The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

PasturesNew

I think I'll be going back to a dongle. "Broadband" was always this magical thing that promised the Earth ...

But, in order to go to a dongle, I first have to establish what my current data usages are. Having been on 1.3MB it won't have been much, but how much is "much" and how does that compare to dongle plans....

I need to be informed.

I am now hoping that the BT website offers me the information they say they can provide re my past data usage.

I can allegedly see this in my account.... we'll see how that goes.

EDIT 1/ I might be on the right page in my account ... and the useful information it gives me re data/usage is "You don't have to worry about usage. As your data is unlimited, we'll never charge you extra for it.".
So that didn't answer the question did it. R-Soles.

EDIT 2/ It looks like you can only check your usage "this month" and if you're on unlimited then you can't check.

I'm sure when I last used a dongle I only went over 20GB in one month ... and that was also online 24/7. But, these days, websites load so much cr4p on your PC that you don't want ... who knows... all these auto-play videos cluttering up 5h1t.

WHY do they have to make it so hard?

Without knowing how much data I use .... it's harder to pick a dongle that'll do.

silvercar

This week's email from MSE compares deals.

Plusnet 10MB for about 14.99 a month. One year contract.

Talktalk 35mb fibre for 19 a month. 18 month contract.

Do these contract lengths bother you if you are currently paying £35 a month? In 6 months time you will have paid out £210 for rubbish, I would bite the bullet and change.

GDB2222

If you are switching provider, I'll second the advice that Zen are very good. Particularly at sorting out problems. In fact, that's all you want. It's not like most people speak to their broadband supplier when things are going well.

PasturesNew

Romeo will be here between 10 and 11am.

Oooh, I'd better brush my hair then!

That's the delivery time just texted from the PC deliverers.

PasturesNew

silvercar wrote: »

This week's email from MSE compares deals.

Plusnet 10MB for about 14.99 a month. One year contract.

Talktalk 35mb fibre for 19 a month. 18 month contract.

Do these contract lengths bother you if you are currently paying £35 a month? In 6 months time you will have paid out £210 for rubbish, I would bite the bullet and change.

I wasn't seeing those types of prices when I looked yesterday, but the MSE "comparison" page is overwhelmingly complex and confusing and off putting.

I probably can't have Plusnet as theirs wouldn't be any faster than what I've got... (as I believe it, no provider could provide faster to my actual house than BT, so I'd never get the "10MB" they say, I'd pay for that but still be stuck with 1.3MB) but that one would be £15x12 for the same speed ... so a bit cheaper.... oh god it's all so complex.

I am NOT a decision-maker. I never have been. I am a simple chooser at best "Do you want A or B" ... that can be tough enough.

All contracts bother me. You never know what will change/when.

If I go into a contract and if I sell the house in 8 months' time ... and don't have a forwarding address, then I still have to pay for the contract. And if the new house doesn't provide the same service, I still have to pay for the contract.

In Ye Olden Days you'd simply get what you want and pay for it .... and one day you'd cancel that ... or not pay a bill and they'd cut you off. It was simple.

Now it's all about contracts, switching, comparing - in short ... I don't actually wish to be part of any of that "world" which sucks up your life over nonsense.... and if they all just stopped it - and just offered a service without deals, packages, sales, specials, cashbacks ... they could sack all their marketing staff, drop their prices and everybody'd rush to them as they're cheapest.

GDB2222

PasturesNew wrote: »

Romeo will be here between 10 and 11am.

Oooh, I'd better brush my hair then!

That's the delivery time just texted from the PC deliverers.

I hope the thing works, or my name will be mud.

PasturesNew

GDB2222 wrote: »

I hope the thing works, or my name will be mud.

I'm sure it will

Don't worry - if it's duff, I'll be very annoyed ... but annoyed at myself, not you - because I am an adult and ultimately made a choice. I chose to either dither/not buy, or to buy. I chose.

The fact that nearly every decision I ever make always turns out to have issues and problems is something that's part of my daily life.

I'll take that on the nose.

I'm sure it'll be wonderful and the PC and I will enjoy the next 10-15 years happily together without problems.

*fingers crossed, eh*

PasturesNew

silvercar wrote: »

This week's email from MSE compares deals.

Just clicked through to that.... whoever writes that "nonsense" - it's a struggle to understand what it means.

'£12.49/mth' over 1yr contract. You pay £1/mth for b'band & can pay £197.88 line rent upfront & claim £60 cashback. Do all that & it's equiv £12.49/mth. Pay line monthly & it's equiv £14.99/mth.

"can pay £197.88 line rent upfront" - what does that mean? Does that mean to get this BB you have to also have their landline, so if you pay the landline up front AND claim £60 cashback (I hate claims and cashbacks, just KNOCK IT OFF THE PRICE DUMBO)....

So that's a bit confusing... would I also have to move the landline over to them... and can I keep the phone number if I do that (I assume so as I think they "all have to" these days), but I've never moved a phone number over.

So, in short - the way that page is worded is just bizarre. Are they taking NEETS and giving them job opportunities ... and was the boss off that day to check their work?

PasturesNew

While staring out of a top floor window, pondering the imminent arrival of Romeo (perchance I could see a delivery van arriving) ... I spotted something "interesting". Vacant house (ex-DOOFers)... with the agent car and another car alongside. Agent was just leaving, other occupant/car sat there for 1-2 minutes and left.

As it's been marked as "Let Agreed" since some time between 6th and 20th June .... I figured that must be the new tenant picking up the keys, getting inside, signing paperwork ...

.... I hope they're "my sort" ... running an orderly household and not an ape cage.

It didn't look like a "family car", in that it wasn't an estate, or shabby, or full of car seats ... it looked like a "young professionals car" where "young" would mean 25-35... you'd rarely see anybody with kids that had a car like that... maybe they'll additionally be bringing the minibus later, which they use to transport their six kids about in though ....

PasturesNew

10.15 - Romeo's been.... didn't hear him arriving, suddenly I heard the side gate squeak and he was there.

He handed it over "Thank you, have a nice day, bye bye" he said ... nothing to sign.

Box says fragile and has a small cut on the side. It feels all right inside the box, allbeit "one end heavy".

Here we go then ....

Bubblewrap looks like aliens....
Powerlead: Check
Black box, the size of a slim car stereo: check
Other box (wifi?): check

Not sure what'll happen when I turn it on... but I have to disconnect this one now as I need the monitor, mouse, keyboard from it to give it a go.

Back in a bit.