Low cost Home Entertainment

Choosing the best Broadband, TV and Phone packages

As my years have progressed (or 'the older I get'!), I've found there is truth in the saying, "If you don't ask, you don't get".

This really does come into play when you're living the frugal life. There are too many things we just take for granted, especially with the price of things and it's surprising what asking for discounts and bartering can achieve.

No more so than Broadband, Phone and TV packages.

A fine personal experience of this is - I had separate Broadband and Phone Suppliers for about seven years.
It's not very often I will even start a conversation with telephone selling people, but someone phoned me from my ISP and told me I could, for the same amount of money have my Broadband and Telephone Calls ('Anytime') for just an extra £2 per month.
I don't spend much on the Phone but thought this was a good idea and took the Offer up.

I had a problem! After they got everything going, my Broadband speed went down, so I complained, complained again an complained again and again.
They seemed to short term fix it, but one day I got so fed up I phoned them and asked to cancel my Contract.
At that time I was paying £19.99 per month.

Basically, I lost it and got quite irate with the rather set piece answers and said I was going to leave.
The young Lady at the other end asked me to hold on a minute, went away, came back saying they would give me the same package and would "so as to keep my custom" for one year charge me £4.99 per Month.

Obviously I took this offer up, but it did show me that they can afford and are willing to negociate if and when they think they can 'clinch the business'.

If you've had your Broadband, Phone or TV packages for more than one year, there's a good chance you are out of Contract and are in the ideal position to phone around for the best deal.

If you do, don't just sign up on the Internet, phone them, say you've found it cheaper elsewhere, you can't quite afford that much, tell them they only offer so much download time a month compared to someone else etc.
Have the facts written down to substantuate it all and you could get either monetary discount or a better deal with the Service Provider you really want.

Most of these Companies are in a similar situation to Double Glazing people etc. They want your money and aren't too concerned about making a slightly smaller profit to get it !

If you don't have Broadband, or a slower connection speed, you can install the Software ONSPEED for a very low yearly amount.
What it does is to reduce the graphics on websites to such a size, yet still maintaining quality, thus making pages load up to 8 times faster.

A few things to watch out for when ordering Broadband...

'Speeds up to 8Mb' This is the perfect Home capability. If you live right next door to the Phone Exchange, you'll get it. If, like me, you live 3 miles away, you may get 1Mb if lucky.
For normal surfing anything over 0.5Mb will do, but if you like watching video's or download quite a lot - you need a good speed. GB Downloads.

Look for unlimited. Should you wish to download a huge file, you'll use your limit up and they'll charge you more. Modems and Routers Some Companies charge you for this, or a Set Up fee. Find a Service Provider who supplies this free - or negotiate Phone as Well Packages

Hometime means calls 6pm - 6am and Weekends from Fri 6pm to Mon 6am. Anytime is as it says , without the above restrictions.

Bear in mind that these are usually LandLine calls only and exclude 0870 numbers. It's just a residential phone number you get 'free'

The Down the Lane Head Office is always a'buzz of Internet phone call activity and the evenings are spent watching riveting TV

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Should you cancel your existing Broadband package before the Contract runs out, you will usually be liable to pay the remainder of the Contract balance and probably won't be allowed to take your email address with you
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Nowadays, anyone who cannot speak English and is incapable of using the Internet is regarded as backward.