Comparing broadband may not be THE most glamorous task in your life but it’s certainly worth the effort, given that up to 10 million consumers could be overpaying. This figure to some might appear shocking but perhaps understandable given there are so many other things we all are getting on with in our daily lives.
Moreover, with the vast majority of broadband providers offering a dependable and reliable service, it’s easy to forget all about whether or not you are getting the best deal on price. Luckily it’s a pretty seamless process these days, with the first port of call being a comparison site, such as cable.co.uk, where you can see a list of the best broadband deals on the market. However, make sure you know what you are signing up for when you switch providers. To help you achieve this, we have curated a list of four things you should avoid when you do shop for your best broadband deals.
Overly long contracts – Often the lowest prices are offered to consumers who are willing to commit to the longest contracts. However, a long contract might not suit everybody. Remember you normally won’t be able to switch until the end of your contract, so be careful before you sign up to a long contract that you are confident in that provider and their prices. Also, remember to shop for a new deal once your contract is up as there will likely be better deals available once your contract ends.
Too slow (or too fast!) speeds – Although it sounds counterintuitive to have your internet connection described as “too fast” in reality not everyone needs a 120GB fiber connection. For example, an elderly person who uses the internet occasionally for sending the odd email will unlikely need to leverage the power of such a fast connection. More of a concern is when your connection is too slow, for example, if you have three teenagers with three devices plus parents watching films or shopping online, you will, of course, need a higher spec. package.
Using added extras as the deciding factor
There are a plethora of extras and add ons providers use to attract or even lure you into their services. Whilst many of these may seem attractive on the face of it, in reality, many will be built into the overall price you are paying over the length of the contract. Yes, you might get a £50 M & S voucher but is the monthly price still the cheapest? Maybe it still is, but it’s always prudent to focus on the actual package on offer and the overall cost rather than individual extras or add-ons.
Not considering setup, connection or cancellation costs
Look for costs outside the headline monthly cost such as line rental or setup/connection costs. Sometimes you may see an attractive low monthly cost but this might be being offset with a higher cost somewhere else. As mentioned earlier, look at packages in the round and ask yourself is this really the right package for me? Finally, ALWAYS shop around, as you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
Cheapest broadband can turn out to be the most expensive in the long run, if unreliable. Just one day with broadband down could cost some people a fortune.
The switching process at the outset can be a nightmare…can take TWO WEEKS with some companies…so any savings can be completely wiped out by such a delay.
Some companies are notorious for poor customer service…in my experience Vodaphone, TalkTalk, BT, PlusNet.
Try to get a provider with call centres in the UK. Overseas call centres ( should anything go wrong ) do not seem very keen on resolving customer problems…they just do not care and are not bothered whether customers’ problems are sorted out or not…they are thousands of miles away and just hide behind anonymity.