P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[Harry Peterson]

Tried various ISPs over the years, but despite its reputation I’ve found TalkTalk every bit as good as any other, and considerably better than BT. 
 

And a great deal cheaper, subject of course to the routine renegotiation ritual every 18 months. More than happy to stick with them for sheer value and the reliability of the service.

[wowzz]

Total change of subject. Just seen on FB that our favourite pub and micro brewery, that we have been going to virtually monthly for the last 5 years, even though it is 15 miles away, is shutting for good on Friday.  The need to socially distance made things difficult enough,  but this stupid 10pm closure ruie was the final straw.

BoJo and his cronies have really no idea of the terrible impact their ill judged policies have on the hospitality trade.

At this rate, there won't be a pub left open by the end of this year.

[kalos]

3 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Tried various ISPs over the years, but despite its reputation I’ve found TalkTalk every bit as good as any other, and considerably better than BT. 
 

And a great deal cheaper, subject of course to the routine renegotiation ritual every 18 months. More than happy to stick with them for sheer value and the reliability of the service.

 

Years ago when I was on BT unlimited contract it was good but they kept threatening to cut me off as I was

surfing far to long  I spend twice as long these days online.

I moved to o2 who were like a breath of fresh air after BT, I moved to sky when they bought O2 broadband out .

The cheapest I ever had was Freeserve which as the name says was free back then.

It was nothing like broadband of today , you would sit there listening to your computer squark away as it 

connected to your phone line. Happy days 

Getting back to your point Harry you do right ,if it works for you why swap around, I wouldn't either.

[Vampiress88]

36 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I think your daughter's experience sums up why we don't want to change. Better the devil you know, even if it does cost a bit more!

 

31 minutes ago, kalos said:

That is our feelings as well Wowzz a few years back I had a broadband problem which they 

found to be a loose wire in the exchange ,they refunded me about half of the monthly fee as 

An apology. You get what you pay for .

gonna guess your both with bt? 
 

you do tend to

get what you pay for. Just make sure your getting the best deals when you renew 

 

and kalos copper is going to be going soon so you will be put into fibre in the next few years anyway. You can upgrade even if it’s in contract and you might find they will do it for the same price etc as copper is becoming obsolete. 
 

I’m on fibre to the premises and don’t have any issues but mines a new build. 

[Vampiress88]

23 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Tried various ISPs over the years, but despite its reputation I’ve found TalkTalk every bit as good as any other, and considerably better than BT. 
 

And a great deal cheaper, subject of course to the routine renegotiation ritual every 18 months. More than happy to stick with them for sheer value and the reliability of the service.

If you find one that works you stick to it. Talk talk in general is not good quality  looking on comment sites but everyone has had a problem with at least one company in their time and I think along the saying “if it ent broken why fix it” 

 

like I wouldn’t touch John Lewis with a barge pole but some like that store and have had brilliant service. 

[Vampiress88]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Total change of subject. Just seen on FB that our favourite pub and micro brewery, that we have been going to virtually monthly for the last 5 years, even though it is 15 miles away, is shutting for good on Friday.  The need to socially distance made things difficult enough,  but this stupid 10pm closure ruie was the final straw.

BoJo and his cronies have really no idea of the terrible impact their ill judged policies have on the hospitality trade.

At this rate, there won't be a pub left open by the end of this year.

I don’t think many will survive. 
 

just on a cruising note I’m starting to get nervous about my iona one in July. I thought it might be all good by then but if it’s all masks and stuff I won’t want to go and I have no idea if we would lose the deposit. 

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

gonna guess your both with bt? 

Guessed right with me. Expensive, I know, but no complaints.

[Vampiress88]

1 minute ago, wowzz said:

Guessed right with me. Expensive, I know, but no complaints.

depending on how expensive it is you might be on the wrong package. 
 

massive companies don’t go

through everyone’s accounts. The emails most send are auto renewals for the same package and same price etc but if you have been there ages when broadband used to be really high prices and not as common as it is today then you could be on a really old expensive package. 
 

on renewal with every company I am with I tell them that someone can beat their price and try to get them lower. Usually works or tell them that new customers get it for xxx for same package. 
 

only difference is now most packages you have to add the call package on top as most people don’t use the landline to make calls. 

[Harry Peterson]

39 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

If you find one that works you stick to it. Talk talk in general is not good quality  looking on comment sites but everyone has had a problem with at least one company in their time and I think along the saying “if it ent broken why fix it” 

 

like I wouldn’t touch John Lewis with a barge pole but some like that store and have had brilliant service. 

TalkTalk and John Lewis are quite similar in some ways - customer service can be appalling, but there are ways through it.  TalkTalk and BT both get very bad ratings for their service, but BT prices are a rip-off and they're more difficult to get deals out of.

 

For £21 pm I've got unlimited fibre broadband, with all landline and mobile calls included 24/7, along with useful free calling features like call divert which BT charge an arm and a leg for.  Never have any problems with them.

[grapau27]

We have been to Gretna Outlet and now we are sitting in the hotel

Inn On The Lake on Lake Ullswater having something to eat.

Graham

[wowzz]

11 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

TalkTalk and John Lewis are quite similar in some ways - customer service can be appalling, but there are ways through it.  TalkTalk and BT both get very bad ratings for their service, but BT prices are a rip-off and they're more difficult to get deals out of.

 

For £21 pm I've got unlimited fibre broadband, with all landline and mobile calls included 24/7, along with useful free calling features like call divert which BT charge an arm and a leg for.  Never have any problems with them.

Harry, remind me again who you are with. Thanks.

[Harry Peterson]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Harry, remind me again who you are with. Thanks.

Sorry.....wasn't intending to sound like an advert, Wowzz. 🙃

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, kalos said:

 

What was my daughter on then  as she moved to  Sky superfast broadband ? 

 

https://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/fibre-broadband/

I have sky superfast broadband, but it is fttc, with the last bit to the property through old fashioned copper telephone wires, unless BT are replacing those.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Total change of subject. Just seen on FB that our favourite pub and micro brewery, that we have been going to virtually monthly for the last 5 years, even though it is 15 miles away, is shutting for good on Friday.  The need to socially distance made things difficult enough,  but this stupid 10pm closure ruie was the final straw.

BoJo and his cronies have really no idea of the terrible impact their ill judged policies have on the hospitality trade.

At this rate, there won't be a pub left open by the end of this year.

I suspect they are at least as well informed as you and I about the problems covid is causing the hospitality trade wowzz. But they are damned if they have tight restrictions and damned if they are too slack. So tell us what would you do to pacify every faction.

Edited September 25, 2020 by terrierjohn

[wowzz]

20 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Sorry.....wasn't intending to sound like an advert, Wowzz. 🙃

Actually Harry, I wasnt being funny. A serious question- just too lazy to trawl back through the old posts.

Ah, just looked back TalkTalk

Edited September 25, 2020 by wowzz
Added information.

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

 

Years ago when I was on BT unlimited contract it was good but they kept threatening to cut me off as I was

surfing far to long  I spend twice as long these days online.

I moved to o2 who were like a breath of fresh air after BT, I moved to sky when they bought O2 broadband out .

The cheapest I ever had was Freeserve which as the name says was free back then.

It was nothing like broadband of today , you would sit there listening to your computer squark away as it 

connected to your phone line. Happy days 

Getting back to your point Harry you do right ,if it works for you why swap around, I wouldn't either.

Ahhh.....Freeserve. I remember it well. And a host of other ISPs offering cheap internet connections. 

 

Claranet, Demon  and the too good to be true Ezesurf,  which offered lifetime free internet for around £75 as I recall.  Didn't last that long but S75 produced a quick refund!

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I suspect they are at least as well informed about the problems covid is causing the hospitality trade wowzz. But they are damned if they have tight restrictions and damned if they are too slack. So tell us what would you do to pacify every faction.

Well, I certainly wouldn't force hundreds of people out onto the streets at 10am, causing much more social interaction than if they were allowed to filter out any time up until midnight.  All that will happen is that there will be lots of gatherings post 10 o'clock in people's houses, with much less space to mingle,  and more chance of infection.

And what is the point of closing  restaurants at 10, thus reducing table turn at a stroke ? How is me eating a dessert in a restaurant at 10:15 more dangerous than at 9:15?

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Vampiress88 said:

depending on how expensive it is you might be on the wrong package. 
 

massive companies don’t go

through everyone’s accounts. The emails most send are auto renewals for the same package and same price etc but if you have been there ages when broadband used to be really high prices and not as common as it is today then you could be on a really old expensive package. 
 

on renewal with every company I am with I tell them that someone can beat their price and try to get them lower. Usually works or tell them that new customers get it for xxx for same package. 
 

only difference is now most packages you have to add the call package on top as most people don’t use the landline to make calls. 

I am with Sky and have been for so long that I am now a Diamond status VIP. But I learned many years ago that I need to talk to them at least annually as they apply inflation rises and negotiate a better deal. I usually end up with a lower price than before their increase, and have managed to keep it around the same sort of level for the last 10 years, even though I have had upgradrs and also fibre, then superfast fibre and now have Sky Q. It's rather like insurance, you should never just accept the new increase without researching and quoting competition.

[Harry Peterson]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Actually Harry, I wasnt being funny. A serious question- just too lazy to trawl back through the old posts.

Sorry - TalkTalk.  Both BT and TalkTalk get appalling reviews,  but in my experience there's little to choose between them and TalkTalk is far cheaper usually.  

 

Most of the time,  most internet connections are problem free, but if things do go wrong both are equally bad at resolving problems.  All I can say is that I've had none in the six years or so I've stayed with TalkTalk on a series of renegotiated contracts.  I can't find anyone else to touch them on price, particularly with the landline calls diverted to the mobile without any cost at all. 

[kalos]

12 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I have sky superfast broadband, but it is fttc, with the last bit to the property through old fashioned copper telephone wires, unless BT are replacing those.

 

I think openreach will do the last bit ,that's if you do upgrade to "Fibre"

There is no point in replacing something that is not going to be used I would guess.

Did you see my post on the Sky disability helpline John ? 

[Harry Peterson]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Well, I certainly wouldn't force hundreds of people out onto the streets at 10am, causing much more social interaction than if they were allowed to filter out any time up until midnight.  All that will happen is that there will be lots of gatherings post 10 o'clock in people's houses, with much less space to mingle,  and more chance of infection.

And what is the point of closing  restaurants at 10, thus reducing table turn at a stroke ? How is me eating a dessert in a restaurant at 10:15 more dangerous than at 9:15?

All a pointless gesture to try to protect jobs but at the same time make it look as if he's taking some action to reduce the infection rate.

 

The 10pm closing will achieve practically nothing, and will actually make matters worse if people just decide to carry on in mixed groups in their homes. 

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Sorry - TalkTalk.  Both BT and TalkTalk get appalling reviews,  but in my experience there's little to choose between them and TalkTalk is far cheaper usually.  

 

Most of the time,  most internet connections are problem free, but if things do go wrong both are equally bad at resolving problems.  All I can say is that I've had none in the six years or so I've stayed with TalkTalk on a series of renegotiated contracts.  I can't find anyone else to touch them on price, particularly with the landline calls diverted to the mobile without any cost at all. 

Just checked, and TalkTalk don't cover this area.  Guess I'll stay with BT for a while,  as they have never caused any problems, and the speed is greater than they promised me.

[Gettingwarmer]

42 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We have been to Gretna Outlet and now we are sitting in the hotel

Inn On The Lake on Lake Ullswater having something to eat.

Graham

Love the Inn on the Lake. Stayed there three times and it has the mos fantastic views. Bit far for us to travel at the moment but maybe again one day. Sigh 

[terrierjohn]

15 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

All a pointless gesture to try to protect jobs but at the same time make it look as if he's taking some action to reduce the infection rate.

 

The 10pm closing will achieve practically nothing, and will actually make matters worse if people just decide to carry on in mixed groups in their homes. 

Wasn't it Nicola who first introduced 10:00pm closing, why are you not ranting about her as well, and that nice Labour leader of the Welsh assembly?

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Wasn't it Nicola who first introduced 10:00pm closing, why are you not ranting about her as well, and that nice Labour leader of the Welsh assembly?

I would quite happily rant at them if I lived in Scotland or Wales, but as I live in England it doesn't seem unreasonable to direct my wrath at those people making decisions that concern me. 

I don't necessarily agree with the lockdown in Melbourne either,  but it's hardly my place to comment about something that has no direct impact on me.