Is the grass really greener elsewhere?

When those nice people at BT installed Fibre at our local cabinet, I researched the market for providers, looking at BT and all the others who could offer me a FTTC package.

After a lot of thought and comparisons, I joined IDNet 14 months ago, and for all of that time experienced rock steady speeds - with DL 37 mbps, UL 8 mbps, varying by only decimal points during that period.

IDNet's tariff charges only on the maximum peak time download per month (no charges for uploads or overnight downloading) and after a couple of months I was on the correct tariff, with a pretty steady 30GB per month usage.

Downloads were amazingly fast, and even uploading pictures to Flickr or video to YouTube never seemed too bad.

However, IDNet are not cheap. OK I know a Merc or BMW costs more than a Mondeo, but the cost was high enough that I was aware of it.

So at the end of my one year contract I looked around and found another ISP (PlusNet) with which I had good experience in a rental property I look after. After a bit of calculation, I worked out that my 30 GB usage would cost far less on PlusNet so migrated.

Now, I was really sad to leave IDNet - I had loved the helpfulness of the team and the forum, but I thought that this was a positive move.

So - why am I posting this?

Well, firstly, I found out that PlusNet charge for both UL AND DL data, so my usage was going to push me into the next tariff up. That on its own largely erased the cost saving I had planned to make.

The download speeds were good but noticeably slower than my IDNet experience too. Speed tests on various sites showed it fluctuating between 30 mbps and 35 mbps but with real peaks and dips (on a line which had been totally stable in connect speeds for over a year).

And on my first day with PlusNet there was a huge service interruption, on a day when I critically needed good access. Cue working on my iPad on my Three contract.

Then I discovered that as PlusNet profile bandwidth, if I wanted to watch Netflix or download video that was shaped unless I paid another £5 per month!

THEN I found out that PlusNet also cap UL speeds at 2mbps, and I was only getting just over 1mbps UL - so my video and image uploads were suddenly going to not only be charged but take a long, long time!

So - back to my spreadsheet and it worked out that I was actually cheaper when I was on IDNet for my usage (which is not high, really) and I would get the whole bandwidth for which I was paying - no caps or profiling!

So a rapid cancellation later, I am returning to IDNet, wiser, chastened, and very unlikely to go after "greener grass" elsewhere again without a huge amount of research and a lot of thought.

And getting the MAC code? Well, when I left IDNet, I got the code by email and text within three minutes. PlusNet want a working week to produce a simple code. They really do know how to inflame things.

Had they just accepted my (virtually immediate) cancellation I would have left quietly. But now I am really angry - I was not given the correct information on the tariff when I signed up (no mention of the upload caps or upload charging) and am being tied to an ISP I do not want to be with.

Hmmm, DYOR seems to be the moral of the story. I knew all of this when I signed up to the 18 months fibre contract because I made a point of finding out. So far, apart from the infamous incident this week, I am very happy with it. As for charging for uploads, I honestly thought everyone counted uploads in the allowance these days.

Agree on the uploads. Always thought it was total transfered data which counterd towards usage.

Not sure about the MAC code issue though. Why does it have to take a week, if others can do it in minutes? Surely two working days would be the absolute maximum (especially in these days of faster broadband - yes that's irony).

In reply to a post by camieabz:

Agree on the uploads. Always thought it was total transfered data which counterd towards usage

Not IDNet. Not AAISP. Not Zen. That's without even thinking.

Why does it have to take a week, if others can do it in minutes

Because they can. Good honest broadband from Yorkshire.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by camieabz:

Agree on the uploads. Always thought it was total transferred data which counted towards usage

Not IDNet. Not AAISP. Not Zen. That's without even thinking.

I'll bear that in mind if ever my uploads are likely to get anywhere near my downloads!

In reply to a post by wingco1:

Why does it have to take a week, if others can do it in minutes

Because they can. Good honest broadband from Yorkshire.

This has been discussed many times recently and the Plusnet reps have indicated that they will try to exert some influence to get the policy changed. I agree that it is a bad policy, likely to lose Plusnet custom in the long run rather than retain it.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

That's without even thinking.

Be reasonable. You spend a considerable amount of your time making yourself aware of such subjects.

In reply to a post by camieabz:

Be reasonable. You spend a considerable amount of your time making yourself aware of such subjects.

Which proves my point. I'm mindless .

A prime example of doing your research.

But ISPs can make it particularly complicated with all sorts of exceptions, tarriffs and "upgrades" like PlusNet seem to do. This is why I recommend skipping them and going to their father - BT. Either you get the full fat cream version (unlimited, 10Mbit upload) or go for the semi skimmed (40GB usage and 2Mbit upload).

Hi CMEdinburgh,

Sorry that our tariff didn't work out for you, though I can understand what you're saying. Any chance you could drop me a PM with your username or a ticket ID so I can have a look and see what we can do for you?

When PN were asked why they charge varying rates depending on exchange status, the answer was the same as when asked why they make users wait five days for a MAC - "Because we can!" which says it all really and probably applies to the shifty £3 Broadband ads which don't actually tell the real rate for a Market 1 exchange. If a BT claim to the first router to switch channels can be challenged, I expect someone will challenge this ridiculous "Honest broadband" claim.

I believe we go into a little more detail than that regarding market areas.

http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/products/low_c...

That page is linked to from the home page.

Mark

Not in the junk-mail that comes through the letterbox you don't - just a vague mention in the small print about a low cost area. TV ad not much better. Neither mention activation or caller display charges, or for that matter the £17.99p I pay for a restricted service on Market 1.

Not dissimilar to Sky, O2 and any reseller of LLU. If LLU is available then it is cheaper and better. If it isn't then you pay more for a lesser service.

Only difference with Plusnet is that they are the only ISP (that I know of) that pass on the lower charging from BT for areas that have competition. In that way Plusnet are far more honest than the others who charge the same even where the BT wholesale charges are lower. I haven't really watched the ads so don't know how clear it is made the difference in pricing but the practice of charging according to what is available in the exchange is very widespread.

Only difference with Plusnet is that they are the only ISP (that I know of) that pass on the lower charging from BT for areas that have competition

There is a another difference with Plusnet, they are the only ISP (that I know of) that make you wait five days for a MAC.

In reply to a post by ian72:

Only difference with Plusnet is that they are the only ISP (that I know of) that pass on the lower charging from BT for areas that have competition. In that way Plusnet are far more honest than the others who charge the same even where the BT wholesale charges are lower.

Are all wholesale charges the same, after all Plusnet are owned by BT Group.
I looked at trying Plusnet however, found prices a lot more expensive than on advert ( prices from ""). Being market 1 I would have to pay more for capped with Plusnet than I pay now for Uncapped with TalkTalk Business.

In reply to a post by flippery:

Are all wholesale charges the same, after all Plusnet are owned by BT Group.
I looked at trying Plusnet however, found prices a lot more expensive than on advert ( prices from ""). Being market 1 I would have to pay more for capped with Plusnet than I pay now for Uncapped with TalkTalk Business.

My bold
Do you think for one moment that all other ISPs would allow a "special" price for the provision of internet services to any particular ISP....there would be a stampede to Ofcom.

I agree that to my knowledge PN are the only ISP that offers the discount received for Market 2 and 3. They run a business and no doubt feel that this action promotes their business model,..... for those it suits it is a good deal I would have thought.

In reply to a post by wingco1:

Only difference with Plusnet is that they are the only ISP (that I know of) that pass on the lower charging from BT for areas that have competition

There is a another difference with Plusnet, they are the only ISP (that I know of) that make you wait five days for a MAC.

OK, if you are getting to get picky there are many differences, I meant only (or possibly most relevant) difference in this context

I could also mention plusnets addition to the horrible BT profiling system that results in having to wait for 2 profiles to update - that is the one I really don't like and has on several occasions added additional delay for my parents line updating...