Switching broadband

Yorkie1

It seems to be the case that if you wish to retain the LL and are currently with Plusnet, they will manage a switch to EE for you, and you will continue paying the same amount until the date your PN contract was due to end. So you are basically keeping your LL/BB contract with the BT group for its duration, but it's just being supplied by EE rather than PN for the last bit of it. Hence no early termination fees from PN.

redux

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81999548#Comment_81999548

If you're worried about chance of something going wrong in the switch, I think tnis is unlikely.

I've previously switched at every minimum contract period for several years - EE, Sky, Plusnet, Now, once or more each, and never had any issue. Any occasional other problems have been due to the line itself, usually on several neighbouring lines, which Openreach fixed each time.

badger09

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81999548#Comment_81999548

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82000414#Comment_82000414

Similar situation. My Plusnet contract is to late Jan 2027 but email 20 May said unless I contact them within 30 days to say I want to stay, but without phone, I would be switched to EE. We’re in semi rural area, not yet full fibre and mobile signal is inconsistent. Husband has poor hearing & no tech ability whatsoever so we want to keep landline.
I’ve decided to switch to Zen next month. Pleasantly surprised that similar BB speeds and inclusive call package is £6 pm cheaper and no mid contract price rises! Plusnet customer service has always been good, but prior to switch, Zen’s has been excellent. 🤞🏻

Edit

EE only same price until the end of your current Plusnet contract.

badger09

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82000425#Comment_82000425

I would argue that my contract is with Plusnet, not the wider BT Group. Plusnet will stop providing one of the services included in my contract mid term. As they are substantially changing that contract, they are not entitled to any early termination charge if I choose to leave.

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010173#Comment_82010173

Hopefully you do realise that the type of phone service you get with Zen is not a traditional ‘landline’ in that the phone stays in the wall socket powered from the ‘exchange’ , it is the same as if you switched to EE , in other words it’s via the broadband connection and depends on broadband working ( and the mains electricity supply in your house ) if Zen is cheaper overall than EE that’s great , but you indicated that being on a ‘normal’ landline was your aim , that won’t happen ….FYI , EE maintaining the PN price until the original ‘contract’ date would mean you could negotiate with EE for telephony at that point , currently is £12 a month for Unlimited minutes is easily achievable when calling to ‘renew’ , it’s not the £18 to £20 official list price , plus broadband from Zen for me (F2 80Mb ) would be £35 from Zen and £28 from EE ,what were you paying Plusnet and what’s the price with Zen ?

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010187#Comment_82010187

You could try arguing that , but this industry is littered with ‘customer bases’ moved from one provider to another with no consultation , provided the same product and the same price is maintained by the new company and effectively the only difference to the customer is who sends the bill out , is commonplace and happens all the time , in these cases the customer has no automatic ‘right’ to leave just because they are being moved to a new company unless something detrimental also happens, like a price increase or a change in the terms and conditions , contract length etc , with the Plusnet to EE change , nothing changes apart from who sends you the bill , you can’t argue something ridiculous like ‘I don’t like the EE logo , or the people who work for them are not in Yorkshire so I can leave penalty free’ .

If PN have agreed you can leave penalty free to Zen ( either individually because you complained or because it’s part of the documentation outlining the change of PN to a broadband only provider) then fair enough but if you are just assuming no early termination charges , I suspect are in for a rude awakening

badger09

Yes I do realise the phone will be via BB. The advantage is down to reliability and cost of almost identical package. Zen is £38.50 pm 18 month contract + £15 activation.
EE is £44.99 rising to at least £48.99 31/3/27 and £52.99 from 31/3/28. Cost would be higher as call plan also increases 5% in March. That’s for 24 month contract as a new customer. I know if I migrate I might be able to haggle price down a bit on renewal but with Zen I don’t have to. I’m comparing Unlimited Fibre 1, which is closest to what we have now & is fine for our needs. Time will tell I guess. Appreciate your comments though.

badger09

@iniltous

I have started the dialogue regarding early termination fee and will update when switch completed and final bill received.

redux

Some people must make a lot of phone calls if £12 a month is good value. Here that lasts over a year using a separate VoIP provider at 0.4 pence a minute to landlines

Or there are plenty of mobile phone deals with unlimited calls a bit cheaper. Use WiFi calling if the mobile network is weak.

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82010228#Comment_82010228

Your EE price £44.99 seems very high for just broadband (certainly higher than the website prices unless you are adding telephony ) so suggests you are not comparing like for like , and by not adding the £7.50 to Zen for their version of DV (admittedly with 1000 minutes, not unlimited but probably fine as it represents 30 minutes of calls per day ) that makes the Zen price £42.50 (Taken from their website ) not £38.50.

Zen may not build in price increases but in the main are more expensive from the outset , in my case £7 more a month initially so even allowing for two £4 increases , in total EE is ( in my case ) still cheaper .

You wouldn’t even be paying the EE price until whenever your PN contract term expires anyway , continuing with the PN price so the EE price is irrelevant until that date .

TBH , if you are happy with your choice , good for you , Zen once had a very good reputation (maybe not so good today as it once was but they seem to be trying to reinvent as a mass market provider not the niche one they once were ) your choice will presumably cost you early termination charges , and an increase in price , if that’s worth it that’s fine , the comparison though to what you could have seems a little inaccurate though