The 7 biggest broadband rip-offs

[TriplexDread]

Just a lil summat for peeps to read



http://money.uk.msn.com/mortgages/billsandenergy/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5926553

 

[Madxgraphics]

Nice read for sure...

 

[captain zed]

Thanks for the info XXX...i have just recently got me girlfriend using me wireless broadband thinking it would be handier for her....not thinking of usage levels. I'm also paying for her vodafone dongle thingy. I mention it because lately i have been tinkering with gaming online and downloading games etc. Today i downloaded FEAR at 1.2GB and a patch which was 800MB. If keep going i'll be clocking lotsa usage. Maybe i should stick to me console afterall.
Thanks again for the fo
Zzzzz

 

[TriplexDread]

I'm glad it came in handy

 

[floppybootstomp]

I've used Zen ISP for six years now and only once have I exceeded my bandwidth limit. I had to pay a few quid to get some more for the last few days of that month.

I must confess it did rub me up the wrong way a bit but their terms are clearly stated and I've had a faultless service from Zen for all this time.

That'll teach me to download four movies (legal) in as many days eh?

When you choose or swap an ISP I would advise anybody to look very very closely at all the terms and conditions before signing up.

Zen are great imo, 2Gb web space, faultless service, 1 month contract, good download speeds, I like 'em.

Only two badpoints are limited bandwidth (I think I'm allowed 20Gb a month but would have to check) and they charge for their helpline. I have used their helpline twice in six years, but it did cost me.

So I stay with them. Better the devil you know...

 

[Madxgraphics]

I have BT TotalBroadband, Option 3 Unlimited. There are no downlad limits, but Option 3 is "Subject to Network Management".. Linky..Although I can't say I fit into what BT calls " Very Heavy Users"

 

[captain zed]

Hi Madser,
I could not believe this when i read it.....actually i'm still laughing at their cheek.

To monitor your usage, you can use a search engine to find and download an online-usage meter; search for 'internet usage meter'. You may wish to try several until you find one that meets your needs.
That is just unbelievable. One would think that they would supply you with a monitor/meter.
Zzzzz

 

[Madxgraphics]

Hi Madser,
I could not believe this when i read it.....actually i'm still laughing at their cheek.

To monitor your usage, you can use a search engine to find and download an online-usage meter; search for 'internet usage meter'. You may wish to try several until you find one that meets your needs.
That is just unbelievable. One would think that they would supply you with a monitor/meter.
Zzzzz

I'm not paticulary bothered about monitoring my usage really...I'm not quite sure when they start to monitor and call a person a heavy user, but I have heard people (some that work for BT) and have read in other places that it is somwhere in the region of 100 gig...And for what I do, I seriously don't think i'd ever get near a 3rd of that...Other than reading e-mails and sending e-mails usually with atachments, I mainly use my internet for reading websites..Its very rare that I download..I'm the sort of person that if I want something I go out and buy it..If ya get what I mean..

 

[floppybootstomp]

Zen do supply a usage 'meter'.

I just login into my Zen account online and it tells me how much bandwidth I've used so far that month plus all monthly usages in the time I've been with them.

As I mentioned earlier, it really does pay to read the small print.

 

[Adywebb]

Only two badpoints are limited bandwidth (I think I'm allowed 20Gb a month but would have to check) and they charge for their helpline. I have used their helpline twice in six years, but it did cost me.

As you know I'm with Zen as well, and stick with them for the same reason.......however I believe BT have scrapped charging for 0845 numbers since 16th January depending on time of day/calling plan your on, so calling the helpline could now be done free?

Confusingly on the Zen contact page it still says "Calls are charged at local rate, mobile charges may vary between networks" - however they also give the option of using standard numbers too on another contact page which I think is very fair

 

[itsme]

I am with Virgin.

What I pay for 20Mps download, no limit. Free 24/7 telephone calls to any UK number,

Full TV package. Any fault free contact for BB, TV, and Telephone, even to the extent that if the telephone develops a fault I use mobile and that cost is reduced from my monthly bill.



What I get 20Mps download, no limit. Free 24/7 telephone calls to any UK number,

Full TV package. Any fault free contact for BB, TV, and Telephone, even to the extent that if the telephone develops a fault I use mobile and that cost is reduced from my monthly bill.



Cost £43.00 PM fixed for the duration

I was with BT but they were double the cost?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Calls to 0845 & 0871 numbers with BT are only free if you've signed up to one of their specific plans - which costs extra money - and then only at weekends and/or evenings. The majority of calls to these numbers are made during office hours.

Which means the calls are charged at the normal high rate.

There is an option to pay £4.85 a month to BT then as long as you're also signed up to one of their plans, the calls to 0845 & 0871 numbers are free or in my mind - pre-paid.

It's quite clever of BT to shout 'Free calls to 0845 & 0871 numbers' and also, in my mind, quite shameful of them. Again, I say read the small print.

BT have managed to instil into the public's mind that those calls are free. They're not.

BT charges explained:

Things are not as they seem

Here's a link showing how BT try and sell their 0845 etc services:

And how much would you like to pay today?

I have no package deal with BT, I pay only rental, the BT line is only used for Broadband and faxes. Yet I still pay around £35.00 a quarter. Which isn't too bad really I suppose, that's less than £12.00 a month.

I pay £20.00 a month to Virgin for a sim card only rental package which gives me 300 calls and 300 texts a month. I usually have about 200 minutes and 298 texts left over each month The point I'm trying to make by mentioning that is that I usually only make short phone calls (I'm male ) and that I rarely use my BT line to make standard calls.

Ady, I had overlooked the landline numbers at Zen, I shall make a note of that - thank you

 

[Abarbarian]

This is a little utility folk here recommended. It has been raining for nearly a week here and I'm a bit depressed about me two cars going west is why the download is so high this week, that an a 4.3 GB download of Mandriva. Sits ever so quietly in the task bar an does not use hardly any cpu or ram, neat.

I nearly always have a Net Meter window on the desktop, usually fairly transparent, depends on the wallpaper.

This pic really has nothing to do with the thread. Just showing of me highly customisable XP. It is nearly as good as Linux but I did have to do some reaserch and download several applications so it was not out of the box like Linux.

I been using AOL since 2004 had some early problems with their software, nothing major. Then in 2005 I got a router and no problems since apart from the lightening fry up.
I pays BT standard line rental, AOL £ 9.99 a month which includes free 24/7 calls to the UK, I think I have to pay for 0845 etc numbers but I'm not sure an I think their support is free. No download limits but then I usually do that through the night to avoid traffic. PAYG Asda mobile 8p per min, use around £5 a month when volunteering, £0 when not. A one of payment of £60 got me a sattelite sytem from Aldi and I get around 400 stations to choose from, plenty to burn the eyballs out there then.
Oh yeah me AOL should be 2 MB but I only get around 600 kbs on a very good day as I am at the end of the line, mind you they have been recabling so I may get faster soon. 1 to 1.5 MB would be plenty fast enough for my use.

 

[Adywebb]

Calls to 0845 & 0871 numbers with BT are only free if you've signed up to one of their specific plans - which costs extra money - and then only at weekends and/or evenings. The majority of calls to these numbers are made during office hours.

Which means the calls are charged at the normal high rate.

Good point, although Zen say their 0845 numbers are charged at 'local rate' rather than the 'national rate' so shouldn't that be the cheaper local rate i.e. the same as calling a neighbour?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Good point, although Zen say their 0845 numbers are charged at 'local rate' rather than the 'national rate' so shouldn't that be the cheaper local rate i.e. the same as calling a neighbour?

I really have no idea I'm afraid. The whole issue is confusing though I note from the link to BT's 0845 service for businesses I included above that users can change the rate they charge callers.

So just what is 'local rates'? It would be a lot more understandable if we first knew what a local BT call cost per minute- which could actually be used as a yardstick I suppose - and then the real cost per minute of a call to Zen's helpline.

Saying 'calls are charged at local rates' to my mind is open to interpretation.

When I moved house last June I was on the phone to Zen for about 40 minutes as I was having issues getting connected with my new phone number.

That call cost me a little over £11.00.

I doubt if I called a local number on my BT line for 40 minutes it would have cost that much.

 

[Adywebb]

Local call rates are generally those within your code area and the surrounding codes ie. if you are in London Charge Group it will be 0207/0208 and the surrounding code areas such as Uxbridge (01895), Watford (01923) etc etc. Outside of that become Regional or National calls.

Local calls are supposed to be the cheapest rate (which is currently 3.86p per minute inc VAT) during Daytime. The fact you got charged £11 for a 40 minute call means it obviously wasn't charged at the local call rate, so perhaps Zen changed to local rates for 0845 numbers relatively recently and since you made your call last June?

The only true way I guess is to contact Zen and ask them exactly what their current charge is - which I'll do a bit later

Update:

Just contacted Zen - they say their 0845 number is charged at whatever the local call rate is for your fixed line provider i.e if your with BT then it will be as I stated above, 3.86p per minute daytime.

They said they provide an 0845 number to ensure that everyone that contacts them will pay local rates as if they were local to Rochdale where they are based, as if you use the direct phone numbers which use the Rochdale code from outside the local area you will end up paying the higher National call rate (which is 7.74p per minute with BT daytime)

They weren't able to tell me whether this policy had changed since last June or as to why you were charged £11 for a 40 minute call, but suggest you contact your phone provider and ask them directly what they charge to call their 0845 numbers as they have no control over what phone companies actually charge you - but it should be whatever their local rate is.

 

[Anon_F]

We were with Virgin with BT as our phone supplier, but due to restrictions on our local exchange never got above 2MB.
Since changing both to Sky we have enjoyed endless internet connection with no download limit.

 

[nivrip]

I always thought that lo-call numbers were more expensive than any normal geographical land line. I always assumed that the lo-call numbers were set up by organisations to make money and were the usual line charge PLUS a bit for themselves.

Wasn't this the reason that Saynoto0870 numbers was set up to give a cheaper landline alternative to all 087 and 084 numbers?

 

[Adywebb]

Not necessarily - it all depends whether the company themselves add on a cut on top of what BT take.

Companies can use 0870/0845 numbers purely to negate the geographical effect and price it at local call rates as Zen do, so those outside of the local Rochdale area pay the local rate the same as those calling within it.

 

[captain zed]

A new craze is hitting dublin lately....the Skype. I'm sure its everywhere but i hear that they(????) have found a way to get unlimited calls for free. I am also told that soon phones as we know them will be a thing the past. Do ye's have Skype all over UK and is it catching on ??
Zzzzz