Joining SKY/Vodafone Broadband FTTP - Switching Experiences?

mgns

I'm currently with NOW Broadband (FTTC) and was just looking for some feedback from people who have switched to Full Fibre broadband from Sky or Vodafone.

I'd like to keep my current landline number, so I'm wondering if many people have had problems with porting their old numbers across. I've heard mixed information about the possibility of porting numbers from NOW to Sky.

Also, any feedback regarding cashback & vouchers from comparison sites, would be helpful. Is it straightforward? Do the vouchers have long expiry dates?

Thanks in advance.

iniltous

Sky and Now are fundamentally the same organisation, especially when it comes to telephony, so the least problematic switch should be Now to Sky (or vice versa for that matter)  moving to your telephone number from Sky to  Now is not really a number port , that’s when you leave one network for another completely separate network , BT to TT , or Virgin to Vodafone for example ……with your proposed change nothing really changes , Now are just Sky’s  budget brand , in the same way Plusnet are BT’s budget brand , when you look ‘under the hood’ they are the same .

PendeLun

I switched to Vodafone FTTP from Virgin Media internet and BT landline albeit back in 2019. Switching the number over initially was a issue and first few days due to static on the line but after a phone call Voda told me to get a adapter which sorted that out. I purchased it from Amazon but Voda agreed as long as I sent them the invoice they would refund me the money which they did. The other thing is make sure all your handsets are the same brand model etc otherwise it wont work. I found that out after the matter and had to spend £80 getting a BT 3 pack cordless set. if you have only one phone that is used i.e the one nearest the ONT box that will be the one that works. 

Also, do you have Sky tv? if so check out My Sky for the VIP offers they are currently offering a discount on their FTTP service via CityFibre.

mgns

Thanks for the information regarding Vodafone. It was good to hear that they helped you out, although, it looks like their customer service avenues have been scaled back since 2019.

I rang NOW & Sky, to find out about any potential offers and again I was given contradictory information about retaining my landline number.

NOW were adamant that taking a 'NOW powered by Sky Broadband' or any other Sky package would mean I could not keep my landline number.

On the other hand, Sky (sales team) were equally adamant that I could keep my landline number.

The online sign up process for NOW/Sky doesn't warn against a direct problem but they caveat that they will inform you via e-mail/letter, after signing up, if the number transfer isn't possible.

iniltous

If speaking to Now and they say you can’t take your number to Sky , the obvious question for them ‘ who supplies Now’s telephone service in the first place’ , Now don’t have a network of their own , it’s Sky’s network they use , AFAIK , back in the day  if you called 150 from the line it would say ‘Hello , Sky here , what do you want to do ‘ or words to that effect , so as a Now customer you are already connected to Sky network technology and equipment , so if it’s a choice who is telling the truth Sky or Now  , it’s not Now 

AndyPK

VODAFONE do send out the RJ11 adaptors these days, if you intend to use the landline.
You then plug the phone into the back of the router. (digital voice)
Just insure you request one if they don't mention it

mgns

Question for Sky Full Fibre subscribers - are the annual (6.2%) price rises generally around £3 or can they be greater than that? I know there is the option to leave when the rises are announced (unlike other providers).

Debbie1

I switched from NOW FTTC to Sky FTTP a couple of weeks ago and kept my old landline number.  I entered the number when I requested the switch and noted the bit that said they'd email if there was a problem, I didn't hear from them and switchover went smoothly a couple of weeks later.

I had both services running seperately for about an hour and when the FTTC/Phone line cut off  I moved phone to Sky router - it was working when I checked a couple of hours later.

Can't comment on the success of sign up offers as its too soon for me to have received mine, I signed up to Sky through Broadband choices which came with a £50 gift voucher through gift cloud - whether I get it or not remains to be seen

AndrewJB

I’ve just switched from NOW (Superfast Fibre-FTTC) to Sky (Fibre 150-FTTP) and everything went smoothly.

Prior to the engineer’s visit, someone was sent out to route the fibre cable and install a new box on the outside of the property, but they weren’t able to do that. They said the Openreach engineer would sort the issue out.

On the day of the change, the engineer said they might not be able to route the new line through the existing trunking, but everything on the inside of the property could be done, so I wouldn’t have to take more time off work. In the event, he was able to install the new line, and it wasn’t necessary to reroute the cable.

The only interruption was during the visit, which took just over an hour. Openreach says it can take between 1 and 3 hours to install the fibre line.

I was able to keep the same landline number, and this was operational straightaway.

Cashback tracked in a few minutes-whether it pays out is a different matter. It’s worth noting that some people have had cashback declined because Sky says they didn’t complete the process online, so I would avoid contacting them by phone during the switchover period.

At the time I made the change, Sky was offering Fibre 100 for £22 a month, but this wasn’t showing on Quidco, so I went with Fibre 150 for £23 a month. The cashback for that was £100, plus a bonus of £40 that I had already opted in to. It may be worth upgrading to premium for a month to get the best offers.

I noticed TopCashback was offering a similar £40 bonus recently. The best deals tend to switch between the cashback sites. I think this happens weekly, with new offers going live on Thursdays, but you should check that.

To improve cashback tracking, I logout of relevant sites and clear cookies/history in my main browser. I use a separate browser (in my case, Chrome) and follow instructions I found on HotUKDeals, which are similar to these AI-generated ones. It worked for me, but there are no guarantees:

To maximize cashback and bonuses when using Quidco with a HotUKDeals link, it's crucial to use a private or incognito browser window and ensure cookies are enabled. This prevents tracking interference from other sites and ensures your purchase is correctly attributed to the Quidco referral. 

Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Open a Private Browser:
   Start a new incognito or private browsing window in your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, or Edge).
   
2. Enable Third-Party Cookies:
   In your browser settings, ensure that third-party cookies are enabled. This is usually found under Privacy and Security settings.
   
3. Access Quidco:
   Manually type www.quidco.com into the address bar, avoiding autocomplete to prevent any potential interference from previously visited sites. 
   
4. Opt-in to the Bonus:
   If there's a bonus offer, opt-in to it on the Quidco website before proceeding. 
   
5. Navigate to the Retailer:
   Find the retailer you want to shop with on Quidco and click their link to be redrected to their site.
   
6. Complete Your Purchase:
   Make your purchase as usual on the retailer's website, ensuring you complete the transaction within the same private browsing session. 
   

Important Notes:

• Avoid Ad Blockers:
  Temporarily disable any ad-blocking extensions or features in your private browser, as they can interfere with tracking.
  
• Don't Use VPN (if avoidable):
  Using a VPN can sometimes cause tracking issues, so only use one if absolutely necessary, such as when masking multiple Quidco accounts.
  
• Fresh Session:
  Starting with a fresh incognito session helps ensure a clean slate for tracking purposes.
  
• Check Bonus Tracking:
  After your purchase, check your Quidco activity to confirm the bonus has been added. If it doesn't appear, you may need to submit a missing cashback claim. 

mgns

Many thanks to Debbie1 & AndrewJB for your detailed and informative posts. It's much appreciated!

I'm leaning towards Sky FTTP at the moment - During the sign up process did the message that states 'We've found an existing Sky line at your address. Please sign in' cause any issues or were you able to successfully complete everything online? 

(I'm assuming it's related to being a current NOW customer rather than being a Sky one in the distant past).

Debbie1

I'd forgotten about that, yes it did cause me a problem. Sorry I should have mentioned it.

I'm not sure if it was because of my NOW account or a historic Sky one.  There was a check box where I could state that I didn't currently have a line but further in the sign up process it errored out and told me to contact customer services. I spoke to them and they advised to try signing up with a different email address and that worked.