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Money saving suggestions


Sugarlips

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As I’m overseas I’m limited in my ability to help my folks avoid getting ripped off. They are lifers with BT for broadband and phone with free uk calls, I have the feeling they are overpaying for what they get, they want to keep the free calls and just need a standard broadband package (for Skype etc), any suggestions?

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One percent
3 hours ago, Sugarlips said:

As I’m overseas I’m limited in my ability to help my folks avoid getting ripped off. They are lifers with BT for broadband and phone with free uk calls, I have the feeling they are overpaying for what they get, they want to keep the free calls and just need a standard broadband package (for Skype etc), any suggestions?

I changed to the Yorkshire one plusnet  they were half the price (maybe even less) of BT  but lied too, told me the connection wouldn’t be as good  it’s fine  the only issue I had was that the new router was cheap and nasty  I reconfigured the bet hub - information available on the internet and a matter of seconds to do.

anyhow do your own research here

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/broadband/results/?location=Yo1+8az#/?broadbandType=Standard&btSport=&cartoonNetwork=&comedyCentral=&contractLength=&discoveryChannel=&disneyChannel=&firstYearCost=&newLine=&phoneCalls=Anytime&productType=broadband,phone&providers=&sky1=&skyAtlantic=&skyCinema=&skyLiving=&skySports=&sortBy=First Year Cost&speedInMb=10Mb&tab=alldeals&usage=UsageUnlimitedOption

I’ve put a random postcode in here, put your parents in  then research the providers before going with them  talk talk have an incredibly poor reputation 

oh and I phoned them direct and paid it upfront  got it even cheaper 

 

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3 hours ago, Sugarlips said:

As I’m overseas I’m limited in my ability to help my folks avoid getting ripped off. They are lifers with BT for broadband and phone with free uk calls, I have the feeling they are overpaying for what they get, they want to keep the free calls and just need a standard broadband package (for Skype etc), any suggestions?

Tell them that Plusnte are BT (Yorkshire). Move them to a simple BB n phone package. Savings of ~30/m at least.

 

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25 minutes ago, One percent said:

I changed to the Yorkshire one plusnet  they were half the price (maybe even less) of BT  but lied too, told me the connection wouldn’t be as good  it’s fine  the only issue I had was that the new router was cheap and nasty  I reconfigured the bet hub - information available on the internet and a matter of seconds to do.

anyhow do your own research here

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/broadband/results/?location=Yo1+8az#/?broadbandType=Standard&btSport=&cartoonNetwork=&comedyCentral=&contractLength=&discoveryChannel=&disneyChannel=&firstYearCost=&newLine=&phoneCalls=Anytime&productType=broadband,phone&providers=&sky1=&skyAtlantic=&skyCinema=&skyLiving=&skySports=&sortBy=First Year Cost&speedInMb=10Mb&tab=alldeals&usage=UsageUnlimitedOption

I’ve put a random postcode in here, put your parents in  then research the providers before going with them  talk talk have an incredibly poor reputation 

oh and I phoned them direct and paid it upfront  got it even cheaper 

 

Tehyd have been hedging their bets, just so you dont complain if you get a shit speed.

As far as all things broadband routery go - buy one.

A £150 router/modem tends to give a much better experience than the bundled shit router.

talktalk are terrible. Not worth paying nothing.

 

 

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Lightscribe
1 hour ago, One percent said:

I changed to the Yorkshire one plusnet  they were half the price (maybe even less) of BT  but lied too, told me the connection wouldn’t be as good  it’s fine  the only issue I had was that the new router was cheap and nasty  I reconfigured the bet hub - information available on the internet and a matter of seconds to do.

anyhow do your own research here

https://www.moneysupermarket.com/broadband/results/?location=Yo1+8az#/?broadbandType=Standard&btSport=&cartoonNetwork=&comedyCentral=&contractLength=&discoveryChannel=&disneyChannel=&firstYearCost=&newLine=&phoneCalls=Anytime&productType=broadband,phone&providers=&sky1=&skyAtlantic=&skyCinema=&skyLiving=&skySports=&sortBy=First Year Cost&speedInMb=10Mb&tab=alldeals&usage=UsageUnlimitedOption

I’ve put a random postcode in here, put your parents in  then research the providers before going with them  talk talk have an incredibly poor reputation 

oh and I phoned them direct and paid it upfront  got it even cheaper 

 

The homehub that you have with BT (is fairly decent depending on version) certainly better than the Plusnet shit, sell/throw that away.

Take out line rental saver, and topcashback, and aim for renewal around Black Friday offers. Then just switch from Plusnet to BT and back each time, no change of setup, just user and password each time. BT normally do other bonuses like Amazon voucher incentives too, but you have to make sure you register etc.

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the gardener

Under no circumstance sign up with Utility Warehouse.  Bunch of shysters with a product peddled by network marketing drones.

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Frank Hovis

There is variable coverage.  I am on Talk Talk (£20 per month) and it's absolutely fine.  My parents have been for a long time with the more expensive BT which was absolutely faultless at their prior house but is prone to frequent drop outs at their current house so it must be down to the local junction box and wiring.  When people say "x is brilliant" or "x is rubbish" based on anecdotal experience I think they're extrapolating too far from the data unless it is a universally applicable trait like administration and call centre. 

I haven't recommended my parents change to Talk Talk because I don't think that it would be any better than what they have as their issues are caused by their local infrastructure rather than their broadband supplier.

@Sugarlips' parents best approach would be to ask their neighbours who they're with, how much it costs, and whether they have any issues with it.

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2 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

There is variable coverage.  I am on Talk Talk (£20 per month) and it's absolutely fine.  My parents have been for a long time with the more expensive BT which was absolutely faultless at their prior house but is prone to frequent drop outs at their current house so it must be down to the local junction box and wiring.  When people say "x is brilliant" or "x is rubbish" based on anecdotal experience I think they're extrapolating too far from the data unless it is a universally applicable trait like administration and call centre. 

I haven't recommended my parents change to Talk Talk because I don't think that it would be any better than what they have as their issues are caused by their local infrastructure rather than their broadband supplier.

@Sugarlips' parents best approach would be to ask their neighbours who they're with, how much it costs, and whether they have any issues with it.

Thanks Frank, good idea. The other suggestions are good but for the uninitiated the providers mentioned look more like spelling errors than telcos!

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Castlevania

Plusnet have their call centres in the U.K. whilst BT’s are in India. My general rule of thumb is that call centres in the U.K. tend to be better in resolving your issue and just being helpful than foreign ones (there are exceptions - Filipino call centres from my experience are all excellent). 

Note that if you need someone from BT Openreach to come around (to install a line for example or if you’re getting fibre for the first time) then from my experience they don’t communicate with either Plusnet or the retail side of BT, so don’t be surprised if they call you up whilst you’re at work telling you they’re outside your house and asking where you are, because they changed the date of installation without telling anyone.

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Frank Hovis
11 minutes ago, Castlevania said:

Plusnet have their call centres in the U.K. whilst BT’s are in India. My general rule of thumb is that call centres in the U.K. tend to be better in resolving your issue and just being helpful than foreign ones (there are exceptions - Filipino call centres from my experience are all excellent). 

Note that if you need someone from BT Openreach to come around (to install a line for example or if you’re getting fibre for the first time) then from my experience they don’t communicate with either Plusnet or the retail side of BT, so don’t be surprised if they call you up whilst you’re at work telling you they’re outside your house and asking where you are, because they changed the date of installation without telling anyone.

An acquaintance who works for  Openreach was called in by his manager because they were missing one of their targets which was amber rather than green and needed to correct it.

The target was worded very ambiguously and it wasn't one they scored themselves. He quite reasonably asked the manager whether in order to turn the target green they should be doing more of the particular activity or less.

The manager didn't know.

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5 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

There is variable coverage.  I am on Talk Talk (£20 per month) and it's absolutely fine.  My parents have been for a long time with the more expensive BT which was absolutely faultless at their prior house but is prone to frequent drop outs at their current house so it must be down to the local junction box and wiring.  When people say "x is brilliant" or "x is rubbish" based on anecdotal experience I think they're extrapolating too far from the data unless it is a universally applicable trait like administration and call centre. 

I haven't recommended my parents change to Talk Talk because I don't think that it would be any better than what they have as their issues are caused by their local infrastructure rather than their broadband supplier.

@Sugarlips' parents best approach would be to ask their neighbours who they're with, how much it costs, and whether they have any issues with it.

These:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Billion-8800NL-R2-Wireless-Connections/dp/B01EVNR22K/ref=asc_df_B01EVNR22K/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310776295886&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14891496129473897220&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007044&hvtargid=pla-565646696857&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Dont know what chipset billionpac use but they manage to squeeze much better speeds out of shitty copper cable.

 

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16 hours ago, spygirl said:

The have some special features there:

  • 2.4 GHZ Wireless N with detachable antennas, multiple SSIDs and parental control time scheduling
  • Double action cooking method fan assisted convection and radiated with heating elements above and below the bowl. Sound alert and automatic shut-off

 

 

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Nicolas Turgeon
4 hours ago, Wheeler said:

 

  • Double action cooking method fan assisted convection and radiated with heating elements above and below the bowl. Sound alert and automatic shut-off

 

 

Well my router gets warm to the touch but I wouldnt try cooking on it!

There are some basics you can do in the home to make sure you're not sabotaging your own connection, e.g.

  • disconnect the wiring for any unused phone extension sockets at the master socket,
  • disconnect the bell wire on any in-use extensions at both ends (the white and orange one),
  • make sure you are using a new micro filter and openreach have fitted the latest master socket faceplate,
  • make sure your router is nowhere near a cordless phone handset and is up high on a shelf
  • Use an ethernet cable to connect any laptops/pc's/printers to the router rather than wifi.
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