Updated Find the cheapest broadband discussion thread

Richard_T_

The guide doesnt work - a vast majority of the offers are not available.

 the postcode database is out of date/wrong as it doesnt recognise areas where open reach have stopped people signing up to copper services also known as copper stop sell.

 If I, or anyone else in the area was to switch then the only option would be ( expensive)  full fibre FTTP .

What would be useful would be finding a FTTP ( full fibre) provider that can price match my current deal - upto 68mb with inclusive landline and calls to mobile numbers for £21/month

vicker

vicker said:

Signed up to Shell mid April. Live date given as 5th may on sign up day. Haven't heard anything from them and certainly haven't gone live with them. 

What's going on?

If you want to get in touch with Shell, don't bother with calling, live chat or emails. Over a week later, I'm still waiting for a reply to them.

However, contact them using their complaint facility. Reply received within hours.

TsetseRoar

One other thing on Shell Energy: I think the info on MSE might be inaccurate.
Basically MSE's cheap broadband article (www . moneysavingexpert . com / broadband-and-tv/cheap-broadband/) recommends Shell Energy's 17.99 deal with 50 pounds cashback. 
So I signed up for this deal, but now on checking the details I found that the cashback is only offered on fibre optic setups, not standard broadband. Shell's webpage (www .shellenergy . co. uk/broadband) also says the same thing (scroll right to the bottom, first asterisk).

Not blaming MSE; I should have double-checked all the details going in. I'm just saying that the article may no longer be up to date.

southsidergs

Richard_T_ said:

What would be useful would be finding a FTTP ( full fibre) provider that can price match my current deal - upto 68mb with inclusive landline and calls to mobile numbers for £21/month

Not asking for much are you? I think you may be disappointed in your search

MSE_Will_L

TsetseRoar said:

One other thing on Shell Energy: I think the info on MSE might be inaccurate.
Basically MSE's cheap broadband article (www . moneysavingexpert . com / broadband-and-tv/cheap-broadband/) recommends Shell Energy's 17.99 deal with 50 pounds cashback. 
So I signed up for this deal, but now on checking the details I found that the cashback is only offered on fibre optic setups, not standard broadband. Shell's webpage (www .shellenergy . co. uk/broadband) also says the same thing (scroll right to the bottom, first asterisk).

Not blaming MSE; I should have double-checked all the details going in. I'm just saying that the article may no longer be up to date.

Hi TsetseRoar, 

I'm afraid it sounds like you signed up directly through Shell's site. To get the bill credit on this deal, you need to sign up via our Shell Energy link: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/redir/0c08bbd6

If you got the deal in the last 14 days you do have the right to cancel. 

If you can cancel, you can always try to sign up again through our link, or check out the other deals we have in the guide and in Broadband Unbundled. 

Thanks 
MSE Will 

TsetseRoar

Bugg@r

Ok well thanks anyway

lithosyork

Hi TsetseRoar, 

I'm afraid it sounds like you signed up directly through Shell's site. To get the bill credit on this deal, you need to sign up via our Shell Energy link: ...

If you got the deal in the last 14 days you do have the right to cancel. 

If you can cancel, you can always try to sign up again through our link, or check out the other deals we have in the guide and in ...

Thanks 
MSE Will 

a tip here make sure you start in a new window/browser as it needs cookies. i used Brave and was shown shell std prices. I copied the link to a fresh launch of Safari  and it worked fine.

JenSalazar

I want to sign up for the Shell Energy* 38Mb £12.22/month Cheapest fibre deal at moneysavingexpert.com/broadband-and-tv/cheap-broadband/ but when I read the promotion terms and conditions from Shell they seem to say you won't get the 3 month credit that MSE say you're going to get

Details are...

The deal for Shell Energy* 38Mb £12.22/month says "but you'll get a £65.97 bill credit within two weeks, giving you three months free" [...] "over the 18-month contract."

However, when I try to sign up for the deal by following the link, Shell include a link to the promotion terms and conditions (PDF at shellenergy.co.uk/info/broadband/promotion/terms) and those terms and conditions only refer to a deal with a 12 month contract that gives you three months free and rules out 3 free months for 18 month contracts

In other words, by my interpretation the 3 months free does not apply to the deals on moneysavingexperts.com with the 18 month contracts and only applies to deals on which are for 12 months

The relevant section is Page 5

"Shell Energy Broadband and Phone Product Charges - (1) New Shell Energy Broadband customers taking an 18 month package, or existing Shell Energy Broadband customers taking a new 18 month package at the expiry of their existing contract, and via all sales channels other than sign-up through Money Saving Expert and the Shell Go+ app (2) New Shell Energy Broadband customers signing up via Money Saving Expert for a 12 month package".

Then follows a table showing you will get 3 months off for various packages, one of which is the 38Mb package.

But hasn't the headline (the bit in quotes immediately above) already ruled out anyone on an 18 month contract, meaning it would only apply to 12 month contracts? I suppose the crucial bit is how the Oxford comma at the end of (1) affects the meaning of the sentence...

RealGem

The Virgin Media link also fails to open. 

RRatchet

Even though my exchange/cabinet is enabled I live in an area that cannot get fibre superfast or even just plain fast due to being on the end of a very long copper cable. Apparently my line is currently capable of up to 3Mbps however the most it has ever achieved is 2Mbps (when an engineer is present) the ave is 1.3Mbps. 3/4G is available but not particularly consistent/good value. Fast/Superfast is not coming to my area anytime soon or possible even this century. So I've opted for fixed wireless instead and it's good enough for me, not cheap. It's £46pm for 40Mbps is more or less symmetrical & has a low ping. The stated speed are not quite achievable yet but will be better when I've felled a couple more trees.

However I want to retain my landline and supposedly the most cost effective way to do this is to have a cheap standard broadband package. MSE's deals checker is not up to the job for people in my situation. Plugging in my postcode gives a whole heap of fibre deals which are useless & the top standard deal is Shell Energy's which when you go to their website is also unavailable to either me or the 5+ properties that share my postcode. I just want a landline by the cheapest way possible. I and quite a number of people nearby are still on Tax Credits which means that the social tariffs are not available to us.  I don't know if it is possible but the checker needs updating to be more inclusive and accurate.