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So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

petecov44
Grafter
Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

So I decide I don't want to pay £1.45 extra for something I don't use anyway just for the sake of the Broadband. What happens to the broadband? I can't have it without a phone line and the e-mail says " affected services" of which the Broadband is not.
Is it a case of I can move to another provider without an ETC? Or is everything stopped?
Cheers
15 REPLIES 15
ITWorks
Superuser
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Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Hi,
You can move to another provider with out any ETC,
From the bottom of the email.
Quote
If, as a result of the changes in this email, you decided to terminate your affected service(s), you may do so without incurring the Early Termination Charge(s) that may otherwise be payable. If you wish to exercise this right you must contact us within 30 days of receiving this notification and gives us 14 days notice. You will still be liable for service charges up to the date of termination.

Regards
Mke

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petecov44
Grafter
Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Cheers
That should trigger a 1 month contract for a migration then.  Hoping the option to totally terminate is also there
Townman
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Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Pete,
I think we might have been here before - you need a 'phone line' to have broadband.  If you look around most of the suppliers are charging a very similar price for this now.
I know Jelv disagrees, but I find having phone and broadband delivered by the same supplier removes all doubt about accountability for repairs.  If both come from the same CP / ISP there can be no finger pointing for who leads with BTOR.
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

petecov44
Grafter
Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Quote from: Townman
Pete,
I think we might have been here before - you need a 'phone line' to have broadband.  If you look around most of the suppliers are charging a very similar price for this now.

Respectfully. I worked at Plusnet for 3 years. That statement to me is as obvious as " We need Oxygen to breath"
But my point is if I have my phone line disconnected then my BB would have to be cut off also. The ! if you want to leave" means people can migrate or terminate, or if not it should. It only refers to the affected service, that everything else relies on to work.
I have a backup which is not based on BTOR so this is why I am asking.
Townman
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Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Sorry Pete,
In reading...
Quote from: petecov44
So I decide I don't want to pay £1.45 extra for something I don't use anyway just for the sake of the Broadband.

I have mistakenly understood that you were hinting that you are paying for something you perceive no value in... as many who do not use the "phone" line for making or receiving calls.  As an ex-provider you know that space far better than I.
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

alsw123
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Registered: ‎15-04-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

I think the main problem is changing during a contract, as i think most mobile providers have found this really annoys your current customers as it's alot of hassle to switch, pretty sure the mess ups when i switched to plusnet cost me some extra pennies not to metnion stress. As far as i am concerned there should be no reason if i sign up to 18months that plusnet should increase prices during that time. I can imagine if we did this at my work  for our service/ support contracts we'd have a revolt.  I can't believe this wasn't known when i signed up in may either. Had the same thing with 3 mobile and pretty sure they have now decided any future increases from now on will only apply to new customers which makes a change. (i could be wrong)
Alan
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Quote from: Townman
you need a 'phone line' to have broadband

Well that isn't strictly always the case, but does depend where you live.
One of the options I'm looking at is wireless broadband (not mobile 3G/4G), which by definition doesn't require any sort of wired connection.
Where I am in Essex, I could sign up for wireless broadband giving similar speeds to low end fibre, at comparable prices to Plusnet fibre, but with the advantage of NO LINE RENTAL - which could add up to a sizable saving.
I'm being forced to consider the wireless alternative, because it is becoming clear that my exchange will never be upgraded from <7.15Mbps 20CN ADSL,  I appear to be connected on an exchange only line (so can never get fibre even if the exchange was fibre enabled),  the increasing monthly cost for phone line rental is becoming prohibitive,  and I am really fed up of paying the pointless "Market A" premium when there is no possibility that any LLU provider would ever install their equipment here.
Unlike others here who don't use their phone, I do use a landline phone, BUT I have also been using VoIP on the same handset for more than a year, and would happily transfer my BT landline number to a VoIP provider,  which gives me the option to keep my landline phone number irrespective of whether I have a copper phone connection or not.
Has 'petecov44' researched to see whether wireless broadband is available in his area ?
Wink
petecov44
Grafter
Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

alsw123 - It went up in June I think it was but they decided new customers only would pay the extra line rental but they also got a good broadband discount ( like 1/2 price for 6 months) But now - with the second price rise in as many months it's now decided that these new customers can keep their discounts whilst existing customers get no discount and get the price rise
So Mr new customer, £9,99 for 6 months and then £19,99 a month +£15.95 is laughing compared to Mr petecov44, £19,99 as month + £15,95 every month, however the table has turned as the new customers have no price rise as PN have cleverly put their price up at the start. However I do have reason and a chance.
As for "Has 'petecov44' researched to see whether wireless broadband is available in his area ?"
He Has, and it's not. (and judging on the rip off install and service charges for your fibrewifi - is glad!)
He has a few choices.
1. FTTC which keeps slowing down and dropping. It's getting more expensive and the speed takes several weeks to get back to normal (but then it never does) + a phone line only there because it has to be
2. Cable (of which he already has a service) and whilst another cable modem is not allowed at the same address (which is odd I have had 2 at the same address) as he bonds his current cable and FTTC together is looking for the third option.
3. Which is FTTPoD - My exchange has it (or so I am told) a few engineers tested it (or so I am told)
Can I find anyone to sell it to me? Can I arse! (got the connection voucher - no problems with monthly fee - no one cares!)  
I'm trying to contact a company based in Cardiff who (apparently) do do it.. but so far only had automated reply.
4.3G - about 2mbps at best
5. 4G - I am roughly 20M outside of the 4G area - honestly if I go down the road to the corner I can get it - standing there for a long time in this area would not be amusing. Cry That said it's EE which is dam expensive even on a business 20GB plan - if it was 3 that would be okay but they are not around here.
One of my services limits upload at peak times the other does not - one of my services seems to drop the speeds as often as my neighbour drops her pants - the other does not.
So in a nutshell it's this

V.S This

Both were the same price until the former put their price up.
This is not about price this is about principle. If it was on Broadband I could understand it because we all use more etc.. But charging it on a service people are forced to have at the moment and don't use is not on in my book.
ReedRichards
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Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Quote from: petecov44
...But charging it on a service people are forced to have at the moment and don't use is not on in my book.

Surely the people who are really suffering are those who have and use a land-line but don't have broadband?  At least you get the benefit of the broadband subsidy derived from the expensive land-line fees.
petecov44
Grafter
Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Such people are usually older generation and consider it a lifeline.
I don't - I can't get any decent mobile signal in my house but I still don't want a landline
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Quote from: petecov44
"Has 'petecov44' researched to see whether wireless broadband is available in his area ?"
He Has, and it's not. (and judging on the rip off install and service charges for your fibrewifi - is glad!)

The monthly service charges would be cheaper or similar for me, than Plusnet fibre charges on my high cost area "Market A" exchange.
I don't think that a one off installation charge of £124 (inc VAT) seems too unreasonable,  considering an installer comes to your property to perform a wireless survey to decide which radio transceiver best suits your location, then fits a wireless aerial on a pole somewhere high on your house, installs a radio modem, connects up the mains wiring, optimizes the wireless link, and runs an ethernet cable down to your router.
That is a lot more work than the equivalent FTTC broadband only install, which Plusnet would charge a new customer with no existing connection £49.99 (new phone line) + £50 (fibre activation) + £40 (deferred router cost) + £5.99 (router p&p),  and then charge you an extra £2.50 every month for not having a landline phone, and if in a "Market A" area an extra £7.50 per month.
The rip-off is Plusnet charging the £7.50 "Market A" premium, when virtually every other (BT line reseller) ISP (including BT) doesn't.
petecov44
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Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Quote from: purleigh
Quote from: petecov44
"Has 'petecov44' researched to see whether wireless broadband is available in his area ?"
He Has, and it's not. (and judging on the rip off install and service charges for your fibrewifi - is glad!)

I don't think that a one off installation charge of £124 (inc VAT) seems too unreasonable,  considering an installer comes to your property to perform a wireless survey to decide which radio transceiver best suits your location, then fits a wireless aerial on a pole somewhere high on your house, installs a radio modem, connects up the mains wiring, optimizes the wireless link, and runs an ethernet cable down to your router.

Considering back in 1999 when I worked as an Installer for a once great but now dead wireless ISP (IAP Broadband) we did all that for free - then yes I do and always will.
No more than Sky do on a daily basis when they install dishes etc.
ReedRichards
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Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Quote from: petecov44
... I can't get any decent mobile signal in my house but I still don't want a landline

So suppose Ofcom decreed that "line rental" was to be renamed as 'infrastructure maintenance charge' and was payable for broadband or telephone or both, would you then be happier?  You could choose not to have a land-line, you just wouldn't pay any less. 
petecov44
Grafter
Posts: 576
Registered: ‎29-05-2014

Re: So - Just had the phone charges e-mail, But I am confused.

Again having dealt with BT day in day out for years I am totally aware what the line rental cost is actually for.
No you are right even cable services which don't need a land line are more expensive. I get that.
I'm re looking at my options. I might not be bothered about the cost after all If I can shed the cable. For the great of having 200mbps I don't actually use it as much to justify it.
So - leave me be for now whilst I look at my options - thank you