Updated Find the cheapest broadband discussion thread

tracylou

Why do all these ISP’s advertise their speeds up to a certain number, yet the actual speed you get is nowhere near that?
My BT B.B. speed is supposed to be up to 17mbps, but the highest I get is 2.4 & that’s not on a regular basis. It very often is only between 0.1 and 0.9 which is totally unacceptable.
BT acknowledged that there is a problem but apparently not with their equipment or my phone line, so must be the wiring. To get an engineer out would cost £130 even though I’ve only had broadband for 6 months & tied into an 18 month contract. At a loss what to do 🤔

ffox

teddysmum wrote: »

You pay line rental in advance in exchange for having a discount on the monthly charge. If you leave before the time the payment covers then you have broken the contract, so why should they not charge full price for the time the service was used ? As the discount is a few pounds, leaving well into the term could mean that the money paid would have been used up at full price so you are 'owed' less than you think.

I disagree about call centres abroad being better as there are frequent problems with language and the fact that they work to a script with little allowance for anything that doesn't fit, meaning you go over the same things again and again.

Two big companies that have outsourced their call centres have had so much trouble from them that they are building up the UK base again.

Your reasoning doesn't make any sense. Yes, contract is a contract and it goes both ways not just one way. Considering the marginal saving of paying in advance and the hassle involved with dealing with it, this is not a feature of the service that can or should be recommended to customers. To call centres abroad English is definitely a foreign language as it is for the locals in Sheffield it would seem.

teddysmum

ffox wrote: »

Your reasoning doesn't make any sense. Yes, contract is a contract and it goes both ways not just one way. Considering the marginal saving of paying in advance and the hassle involved with dealing with it, this is not a feature of the service that can or should be recommended to customers. To call centres abroad English is definitely a foreign language as it is for the locals in Sheffield it would seem.

My reasoning makes sense but doesn't suit your agenda.


I had no problems speaking to Sheffield cs personnel.

ffox

Have a look at this. Plusnet appears to be actively trolling this forum. If you as a company had any credibility you wouldn't be hiding behind some anonymous identity posing as some innocent mum.

Keruge

ffox wrote: »

Have a look at this. Plusnet appears to be actively trolling this forum. If you as a company had any credibility you wouldn't be hiding behind some anonymous identity posing as some innocent mum.

I don't know, I am not convinced.

8000+ posts is a lot of effort just to troll, your 35 not so much.

There are a lot of people who will champion a supplier because they chose them.

I am going to post something negative about Plusnet in a sec so do not think me a troll!

teddysmum

tracylou wrote: »

Why do all these ISP’s advertise their speeds up to a certain number, yet the actual speed you get is nowhere near that?
My BT B.B. speed is supposed to be up to 17mbps, but the highest I get is 2.4 & that’s not on a regular basis. It very often is only between 0.1 and 0.9 which is totally unacceptable.
BT acknowledged that there is a problem but apparently not with their equipment or my phone line, so must be the wiring. To get an engineer out would cost £130 even though I’ve only had broadband for 6 months & tied into an 18 month contract. At a loss what to do 🤔

They advertise up to, because they legally can ,just like retailer sales announcing up to 75% off when that only affect one product. After all any price or reading fits the 'up to' description.


You can on applying check what the supplier promises that you will get and on ADSL we are only promised 2-5 by any ADSL provider.


My son used to subcontract to BT and was told that very few more than the office staff at an exchange and 'someone sitting on the doorstep' got the maximum.


I seem to recall from a tv consumer item, that the government are considering looking at the way achievable speeds are enhanced,but any interference will probably cost, like the combination prices did.

Keruge

I am a regular visitor to the following page but what's going on?

moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-broadband

Previously it used to have a headline deal just UNDER THE HEADLINE!

I knew Broadband deals were terrible in this Country at the moment with virtually no competition but is it that NOTHING is worth the headline?

Looking at the deals it seems so, even in the Best-buy broadband deals, incl: section it depends on you paying a years line rental upfront. Come on MSE, we can't all afford to prepay line rental for a year and £12.50 is nothing to shout about anyway, especially as you have this TINY claim window for cashback. Besides that the RIP OFF £50 install (Sky £20) and a scorpion sting in the tail if you cancel broadband and wait for a deal Plusnet charge you fee (TT and Sky don't)

I think I am going to complain to the ASA about this practice, it is really misleading and confusing for non techy people. Surely we should just get a code and a discount, Sky manages this so why not BT and Plusnet?

Surely what matters is that there was a deal offered for a certain period and you signed up, end of.

Should we be giving up on MSE having the best deals, I get the newsletter and am always on the lookout for cheap broadband for my next signup, but it seems that MSE has given up the ghost.

Keruge

Gov says it is going to give customers get out clause if speeds do not live up to promises, they might want to put a stop to promises in the first place, by not allowing a speed to be quoted unless over 80% of market can get that speed. That might encourage them to invest.

ffox

teddysmum wrote: »

My reasoning makes sense but doesn't suit your agenda.


I had no problems speaking to Sheffield cs personnel.

It does not. You tried to swallow up my money in advanced credit. I will not forget this. I won't be recommending you to anyone. In fact the sooner you close down the better it will be for everyone. We don't need yet another lying company with unscrupulous practises. There are plenty to go around.

blahblahdoh

Has anyone else had an issue where Broadband service deteriorates due to a wire at the exchange being accidentally nudged/dislodged by an engineer working on somebody else's connection? I've had that 3 times now, and wondering if I'm just unlucky or if it is a widespread problem. The broadband suppliers are reluctant to call out an Openreach engineer to fix this unless you agree to terms and conditions, including payment of a fee if it turns out the problem is with your home wiring. I refused to accept this and just switched suppliers instead.