Urgent help needed - new broadband and phone contract

NotVeryTechie

Hi there


I hope someone has some good advice! I live in a shared house in London and over the years different tenants have taken out various contracts. We are now sitting with a Plusnet broadband and BT phone situation. The guy who was paying the phone has just moved out and I need to get a proper deal in place - really soon!


I was looking at switching the phone to Plusnet to make it a joint phone and broadband package (the broadband is on a £10pm contract). I don't want 18 months because I don't know what will happen with the house situation. My landlady refuses to put in fibre.



So I called Plusnet to see if I could negotiate a good deal with them to change the contract and get a new router, etc. First, their phone lines are busy and hold times are stupid. I tried web chat and asked for a callback. The gentleman called, but was so rude to me I had to stop the call. He shouted over me and basically told me that I could get a standard deal or nothing.


I have never had a big problem with Plusnet's broadband, but I have had problems with their staff before. I don't know if I have any other options though. I don't want to sign up with a company that has lots of bad reviews and I don't want to pay silly BT prices and I don't know what I can do about this. Just keep trying Plusnet until a nice person answers the phone?

JJ_Egan

How long left on your PN bb contract .
Note if they change a contract it will start a new term .
The BT phone and landline was what the basic at £20 pm ?

littleboo

"My landlady refuses to put in fibre."

Assuming its FTTC, then she wont even know, the copper feed to the premises in unchanged, the fibre goes as far as the cabinet

NotVeryTechie

We have had the Plusnet and BT accounts for years and years. No issues with contracts.


Thanks for the clarification about the fibre! I feel a little silly . Is it worth paying more, though?



We usually have three people in the house. I do stream and I have a Now TV box with an entertainment pass. We are between housemates at the moment, so not sure, but usually all three people would be using internet in the evenings. Right now, paying more would be a waste, but I wouldn't want to sign up and then not be able to switch to fibre halfway through.

Croft12

NotVeryTechie wrote: »

We have had the Plusnet and BT accounts for years and years. No issues with contracts.


Thanks for the clarification about the fibre! I feel a little silly . Is it worth paying more, though?



We usually have three people in the house. I do stream and I have a Now TV box with an entertainment pass. We are between housemates at the moment, so not sure, but usually all three people would be using internet in the evenings. Right now, paying more would be a waste, but I wouldn't want to sign up and then not be able to switch to fibre halfway through.

https://www.dslchecker.bt.com/


That ought to tell you the options you could get on fttc -v- adsl (assuming thats what you have) Run a speed test if need be to see your actual present speed.


Fttc is faster - so if speed matters or you watch a lot of netflix then its prob a good swap.


I don't know plusnet well (I thought their reputation was good) but afaik no provider will hold you to a contract if you upgrade with them to a better contract. ie adsl->fttc.

NotVeryTechie

I have been on the phone to Plusnet and Now TV today. Now TV have a very good offer on both BB and Fibre that includes line and calls.


Plusnet will price match, but without the calls included.



It is not a dealbreaker as I don't really use the landline, but sometimes it is good to have.


I know Plusnet gets great reviews, but I have had customer service problems with them in the past. The thing is, they have never increased their price even though we are well out of contract.


Now TV doesn't get great reviews and I am not sure if they are any good. They may also increase prices, so I am a bit worried.


But still wanting to be a Moneysaver!! So not sure what to do!!

Croft12

NotVeryTechie wrote: »

I have been on the phone to Plusnet and Now TV today. Now TV have a very good offer on both BB and Fibre that includes line and calls.


Plusnet will price match, but without the calls included.



It is not a dealbreaker as I don't really use the landline, but sometimes it is good to have.


I know Plusnet gets great reviews, but I have had customer service problems with them in the past. The thing is, they have never increased their price even though we are well out of contract.


Now TV doesn't get great reviews and I am not sure if they are any good. They may also increase prices, so I am a bit worried.


But still wanting to be a Moneysaver!! So not sure what to do!!

Guess it depends on the gap and if you make many landline calls. If like most ppl you use mobiles it won't matter - if your out all day evening or weekend might be an options. If price is king then NowTV though i have no idea what they are like.


Not sure if you will get caught up in a contract issue if you're former bill payer is in contract? Or were you saying you were out of contract on the Line and the bb packages



if you do go with plusnet they do have a line rental saver paid 1yr upfront that saves you 1 months line rental iirc. Assuming you know you'd be there for at least a year that might be an option. I think you can take that ontop of any bb/line rental deal (at least you can with BT)

[Deleted User]

NotVeryTechie wrote: »

Now TV doesn't get great reviews and I am not sure if they are any good. They may also increase prices, so I am a bit worried.

I'm with NowTV BB (going to have to phone them shortly as my 12 months is nearly up) and have had no issues. Only phoned them once when caller display was made free so if I can get something decent I'll happily re-sign.

I'm currently paying £20 for fibre but new customers pay £25 with anytime calls thrown in so I may accept that although that's at 36Mb average (we get 37Mb and according to the checker I can go up to 60Mb here), Sky's 63Mb fibre is only £27 without a calls package so I'll ask about a better deal from NowTV.

Do you need a calls package? I have UL minutes with Sky Mobile so only the wife occasionally uses the landline to book her hairdressers for instance.

Croft12

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

I'm with NowTV BB (going to have to phone them shortly as my 12 months is nearly up) and have had no issues. Only phoned them once when caller display was made free so if I can get something decent I'll happily re-sign.

I'm currently paying £20 for fibre but new customers pay £25 with anytime calls thrown in so I may accept that although that's at 36Mb average (we get 37Mb and according to the checker I can go up to 60Mb here), Sky's 63Mb fibre is only £27 without a calls package so I'll ask about a better deal from NowTV.

Do you need a calls package? I have UL minutes with Sky Mobile so only the wife occasionally uses the landline to book her hairdressers for instance.

Well if you make no calls (or could do so) the bb only no line is an option for many who have unlimited mobile minutes. The saving isn't huge but its a saving

[Deleted User]

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

I'm with NowTV BB (going to have to phone them shortly as my 12 months is nearly up) and have had no issues. Only phoned them once when caller display was made free so if I can get something decent I'll happily re-sign.

I'm currently paying £20 for fibre but new customers pay £25 with anytime calls thrown in so I may accept that although that's at 36Mb average (we get 37Mb and according to the checker I can go up to 60Mb here), Sky's 63Mb fibre is only £27 without a calls package so I'll ask about a better deal from NowTV.

Do you need a calls package? I have UL minutes with Sky Mobile so only the wife occasionally uses the landline to book her hairdressers for instance.

:eek: my £20 BB is going up to £35.99, they'll only go down to £25 with no calls package although she did offer a 6 month Sky Entertainment pass (we have Sky). I checked with Sky but apparently we can only get the 'normal' fibre speed here which is disappointing. Slightly sceptical about that as the BT checker says I can get faster fibre, perhaps Sky haven't updated their own infrastructure everywhere yet.

May have to go Virgin I think.

Croft12

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

:eek: my £20 BB is going up to £35.99, they'll only go down to £25 with no calls package although she did offer a 6 month Sky Entertainment pass (we have Sky). I checked with Sky but apparently we can only get the 'normal' fibre speed here which is disappointing. Slightly sceptical about that as the BT checker says I can get faster fibre, perhaps Sky haven't updated their own infrastructure everywhere yet.

May have to go Virgin I think.

Not sure what you mean 'normal'/'faster' fibre??


Are you talking about 40mb -v- 80mb fttc or fttc-v- G.Fast or fttp? Sky doesn't do fttp (yet) Not sure if they do G.fast. The threshold for G.Fast is realistically getting high seventies/80 on Fttc.