Updated Find the cheapest broadband discussion thread

robertoegg

Hello, what are the chances of getting TCB cashback (£60) for Plusnet and applying for their own cashback (£50)?

Average payout time for TCB is 8 weeks,
Plusnet cashback time limit is 2 months on top of 10 days,

Browntoa

blahblahdoh wrote: »

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.

Yes , certain connection strips are renowned for these sorts of problems , road vibration , working on adjacent strips can all cause problems

blahblahdoh

Thanks Browntoa, that's very interesting. I never thought of road vibration, but my exchange is located right next to traffic lights on a very busy road, so that may well explain it.

Doc_N

And presumably also in the green BT local cabinets? Or is it just an exchange issue?

blahblahdoh

Doc_N wrote: »

And presumably also in the green BT local cabinets? Or is it just an exchange issue?

Yes. I was told by an engineer that the green cabinet was my exchange. You seem to be distinguishing between the cabinet and something else?

Doc_N

blahblahdoh wrote: »

Yes. I was told by an engineer that the green cabinet was my exchange. You seem to be distinguishing between the cabinet and something else?

I'm probably way out of date on this, and I'm talking about semi-rural locations, but round here we still have exchanges, and the greater the distance from the exchange the slower the broadband, broadly speaking.

The green cabinets are connected by fibre to the exchanges and located in villages around the village with the exchange. We have 'Fibre to the cabinet' (FTTC) broadband from BT and other suppliers using their exchanges, but copper connections of course from the cabinet to individual houses.

So whilst we're around 3 miles from the exchange, we're only half a mile from the cabinet, and the achievable fibre broadband speeds are pretty good (for the UK).

LovesFORrocks

Everybody!!

I recently quit my Sky broadband unlimited for £18.99 pm to join Vodafone fibre unlimited for £20 pm (not cheaper, but better... apparently) whisky still in my cooling off period with Vodafone, Sky contacted me and I managed to get FREE line rental and £8.99 off broadband unlimited for 12 months... that’s £1.01 pm all in!! Add that to the 60% off I already get for TV and I’m £££££ in!!

robin58

LovesFORrocks wrote: »

Everybody!!

I recently quit my Sky broadband unlimited for £18.99 pm to join Vodafone fibre unlimited for £20 pm (not cheaper, but better... apparently) whisky still in my cooling off period with Vodafone, Sky contacted me and I managed to get FREE line rental and £8.99 off broadband unlimited for 12 months... that’s £1.01 pm all in!! Add that to the 60% off I already get for TV and I’m £££££ in!!

Interesting. I've just had a letter from them automatically signing me up for another year, without any authorization from me I might add. Making me pay £18.99 a month for the landline with free broadband for a further 12 month contract.

I'm a bit peed off that they have done this without asking if I wish to stay or not with either a letter (before this one) or email or phone call, so much in fact after reading this I'm ringing them up Tuesday to hear what they say. If I get no joy they will be told to get stuffed

Noted that Plusnet are doing a good deal until end of Tuesday. Been with them before and aren't so underhand as Sky.

knightstyle

Sky deals, they seem to vary depending on which TV package you have.
We have been paying £22.40 for unlimited BB, line rental and TV+.
This deal ends soon so I went on line to offers and there is a deal for fibre BB but they wanted £99 one off payment!
I rang up and now we are going to get Fibre unlimited BB, line rental and TV+ for £28.60 with a one off payment of £15.
Fairly happy with that.

blahblahdoh

Switched to Plusnet 10 days ago, and didn't receive a redemption email for the cashback. Chatted to them today and apparently I didn't "track" in their system, so they are raising it with "marketing" who will deal with it "within 5 days".

Anyone else expecting cashback: they are supposed to email details of how to claim within 10 days of activation. Apparently their system can't cope with this seemingly simple task, it looks like we have to waste our time chasing it. And this is just the first stage in their process.

In their forums there are examples of them making it difficult to get the cashback at every stage of the process. Presumably that's why their process exists, it's completely unnecessary otherwise. I'd love to know what proportion of those eligible for cashback actually receive it, and how much time they had to spend chasing it.