QOTW: Are you happy with your broadband provider?

[lon3wolf2002]

Happy with my VM BB 250 down 10 up.

[markzero]

I'm in Texas, and our AT&T U-Verse gets ~24 down/3 up. Supposedly there's a 1TB cap before extra charges, too. Actually trying to decide whether to switch to AT&T Fiber (~100 down) or Spectrum Fiber ~200 down) for about the same monthly cost ($90-100 USD because we also need a landline). We're not huge fans of AT&T, but we see mixed reviews of Spectrum, so for now we stay on 24 and hope we don't hit the cap.

[3dcandy]

I'm in Texas, and our AT&T U-Verse gets ~24 down/3 up. Supposedly there's a 1TB cap before extra charges, too. Actually trying to decide whether to switch to AT&T Fiber (~100 down) or Spectrum Fiber ~200 down) for about the same monthly cost ($90-100 USD because we also need a landline). We're not huge fans of AT&T, but we see mixed reviews of Spectrum, so for now we stay on 24 and hope we don't hit the cap.

Hit that cap last 7 days and counting

[Telekloud]

Happy enough with the Virgin broadband but not so much with package cost (TV, phone, BB).

What I'm really not happy with is constant incremental price increases, and I don't just mean the end-of-intro-deal hike. That, I knew of in advance and was expecting.

What really annoys me is the way it keeps creeping up, when they add new channels that I don't want and then use that to justify a price increase and, after a while, you look at the bill and think how the [naughty-word] did it get that [another naughty word] high?


Okay, before anyone says it, yes I know, ring and ask for retentions and threaten to leave and, probably, we'll get a price cut.


My point is that I really, REALLY object to the type of sharp, disreputable (though legal) business practice that relies on customer inertia to gouge that customer and, to my mind, it entirely depends on automatic, on-going payment systems, on "subscriptions" where it renews automatically unless you actively cancel. And it isn't just broadband - everybody is at it, from magazine subscriptions to car breakdown to all forms of insurance.

Okay, getting a bit off-piste (just fir a change) but you'd think that the billions and billions of pounds banks etc have had to pay over PPI mis-selling would have issued a red-flag to this kind of obnoxious-but-legal practive but it seems not.

It seems companies like charging us for things we haven't said we want. For example, adding on insurance (yes, Scan, I mean you .... among many others) we haven't asked for, unless we explicitly turn it off, until legislation makes that sort of disreputable practice illegal ... eventually.

But in the meantime, it leaves a very bad taste in consumer's mouth. It is why I haven't used Scan for years, and why, though the broadband itself is fine, I am starting to get very angry with Virgin over being treated like an idiot.

So on the vague off-chance that someone senior at Virgin, or my insurance company, or the AA, etc, reads this, I do not want to spend half my spare time looking to see how's gouging me this month. Yes, I know I can ring, moan and get a reduction but I just want a quiet life, not to spend it auditing the latest rip-off wheeze from companies I use regularly.

So, happy with broadband, sure. Virgin? Nope. Not at all.



/Here endeth today's rant.

Ditto, Virgin seem to add on an extra £5 every 3 or 4 months.

[Ozaron]

Actually, in the last few weeks Openreach have finally done their job and delivered FTTC here. It's not mind-blowing but out in the sticks, 2.5MB/s is a luxury!


As to ISP, Plusnet has served us admirably over the course of the last few years, for the most part their support has been excellent, they're fair on prices and actual service has been reliable. I'd certainly recommend them over TalkTalk, BT, etc. The only points they fall down on are reliance on Openreach to get hardware fixes and coverage, and connecting to support during peak times.

[spacein_vader]

Actually, in the last few weeks Openreach have finally done their job and delivered FTTC here. It's not mind-blowing but out in the sticks, 2.5MB/s is a luxury!


As to ISP, Plusnet has served us admirably over the course of the last few years, for the most part their support has been excellent, they're fair on prices and actual service has been reliable. I'd certainly recommend them over TalkTalk, BT, etc. The only points they fall down on are reliance on Openreach to get hardware fixes and coverage, and connecting to support during peak times.

You're aware that plusnet is part of BT, so the quality of provison is unlikely to be any different from the parent company.

Sadly all Internet providers save virgin & a few of the smaller fibre only companies are reliant on Openreach.

[peterb]

You're aware that plusnet is part of BT, so the quality of provison is unlikely to be any different from the parent company.

Sadly all Internet providers save virgin & a few of the smaller fibre only companies are reliant on Openreach.

well they are part of the BT group, but operate (as far as I can tell) as a separate company with their own support staff, UK based call centre and charging structure.

Like most ISPs though (and as Ozaron states) they rely on Openreach (another BT Group company) for line provision. However Open reach operates as an independent entity from BT retail (obviously part of the BT group) under fairly strict rules from OfCom./

As a wholesale provider, Openreach do not interact directly with the end user.

[Zak33]

Yes. Zen seem reasonably priced (but not cheapest) with a good online portal, support that understands technical queries and a reliable connection.

Worlds apart from my previous supplier Origin. Constant drop outs, non existant support and a clunky portal. Cheaper is not always better value.

this....with bells on, and golden bits... and singing angels... and a beam of light from internet heaven.....

[Tattysnuc]

Happy enough with the Virgin broadband but not so much with package cost (TV, phone, BB).

What I'm really not happy with is constant incremental price increases, and I don't just mean the end-of-intro-deal hike. That, I knew of in advance and was expecting.

What really annoys me is the way it keeps creeping up, when they add new channels that I don't want and then use that to justify a price increase and, after a while, you look at the bill and think how the [naughty-word] did it get that [another naughty word] high?


Okay, before anyone says it, yes I know, ring and ask for retentions and threaten to leave and, probably, we'll get a price cut.


My point is that I really, REALLY object to the type of sharp, disreputable (though legal) business practice that relies on customer inertia to gouge that customer and, to my mind, it entirely depends on automatic, on-going payment systems, on "subscriptions" where it renews automatically unless you actively cancel. And it isn't just broadband - everybody is at it, from magazine subscriptions to car breakdown to all forms of insurance.

Okay, getting a bit off-piste (just fir a change) but you'd think that the billions and billions of pounds banks etc have had to pay over PPI mis-selling would have issued a red-flag to this kind of obnoxious-but-legal practive but it seems not.

It seems companies like charging us for things we haven't said we want. For example, adding on insurance (yes, Scan, I mean you .... among many others) we haven't asked for, unless we explicitly turn it off, until legislation makes that sort of disreputable practice illegal ... eventually.

But in the meantime, it leaves a very bad taste in consumer's mouth. It is why I haven't used Scan for years, and why, though the broadband itself is fine, I am starting to get very angry with Virgin over being treated like an idiot.

So on the vague off-chance that someone senior at Virgin, or my insurance company, or the AA, etc, reads this, I do not want to spend half my spare time looking to see how's gouging me this month. Yes, I know I can ring, moan and get a reduction but I just want a quiet life, not to spend it auditing the latest rip-off wheeze from companies I use regularly.

So, happy with broadband, sure. Virgin? Nope. Not at all.



/Here endeth today's rant.

Couldn't agree more with everything you've said in this.
Coupling services together that aren't used (a landline????)
Promotions that aren't open to existing customers who are out of "contract".
As soon as I've got an alternative for the TV sourced (I need to get an aerial fitted then wired up to multiple rooms), then Virgin can eat my dust and I'll never return.
Great broadband product, but that's all.

[Phrontis]

Been with Virgin since they were NTL and that's a long time ago. Do the ring up to move to Sky thing every now and then and the package is always reasonable really considering what we get. We have the 350Mbs package but this evening it's coming in at over 380Mbs and last year we downloaded an average of 178GB per month all included in the price. Watching box sets of Game of Thrones does that to the traffic. So yeah, satisfied and not moving anywhere. Might upgrade to the new 500Mbs package when it comes out, just for willy waving really.

https://www.speedtest.net/result/8122482361.png

[Iain M]

With Virgin, and am reasonably happy minus the price increases and having to phone up to get put through to retentions ever year

[probedb]

Mostly. With plusnet at the moment, although the speed can be a little variable occasionally. Moving to a BT HomeHub 6 also sorted WiFi issues.

I really miss having HyperOptic though, even their basic 100/100 package was awesome.