Straw Poll: How much for broadband and landline? ?

With regard to email addresses - my son set me up with one a very long time ago. Back in the early-mid 90's. I was very skeptical about the whole idea, but he persuaded me as he told me it was all FREE. Yes, it was back then. Had a Freeserve address - one of the first of all the people I knew. Dial-up until I moved in 2003 and had broadband for the first time. This address became very a part of me, and was widely known.

As charges came in and started to rise, I was horrified to discover that this address -the company providing it went through various name changes - was tied to my provider. Eventually, some twenty years after that address was set up, I was persuaded also to have a gmail address - and slowly, over the next few years changed over to using this.
So pleased I did as three years ago, all existing customers were just told that this company was no longer going to continue to provide email services.

I’m definitely going to Sky.
I have an appointment for them to install the router later this month.
I’ve yet to break it to Virgin !

I left talk talk as I dislike their methods of dealing with customers, all the haggling and putting on hold stressed me out.

Riverwalk it’s just what I’ve always had.
It wasn’t really a conscious decision.
I have a BT one that I don’t use and a. Yahoo one too that I use extremely rarely.
Up until about ten years ago I was a complete technophobe (not an exaggeration by any stretch)
Now I do absolutely everything online.
It’s the hassle of changing my email address for all the providers, shops etc that worries me.
It not undoable though, by any stretch.
Virgin let you keep your email address for 90 days after you cancel.

FannyCornforth

It will be £40 for ‘super fast’ broadband and all telephone call.

My one other concern is loosing my email address.
Until I started looking into swapping I never even knew that you could loose an email address.
I still can’t really get my head around it

I've never had an email address attached to internet/phone
accounts.

Why not just have Google, Hotmail, Yahoo etc.

It will be £40 for ‘super fast’ broadband and all telephone call.

My one other concern is loosing my email address.
Until I started looking into swapping I never even knew that you could loose an email address.
I still can’t really get my head around it

Gnw thank you again; I’m pretty certain that I’m going to go with Sky.
I haven’t been with them before - it’s just that I treated myself to a lovely (navy blue!) Sky Glass, so I now have my TV package from them.
It will simplify things too I should imagine.
Thanks all.
Aveline you made me smile

It's only because I don't have to work any more that I have the time to enter into long telephone negotiations with various utilities suppliers. Their hearts must sink when they realise they have a pensioner with a grievance on the other end of the call!

Esspee. It's interesting reading how you've fared with TalkTalk as I have an almost identical story.

They were going to up my charges from c£23 to c£35. I've been with them for 15yrs. After a long phone call, being moved from pillar to post and haggling, I got them down to c£20, but it's exasperating and tiring having to do this - and to feel thankful, with maybe a sprinkling of victory, but as you say, it's not fair loyal customers are treated shabbily.

Fanny I agree with Toscalily. I know you probably hate the thought of another negotiating session but if you can face it I’d definitely set aside an hour and tackle Sky. That’s if you’re sure you have a cooling off period with yesterday’s agreement with Virgin. They don’t deserve your loyalty if they are charging you £41 for just broadband and weekend calls, that’s a rip off. I’m paying them £8 less and mine includes a tv package. There are several posters on the thread who are paying less than half yours for broadband and calls. If you haven’t had Sky broadband and phone in recent years they are likely to offer you a good introductory deal to add onto your tv package with them.

toscalily yes, you are right, I probably should have contacted Sky. If I’d known what an almighty faff this was going to be, I definitely would have. I suppose that I’ve still got time with the cooling off period etc.
What a blooming waste of time and energy!
Gnw thank you, that is exactly what I was hoping to hear

We are with Sky, have been for several years and just renewed/renegotiated our contract. We were paying £26 pm for Superfast Broadband now £25 pm. We are running Computer, laptop, iPads & iPhones with wifi calling as we are in a black spot. We stopped our call plan about a year ago as we realised most of our family contact us on mobiles and we have unlimited data/call packages for our mobiles anyway. We can receive calls of course so works well. We couldn't cope with a slow broadband, OH would be tearing his hair out as he likes his technology to be new & fast. FannyCornforth it would probably have been easier to negotiate a new/better deal with Sky as you are already a customer.

I’m not tech savvy Fanny but I think I’m correct saying Virgin’s slowest available speed is 100. I’ve been on their basic package for years and that’s the speed I’ve had. I have a smart tv, Virgin tv360 recordable box and use my iPhone on and off all day for internet use. I live alone but frequently have my teenage grandchildren staying with their iPads and games players etc which are all using my home WiFi along with my devices. I’ve never experienced glitches of any kind so the 100 speed seems fine for that kind of usage.

Thank you Pittcity

Slower broadband means that you may see the buffering wheel more often. You may see no difference as you might not need a fast speed.
In our house everything seems to rely on the broadband and the use triples when DS is home. Paying for 100mbps is worth it here.
If you only have a few internet connected things then slower speeds are fine.
The age of the device and your postcode are all factors in the speed you need.
Google and use a speed test to see what you're actually getting.

lemsip

Calendargirl

Is your line rental included for £18 lemsip?

Yes, it is inclusive...£18 a month.

That sounds very good.

Well done Esspee!

I was on the phone for two hours
I’m the end I spoke to a lovely lady called Susan. It really was a case of ‘computer says no’

I still don’t know if I have done the right thing.
The £60 deal included all calls anytime and super fast broadband (which I don’t actually understand).
Now, for £41 I only have free calls at the weekend, and my broadband is slower.
I know that I’m thick here, but what should I expect with slower broadband?
How does it manifest itself?
Can someone explain please?

Thanks Hetty, sounds like you got a good deal for your needs.

We use Netflix (piggyback off son) so need good speed to prevent buffering and our calls to banks etc can be very expensive.

That’s 45 minutes of my life I won’t get back but I have a result. YAY.
I have renewed my contract with TalkTalk.
It was £22.95 for landline, broadband and all calls to U.K. landline and mobiles and they wanted £31-26 to renew not including calls.
It will now be £1 more on a 24 month contract from the end of December and they have included all calls as before. (I think there is a 60 min per call condition but we never make long calls.)
It was like drawing teeth.
Good luck everyone who is currently being ripped off. It takes patience and persistence but it is worth it.

Esspee, line rental, broadband, no calls. Speed acceptable, a bit slow - but I really don't need (or want to pay for) superfast fibre.

Just been offered a faster speed broadband Fibre65 for £23.95 but calls chargeable unless to TalkTalk lines.
Better than the £31.26 they were switching me to but have said no so have been put on hold again.
This 25 minute call to South Africa must be costing them something. Will update when I have a result.

We're with BT. Landline, high speed broadband with unlimited data, You View box, Netflix and NOW TV included £50 pcm.

Hetty58

£15.99 per month with Shell Energy. I swap often, with Uswitch, to get the cheapest deal, and will swap again when the 18 month contract runs out.

What do you get for that £15.99 Hetty?
Landline
Broadband at what speed?
What calls are included?

I am on hold to Talktalk at the moment.

£15.99 per month with Shell Energy. I swap often, with Uswitch, to get the cheapest deal, and will swap again when the 18 month contract runs out.

You all make me feel SO useless!
I know we have a landline which DH says we MUST have-rarely receive calls on it.
We pay £94 pm to Sky-I have no idea what for!
Really must get paperwork out tomorrow-you have spurred me to get on with it! Thank you Fanny-don’t fancy actually doing it though! ?