Broadband suppliers.

[JohnP]

I am considering changing my broadband supplier from BT to a cheaper alternative. Plusnet seems to do reasonably price contracts... anyone use them... are they any good?

[Phil]

I've no experience with anyone other Sky and BT, my only advice would be to be very aware of download limits particularly if you spend a lot of time on YouTube or watching online videos etc.

[Guest DaveW]

I use PlusNet and never had any trouble with them.  They were the cheapest at the time I changed for a 10Gig per month allowance, though you can go over that if you pay extra that month. I see I paid £6.49 for the month for my up to 10Gig allowance. Of course line rental is extra but mine is with another firm, Adept Telecom since they too were cheaper than BT.

 

http://www.adept-telecom.co.uk/residential

 

If your changing phone or Internet providers watch out for the cheap introductory offers which often double in price after a few months back to their normal rates, so read the small print carefully not just the headline offer as your then locked in for so many months and cannot change.

 

Should have said PlusNet send you an email warning when you reach 8Gig of usage that month, well in advance of your 10Gig limit.  I have only exceeded my 10Gig limit intentionally one month and can usually keep within the 10Gig one.  You can pay extra to have unlimited downloads I think if you are a heavy user, but as you can gather I like to keep things cheap!

Edited April 26, 2013 by DaveW

[JohnP]

Thanks Dave.

 

At the moment I pay BT £26.00 per month for unlimited broadband plus line rental. My line rental is paid until August 30th and there's not much to be saved by having the phone line with another company so I'll most likely leave that with BT. I've finished work now so I don't need unlimited broadband anymore and a limit of 10GB will be OK, I also pay Orange £10.00 per month for 2GB of mobile broadband. I can use Orange at home if I get to the 10GB limit.

 

Here is the PlusNet package I have been looking at: http://www.plus.net/home-broadband/broadband-only/

Edited April 26, 2013 by JohnP

[Black Pearl]

We're with TalkTalk - completely unlimited Broadband (not all are) and our phone line/calls. Can't remember the cost but they were the best value at the time.

My only problem is there's no high-speed lines in Whitburn so I'm limited to 5-9mb speeds which is a pain when the TV is streaming the iPlayer, the iMac is on and the boys are using their tablets (hence the unlimited data) add the iPhone, two iPads and an internet radio and it gets some stick.

[Guest DaveW]

Problem with all broadband over conventional phone lines is it depends on how far from the exchange you are what speed you get. As they say "a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link" so no point for paying an ISP for speed you cannot use thinking it will be faster.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10774406

 

http://www.webuser.co.uk/broadband/advice/386270/how-broadband-works

[fuzzyedges]

I use plus net

10gb allowance

anytime phone

£11.94 per month less line rental

Line rental paid lump sum for year = £9.75 per mnth

Never had to ring them in 3 years

can easily check usage on there site

As said above e mail at 8gb but its not gihuge if you go over 10

Watch for there deals they come up now and then

check quid co or top cash to see if they are on there

If you go with them might as well go the cheapest way for the first year

Edited April 26, 2013 by fuzzyedges

[Kobione]

Not really relevant, or helpful to you John, but we're in the middle of this right now, too. Our problem is our remote location. Our Telstra is the national supplier of 'net services, but they are the most expensive. We will never get the high speed broadband that is supposedly being rolled out at a phenominal cost, across the country. It can get confusing, too. We have Optus, who give good service etc, and Virgin, a bit cheaper - but Virgin is actually still Optus, but on a lower scale of things, and they still all use the Telecom lines anyway.

 

Interesting reading for me, anyway

[JohnP]

Thanks for all your replies... much appreciated. I'm going to take a little time and make sure I get the best deal. Money is a bit tight now my work has dried up and I'm almost retired.

 

On another subject... I received my renewal notice for my car breakdown cover today and I was pretty annoyed that the premium had been increased by just over 25%. I got straight on the phone this morning and told them that unless they could come with a better figure they could stick it. There was lots of tapping of keys in the background and guess what... they come up with a new figure... £15.00 lower...

[Phil]

Have you considered ditching your land line altogether?

Assuming you have a good 3G mobile signal for £30 a month or less you could have a sparkling new smart phone, around 2000 texts, 2000 any network minutes and unlimited internet (be sure the plan includes tethering).

 

As you know I work 12 hour shifts, in fact I'm at work now with my laptop tethered to my phone. I'll spend the day surfing and watching iPlayer/TV Catchup/YouTube and will use around 10GB+ with no issues at all and no extra costs.

[JohnP]

Phil... I had thought about what you suggested but 3G is not great where I live, when using my Orange dongle with my laptop I usually only get one bar on the signal meter... the odd occasion I can get 3G+ but still only one bar and the signal is prone to dropping out. Just remember I live in Herefordshire and we have only recently stopped sending smoke signals...

[Black Pearl]

Mobile broadband is on the up and it won't be long before it becomes the norm.

All comes down to coverage but it's getting better. At home I can get about 3mbs through 3 on the iPhone and iPad - at work in Gateshead where they've just installed new equipment I get around 24mbs!!!!!!!! That's around three times faster than my telephone line broadband at home. It's a revelation to see how fast the net can run, pages load and information is available.

That by the way is 3G speeds I'm curious to know what I'll get when 3 turn on the 4G transmitters in town.

[colinb]

John have you had a word with BT? £26 + line rental is a lot for unlimited considering their current offers -

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25633&s_cid=con_ppc_maxus_vidZ59_T1&vendorid=Z59&gclid=CJb569ii67YCFWXJtAodmHsACQ

 

out of interest I assume the orange dongal is for your lap top and you use it out of the home? Just thinking if not why not drop the orange fee and use wifi?

Edited April 27, 2013 by colinb

[JohnP]

John have you had a word with BT? £26 + line rental is a lot for unlimited considering their current offers -

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25633&s_cid=con_ppc_maxus_vidZ59_T1&vendorid=Z59&gclid=CJb569ii67YCFWXJtAodmHsACQ

 

out of interest I assume the orange dongal is for your lap top and you use it out of the home? Just thinking if not why not drop the orange fee and use wifi?

 

Colin... BT seem to offer new customers better deals than their established customers... a bit like my car breakdown cover I mentioned earlier in this thread. It was only when I phoned them to cancel that they can suddenly reduce the premium by £15.00  When my BT contract is about to end I will phone BT to cancel and see what they come up with.

 

With regard to my Orange dongle... I need that as wifi in rural Herefordshire is extremely sparse, it's OK in Hereford city but not where I live. I also like to spend time in Pembrokeshire and the same applies.

Edited April 27, 2013 by JohnP

[colinb]

Colin... BT seem to offer new customers better deals than their established customers...

 

I know what you mean , we have been with Pipex since the 1997, and BT keep offering us some really good deals  - maybe one day but I'm happy with what we pay for unlimited everything.

note- Pipex no longer exist so there is no point in me sending you their way

[JohnP]

I know what you mean , we have been with Pipex since the 1997, and BT keep offering us some really good deals  - maybe one day but I'm happy with what we pay for unlimited everything.

note- Pipex no longer exist so there is no point in me sending you their way

 

Until recently I have always stayed with my providers of everything if they offer good service and I mean everything. Same barber for over 20 years, been with O2 for my mobile since it was Cellnet and then BT Cellnet, Directline for my vehicle insurance since they started 27 years ago... the list is endless. Lately I have noticed that providers no longer care about their loyal customers and continually offer better deals to new customers, one day they will all realise that loyal customers are more important than trying to entice new customers who only stay for 12 months and then look for another new customer deal. I'm afraid I have been forced to start shopping around and stuff loyalty if it is at my expence. I now have no hesitation in telling them straight reduce the cost or I'm off.

[fuzzyedges]

Pipex no longer exist so there is no point in me sending you their way

 

Pipex were very good to me, you had to pay in advance by credit card

Before they were swallowed up they refunded my payments of £50 twice, which was great as I hadnt asked them too do nor had I paid anything on my credit card

I had by that time stopped pointing out that they were in the wrong and I had adopted the sytem of There are two kinds of payment i am paid correct or I am underpayed nothing else exsists as underpayment is such a hassle to correct why worry about overpayment

[Guest]

Until recently I have always stayed with my providers of everything if they offer good service and I mean everything. Same barber for over 20 years, been with O2 for my mobile since it was Cellnet and then BT Cellnet, Directline for my vehicle insurance since they started 27 years ago... the list is endless. Lately I have noticed that providers no longer care about their loyal customers and continually offer better deals to new customers, one day they will all realise that loyal customers are more important than trying to entice new customers who only stay for 12 months and then look for another new customer deal. I'm afraid I have been forced to start shopping around and stuff loyalty if it is at my expence. I now have no hesitation in telling them straight reduce the cost or I'm off.

 

John you must do a comparison on your car insurance next time its due. The car insurance industry works on a model where the average person changes company every 7 years. Each insurance company targets a set group of driver/ car combination for two years offering really cheap prices then increases those prices over the next 5 years to make good profit. Last year my insurance was just over £400 this year the renewal was £636 a quick bit of confused.com and I renewed it for £323 beating last years price as well as this years renewal quote

[Guest DaveW]

One reason I always used an insurance agent in the past rather than dealt direct was he used to switch between different companies most years to get the best deal. You get very little being a loyal customer. However the lady in my bank often used to close my current account for me at the end of the new customer deal and start a new account so I got the introductory terms again. Apparently they don't have to close the account anymore but can give you the discount anyway if they wish, but it always pays to search for the best deals and then negotiate with your present provider since unless you ask most are loath to give you a better deal. 

 

I used Money Supermarket online to find my car insurer this last time and SwiftCover were even cheaper than my insurance agents quote, but you do have to print out your own documents from your computer.  As an example in the past I asked for a quote using the phone from an insurance firm that claimed on TV they gave the cheapest quote direct. I then received a quote from my insurance agent that was £30 cheaper and when the documents came it was from the same insurance company that quoted me over the phone and obviously my insurance agent was receiving a commission from them plus charging me £30 less!

 

Luckily I don't have to pay for breakdown insurance since I have my care serviced by a Ford agent and those who do get a free years breakdown cover provided by the AA through Ford Assist. However no doubt you pay for this as the manufacturers service is probably dearer than the local garage charges.

 

It's never been easier to compare deals these days than using your computer, so always check you are getting the best one online against your present insurers renewal quote since as Richard says most like to increase it after the first year, so it pays to constantly switch to the best deal.

Edited April 28, 2013 by DaveW

[JohnP]

John you must do a comparison on your car insurance next time its due. The car insurance industry works on a model where the average person changes company every 7 years. Each insurance company targets a set group of driver/ car combination for two years offering really cheap prices then increases those prices over the next 5 years to make good profit. Last year my insurance was just over £400 this year the renewal was £636 a quick bit of confused.com and I renewed it for £323 beating last years price as well as this years renewal quote

 

Richard... I have done comparisons on several occasions but there's never much if any saving, I don't know what vehicle you drive but I've never paid anything like what you are paying. I renewed the insurance on my Peugeot Partner Tepee in March and I paid £182.32 and that includes car hire for two weeks should my car be off the road due to an accident.

[Guest]

just checked and yours is insurance group 2 or 3 mines insurance group 13 hence the price difference. Mines a Landrover freelander 2 TD4 HSE 2.2 diesel 

[Guest DaveW]

You should run something cheaper Richard, do you need four wheel drive? I only pay £30 Road Tax a year on a 1.6 diesel Ford Focus, yet my pal pays over £100 for an older pre-emissions rated petrol Ford Fiesta.

 

"Older cars. Cars registered before March 2001 are taxed on their engine size, those with engines of 1549cc or below are charged at one rate (currently £130 a year), and those with engines larger than 1549cc are charged £215 a year."

 

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/road-tax-rates-2012-2013/261927

[Guest]

Dave, I could use my other car but thats a V8 3.5l Merc. I need the 4x4 to make sure I get to work whatever the weather, I don't get to the client they don't pay me. Also I ended up in the middle of Thetford forest a few months ago with my current client checking mobile signal for their toughbook laptops so it come in handy, wouldn't fancy trying that in a focus lol. Also I love cars (bit of a petrol head in case you hadnt guessed) and as I spend a lot of time in mine I like something a bit special hence the HSE spec, leather seats sat nav, Alpine stereo etc . They are my treat to myself for working hard.