk with BT about this, it could be possible?

If BT Basic is not an option via FTTP, let BT decline and then hit complaints with an argument of entrapment to the BT network with no offer of service. They might change their stance given your situation and a lack of suitable alternative providers.

I was going to rely on my dear old mum and dad if it came to it with BT, an option should nothing else work?

EDIT: Plusnet offer a FTTP trial, might be worth a question on their board.

https://community.plus.net/t5/Fibre-To-The-Premises-trial/bd-p/FTTPtrial

BobbyEwing

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately Plusnet don't recognise that broadband is available in my area when I start to apply on their website. It's only BT that do and they have turned me down! I'm hoping that as the area is a new development the other ISPs will soon offer their own deals in the near future.

So frustrating.

alltaken

Have you registered the flat address with Royal Mail? If it's a new build it can take sometime, mine took 2 months from handover.

Companies update their address database typically from the royal mail at set periods.

http://www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/I-cant-find-my-new-build-house-listed

patman99

Plusnet are a BT subsiduary, so will offer all the BT BB packages under the Plusnet name.

seatbeltnoob

patman99 wrote: »

Plusnet are a BT subsiduary, so will offer all the BT BB packages under the Plusnet name.

yes surprised BT could provide service to the address by plusnet couldn't. They will most likely use the exact same database to check feasability. Strange

LEK

Personally I'd give Plusnet a ring as in my experience I've had better success with dealing with them over the phone, their online based services can be behind at times - I had this when I moved address recently & moved the service across. Online their ETA's for the new hardware to arrive wasn't correct & the broadband order detail for my account took a while to update as well.

Liam.