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Author Topic: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?  (Read 6477 times)

cam

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Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« on: December 28, 2014, 08:42:05 AM »

I am at the end of a long copper wire connection and can currently get 2.5M. I am, by the way, convinced that the only reason we get 2.5M is because I have a Billion 7800 modem-router as suggested on this board!
I have been a customer with Virgin since they first started back in the dial-up days. I gather, although I haven't been officially informed, that Virgin have sold all their 'National' (i.e. non-fibre) customers to TalkTalk.
Given that as a result of this I will lose my long-held email address,  I wonder whether being moved to TalkTalk is the best option or if there are better ISPs for my situation.
As I say, we are about 4km as the crow flies from exchange. Apparently we will be getting FTTC some time next year.

Thanks for any suggestions
« Last Edit: December 28, 2014, 09:05:47 AM by cam »
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JGO

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2014, 09:04:10 AM »

If you are loosing your email address anyway suggest looking round. I've been very happy with Zen on a line nearly as long as yours, and with their help doubled the switch-on speed. They also told me when FFTC became available.
It is always a case of "You get what you pay for !" and my impression is that Talk Talk is cheap but you are on your own, which is OK next door to the exchange !.

Good Luck
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HPsauce

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2014, 10:16:47 AM »

I would wait until you are officially informed and can check the details. You should get plenty of notice.
In "transitions" like that old email services are often maintained indefinitely as it's too much hassle to change and drives customers away.

Also, if TT are taking over you "may" get a slightly better ADSL2+ service (even on a long line) than you presumably get on BT kit resold by Virgin.
It will all depend on the deal they offer, it may actually suit you.  ;)

Meanwhile look at acquiring a suitable isp-independent email address to run in parallel.
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roseway

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2014, 10:31:28 AM »

One downside of TalkTalk is that when you get FTTC you'll have to wait some (or many) weeks before TT can offer you FTTC. They have to make an additional investment (installing a GEA link cable in the exchange), and this takes time, and in some cases never happens because the size of the exchange is such that the investment isn't worthwhile to them.

So although it's true that TT might give you a somewhat better ADSL2+ service, you could be storing up a problem for when FTTC arrives.
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  Eric

kitz

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2014, 10:38:06 AM »

TT hasnt got the best of reputations for CS, but saying that their forums are manned by staff who are pro-active and appear much more competent than those that maintain the telephone and ticket support. 

There are a few members of this forum who are with or who were with TT for adsl2+ and are fairly happy. If you seldom have problems with the physical line and are happy to use their forums for support rather than tickets/telephone then you may be fine.   If you require more ISP intervention, then it would have to be one such as the likes of Zen.

There is also the DLM to consider (which is why some members on adsl2+ with longish lines are happier with TT) in that TT will turn off DLM upon request which could work to your advantage over the BTw DLM. 

This is an area which has to be considered carefully to also ensure that you will not be entering into a new contract period with TT, in other words you dont want to be tied to a 12 month contract if FTTC is soon to become available at your exchange.

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ETA

Roseway posted whilst I was typing and explained the FTTC situation better than me.     
 
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HPsauce

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2014, 10:51:16 AM »

All useful advice, which sort of says "the devil is in the detail", but beware of becoming trapped somewhere you may not want to be longer term. Meanwhile check things out and get more information to help you decide when the time comes.

I was in a similar/parallel situation when Be were taken over by Sky.
The crunch point for me was that, although I could move across on a rolling 1-month contract and keep my phone service with BT, if I ever wanted fibre that was ONLY ever going to be available from Sky as part of a phone/broadband package. Not something I could do at present as I need to keep my phone separate and with BT.
As soon as that was clarified I departed; without that restriction I would have been happy to stay.
(Though as it happens my FTTC date is moving ever backwards - Dec 2015 now despite some cabinets on my exchange having been live for over a year  >:( )
« Last Edit: December 28, 2014, 10:53:29 AM by HPsauce »
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Ronski

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2014, 12:13:07 PM »

My brother is in the process of moving across to TT on my advice, the main driving reason being how cheap unlimited broadband is with TT. I have also noticed they have some excellent value mobile phone packages available to TT customers. TT use the Vodafone network so coverage shouldn't be a problem and you are even allowed to use your phone for tethering with the data used simply coming out of your allowance. So he will also switch his mobile to them when his account allows - once it's fully active I presume.

I do have my reservations about TT customer service but things do appear to have improved from what I've seen on various forums recently, this may well be put to the test as his line developed problems two days after signing up, and with switch over day looming on the 2 January I doubt it will be fixed by then.

With regard to the OP's email address this is a trap a lot of people fall into, as others have said all you need to do is sign up somewhere else for an email package or even just a domain name. I use 1&1 for my domain name, which costs me about £4 a year. I simply then set up my domain name emails to forward to my ISP account, this costs nothing extra and I can have as many email addresses as I want. If I change ISP then I just need to change the forward to address, simple.
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HPsauce

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2014, 12:29:17 PM »

I would wait until you are officially informed and can check the details. You should get plenty of notice.
If the reports in the trade media, back in November, are correct then you should have been given some sort of official notification by now.
If not, call them and demand to know.
Example: http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/11/uk-isp-talktalk-gobbles-virgin-medias-copper-adsl-broadband-users.html
Quote
A Virgin Media Spokesperson told ISPreview.co.uk:

“As we continue to invest in, and expand, our own superfast, fibre optic network, the time is right to hand over our DSL service. We are working closely with TalkTalk to ensure the transition is seamless and people have everything they need to make the switch.”
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HighBeta

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2014, 07:19:39 PM »

Also take a look at Andrews and Arnold. (£25pm for Home1 for either BT or Talk-Talk backhaul.)

With line with those type of stats the extra end user control's* would be advantageous. The CS is also in a different league which comes into its own if anything goes wrong with the service move.

:)
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*http://wiki.aa.org.uk/Category:Control_Pages
http://wiki.aa.org.uk/Line_Options_and_Line_Settings
« Last Edit: December 28, 2014, 07:36:46 PM by HighBeta »
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NewtronStar

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Re: Virgin selling my account to TalkTalk. What are my options?
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2014, 08:51:57 PM »

As I say, we are about 4km as the crow flies from exchange. Apparently we will be getting FTTC some time next year.

If FTTC is coming to you i suggest you find or locate your current PCP cabinet as this will be the actual distance to your premises when fttc goes live and the local exchange distance becomes  unimportant. 
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