Can you specify switch date when changing broadband provider?

bitofsaving

It's that time of year again - I need to do my annual broadband switch to keep getting a good deal (around £20/month). My line rental is paid through the end of October (I prepaid it last year), and my current contract ends Nov 4th.
Now, what I'm confused about is the following: I can't figure out how/where to find out whether you get the option to choose a switch date when you change to a particular supplier! A few weeks ago, I used the comparison tool (uswitch) to pick out a new supplier because there was a good deal on, and I was hoping I'd be able to get the deal by committing to the switch a few weeks early, while still providing a switch date at the end of October.
Instead, I wasn't offered to pick a switch date anywhere throughout the process (and aborted shortly before committing). The only option was to switch right now.
I want to avoid wasting money on the prepaid line rental for October by switching too early. Obviously, I can just wait until the last minute, but I'm afraid I'll then run into delays and be charged for an extra month by my old provider.
Can anyone shed some light on this? I'm sure I remember I got to pick a switch date when I did this last year. Thanks!

iniltous

IMHO it's not worth trying to engineer a changeover on an exact date, apart from anything, the date can slip anyway, you pay the old provider upto the date Openreach do the work, and pay the new provider from the day after OR do the work, if there is a delay for whatever reason ,it's the date the work is done that counts, not the 'target' date you are given by the new provider.
..if you end up changing a few days after the expiry of a minimum term, and your provider charges you for a full month, then you get a refund for the days paid to the old provider but service being supplied by the new company.
A migration takes around 10 days' , so if you signed up to a new provider around the 20th, if the changeover goes through a couple of days early , you will have ETC's, but that should be a tiny amount, and if later than you would like, you would be refunded any overpayment , as you have different dates for broadband and line rental, you are not going to be able to do both changeovers perfectly'

bitofsaving

I get the argument. But it's not the actual broadband charges so much that I'm concerned about, but also/more the line rental. I've prepaid October, but I'm guessing that if I switch to a new supplier before end of October, they will charge me for that month's line rental again/as well, and I don't think I'll get a partial refund for the doubling up there. Maybe the real question here is whether you get a partial refund for prepaid line rental if you switch before the year is out?

Also, last time I switched, I was charged over £50 extra not just for the November I barely dipped into (change on the 5th), but also for the following December, despite having cancelled 3 weeks before the my Nov 5th date. Apparently, even though they had close to a month's notice, they couldn't prevent "the system" from charging for the following month in advance. Took them until Christmas to refund me, so not ideal.

wongataa

bitofsaving wrote: »

Maybe the real question here is whether you get a partial refund for prepaid line rental if you switch before the year is out?

No you will not.

Also, last time I switched, I was charged over £50 extra not just for the November I barely dipped into (change on the 5th), but also for the following December, despite having cancelled 3 weeks before the my Nov 5th date. Apparently, even though they had close to a month's notice, they couldn't prevent "the system" from charging for the following month in advance. Took them until Christmas to refund me, so not ideal.

Maybe not ideal but you did get refunded without any other issues.

AndyPK

if you go direct to the supplier website and go through the process you can pick an install date. Usually have to wait 2 weeks anyway

[Deleted User]

AndyPK wrote: »

if you go direct to the supplier website and go through the process you can pick an install date. Usually have to wait 2 weeks anyway

And the OP should be aware that no install date is guaranteed.

AndyPK

Due to open reach needing to accept it?

esuhl

AndyPK wrote: »

if you go direct to the supplier website and go through the process you can pick an install date. Usually have to wait 2 weeks anyway

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

And the OP should be aware that no install date is guaranteed.

When I tried to transfer to Vodafone, I got a provisional switch-over date about two weeks in the future.


I then got follow-up emails confirming I'd be disconnected from my current ISP on that date, but would not be connected to Vodafone for a further 10 days.


I spent hours on the phone trying to get them to adjust the date so I wouldn't be left without internet access for almost two weeks, but there was nothing they could do. I had to get BT to take back the line forcefully using the line-slamming fraud process.

OPMDaze

If you have a stable connection with your existing isp you might try to get a better deal off them. Seen and had too many delays over the years and have now decided it's not worth the risk or hassle. I do realise this is a money saving forum though