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Want to move from Virgin - but where ?

Hi all,

Well, I've finally decided that VM are taking the pee, seeing as they have just told me they will do another increase of £3 onto my account this year (so an increase of £6 overall), and give me bugger-all in return ... :crap: As you can imagine, I'm not happy (nor any other of the dwarves !!!). So ... I need to move, and preferably save some cash.

As I live out in the sticks, my options are limited - ADSL from the Cleehillstone exchange. No LLU etc, just ADSL. Currently, I get 7264kbps down and 448kbps up; not wonderful but better than BT say I can have ! As I work from home a lot, I need to d/load large files etc from work; unfortunately, VM tell me they are "unable" to say what my monthly d/load usage comes to !!! I find this unbelievable, but hey, what can I do ? As such, I think I have to err on the side of caution & look at an unlimited account (this is what I have from VM).

So - any suggestions / recommendations ? I have had a browse through the forum, and followed some leads that looked good, but a lot of them led me to LLU and that's not an option :crap: I'm happy to go to around £25/month but would prefer sub-£20 :p

Mike
 
First question - if you need to download files for work, why are you paying for the connection ;)

Usage - ThinkBroadband.com has an app you can download which you can use to monitor your usage over a few days and average it for the month.

If it's not LLU then in theory anyway, the line performance ought to be the same or similar with any ISP, so it's the throughput that matters most (within what it's capable of - the amount you actually receive). Oddly, Virgin National are very badly rated for that.

I didn't think that there were any non LLU "unlimited" accounts for ADSL any more. Hoping someone will pop up and suggest one.

And finally, you may have realised anyway, but if the ISP changes the terms - like the price - you can end the contract without any penalty regardless of any commitment you have left on your contract. You have 30 days from notification of the change, to let them know and invoke that right otherwise you are deemed to have accepted it and any contractual term then stands at the new higher price.
 
Because it's my connection & work just get the benefit :rolleyes: Saves me a 90 minute / 55 mile trip in ! I said I lived out in the sticks :laugh:

Re the app - yeah, that'll tell me what I have on this PC, but not what the overall usage is (have other devices connected, some of which can't hande apps) ?

Not bothered re any T&Cs, as I've had this contract for years ... way out of the minimum period, etc :) It's sad - apart from mucking about with the price increases, I've been happy with VM :( Must be the only one, eh :laugh:

Mike
 
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I wouldn't entirely believe the BT checker! On ADSL2+, I was given an approximation of 10Mbps down but ended up with closer to 13. However, now on FTTC, I was predicted 26.2Mbps down and struggle with get 16!

Your existing Virgin package was run using the same equipment as BT and the like so you shouldn't see any impact on speed (hopefully).

If you really are wanting umlimited, then BT is the most likely option to go for.
 
Don't suppose, by any chance, the router shows that data (usage count)

My current one doesn't, but I have a feeling one of my older ADSL ones did.
 
I was in the same situation with Virgin - it was that last price increase that did it. Our bill had been creeping up bit by bit. We eventually went to TalkTalk, which was the last ISP I had in mind, but they offered such a good deal. Be warned, if you do try to leave Virgin, it will be like trying to shake a terrier off your leg! That business of Virgin not telling you your usage is an effort to scare you into staying, I think. We went to TalkTalk at 40Gb per month allowance, but never used more than 30 with three PCs being used. They have now changed to unlimited, but we still stay low, and get free webspace. It's costing us about £18 per month at the moment, unlimited calls etc, but that will go back up after a year. We are about 2GB speed, but it does all we want. Speed was another thing that Virgin used to scare us into staying, but just how fast do you NEED? Live life a bit slower. The Virgin site and all the bumph through the post was all so tacky. So far, quite happy with TalkTalk. Would have liked Vispa, but on low income.
 
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Unlimited on a BT-based platform is going to be tough to find during "peak" periods but many BT based ISPs do offer "off-peak" usage periods that are unlimited, which can become quite workable if you use a download manager to get the stuff you need at night instead. PlusNet has a good package for that sort of need.

Otherwise it's also worth looking at IDNet, Eclipse Internet, Zen Internet and providers like that etc.
 
It's sad - apart from mucking about with the price increases, I've been happy with VM :( Must be the only one, eh :laugh:

No: I was in the same boat, but luckily had LUU option. NOw with Plusnet. Not really much better support-wise. Would have preferred to stay with VM, but the price difference is MASSIVE!
 
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