prices online vs those quoted by phone; move to FTTP

[danielle1]

Hello,

I hope I've picked the correct board, but trust you will move it if I haven't.

Two-fold question:

The back story is that my contract is up end of July. So I called Monday to renew – specified I wanted as close as possible to what I already had (Fibre 2 and Anytime calls). But I was steered into something more expensive and more than I needed, including FTTP and I think a move to EE.  I did reluctantly accept the offer; he said that was the best he could do.

Two days later (Wednesday) I got a renewal email from BT offering me the option of: 1) keep current contract; you don’t have to do anything; 2) renew or upgrade; and 3) move to new provider.

Now, the offer in this email was much less expensive than what I had been steered into, so (not best pleased) I called and cancelled. Spoke to a very nice lady.

Later in the day I renewed online, and here is where the questions come up:

First of all, the Unlimited calls option showed online as 12.00, although both people I spoke to said it was 11.00 (and it was 11 in the first package I ordered). Are prices/packages often more expensive online than when you call and order?

Second, the move to FTTP/digital voice seemed automatic; that was the only option. I don’t really want that just yet, though I know eventually everyone will be moved. I hoped I could get away with another two years without it.

So I’m wondering if I should call and cancel this order as well and order by phone. I’ve read that the FTTP rollout is delayed to 2027, although the first person said it was 2026.

Honestly, I thought renewal would be easy; instead I’m left confused and feeling rather steamrolled. And I don’t want to call and get another “guide”, as they call them, like the first one.

Many thanks for any wisdom offered.

[iniltous]

I dare say the email offer was automated as you were approaching the end of your minimum term and would have arrived regardless of you taking the initiative and calling , so the difference in offers is understandable….anyone changing the terms ( so recontract, change of provider etc ) should be moved to FTTP if it’s available, so if staying off FTTP is the  most important thing , you really shouldn’t do anything , the price you pay will undoubtedly go up , but you won’t be restricted by a minimum term , although it’s of limited value as far as allowing penalty free migration to another ISP , as they will also give you FTTP if you move to another ISP .

EE are the favoured ‘BT Group’ brand for residential consumers so being steered towards EE is usual but you don’t have to move , you can renew with BT , but it may be a little more expensive than EE , obviously to get you to voluntarily switch EE may be better value than BT , do nothing and you stay with BT but the price won’t be discounted.

As far as unlimited calls , £11 or £12 represents a big discount on the £18 list price , but obviously only relevant if you recontract, and that means this is more important than staying off FTTP .

Its the PSTN switch off that’s not delayed till Jan 2027 , that’s just the final switch off date , the migration of telephony customers to Digital a voice ( nothing to do with FTTP ) continues, so you may be migrating soon if you haven’t already been migrated , regardless of staying off FTTP , if you take FTTP you definitely move to DV
Its a tiny  subset of customers with ‘fall alarms’ , ‘emergency contact buttons’  etc that may need the extra time to 2027 as the ‘emergency’ equipment manufacturers and sellers have not provided compatible equipment for users of these items, unless that affect you , it changes nothing .

[danielle1]

Many thanks for this.

Yes, I’d realised the email was auto-generated and wondered why I got it after I’d renewed, but of course now I’m glad it was, as I got something less expensive.

I was aware that “doing nothing” would mean losing discounts, so that left just the second option.

What I had forgotten, or hadn’t quite connected the dots, is that digital voice would be coming regardless of FTTP.  I don't really want either, but this makes FTTP less important, other than putting up with a new hole in the wall plus an ugly box,

Re 11 quid vs 12: I saw someone’s screen grab of their options, with Unlimited calls showing as 18. 11 vs 12 is just a pound (x24!) - what used to be piggy-bank money, but now, well… I might have got 11 by calling, but still it’s a decent discount.

Honestly, dealing with all the changes in BT, EE, etc has now become even more confusing and annoying than booking national rail tickets.