cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

When can I move to another provider?

sethk
Newbie
Posts: 4
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎12-01-2017

When can I move to another provider?

Hi,

 

So I am paying quite a lot for service now because my special offer was a year, but my contract 18 months. I have decided I want to move to BT, they have a good offer on now. But my contract with Plusnet expires on 31/01/17. However, we are billed in advance, right? So I have already paid up to 31/01/17 already... So what happens if I start a new contract with BT today?

 

Thanks.

 

Seth

10 REPLIES 10
Jonpe
Hero
Posts: 3,991
Thanks: 1,831
Fixes: 9
Registered: ‎05-09-2016

Re: When can I move to another provider?

I think since you are so close to the end of your contract you'll only lose the money you've already paid to PN.  It takes 14 days to switch so if you sign up with BT now, you'll be pretty much at the end of your PN contract when the switch-over takes place, i.e. you end up paying PN for a few days when you are not a customer of theirs.  The amount payable if leaving early is stated in your account summary in Member Centre.  If you have paid line rental for a year in advance you won't get that back.

I suspect PN will still charge you for the next month at the out-of-contract rate and you'll then have to ask for it back, if other people's experience on this forum is anything to go by.

Good Luck with BT, which as you probably know is PN's daddy, or is it big brother (perhaps in both senses of the term).

sethk
Newbie
Posts: 4
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎12-01-2017

Re: When can I move to another provider?

Thanks for your help Jonpe. The activation date for BT is 1st Feb, so seems it fits in nicely with PN's contract period...

Anoush
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 2,568
Thanks: 572
Fixes: 139
Registered: ‎22-08-2015

Re: When can I move to another provider?

Hello @sethk

 

I'm sorry to hear that you moving to another provider. Once the transfer is complete, our billing team would finalise the account, issuing any due refunds back.

 

If you would like to consider staying with us, I'd recommend getting in touch with our Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 as we can offer some pretty competitive deals.


Either way, all the best with your new provider.

This is my personal Community Forum account to help out around these parts while I'm at home. If I'm posting from the 1st March 2020, this means I'm off-duty with no access to internal systems.
If this post resolved your issue, please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
sethk
Newbie
Posts: 4
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎12-01-2017

Re: When can I move to another provider?

Hi @Anoush,

 

A big part of what influenced me to move to BT is the extra speed they provide on the first tier of Fibre Broadband, 52Mbs over 38Mbs that all the other companies can offer. Can you explain why this is since:

1) Plusnet is part of the BT Group

2) The equipment that makes Fibre Broadband work is provided by Openreach, who are supposed to be distinct from BT themselves.

Thank you.

 

Seth

jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: When can I move to another provider?

It's because Plusnet see TalkTalk as their main competitor and their offering is 40Mbps down, 2Mbps up, so Plusnet do the same.

jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: When can I move to another provider?

I have to agree in that when renewing contracts with the same ISP, the price offered is always dearer than if you were going to be a new customer Sad

However, as you've rightly pointed out, PN are in a sense a mini BT, but you will find BT also offer an up to speed. It doesn't mean that the higher speed can be achieved.

Have you checked what speed your line will potentially allow?

jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: When can I move to another provider?

Even if he can't achieve any better download speed (the BT Number checker will tell him what he can get) the upload speed on BT will be up to 5 times faster.

jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
sethk
Newbie
Posts: 4
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎12-01-2017

Re: When can I move to another provider?


@DS wrote:

I have to agree in that when renewing contracts with the same ISP, the price offered is always dearer than if you were going to be a new customer Sad

 

In general I consider this to be the worst aspect of capitalism, you have been a loyal customer for 18 months and then you find out that the deal they are offering you is nowhere near as good as the deal you could get by moving away. It penalises people who aren't good at making decisions or getting things sorted out. It may even discriminate against some people with disabilities.

However, as you've rightly pointed out, PN are in a sense a mini BT, but you will find BT also offer an up to speed. It doesn't mean that the higher speed can be achieved.

Have you checked what speed your line will potentially allow?


Since the Fibre Cabinet is less than 100 yards from my house, then yes I am sure that I can get 52Mb or close to it. I get 10Mb at the moment on non-fibre and that's more than the estimated 4Mb the checker says I should get.

Anoush
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 2,568
Thanks: 572
Fixes: 139
Registered: ‎22-08-2015

Re: When can I move to another provider?


@sethk wrote:

Hi @Anoush,

 

A big part of what influenced me to move to BT is the extra speed they provide on the first tier of Fibre Broadband, 52Mbs over 38Mbs that all the other companies can offer. Can you explain why this is since:

1) Plusnet is part of the BT Group

2) The equipment that makes Fibre Broadband work is provided by Openreach, who are supposed to be distinct from BT themselves.

Thank you.

 

Seth


BT Openreach provide a number of fibre products. The products that we as a provider choose to offer, supplied to us by BT Wholesale are 80/20 and 40/2. A 55/10 package isn't something that we're offering.

This is my personal Community Forum account to help out around these parts while I'm at home. If I'm posting from the 1st March 2020, this means I'm off-duty with no access to internal systems.
If this post resolved your issue, please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
DS
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 2,307
Thanks: 504
Fixes: 22
Registered: ‎06-01-2017

Re: When can I move to another provider?

@jelv I totally agree with your comments. Although my previous supplier gave me around 17Mbps d/l and around 1.4Mbps u/l on a non fibre connection, PN Fibre gives me around 29Mbps d/l and a maximum of 2Mbps u/l. The checker in your above link shows I could get the following - 

vdsl clean (d/l) up to - 32.4

vdsl impacted up to (d/l) - 25

vdsl clean (u/l) up to - 6.8

vdsl impacted (u/l) up to - 5.6

Obviously there's no point in me upgrading to the 80/40 service, as my upload cannot get a high enough speed to make it worth while paying for that service, an up to 10Mbps u/l would make sense. (possibly increasing their market share with 80/40 52/10 and 40/2).

 

@sethk In honesty, I believe the only way service providers start listening is when we slam the door slam and hear our feet walking away - hence me moving from BT to Sky and now recently to PN. I guarantee that if my renewal price is poor from PN then I'm off. I am disabled and although BT offer a phone deal for disabled people it didn't allow broadband on the same deal unless you opt for a standard phone deal!!!Huh