BT broadband "extras"

fortytwofortytwo Posts: 1,298
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I notice that all the BT broadband packages seem to come with 5/6 features e.g. BT Family Protection, 2GB BT Cloud etc.

Can these items be disabled if you do not require them?

Apart from the Hub which I assume you actually do need that is.
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  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Just don't use them, simple as that

    when I was with BT I never used any extras, apart from their email service as they had the annoying thing of only sending emails to that.


    i think all these larger ISps concentrate too much on stuff instead of supplying a decent basic service.

    Flipping TV, cloud, protection, wi-fi. what happened to the basic broadband we use d to get?
  • djfrancisdjfrancis Posts: 512
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    2gb bt cloud for photo storage but anything eles i would leave
    noise747 wrote: »
    cloud, protection, wi-fi. what happened to the basic broadband we use d to get?

    Welcome to 2013 my friend, Your lucky to get WiFi hotspot, Us Virgin Media we have to stick with O2 WiFi :o:D
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    djfrancis wrote: »
    2gb bt cloud for photo storage but anything eles i would leave



    Welcome to 2013 my friend, Your lucky to get WiFi hotspot, Us Virgin Media we have to stick with O2 WiFi :o:D

    I don't get Wi-fi as I am not with BT.

    I never wanted all the add ons that larger ISps offer, even when I was with BT a few years back, I never used their email service, internet security as I was happy with the one I used, I used their VoIP system a couple of times, but it was rubbish.

    All i want is a provider that can provide the service they promise to provide.

    The only reason these ISPs offer the extras is because they need to make them more attractive to get customers, so people think they getting something for nothing.

    The provider I am with offers broadband and that is it, nothing else, no email, what is the point when there are so many free ones around, no cloud crap, again loads of free ones and you don't lose the use of if you change provider. No free Tv boxes, no stupid spying safe system like Talk Talk and now sky uses.

    just pure broadband.
  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    i've always been baffled as to why BT Broadband has the largest number of subscribers in this country. Loads of cheaper providers out there, so dont people just shop around and save?
  • ClatterClatter Posts: 426
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    shaggy_x wrote: »
    i've always been baffled as to why BT Broadband has the largest number of subscribers in this country. Loads of cheaper providers out there, so dont people just shop around and save?

    Just about everyone has heard of BT and for a long time it was the only available provider. They had a huge user base before anyone else came along. Once signed up, if the service has been good, people are nervous about swapping providers for fear they will end up with problems.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Clatter wrote: »
    Just about everyone has heard of BT and for a long time it was the only available provider. They had a huge user base before anyone else came along. Once signed up, if the service has been good, people are nervous about swapping providers for fear they will end up with problems.

    Yep and for some strange unknown reason, people trust them. I remember when I first went onto broadband, i was with Bt dial up and they sent me a email saying I could get free connection.
    the monthly price was still £40 mind you and if it was not for the fact that my lodger at the time offered to pay half I would not have bothered. But 512Kb/s was a lot better than 56k dial up between the two of us.

    That was only around 12 years ago, now look what we have got. Still behind other countries mind you.

    It does annoy me that Bt still owns the network, a network they got for pittance in the first place. It should have been a separate company.
  • shaggy_xshaggy_x Posts: 3,599
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    i have never trusted BT in all the many years I had my phone line with them. Try getting through to a human operator by dialing their customer services!!! You'll have to go 6 or 7 levels deep in the menu and most of the time its a computer and you keep having to redial and select a different option.
  • fortytwofortytwo Posts: 1,298
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    Thanks for the responses, I'm a Be customer at the moment and just looking around to see what broadband choices are available. My exchange appears to have a limited choice but I've only just signed an agreement for BT to provide my phone service (just before O2/Be were sold to Sky!) and I'm looking at BT because there may be packages to tie in with their broadband.

    Regarding those extras now, are they loaded on to my pc, are they part of the software in the hub or what? I don't want to be having to overide them all the time, or can I disable them?

    Thank for any help.
  • littleboolittleboo Posts: 1,187
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    You don't need to install any software on your PC to use BT Broadband
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    fortytwo wrote: »
    Thanks for the responses, I'm a Be customer at the moment and just looking around to see what broadband choices are available. My exchange appears to have a limited choice but I've only just signed an agreement for BT to provide my phone service (just before O2/Be were sold to Sky!) and I'm looking at BT because there may be packages to tie in with their broadband.

    Regarding those extras now, are they loaded on to my pc, are they part of the software in the hub or what? I don't want to be having to overide them all the time, or can I disable them?

    Thank for any help.

    No fortytwo, they're not. You have to choose and then download them yourself. But I don't use them either, so you won't be the only one. :D
  • bottleofbestbottleofbest Posts: 8,026
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    noise747 wrote: »
    I don't get Wi-fi as I am not with BT.

    I never wanted all the add ons that larger ISps offer, even when I was with BT a few years back, I never used their email service, internet security as I was happy with the one I used, I used their VoIP system a couple of times, but it was rubbish.

    All i want is a provider that can provide the service they promise to provide.

    The only reason these ISPs offer the extras is because they need to make them more attractive to get customers, so people think they getting something for nothing.

    The provider I am with offers broadband and that is it, nothing else, no email, what is the point when there are so many free ones around, no cloud crap, again loads of free ones and you don't lose the use of if you change provider. No free Tv boxes, no stupid spying safe system like Talk Talk and now sky uses.

    just pure broadband.

    That's all your personal opinion of course. A lot f being do use the extra's.

    It's the same with most things you buy these days, you pay a premium for extra benefits and better services.
    My car has lots of gadgets and I paid a fair bit for it. Whereas if I wanted to pay a cheap price In would probably get something like Mondeo quality.
  • bottleofbestbottleofbest Posts: 8,026
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    shaggy_x wrote: »
    i have never trusted BT in all the many years I had my phone line with them. Try getting through to a human operator by dialing their customer services!!! You'll have to go 6 or 7 levels deep in the menu and most of the time its a computer and you keep having to redial and select a different option.

    You've not come across the new voice activated ivr yet then?
  • bottleofbestbottleofbest Posts: 8,026
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    shaggy_x wrote: »
    i've always been baffled as to why BT Broadband has the largest number of subscribers in this country. Loads of cheaper providers out there, so dont people just shop around and save?

    Because it's not all about price for everybody. Talktalk and EE are dirt cheap yet they are hemorrhaging customers.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    shaggy_x wrote: »
    i have never trusted BT in all the many years I had my phone line with them. Try getting through to a human operator by dialing their customer services!!! You'll have to go 6 or 7 levels deep in the menu and most of the time its a computer and you keep having to redial and select a different option.

    Still that bad er? What used to annoy me is that they went through the same script over and over again and never deviate from it. it did not matter how many times I told them I did all the checks. It was not my computers or my cables, it was their system, simple as.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    That's all your personal opinion of course. A lot f being do use the extra's.

    It's the same with most things you buy these days, you pay a premium for extra benefits and better services.
    My car has lots of gadgets and I paid a fair bit for it. Whereas if I wanted to pay a cheap price In would probably get something like Mondeo quality.


    What is the point in paying a premium if you don't use them? It is not the same as a car any way, you can buy different models of cars even from the same manufacturer that don't have all the gadgets, can you pay less to Bt for not having their cloud service or their wi-fi service? No, I thought not.
  • fortytwofortytwo Posts: 1,298
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    Thanks,VisionMan1 and littleboo.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    noise747 wrote: »
    What is the point in paying a premium if you don't use them? It is not the same as a car any way, you can buy different models of cars even from the same manufacturer that don't have all the gadgets, can you pay less to Bt for not having their cloud service or their wi-fi service? No, I thought not.

    In your opinion. Which is always in the negative.

    There will be, and are, many people who have had both bad and good services from BT, TT, VM, Sky and all the others too.

    And thats the truth. Not opinion. Which is of course nothing to do with this thread.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    fortytwo wrote: »
    Thanks,VisionMan1 and littleboo.

    No probs and pleasure. Glad we could provide you with the information you were looking for.
  • neo_walesneo_wales Posts: 13,625
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    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    In your opinion. Which is always in the negative.

    There will be, and are, many people who have had both bad and good services from BT, TT, VM, Sky and all the others too.

    And thats the truth. Not opinion. Which is of course nothing to do with this thread.

    Good post and your right about good and bad from all providers. People on the whole tend to moan about their individual experiences when it has been a negative one but folk don't log on and say "Well, another great day of service from BT, TT, VM" et al

    You tend to buy a package which includes 'extra's' when in reality the extra's are just part of the basic package, what you see is what you get, other people like myself choose to pay for extra bits and pieces from personal choice so I really can't see why the negative detractors continue to moan on thread after thread. :rolleyes:
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    VisionMan1 wrote: »
    In your opinion. Which is always in the negative.

    There will be, and are, many people who have had both bad and good services from BT, TT, VM, Sky and all the others too.

    And thats the truth. Not opinion. Which is of course nothing to do with this thread.

    No, it is about extras. There is nothing negative what so ever about that last post, I am sure you just try to read between the lines juts like Neo.

    Some people don't want all the extras, they just want a basic broadband to get them online. what is the point in email or cloud stuff being attached to a ISP? I used to do that in dial up days and when I left, I had to tell people that I had a different email address, it is like people who change their mobile phones more time than their change their socks and you get a message saying that their number have changed. Not so bad now as it is easy to change numbers to a new network.

    The same with something like BT cloud, you leave BT then you got to take the data off. I bet Talk Talk will have a cloud service soon.


    There are many providers of free email, cloud type services and even protection, we don't need ISPs holding our hands and more or less telling us we are not clever enough to protect our own computers.

    I know that people don't have to use the extras, apart from Talk Talk and now Sky spy system, even if you turn them off, it is still following you, but if you don't want to use them, then people should get a discount.
  • littleboolittleboo Posts: 1,187
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    noise747 wrote: »
    There are many providers of free email, cloud type services and even protection, we don't need ISPs holding our hands and more or less telling us we are not clever enough to protect our own computers.
    Actually, the large majority of people probably do need help, and will be far more comfortable using a product that's bundled by their ISP than shopping around on their own. There is also for a lot of people, an enormous amount of suspicion about free products, particularly by certain generations, who think that free = inferior.
    From the ISP pespective, it's one way of reducing churn, which is of course something that you'd expect any business to do.
  • michael37michael37 Posts: 2,622
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    fortytwo wrote: »

    Apart from the Hub which I assume you actually do need that is.

    You don't even need the hub. You can use any ADSL modem you like.
  • bottleofbestbottleofbest Posts: 8,026
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    noise747 wrote: »
    No, it is about extras. There is nothing negative what so ever about that last post, I am sure you just try to read between the lines juts like Neo.

    Some people don't want all the extras, they just want a basic broadband to get them online. what is the point in email or cloud stuff being attached to a ISP? I used to do that in dial up days and when I left, I had to tell people that I had a different email address, it is like people who change their mobile phones more time than their change their socks and you get a message saying that their number have changed. Not so bad now as it is easy to change numbers to a new network.

    The same with something like BT cloud, you leave BT then you got to take the data off. I bet Talk Talk will have a cloud service soon.


    There are many providers of free email, cloud type services and even protection, we don't need ISPs holding our hands and more or less telling us we are not clever enough to protect our own computers.

    I know that people don't have to use the extras, apart from Talk Talk and now Sky spy system, even if you turn them off, it is still following you, but if you don't want to use them, then people should get a discount.

    If you don't want the extras it's a good job there are laods of competitors you can use instead that will just offer you the bb. But fact is there are many people that do use the extras and are happy to pay a tiny bit extra to get them included in their bb plan that they would otherwise have to fork out shed loads of money to buy seperately. Cloud and wifi hotspots cost a fortune with a seperate sub.

    If you don't use them, then choose another supplier, that's your choice. No point moaning about it. You're moaning about them when you're not even with them. I think you're a serial complainer moaning for the sake of it.
  • VisionMan1VisionMan1 Posts: 2,111
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    neo_wales wrote: »
    Good post and your right about good and bad from all providers. People on the whole tend to moan about their individual experiences when it has been a negative one but folk don't log on and say "Well, another great day of service from BT, TT, VM" et al

    You tend to buy a package which includes 'extra's' when in reality the extra's are just part of the basic package, what you see is what you get, other people like myself choose to pay for extra bits and pieces from personal choice so I really can't see why the negative detractors continue to moan on thread after thread. :rolleyes:

    Absolutely true. What suits one, wouldn't suit another. It's all about choice. And thankfully there's plenty out there. :D

    When it goes right, or even excellently, people tend not to say anything about it. But when it goes wrong, they tend to post on forums like these. After all, if any new user choose to use internet forums as a barometer of all the different providers, they wouldn't touch any of them! lol :eek:

    But I have never, ever, seen a user serially complain on thread after thread about other providers and the services they offer that they have never actually had. Strange. :rolleyes:
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    littleboo wrote: »
    Actually, the large majority of people probably do need help, and will be far more comfortable using a product that's bundled by their ISP than shopping around on their own. There is also for a lot of people, an enormous amount of suspicion about free products, particularly by certain generations, who think that free = inferior.

    So you think most people are thick and can't sort out their services? There are some people who know doubt do need help, but a lot of them don't and can find their own products.

    Well going by the amount of people who use google for stuff, they are that suspicious. How can free be inferior to free? Ok, they say it is free, but people pay for it one way or another.

    From the ISP pespective, it's one way of reducing churn, which is of course something that you'd expect any business to do.

    Now you hit the nail on the head, it is one company trying to offer more than another and people falls for it, it don't matter how good the service is, it is the free stuff that makes the difference to many people.
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