Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

I started this thread last year:
http://www.over50sforum.com/showthread.php?t=24759

asking about switching from BT to a new provider for Broadband and Telephone.
The outcome was that Plusnet was the best alternative so all necessary procedures were carried out to switch, but BT refused to let me go! I was astonished! Plusnet seemed to think they were within their rights.
I just want a hassle-free life within minimum costs/maximum benefits..........so I agreed to upgrading with BT and am now paying the maximum costs.
My contract with BT ends on 5th May and this time I am determined to switch unless BT reduce their costs substantially. I've written to OffCom and asked if they can shadow my switch, but does anyone know of an organisation who arranges switches???

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

Never heard of that before! I know they charge you if you're contract hasn't ended but, surely they can't stop you leaving! Cripes!

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

Hi Lindy no one can stop you changing service providers, however that fact that Plusnet is owned by BT may have something to do with the decision.

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

I'm told this refusal to let a customer go has happened many times before. At that time my contract still had a few months to go and I was aware there would be a penalty fee to pay, but as I said, I was amazed and disgusted! Someone mentioned that it's easier to tell BT you're moving abroad or moving in with someone else!!!

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

I won't get myself a fixed broadband connection until there are no longer any contracts! Every time they phone me and ask if I'd like a BT Broadband account, I ask if they have got rid of the contracts (I tell them, on the phone, that I don't care what their contracts are there for). When they inevitably say that there would still be a contract, I say goodbye and hang up!

Given BT's broadband performance and reputation...

http://www.broadband.co.uk/broadband...iews/page:all/

...I think I'll give them a miss, anyway, and go to Virgin, one day, if those contracts are gone there, too.

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

This seems a totally unreasonable and unrealistic expectation TBH. If any company is going to provide a service of some kind then the has to be a contract which:

- defines the service
- defines the company's responsibilities
- defines your responsibilities
- defines how outages are managed
- defines the cost of the service and how payments are to be made
- defines how you can terminate the contract

and a whole load of other legal stuff.

I can't imagine what you are expecting TBH. Are you hoping a huge conglomerate like BT will turn up like a local garden landscaper and say "All right Guv, we'll do it for £20 per month, no questions asked, gentleman's agreement right!" ?

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

Unfortunately Lindyloo, BT is still a monopoly operation in the UK which is corrupt and crooked in the extreme but since criminals run the country that's what we are stuck with.

The networks, i.e the physical lines, cables etc belong to BT so anyone else who wants to set up an operation simply piggybacks on that infrastructure so regardless who you get services from you are still using BT. That inevitably leads to all manner of problems and frustrations.

The ONLY way this situation can change is when another company actually installs their own physical lines and cables which of course is a mammoth undertaking and huge risk for any prospective player.

Virgin Media of course is one such player but at present they are in the "rollout" phase which means they only have cover in a few places and those places are typically the largest and most populated like London.

In years to come they may have managed to reach the rest of the country but it will take years unfortunately.

The cynic in me suggests that somewhere along that time line the government (crooks) will change the parameters and laws and rules in some way which will make it difficult for Virgin to complete the rollout or at the least make it financially unattractive.

This situation is, for me, like other national battles such as Murdocks monopoly on satellite TV (Sky) and the contenders who came, tried to set up and failed like BSkyB and the like.

The crooks will not relinquish their stranglehold willingly or lightly so BT will sadly be with us for a long time to come.

This is one of those areas that demonstrates how pointless politics and voting is. No matter who you vote for, the corporations and greedy wealthy moguls are the ones running the show and will just welcome in the next set of hapless politicians and tell them how things work.

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

You appeared to have trouble understanding what it is that I am expecting! I'm expecting BT to end their contract-only statuses on their fixed broadband packages, and then I'll consider their services.

See how easy that was?

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

I am quite happy with BT and have worked for them in the past for more than 20 years.
As for corruption within the company I never found any, actually the complete opposite. The internal Investigation Branch would stop it straight away if it existed

So where Realist got this from I would love to know

quote"Unfortunately Lindyloo, BT is still a monopoly operation in the UK which is corrupt and crooked in the extreme "unquote


DO TELL REALIST YOUR CHANCE TO REVEAL YOUR SOURCE OF INFORMATION

"I'm a realist. I see things for what they are. I am a seeker of the truth". Extract from about me, your words not mine

Re: Switching to new Broadband and Phone provider

You've misread my statement Realspeed. I should perhaps have been clearer.

"Unfortunately Lindyloo, BT is still a monopoly operation in the UK which is corrupt and crooked in the extreme "

I'm not saying BT is corrupt and crooked, I'm saying the situation in Britain where there still exists such a monopoly on the telecoms services is what is corrupt. i.e. By now, after all these years, there really ought to be a number of other networks and providers with their own infrastructure.