Author Topic: Changing phone & Broadband  (Read 10629 times)

Mrs Pingu

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Changing phone & Broadband
« on: 07 February, 2009, 06:38:45 pm »
Anyone used Talk Talk recently.?
I know they had a really crap reputation when they first started out due to being totally unprepared for the volume of customers they got, but has anyone got any recent experience of them?

It dawned on me that we prolly don't need to be paying BT £12 and Tiscali £13 when I could be paying one provider a lot less.
Talk Talk are doing calls + broadband FREE for 12 months (plus line rental) and then for £6.49 a month if you take out an 18 month contract.

I'd really prefer to stay with Tiscali being as we've had no problems with them for years but the new customers package of calls + broadband + line rental for £14.99 seems not to apply to us. In the upgrades section they're only offering us £20 for the first 3 months followed by £25  >:(.

I'm not tempted to move the lot to BT being as they seem to have a crap rep as well.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Fixedwheelnut

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Re: Talk Talk phone & Broadband
« Reply #1 on: 07 February, 2009, 08:13:30 pm »
 I keep my broadband with BT and it has been fine, Talk Talk still keep trying to give me the free broadband but everyone I know who had it has gone back to BT.

 It doesn't matter how free it is if it doesn't work  ;)
"Don't stop pedalling"

gonzo

Re: Talk Talk phone & Broadband
« Reply #2 on: 07 February, 2009, 08:20:20 pm »
I was switched to Talk Talk without agreeing to it and that caused me a LOT of problems so I will never use them.

Re: Talk Talk phone & Broadband
« Reply #3 on: 07 February, 2009, 08:34:26 pm »
We moved to TalkTalk (from Virgin BB, and BT phone line rental - TT calls) in Dec 2007, and got their Talk2 plan:

Broadband <8Mb (40GB/mth download limit - have never been close to exceeding this), and,
Telephone (can keep old number) including line rental, with free evening and w/e calls
...for around £16.50 (+ any calls that aren't free) per month.

We've not had any probs with the BB, or phone since signing up. TT have had some negative press in the past ('victims of own success'?), so I was watching them like a hawk for the trial period.  

At one point, a few months ago, the wired modem started having to be rebooted at the beginning of each session, in order to connect. I mentioned this on their help forum, and received a new one very quickly in the post; was impressed.

Since Dec we've had one of their £30 D-link wireless routers, and it's great. We're about 1-2 mls from the exchange and most of the time seem to get 5-6Mb BB speeds. e.g. iplayer on HQ, streams very well all over the house.

We have about +4 mths left of the 18mth contract and plan to stay with them.
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: Talk Talk phone & Broadband
« Reply #4 on: 08 February, 2009, 09:57:28 am »
I am with them and have had no problems with either phone, or broadband.  I left BT to go over to Talktalk because of their free broadband deal, and I shall not be going back to them in the foreseeable future.
Riding a Dahon Jetstream P9 folder, a Decathlon Fitness 3 flat-barred road bike, a Claud Butler Cape Wrath MTB, a Moulton-based tandem, a TW 'Bents recumbent trike, and a Scott CR1 Comp.

Zipperhead

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Re: Talk Talk phone & Broadband
« Reply #5 on: 08 February, 2009, 11:11:40 am »
My mother has been with them for a couple of years now. Their service has been very good. When she has had problems their helpdesk has been impressively good (their standard line isn't "have you rebooted your pc").

When she had a complete line failure towards the end of last year, I used their online fault reporting system on her behalf and it was sorted out very quickly.
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #6 on: 08 February, 2009, 04:51:02 pm »
Ho hum. Did a little more digging which brought up a lot of mixed reports of TT.
After some more digging I found more positive reports of O2, Be, and Plusnet.
UnfortunatelyO2/Be are not available at our exchange :(

So I was looking up Plusnet which seemed ok until I started reading deeper into the usage limits.
Their phone & broadband package has a download limit of 1Gb. Having read up on their usage calculator, my internet browsing selections suggested that we'd need their 15Gb usage package, which'd be more expensive.
Now we don't tend to use P2P or do a lot of streaming, but tend to be on here, and using BBC website, and Google maps etc most evenings and weekends. (Well, in the winter anyway).

I tried looking up the Tiscali website to see what we're on now, which although it's a measly 1Mb speed, appears to be unlimited download capacity. (So there are no records of our usage rates).
So although it seemed a bit expensive at £12 a month broadband only, doesn't seem like it's that bad if it's unlimited....
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #7 on: 08 February, 2009, 05:14:45 pm »
We have PlusNet - and the usage limit depends on the package you buy, like most others. There's a basic package with a 1Gig limit, but several others with higher limits, as you noted.

I've got the 15Gb plus phone package, doesn't seem that expensive, as all landline calls are included as is line rental. You can of cousre have a monthly contract with PlusNet, and track your usage on their website - so initially you could take just the broadband and see what yr usage actually is.

I found them easy to deal with, and of course call centre is UK - Sheffield.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #8 on: 08 February, 2009, 05:21:07 pm »
Ho hum. Did a little more digging which brought up a lot of mixed reports of TT.
After some more digging I found more positive reports of O2, Be, and Plusnet.
UnfortunatelyO2/Be are not available at our exchange :(

So I was looking up Plusnet which seemed ok until I started reading deeper into the usage limits.
Their phone & broadband package has a download limit of 1Gb. Having read up on their usage calculator, my internet browsing selections suggested that we'd need their 15Gb usage package, which'd be more expensive.
Now we don't tend to use P2P or do a lot of streaming, but tend to be on here, and using BBC website, and Google maps etc most evenings and weekends. (Well, in the winter anyway).

I tried looking up the Tiscali website to see what we're on now, which although it's a measly 1Mb speed, appears to be unlimited download capacity. (So there are no records of our usage rates).
So although it seemed a bit expensive at £12 a month broadband only, doesn't seem like it's that bad if it's unlimited....
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I saw mixed reports too, but in the end decided to take a punt because at least they offered a trial period (check conditions)... 30-Day-Trial

Money Saving Expert forum has some useful info as well.  By the nature of these things I think the horror stories get reported, whereas any glowing reports tend to stay hidden. 

Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #9 on: 08 February, 2009, 05:51:23 pm »
Hmmm, doesn't immediately look like Plusnet will save me any money over what I've currently got with BT and Tiscali.
I'm currently £12 (or probably more like £13 when the prices change) with BT plus £12odd with Tiscali. To get the same with Plusnet phone and 15Gb broadband I'd be £9.75 + £14.65 - not much difference.
(OTOH I see Quidco are doing £28 cashback for Plusnet).

Andy, yeah I originally got the TT info from the MSE website, I just decided to look a bit deeper using the Think Broadband site to see what the scored on a few different providers were.

Having looked at the Samknows website it looks as if our exchange may be unbundled for Be/O2 soon (supposed to be 31/01 but apparently that didn't happen) so maybe I should just wait for a bit and see if that happens, they both appear to be unlimited download usage....
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Bluebottle

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #10 on: 08 February, 2009, 05:57:45 pm »
Hmm.  Currently with Virgin and although I whinge fantastically if I ever have to phone tech support (i.e. 45 minutes on the phone to Bangladesh to be finally told that there were known engineering works that were responsible for my lack of broadband), we have not had that much bother with them.

Tiscali, on the other hand tried to rip me off AND set the lawyers on me when I cancelled the contract.  When you move from them, get it in writing that they agree to cancel the contract...they told me to cancel the my direct debit post haste then whinged that their next payment was missed.
Dieu, je vous soupçonne d'être un intellectuel de gauche.

FGG #5465

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #11 on: 08 February, 2009, 06:22:58 pm »
And now I see £40 cashback for Bethere with Quidco.
Ho hum.
Waits.....
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #12 on: 08 February, 2009, 06:58:55 pm »
o2 would be best I guess, but we can't get it here, so PlusNet was the best of the rest when I checked Which for service etc. Not the cheapest I know, but £27 a month for (effectively for me) unlimited broadband plus line rental and the majority of calls (including to my wifes childhood best friend in Canada) didn't seem bad.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #13 on: 08 February, 2009, 08:28:57 pm »
Hi Mrs P

I have just signed the inlaws up to plusnet. (I would not have done that if the service wasn't very good)

There is a special offer on at the moment, which gives a 10GB allowance on the option 1 package. Have to move quick though if you want it - it has been extended from the end Jan, to "mid" feb, but I don't know what exactly mid feb means.



Details


Dont forget to add me as a referer if you take it up.  ;)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #14 on: 08 February, 2009, 08:44:43 pm »
Ooo that's interesting, keeping that one quiet aren't they?
Mmmmmm <strokes chin thoughtfully>

A. If I were to take up this offer, how do I add you as a referrer?

B. Do I need a special router or is my current one likely to be ok? (Netgear DG834G)
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

noisycrank

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #15 on: 08 February, 2009, 09:15:12 pm »
Sky and phone and leave the broadband alone? Their boradband gets a good write up but availability seems pretty localised. ie not in the frozen wilderness where we live.
If you don't like my haircut you can suck my socks!

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #16 on: 08 February, 2009, 09:26:16 pm »
Sky? Over my dead body! TBH it's more the BB I'm looking at as we don't use the phone that much (although if Pingu's proposed secondment goes ahead then that will change....) Don't you need Sky TV for that anyway?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #17 on: 08 February, 2009, 10:18:36 pm »
Ooo that's interesting, keeping that one quiet aren't they?
Mmmmmm <strokes chin thoughtfully>

A. If I were to take up this offer, how do I add you as a referrer?

B. Do I need a special router or is my current one likely to be ok? (Netgear DG834G)

I'm sure I've posted this once....


You can use any router - plus you'll get £15 cashback if you don't take theirs.

To add me as a referrer, you put my username (collinet) into the appropriate box during sign-up. I'll get a whole 25p off my subscription.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #18 on: 08 February, 2009, 10:24:51 pm »
Cheers Tony. I'll see what sort of response I get from Tiscali when I ask them for the MAC tomorrow.....
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #19 on: 09 February, 2009, 11:10:55 am »


To add me as a referrer, you put my username (collinet) into the appropriate box during sign-up. I'll get a whole 25p off my subscription.

I think that may have gone up too    :)
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #20 on: 09 February, 2009, 12:02:34 pm »
Argh, Tiscali won't speak to me as I'm 'not the account holder'. Have to wait for Pingu the phonophobic to call them.....
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #21 on: 09 February, 2009, 12:34:02 pm »
Put on a deep voice, and call them back

 ;D

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #22 on: 09 February, 2009, 12:35:38 pm »
Or see if you can get a MAC address through their support web portal (you can with plusnet)


EDIT:

I now have an answer back from plusnet on how long the offers last (this is one of the best things on plusnet - staff answering questions in the forum)

Quote
They're running up until the close of the 16th.

So you need to get your MAC this week.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #23 on: 09 February, 2009, 12:46:00 pm »
Support portal - hahahaha

"Unlike most ISP's Tiscali offer all of our new fantastic broadband offers to existing customers as well as new customers. Login to My Account and check out the low prices. There are also great bundle deals!"
Er, I think you'll find that's BS Tiscali, and when I emailed to ask you completely ignored the question. Your 'low prices' are nearly twice as much as those on your front page.

No, they only route they offer is their cancellation line or to send them a snail mail.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Changing phone & Broadband
« Reply #24 on: 09 February, 2009, 12:55:23 pm »


To add me as a referrer, you put my username (collinet) into the appropriate box during sign-up. I'll get a whole 25p off my subscription.

I think that may have gone up too    :)

You are right. In order to fully declare my interest:

There is a special offer on referrals also at the moment. The referrer gets 8x normal value for 6 months. That means £2/month for six months, then back to 25p.

Mrs P - looks like I'll owe you a pint or 2 if you put me as referrer.