Changing Provider and retaining email address

Robin9

My road is being dug up for fibre broadband and I am being offered a FTP. The package being offered is very tempting.

I am told I can retain my email (I know there are options like gmail but I don't want to change my aol  -  lots of contacts)  I always thought it had to die with the old provider unless you paid to keep it.  Have things changed ?

Neil_Jones

If you move provider you can sometimes keep access to the old address if you continue to pay for it.  While you're with the provider you get it inclusive.

Set up a Gmail/Yahoo/Outlook address and you can use the option of syncing them/pulling them in, then all you do is drag anything you want to keep to the new account's inbox.  You may be able to set an auto-forward/reply on the old email telling people about your new address, or you can email them directly.

IF you have a Gmail/Yahoo/Outlook address you can move providers until the cows come home and you won't lose it as a result of moving providers.

Robin9

Neil_Jones said:

If you move provider you can sometimes keep access to the old address if you continue to pay for it.  While you're with the provider you get it inclusive.

That was my belief - I am told that it was deemed anti-competitive.  Does anyone know ?

iniltous

If the new network provider is saying you can keep your existing email address that is associated with an ISP that you won’t be using if you take up the new networks offer of service , they are being less than honest …..if someone leaves an ISP with which they have an email address, some ISPs will eventually close the email account, some will allow ‘basic’ access, some for a fee will continue to offer a full email service , it depends on which ISP they are with , but it’s definitely not like ‘number portability’ where you generally have the option to keep your existing phone number , chances are the potentially ‘commission only’  network representative has an incentive to be less than clear on this subject.

flaneurs_lobster

I am told I can retain my email (I know there are options like gmail but I don't want to change my aol  -  lots of contacts)  

Are you using AOL as your email service? That isn't associated with any broadband supplier (or is that a typo?).

Robin9

Supplier is Talk Talk but email address is Aol

flaneurs_lobster

The two are completely separate, AOL retained the email service when TalkTalk acquired the broadband business in 2014.

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Email/RE-Keeping-AOL-email-accounts/m-p/2757771#M149144

Robin9

Thank you  - as I read that link providing I use AOL every six months - the AOL remains alive.

There is no mention of cost.

J_B

Girl in the pub used to live in america.

Had an aol email address there

Came 'home' to the UK about ten (?) years ago and still has same email address without being with aol in the UK

flaneurs_lobster

Robin9 said:

There is no mention of cost.

That's because it's free. Just like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud mail and others it is supported by advertising and selling any other information it can glean from your use (as stipulated in it's T&Cs of course). 

The_Fat_Controller

AOL Mail is part of the Yahoo family, it is no longer associated with any UK ISP.