This topic

FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

GaryJ24 — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:21:41 GMT

Our 24 month contract ends on 13 November 2024

We currently have:

FTTP

Full Fibre 500 with Halo 3 (Smart Hub 2) & Digital Voice Phone on Pay as You Go for £60.79 per month. (Started at £49.25)

The Phone goes through a Truecall Blocker. We receive calls from family members but use our mobiles to make any calls out.

All of the above works great. Decent broadband speed for our needs and the telephone works fine with Truecall.

Obviously, it would be easier for us to renew what we currently have. Signing in to our account for our 'special offer deal' gives us a problem. We can't renew our current package but we can sign up for it again at a starting cost of £83.99 or upgrade to a package that has extras that we don't need for our current price but will clearly rise in the future.

We're considering going to broadband only but there is no option being shown for an existing customer. Signing out gives several broadband options on the BT website for sensible prices. We'd like to keep the phone and have started looking at VOIP third party options and considering leaving BT completely.

Is it possible to stay as we are and get the monthly price reduced?

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:17:07 GMT

I'm in a similar position & also can no longer renew, but I can "upgrade" to the same speed for an additional £5 pm. I suspect also without phone. Previously I could "renew" but the phone was automatically removed & I would have had to add it again, at additional cost. At that point they were desperately trying to tie me in to Halo at literally double the cost. You prices are even more outrageous!

No idea what they're playing at but renewals have always been a PITA. Just seems to have gone to the next level of awfulness now, so I'll be off.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

chrisjp — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:42:21 GMT

"or upgrade to a package that has extras that we don't need for our current price but will clearly rise in the future."

The "upgrade" offer is for Halo 3+ and 900Mb/sec rather than your current 500Mb/sec, at the same price as your existing contract, so this seems to me to be quite a good offer. I'm currently paying around £50/month just for FTTC at around 60Mb/sec.
Not sure why you say the Halo 3+ offer will clearly rise in the future and that is why you don't want to accept it. It will rise, but only yearly by the amount that BT raises ALL contracts, based on the inflation rate. Other than that, the price is fixed for 2 years.
900Mb/sec for £60/month seems a pretty good offer to me. But I agree that also offering you 500Mb/sec for £84/month is nonsensical!

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:54:02 GMT

Also be aware that Halo is a Hotel California package. You can checkout but you can never leave...

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

GaryJ24 — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:36:48 GMT

You prices are even more outrageous!

It does seem to be a marketing tool to direct you to take on the upgrade. Not impressed, but not surprised.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:56:29 GMT

@GaryJ24

I placed my order with a competitor today. £10 less than BT are asking but including PAYG phone. If the promotions work out that could potentially drop by another £4.67. So I'd suggest shopping around if you haven't already.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

GaryJ24 — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:14:41 GMT

The "upgrade" offer is for Halo 3+ and 900Mb/sec rather than your current 500Mb/sec, at the same price as your existing contract, so this seems to me to be quite a good offer.

You're right, but it comes with extra services that we don't need and no option to change products if it's no longer suitable for us. Thanks for your comments.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

chrisjp — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:28:52 GMT

I wish there was a competitor to BT in my area to whom I could switch, but in this rural neck of the woods, BT is the only game in town.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

licquorice — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:32:35 GMT

There's nowhere where BT is the only supplier

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

chrisjp — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:45:59 GMT

Can you tell me, then, who the competitor to BT is in West Cumbria?

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

chrisjp — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:53:47 GMT

And I mean a competitor that can offer me a "landline" telephone service, retaining my existing number

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

licquorice — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:50:28 GMT

Exactly the same providers as anywhere else in the country.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

iniltous — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:58:56 GMT

Often the subtext when consumers claim ( inaccurately ) that they are limited to using BT , is that BT are somehow limiting their choice , this is nonsense of course, there is a world of difference between providers with exactly the same access to the supplier that BT use ( Openreach ) to offer service, or a combination of services but deciding not to offer a directly comparable set of services ( for their own reasons ) , and being denied the opportunity to do so .

So , if you require a ‘landline’ telephone service but can’t find a supplier other than BT , that’s because whoever it is you want to use have decided it’s not in their financial interest to offer it , however , you can get a comparable phone service from Sky , Now , Talk Talk and Vodafone ( to name just four , it’s not an exhaustive list ) , as stated , there isn’t a single area , anywhere in the entire UK that only has a choice of BT , it’s just not true , so your area of West Cumbria, even if it’s the remotest place imaginable has a choice, if the choice isn’t are extensive as you would like , blame the companies that have chosen to ignore that area rather than the ones that have decided to provide a service there.

Re: FTTP Broadband and Digital Voice Package ending in two weeks

jac_95 — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 21:19:49 GMT

@chrisjp

There are multiple providers that can utilise the Openreach infrastructure.

Have you also checked for Alternative network providers in your area? You can use https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/postcode-search or https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/broadband-coverage to help check what network providers are available.

Even if Openreach infrastructure is only available and other providers may only offer a broadband only service there is also the option where you can also move to a third party Voice over IP provider to allow you to have a home phone service.

Phone numbers maybe ported to another service after cancellation if the request is made within the 30 days of the previous phone service being cancelled (in some cases such as home moves, phone numbers may not be able to be ported)

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/switching-provider/switching-landline/