Is there any way around the 14 day new customer broadband restrictions?

blizeH

Hi, we're moving house next week and the few broadband providers have all said that there is a 14 day wait in place for new contracts and that everyone will have the same thing in place (certainly seems to be the case) Is there any way around this please?

Cable or fibre are not an option unfortunately. I'm amazed that in the days of people working from home and broadband being so essential that there is an enforced 14 day wait Thank you

shiraz99

The 14 day "wait" is for your benefit.

blizeH

shiraz99 said:

The 14 day "wait" is for your benefit.

Please can you elaborate? 14 days without broadband is going to potentially cost us a lot of money and cause a lot of headaches.

macman

No way should you be trying to arrange this before actual completion date, in case it's delayed. If necessary you can tether or use a dongle for the time it takes to get the new service installed.
Are you referring to a 14 day cooling off period?

shiraz99

Also, if it's going to cost you a "lot of money" then maybe you should be looking at a business contract instead.

blizeH

macman said:

No way should you be trying to arrange this before actual completion date, in case it's delayed. If necessary you can tether or use a dongle for the time it takes to get the new service installed.
Are you referring to a 14 day cooling off period?

Thank you, we were told the completion date is set in stone and won't change? Not sure how realistic that is.

I'm so confused by this process - it's standard for people to be without internet (if living in an area without 4G/5G) for 2 weeks?

blizeH

Even worse is the cheap deals here for Vodafone and Shell expire before we move  

Cheap broadband deals: our top picks and how to switch - MSE (moneysavingexpert.com)

Neil_Jones

blizeH said:

macman said:

No way should you be trying to arrange this before actual completion date, in case it's delayed. If necessary you can tether or use a dongle for the time it takes to get the new service installed.
Are you referring to a 14 day cooling off period?

Thank you, we were told the completion date is set in stone and won't change? Not sure how realistic that is.

I'm so confused by this process - it's standard for people to be without internet (if living in an area without 4G/5G) for 2 weeks?

What's confusing about it?  That's the law.  Its for your own good.

Not the broadband provider's fault you live somewhere without 4G/5G.  If you can't be without it, then, well, don't move basically.  Can you not transfer what you already have to your new property?

Re: cheap deals - they'll be more.  Broadband deals come along regular as clockwork.  And not everybody works from home either.

onomatopoeia99

blizeH said:

Even worse is the cheap deals here for Vodafone and Shell expire before we move  

Cheap broadband deals: our top picks and how to switch - MSE (moneysavingexpert.com)

If you're going to be potentially losing a lot of money by not being able to work from home, why are you even considering the cheap and nasty end of the market for your broadband?  

If it goes wrong after install, do you want a provider that will take ownership of the problem and can usually get a technician out within 24h, or one that pays for the lowest level of service from the infrastructure provider and has to wait days for an appointment from the same provider?

macman

blizeH said:

macman said:

No way should you be trying to arrange this before actual completion date, in case it's delayed. If necessary you can tether or use a dongle for the time it takes to get the new service installed.
Are you referring to a 14 day cooling off period?

Thank you, we were told the completion date is set in stone and won't change? Not sure how realistic that is.

I'm so confused by this process - it's standard for people to be without internet (if living in an area without 4G/5G) for 2 weeks?

It shouldn't move, no. But it can happen, and, if anything in the chain fails, or the transfer is delayed, then you won't get in on the scheduled completion day. 

matelodave

blizeH said:

macman said:

No way should you be trying to arrange this before actual completion date, in case it's delayed. If necessary you can tether or use a dongle for the time it takes to get the new service installed.
Are you referring to a 14 day cooling off period?

Thank you, we were told the completion date is set in stone and won't change? Not sure how realistic that is.

I'm so confused by this process - it's standard for people to be without internet (if living in an area without 4G/5G) for 2 weeks?

As Macman says, it should be, but often slips, especially if you are in a chain or even for a new build if its not completed on schedule. 

We've moved house several times and bought/sold houses for my Mum and MIL and out of around twelve transactions, six of them have slipped because something went wrong down the chain - we even ended up being homeless for some three weeks due to a glitch in the chain

We had anticipated it and lived in a caravan for three weeks with our possessions in storage to help break the chain and get it moving. It could have gone horribly wrong, and we could have been homeless for a lot longer if it had all gone to pot, but at least we would then have been cash buyers for another property

Even if you are a cash buyer it can still slide if there's an upward chain.

Regarding provision of internet, there is a process that has to be followed that relies on giving you as the customer a fourteen day cooling off period, the ISP has to programme the changeover with Open Reach if they are the network provider in your area and of course it relies on the previous occupant releasing their broadband contract in a timely fashion - many don't, and as they are still in contract you cannot demand the ISP to transfer you, even if they don't own the house any more.

Lastly, there may be a waiting list which may prioritise anyone who's been waiting over you as soon as the line gets released.

It may be irritating but, in the end, getting broadband isn't really a right, it's a privilege and you'll just have to accept what's available when it's available.

Possibly the only way around it is to get the vendor to take out a new contract on your behalf and in your name whilst they are still living there. You pick up the cost of his early termination fee's if there are any and pay for the service until you eventually move in.