What Broadband package?

[woody67]

Evening ladies and gents.
We're after a new broadband/phone/tv package and would appreciate your input and experiences??
We currently have phone/broadband package with TalkTalk, which is, how should I put it?..................utter, S H one T. The signal is forever dropping out and their customer service is dire. Obviously we want VFM but are prepared to compromise if the quality is high.

Many Thanks

Mark

 

[barkwindjammer]

Virgin

 

[Boatfixer]

Funny - I know it doesn't help with your problem I have had nothing but excellent service from TalkTalk... Over the last few years I have had to contact them twice with service problems and both times resolved within hours.

 

[thomvic]

I have the Talk Talk Broadband, Free anytime phone calls and TV and email. No problem with the product quality. They increased the prices by about 20% last autumn which seriously annoyed me but I still can't find a cheaper deal. I do agree however that the telephone or email customer service is poor. It was better when it was Tiscali.

I have paperless billing with them and pay by direct debit. They are supposed to advise me each month by email, before taking the payment, that the bill is available to view and check on-line. They have failed to do that now for three months running and even when I took the initiative and looked to see if the bill was on-line it didn't appear until well after the money had been taken. Complained by email and phone - no apology they say the emails have definitely been sent!! When I complained that I should be able to check the bill before they take the money the agent told I was being being irrational because the bill couldn't be wrong and had to be paid anyway!!! Now I may well be irrational but it wasn't for that upstart to say so - needless to say I made an official complaint, this time be email and Royal Mail. That was almost a month ago and no reply yet.

Still, they are still the cheapest I can find and I have looked - believe you me, I have looked.

Richard

 

[RogerP]

Another vote for Virgin.

I have their biggest package on cable (much better than phone line - but not available everywhere - I'm lucky) costs me 58 quid a month for 20gb broadband, free phone calls 24/7 all hours (except non-Virgin mobile and international), zillion TV channels (including HD, iPlayer and catch-up TV stuff) and website storage space storage on their server.

Probably not the cheapest but the service is excellent and the broadband speed is exactly what I pay for.

 

[matt]

Virgin.

Worth noting that they own the kit so when it goes **** up there's no cost to you. They just roll up and swap it for a new one.

 

[Vormulac]

We've been with Virgin for ten years (ok, originally Telewest which became Blueyonder which became Virgin) and they've been superb, all my friends have spent the years griping about various horrors of dealing with their respective service providers and we've just not had any of their problems.

ETA: We're on their biggest package (oo-er) and it's fantastic especially with all the on-demand services, being able to just find whatever the kids have decided they just *have* to watch at any given moment is a sanity-saver, although as a loyal customer of ten years it costs me £90 a month whereas a new joiner would get the same for £55.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Another vote for Virgin. No problems at all , probbaly comes from having modern cabling, not 50/80 year old phone lines.

Pete

 

[jpt]

Another vote for Virgin although I only have broadband and phone as I switched to Sky for TV as I got fed up having to reset the box when it crashed.

If you are having problems with your broadband now it is more than likely you will have the same problem with a new non cable provider as they will still be using the same line and equipment.

john

 

[Jamesc]

Another vote for Virgin,

I'm on a business tarif, in all the time I've been with virgin (like vormulac I was NTL etc before) I've had 3 problems. One dead box and two cut cables (my doing ). In each case they have been courteous, helpful and resolved the problem within a day.

James

 

[Dibs-h]

We've been with Virgin for ten years (ok, originally Telewest which became Blueyonder which became Virgin) and they've been superb, all my friends have spent the years griping about various horrors of dealing with their respective service providers and we've just not had any of their problems.

ETA: We're on their biggest package (oo-er) and it's fantastic especially with all the on-demand services, being able to just find whatever the kids have decided they just *have* to watch at any given moment is a sanity-saver, although as a loyal customer of ten years it costs me £90 a month whereas a new joiner would get the same for £55.

Same here - been with them for ages and never an issue.

Vormulac - top tip = ring them up and if you are out of contract, threaten to leave, you'll very easily find the monthly cost of what you are getting dropping to current prices. I do it every year! :mrgreen:

 

[Vormulac]

That's a good idea Dibs, we did try something similar a year or so ago but they stuck to their guns - as we're actually moving soon (hopefully) we have a valid excuse for 'cancelling' so perhaps they'll take it more seriously this time

 

[matt]

Wait until they have another spaz out with Sky and you'll get it for less than £55....

 

[bubbabear]

Don't bother with orange broadband the connection speed is up and down but mostly down unfortunately.

 

[RogerS]

Do they have cable in Cumbria?

 

[RogerS]

Personally I loath Virgin with a passion bordering on obsessive. I am reasonably technical and the odd times when I have thought about using Virgin I get so pineappled off with their pre-sales contact information which is non-existent. They have no phone numbers that I can find forcing you to go into a blackhole of unanswered emails.

Zen, on the other hand, are exemplary on all fronts.

 

[Steel City Man]

We've been with Virgin for a few years now (inc Telewest before) - broadband is fantastic, as long as you are not in a 'high contention' area (i.e. students etc). Prices are convoluted though, and when you sign up they wangle your package to ensure you get stung after your 12 month 'new customer' period expires. Hence, accept that you have to ring the 'I'm thinking of leaving' line every 12 months to hammer out a new deal with them.

The phone charges are the highest in the industry, and the unlimted package doesn't include 0845/0870. We managed to get an apparently 'super secret only for really special customers' upgrade for £1.50 to cover these numbers (they really will tell you anything to keep you). I've found they are generally harder to haggle with these days, but ultimately they know in my area they are the only real option as the phone exchange is really far away so adsl speeds are terrible.

If you already have phone elsewhere, you might think about just getting broadband as long as you can accept paying a little more compared to their phone package deals. Plus these days, who uses landlines?

 

[Vormulac]

That's interesting Roger, I haven't found that, I've always found their customer service to be extremely good.

I know what you mean SCM, I am often tempted to drop the landline, but there is that part of me that simply can't give up a 'backup' form of communication!

 

[RogerS]

That's interesting Roger, I haven't found that, I've always found their customer service to be extremely good.

.....

Are you a customer?

If so then I agree with you but if you are not a customer then if you have any pre-sale technical questions they seem to make it very difficult to get any information.