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BT increases line rental and other prices from 20th Sep 2015


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Old 28-07-2015, 10:07
CELT1987
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BT has to pay for their overhyped Champions League coverage.
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Old 28-07-2015, 10:18
rottweiler
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Here here
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Old 28-07-2015, 12:21
Radiogram
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Vote with your wallet and leave.

I have spent the last 3 years going between BT and TalkTalk, getting new customer deals with TopCashBack etc then leaving when a price rise is announced.

I have just rejoined TalkTalk following the BT rise and they will be paying me £2.30 a month to use thier broadband and Tv service once vouchers, TCB and promo rate is taken into account.

Use the system to your advantage.
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Old 28-07-2015, 12:32
Betty Swollax
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Just received my email from BT.

So what they're saying is, I have to pay an extra £1 per month (£12 per year), because they are introducing things like a brand new US drama and movie channel and offer 'best online protection - ALL FOR FREE!

So it's all free but I have to pay £12 per year for something I'm not interested in or even want.

If only I didn't have to rely on BT for their landline in order to receive BT broadband. I live in a remote area and BT are the only providers down here so I'm trapped otherwise I would leave BT.

I do have mobile devices with O2 and EE but the broadband service on 3G/4G is almost non-existent because we're so remote, otherwise I could just use my iPad for light general internet surfing using those providers and dump BT completely.
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Old 28-07-2015, 12:46
Ray266
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I also read in the papers that if you don't pay by Direct Debit then line rental is £19.99 a month Ouch!
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:12
moox
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Just received my email from BT.

So what they're saying is, I have to pay an extra £1 per month (£12 per year), because they are introducing things like a brand new US drama and movie channel and offer 'best online protection - ALL FOR FREE!

So it's all free but I have to pay £12 per year for something I'm not interested in or even want.

If only I didn't have to rely on BT for their landline in order to receive BT broadband. I live in a remote area and BT are the only providers down here so I'm trapped otherwise I would leave BT.

I do have mobile devices with O2 and EE but the broadband service on 3G/4G is almost non-existent because we're so remote, otherwise I could just use my iPad for light general internet surfing using those providers and dump BT completely.
You are never trapped. You can go with many providers - BT are never the only option, even in rural areas. You may not be able to get other big name providers like Sky or TalkTalk, but there are other providers that you will be able to get

How much do you want to pay per month for phone and broadband?
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:25
Betty Swollax
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You are never trapped. You can go with many providers - BT are never the only option, even in rural areas.
With respect, you know NOTHING! I've lived here six years and BT are our only option in our rural village because the other providers do not come this far out to the exchanges. We do not have cable here either. Sorry to burst your bubble!
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:29
moox
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With respect, you know NOTHING! I've lived here six years and BT are our only option in our rural village because the other providers do not come this far out to the exchanges. We do not have cable here either. Sorry to burst your bubble!
I do know what I'm talking about. Perhaps I should point out that until a year or two ago, my area was similar to yours - BT owned the only broadband equipment in the local exchange (TalkTalk came in in about 2013). I have never ever been with BT for my internet service, though.

It is important to distinguish between "BT" as in the company you pay a phone bill to ("BT Retail"), and the "BT" that owns the network that makes it all happen (two subsidiaries called BT Wholesale and Openreach).

Your choice of ISP is increased by companies choosing to install their own equipment in the local exchange, but the absence of that does not tie you to BT.

A number of providers pay BT Wholesale or Openreach to use their network to obtain access to customers - including those in rural areas - and these contracts are done on a national level. This means that if you can get internet or phone from BT themselves, you can also get it from one of those companies.

So, I'll repeat - you are not tied to BT. The only small exceptions I can think of are those people living in remote parts of Scotland, where the only options are BT and a handful of providers who paid to bring broadband to the area, but that was 10 years ago and I'm not sure that this even applies to them anymore
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:30
Betty Swollax
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I also read in the papers that if you don't pay by Direct Debit then line rental is £19.99 a month Ouch!
At the moment, I pay online myself each quarter when I receive the online paperless bill. It's no higher or lower than someone paying by Direct Debit unless what you're saying is going to change.
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:32
Betty Swollax
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I do know what I'm talking about.
Fair enough. BT is all we get here. Let's leave it at that. Cheers.
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:33
moox
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Fair enough. BT is all we get here. Let's leave it at that. Cheers.
I guess some people just don't want to be helped... Enjoy your price increases and subsidy of BT sport!
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:37
TheVoid
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I've just told BT that I'll be using their get out clause to end my contract early and go with Sky.

I paid my line rental saver in April so I'll lose that, but topcashback give me £110 to join Sky so I kinda get that back.

If I hadn't have paid my line rental saver, I'd be paying just over £50 a month for Infinity 1, Line Rental and Anytime calls.

That's a joke. BT need to sort out their pricing.
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:38
TheVoid
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Will I have to return the hub 5 now that I'm cancelling 4 months after taking out ininity with them?
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:42
DerekPAgain
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So, I'll repeat - you are not tied to BT. The only small exceptions I can think of are those people living in remote parts of Scotland, where the only options are BT and a handful of providers who paid to bring broadband to the area, but that was 10 years ago and I'm not sure that this even applies to them anymore
Not so remote - we have fibre connections to the exchange now

Unfortunately many users are on exchange only lines which actually have a lower estimated speed on fibre than copper.

BT offer "access" to other companies but they all seem to suffer from "traffic management". We tried Sky only to go back to BT as our 4 Mb connection with BT degraded into a 0.1 Mb connection with Sky at peak times. Same line, same equipment.

Of course it went back to 4 Mb once we were with BT. Some places do not have any option other than BT (or their little brother Plusnet)
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Old 28-07-2015, 13:44
moox
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Not so remote - we have fibre connections to the exchange now

Unfortunately many users are on exchange only lines which actually have a lower estimated speed on fibre than copper.

BT offer "access" to other companies but they all seem to suffer from "traffic management". We tried Sky only to go back to BT as our 4 Mb connection with BT degraded into a 0.1 Mb connection with Sky at peak times. Same line, same equipment.

Of course it went back to 4 Mb once we were with BT. Some places do not have any option other than BT (or their little brother Plusnet)
I'd bet a few quid on your issue with Sky being an issue with Sky, not with BT.

Sky's broadband product over the BT network is famously awful (Sky Connect, as they call it) - Sky themselves are the ones doing traffic management as they can't be bothered to put much money or effort into it - nothing to do with BT. It is a world apart from the broadband service they offer on the Sky network.

I'd also bet that any area you think is stuck with BT, can actually get service with the likes of Zen, Xilo. Andrews and Arnold, IDnet, and many more. The service you'll get with those will meet or exceed what BT themselves can offer.

I am on fibre too, but back in the ADSL days I never had any issues with being with a provider that wasn't BT - despite being in a rural area
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Old 28-07-2015, 14:18
Gerry1
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Fair enough. BT is all we get here. Let's leave it at that. Cheers.
You can check the services available at your location by entering your details at

https://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search

Click on the exchange name that appears and you'll see all the choices.
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Old 28-07-2015, 14:31
moox
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You can check the services available at your location by entering your details at

https://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search

Click on the exchange name that appears and you'll see all the choices.
This is not a good assessment for reasons already stated. Samknows may say "BT Wholesale DSL" or whatever, but that just reinforces the incorrect idea that BT is the only option available. There are many providers who sell internet access on the BT Wholesale network, not just BT Retail themselves.

(it's also sometimes inaccurate, as it is reliant on third parties to send them updates)
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Old 28-07-2015, 15:12
Radiogram
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Will I have to return the hub 5 now that I'm cancelling 4 months after taking out ininity with them?
Yes, any equipment you have after cancelling has to be returned if you are within your initial contract.
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Old 28-07-2015, 15:15
Radiogram
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After posting my TT deal earlier I called BT to cancel the Sport element of the package and they made me a rather good offer so I ended up staying.

Obviously the retentions people are out in force now and have been given the nod to stop people leaving.

£8.50 for unlimited BB, full sports pack and basic Tv pack along with a £100 Love2Shop voucher. Can't be bad!
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Old 28-07-2015, 16:12
Hampton Wick
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Hey, gotta recoup those outrageous sums that they bid for football rights, somehow. Not just BT though, Sky and Virgin also getting their arm in.

It's pretty ridiculous that just about everyone in the UK who uses a broadband or pay TV service (Sky, BT and Virgin) ends up paying through the nose to shovel obscene amounts of money into soccer, whether they follow the sport or not. You just don't get a choice.
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Old 28-07-2015, 16:50
Betty Swollax
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I guess some people just don't want to be helped...
Well to be fair,..I wasn't asking for any. You jumped in and assumed I did. As a local resident here in this remote corner of the UK for the past six years, I'm the best judge of character to know whether other providers provide broadband or not. Quite simply,..they don't! This exchange has BT as the sole provider of broadband services.
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Old 28-07-2015, 16:54
Chorlton2
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Very many thanks for that, dearmrman.

Rather than phoning them, I emailed customer services and am awaiting their response. However, since receiving your information, I've clicked on some of the links to see what changes affect me - and I'm more confused than ever!

So I'll give BT a call tomorrow and, hopefully, sort myself out.
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Old 28-07-2015, 17:03
moox
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As a local resident here in this remote corner of the UK for the past six years, I'm the best judge of character to know whether other providers provide broadband or not.
It's not about judging character, it's about fact - anyone who can get service from BT can also get it from an ISP that uses the BT Wholesale network. It does not matter that BT Wholesale own the only broadband equipment in the exchange.

This exchange has BT as the sole provider of broadband services.
You can say that until you're blue in the face, but it is very likely to be incorrect. With attitudes like this, I can certainly see why BT are one of the more popular providers in a competitive market

Again, have fun paying more than you need to, and helping to subsidise footballer's salaries!
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Old 28-07-2015, 17:34
Lushness
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I'm wasn't too bothered with BT's price increases previously, but they do seem to be increasing their prices fairly regularly. I'm a bit fed up with it now and may well end my contract that I've just entered. I don't want to go elsewhere and get a mediocre service though; I hope SKY's product is okay, I had horrible problems with them before.

Only problem is my son enjoys his BT sport - meh he'll get over it.
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Old 28-07-2015, 17:42
barbeler
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Quite simply,..they don't! This exchange has BT as the sole provider of broadband services.
Have you tried going to the TalkTalk website (for instance) and entering your landline number to get an estimated connection speed?
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