Which broadband provider?

[Corola]

Do you know that this works in practice? I would've thought that the single broadband connection to the premises already being in use would stymie this? Have you actually done it? Thanks.

I have done this the past few years. This is my scenario this year:

2024
01 Aug: Contract started in my name for 12 months term.

2025
15 Jun: A month and a half before my contract is due to end VM sent an email to remind me that my contract is ending on 31/07/2025.

02 Jul: I will call VM to give my 30 days notice that I wish to cancel on 01/08/2025, the day after my contract ends. To save the rigmarole of offers and persuading you to stay with them I say I am moving in to a new house that already has VM.

29 Jul: 2-3 days before cancellation I sign up online for a new contract with my partner's details.

30 Jul: The new modem arrives the next working day if ordered before 6pm. Billing starts from this date.

01 Aug: On the cancellation date the broadband cuts out around mid-day. The old modem stops working, you have to switch it with the new modem. It takes around 15 minutes for the new modem to update and provide broadband.

VM haven't asked me to return the equipment, I bring the old modem to a WEEE recycling centre.

Managing the date is straightforward as long you take into account weekends, but because the delivery of the new modem is so fast you only pay twice for a couple of days. You could time it exactly to the same day but for a few euro extra cost I prefer the buffer because I work from home. You could also give your 30 days notice so that the cancellation date falls on a weekend if you don't want to be disrupted while working.

 

[ClubMan]

Thanks a lot @Cervelo.
As I mentioned in another thread, my VM contract is up in 34 days so I'll order Sky fibre now to allow time for the first time OpenEir connection to be made to my house and will then give notice to VM when things are clearer on the Sky front.
There'll probably be some overlap but that's ok.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

I’m on the Virgin Media 500 Mb broadband plan with a sticker price of €70 per month. My contract renews every August.

Last year I threatened to switch provider and they gave me a €35 discount for 6 months so a total saving of €210.

This year I again threatened to switch and they gave me a €20 discount for the whole 12 months so a total saving of €240.

 

[michaelm]

One can cancel VM by email and, when the contract has ended, sign up again for 12 months at half price.

 

[ClubMan]

As I mentioned before, when VM was the only fast broadband option (before fibre became available in my area last year) they would offer me the same rubbish deals at the end of the 12 month contract so I'd just cancel and sign back up with them as a new customer with the same personal details. This year I switched to Sky fibre but they were such a disaster that I had to cancel within the 14 day cooling off period and then switched to Eir 500 Mbps fibre and that's been perfect since and support (some questions about billing etc.) has been good. €35 p.m. for 8 months, €39 p.m. for 4 months, and €100 back after two months so €336 for the year.

 

[Dinarius]

I’m with VM. We have BB, TV and landline. (We make a lot of calls to European mobile phones, and these are free with the landline and the connection is superb.)

For TV we have their 365 mini box and it works by wifi. (The modem is in an upstairs office.) We cannot record programs. This was a pain at the start, but the little we want to watch again is frequently available via an app. We also have Sky Sports.

For all this, we’re paying €109 per month for a year. Last year the same package was €89. I always haggle.

VM’s product is excellent, but their customer service is poor. (Check out their Trustpilot rating.) For the second month in a row, we’ve received a bill that is way higher than €109 and I’ve had to waste time contacting them to correct it. Having to contact them during the term of a contract has been the norm, I’ve found.

Those lucky enough to have Siro should be bargaining hard with VM now. For the first time, they have real competition.

D.

 

[bleary]

I cancelled with virgin media after coming to the end of my contract, signed up with sky . I had the fibre box and cable installed the previous year when I was with eir.

I heard nothing from sky but when I checked my account it had referenced an engineer visit approx 3 weeks after my sign up date .

I tried to contact support but couldn't get through so I've cancelled and signed up with another fibre provider..now they have sent me notice of an engineer visit 2 more weeks away. any idea why this would be needed rather than just switching the line on or are am I missing something..the connection was there and worked fine so shouldn't it just be a case of switching something on without a physical visit ? im thinking of just ditching fibre a together.

I had left an overlap of 2 weeks thinking that would be sufficient but I'm now looking at over a month without broadband

 

[ClubMan]

VM may use their own fibre or party fibre connection. Others use Open Eir or SIRO. I think that VM also have agreements to use the latter but it may vary by area/location. Sounds like you have a VM specific connection right now so need a different connection if switching away from them. That means an engineer visit, routing of the Open Eir or SIRO fibre into your house, installation of a different ONT (Optical Network Terminal) etc. But check with your prospective new provider to clarify.

 

[trajan]

I had left an overlap of 2 weeks thinking that would be sufficient but I'm now looking at over a month without broadband

Man that ain't doable. You must have a good mobile data link as back-up at least.

Engineer (!) visit 3 weeks after sign-up ? Dump 'em.

I don't know where you are or what other options exist but look at them all, please.

 

[bleary]

I already have the openeir box and connection from my previous contract.

to be honest I forgot when I signed up with virgin that they were on the other tv fibre connection and I kind of assumed that they could use the new openeir connection.

Also thought it was just the case of switching something on remotely rather than another person physically coming out to switch it back on . ant that has a 2 week wait time now
so looks like starlink or 5g. I'm in central dublin

 

[bleary]

my mobile reception seems to have collapsed in last few weeks which isn't helping.

is this just some sort of openeir contract bureaucracy or is there a reason they need someone physically turning a connection on , I can't get my head around it at all in this day.

virgin should really be required to flag what connection they are using and the implications more clearly before people switching and losing their connection to openeir

 

[ClubMan]

Also thought it was just the case of switching something on remotely rather than another person physically coming out to switch it back on .

I was told by two engineers who visited that each time you switch you at least need a new ONT installed. Earlier this year I had a first time fibre installation when I signed up with Sky. KN Circet came out and brought the fibre from the pavement shore into the house and installed an Open Eir ONT. I had to cancel Sky within the 14 day cooling off period because they were a disaster. Then I signed up with Eir. Another guy came out (I can't recall if he was from KN Circet, Open Eir, Eir etc.) and installed a different Open Eir ONT which surprised me but he told me that's how it's done. (I would've expected the router and not the ONT to be keyed to the service provider or that the ONT could be rekeyed/reprogrammed remotely). He left the practically brand new "Sky" ONT with me. I contacted them and Open Eir to ask if they wanted it back but neither deigned to reply so I chucked it in the local WEEE recycling. More unnecessary waste...

 

[ClubMan]

my mobile reception seems to have collapsed in last few weeks which isn't helping.

is this just some sort of openeir contract bureaucracy or is there a reason they need someone physically turning a connection on , I can't get my head around it at all in this day.

It's not really clear what you're asking about here to be honest

 

[bleary]

sorry I was wondering was there something physically that needed to be switched on or changed or was this some sort of contractual requirement by openeir to check.a connection when contract is changed. I was expecting the router to be changed but just don't understand a system requiring a manual change . I assumed this would be a remote change only

they told me its because they physically shut it off after a week or so of service ceasing so if I maintained A fibre connection a physical switch wouldn't need this but because it was ceased for a year it needs to. be manually restarted
I still don't mind the logic of this

 

[ClubMan]

I was expecting the router to be changed but just don't understand a system requiring a manual change .

I'm my case they changed the ONT inside the house when I moved from Sky to Eir. (Obviously I also got a different modem/router from Eir). I wasn't expecting this to be necessary. I presume that if I switch again next year the new provider will again change the ONT? Seems such a waste though. Sky wanted and got the router back but didn't ask for "their" ONT (which actually seems to be Open Eir's) so it ended up in the WEEE recycling.

 

[bleary]

I agree, incredibly wasteful both from landfill but also having to physically send someone out in person when you change your contract on an annual basis . also with 2 weeks plus waiting time for the engineer and needing to keep services overlapped to maintain service .

 

[elcato]

I agree, incredibly wasteful both from landfill but also having to physically send someone out in person when you change your contract on an annual basis

VM have been like his for years. I have had to chuck routers, cables for years since I started the annual charade or becoming a new customer.

 

[Cervelo]

My understanding with BB is you have to give them notice
The switch over has always gone smoothly with no loss of service

That time of year again and we've finally gone full fibre and of course changed provider to get what we think is the best price for our needs
Was on Pure FTTC for €35pm but couldn't avail of their best offers for FTTH as were not considered "new" customers by Pure
Went with Sky's offer of 500Mb Fibre with Sky stream and Netflix for a year with a fixed price of €45pm
So far happy with the Fibre and Netflix but disappointed with Sky stream as feel it's not worth the monthly sub when compared to Now TV,
even when on a discounted package like this one

Two things came to light about changing providers, notice and loss of service that I'd like get others opinion on

Pure when we rang to give the 30 days notice, indicated that we wouldn't loose service until the "new" provider took over the service
I'm gathering if the change over happens after the contract ends we'd end up paying Pure for that month at full price

Sky in the contract say

Duration: your contract is a subscription contract of indeterminate duration.

12-Month minimum term. You can cancel your subscription at any time by giving 31 days' notice (unless you are within the cooling-off period or switching to another provider where no such notice applies).

Does the last line mean that when in the last month of my contract I don't have to notify Sky and just change provider on the last day of contract like we do with our Gas & Electricity provider of do Sky still insist on the 31 days notice

Just on a side note
Why in this day and age of reducing waste do we have to change our router every time we change provider
Surely we can have "one" router for all providers like our gas & Electricity meters

 

[ClubMan]

Does the last line mean that when in the last month of my contract I don't have to notify Sky and just change provider on the last day of contract like we do with our Gas & Electricity provider of do Sky still insist on the 31 days notice

This may be relevant here?

Court orders Sky to send end of contract notifications

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41656640.html

www.askaboutmoney.com

Just on a side note
Why in this day and age of reducing waste do we have to change our router every time we change provider
Surely we can have "one" router for all providers like our gas & Electricity meters

Different service providers use different routers with different features. That's just the way it is.

 

[Cervelo]

This may be relevant here?

I don't think it is, my reading of that is, what Sky is legaly bound to do when a contract is coming to an end
I asking what are my, me as a customer of a Fibre provider, obligations to a service provider when a contract is coming to an end

Different service providers use different routers with different features.

What different features are these??
As far as I can see for most households they all provide the same services and features but open to correction
Yes some are better then others, I notice the Sky router has terrible Wi-Fi around my house compared to the one from Pure

That's just the way it is.

Doesn't mean it has to stay that way!!