Advice on PlusNet phone and broadband

Kingham08

PlusNet is Martin's choice for best broadband. I want to have broadband and telephone but talktalk's best package is not available in my area. Plusnet offers home tel and line rental as add ons to its broadband. Has anyone experience of this (price and performance?

Quentin

Kingham08 wrote: »

PlusNet is Martin's choice for best broadband.

Martin didn't choose the best broadband.

He chose the cheapest. Not the best!

Note plusnet was bought out by BT last year.

You can see comparisons of different ISPs service, speed and reliability (not related to their cheapness) at thinkbroadband:

This is the comparison of plusnet with the current "flavour of the month" - o2:

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/compare.html?isp_86=1&isp_77=1&commit=Compare

JohalaReewi

Check out following Heinz's advice. Get your line rental from BT, sign up to Primus and 18185 for calls, and get your broadband from whoever.

Moving your line rental away from BT is not considered to be a good move. It can limit CPS and indirect provider selection. BT have to allow everything. Other Telcos don't.

For Broadband, if you just want to surf and email, PlusNet is fine. If you want to download large files all day and run p2p services, check out some other ISPs who specialise in this area.

Link to Heinz's article: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=1598074&postcount=4

Astraeus

I have just come to the end of a six-month contract with PlusNet (having moved out of the accomodation the internet was being ported into). I chose PlusNet because my previous address has been connected through PlusNet for three/four years and we have found them nothing but superb in service provided and customer services. It also helps that I feel my monthly Direct Debit is helping the fortunes of my football team... :j

The actual broadband and phone package service was no hassle and I have had not a single problem during the six months. Unfortunately a cease had been placed on my line so I had to pay BT for the pleasure of having my phone line unlocked. Instead of stumping up the £115 connection fee, I took out a year long contract with them on their least expensive tariff which worked out at ~£85 and then cancelled straight away, taking up PlusNet's £25 phone and 8mb broadband package. I am a keen P2Per and was notified on two occasions during the six-months that I had exceeded my monthly download limit (grr, torrents...) but that was my own mismanagement. PlusNet are perfectly fair so long as you utilise P2P during the night-time and not at peak times.

The only problem I had with PlusNet was when it came to disconnecting. I spoke with an advisor to inform him that I was moving into a property which was already connected to PlusNet and he advised me that they'd kindly waive the 30-day cancellation period in these circumstances. That would have meant my internet was disconnected on 15th April and I would have incurred no further charge. Much to my annoyance, PlusNet then cancelled the phone line a full two weeks BEFORE the internet - so I was paying for the internet without a phone line on which to use it. I raised the issue with them but they were unable to remedy it and I since received a bill for the full 30-day cancellation period. I queried this with PlusNet and, within a day, I had a response from a rep apologising and saying that the DD would be refunded.

So a definite tick for the actual product and a definitive tick for customer services...on the whole. The problems are resolved quickly and communicated to you well - when the problems actually occur.

Kingham08

Many thanks, really helpful. Heinz's article was a bit of a challenge for a non-techie like me, but I have grasped it and I will follow what you and he suggest.

Kingham08

Thanks for the detailed response. Very helpful. I will now take out Plus Net broadband with confidence while moving to Primus telephone and keep my BT line rental.