Land Line only options

MouldyOldDough

My, almost 90 year old Mother-in-law has had an ADSL line with Talk Talk for at least 15 years and has revealed that she is currently paying £43 for her package including unlimited calls

This, I feel is a rip off

She is trying to save money and is looking at options

1. Stay as she is - rip off

2. Dump the internet and use a land line only (BT charge £21.99 for a land line/calls package) - To be honest - she rarely uses the internet so wouldnt miss it

3. Convert to fibre (I pay TT £25 for a 65bps with unlimited calls)

4. Buy a big button mobile phone £50  (from £5 for contract) - never used a mobile / scared

What would you do ?

iniltous

If the internet/emails not needed , and just the occasional ‘keep in touch’ phone calls are needed , then a PAYG mobile , or sim only deal with an appropriate big button handset would seem to be the way to go.

EssexExile

Has she spoken to Talk Talk? Failing a better deal from them I'd go for option 2 or 3. Trying to get some older people to use a mobile can be like hitting your head against a brick wall, I've had experience!

MouldyOldDough

EssexExile said:

Has she spoken to Talk Talk? Failing a better deal from them I'd go for option 2 or 3. Trying to get some older people to use a mobile can be like hitting your head against a brick wall, I've had experience!

Not yet
I have asked her son to help 

MouldyOldDough

iniltous said:

If the internet/emails not needed , and just the occasional ‘keep in touch’ phone calls are needed , then a PAYG mobile , or sim only deal with an appropriate big button handset would seem to be the way to go.

She has never used a mobile phone - things are not that simple 

MouldyOldDough

Talk talk do not offer phone line only contracts 
BT charge £21.99 for this! Which in itself is a ripoff (I pay £25 for phoneline, unlimited calls and faster fibre) 

iniltous

There is a cheaper BT plan, if in receipt of certain benefits ( pension credit for example ) BT Basic is less than £10/ month ( as far as I know ) the £21.99 is a phone plan .

MouldyOldDough

iniltous said:

There is a cheaper BT plan, if in receipt of certain benefits ( pension credit for example ) BT Basic is less than £10/ month ( as far as I know ) the £21.99 is a phone plan .

I don't think that she qualifies for the cheap option

She's not on Pension credit

brewerdave

EssexExile said:

Has she spoken to Talk Talk? Failing a better deal from them I'd go for option 2 or 3. Trying to get some older people to use a mobile can be like hitting your head against a brick wall, I've had experience!

Have to agree here. We found that my mother was using her BT line to phone back nephews/nieces on their mobiles resulting in horrendous call bills. We got her a cheap mobile and pre programmed it for calls but when she passed away we found that she hadn't been using it and as executor I found another huge BT bill awaiting payment!!

dander

I agree with the people that say don't force the mobile on her. If she's not comfortable with it and it puts her off keeping in touch with people she'd otherwise regularly chat to, it really isn't worth the money saving. It sounds to me as though you may as well drop the internet and go to a landline only deal - shop around and find out what's best value there. Even if you keep the internet there are plenty of landline and internet deals that are way cheaper than £43 - I've seen them under £20. If it needs to be converted to fibre there's a good chance they will do it for free to get the business.

jbuchanangb

MIL could start by nominating you as an authorised person to administer her TT account. Nowadays just to have a landline, broadband comes as part of the deal. I agree that simplest would be to sign up to a new 24-month deal with TT, along with the unlimited UK calls package, and simply not connect the broadband unless she wants to use it. As long as someone else like you has been granted authority to administer her account, she shouldn't need it.