Thinking of joining EE

[yatersley]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and am looking for advice for a friend.

He is currently with BT, with about 3 months to run on the contract. I believe that he is currently paying for add ons that are not required. Full Fibre has just become available. He currently has a FTTC SoGEA connection plus a Digital phone.

I believe that signing up for a new Full Fibre service from EE would save him money as it casts off the unwanted add ons.  I read that EE will refund up to £300 to compensate for Early Termination Charges. So the questions:

1. Would the ETC compensation be payable on a move to EE? If so, how is it claimed?

2. Can the current Digital Phone number be ported to EE.

3. If he decides to make the move, can it be done on-line or is it best to ring in? If on-line, is there a clearly defined way to recover the ETC?

[XRaySpeX]

A move of BB + Home Phone from BT to EE should be done thro' his BT a/c or by phoning BT. In doing so the following will hold:

1. BT should not apply any Early Termination Charges.
2. Yes, DV works with both EE & BT current routers.
3. Do not apply online as a new cust on the EE site.

[yatersley]

@XRaySpeX  thanks for the prompt reply.

Can I ask why? The problem that I see is that the price that he will be charged will be influenced by his current in contract BT price, which is much higher than a new EE customer would pay. To be honest, this would not make a move to EE worth the bother. He seems to currently be saddled with something called Halo and the un-needed offer of a dongle if he has a fault.

The contract needs a reset to bring the price down, even if the ETCs have to be paid. Unless this is possible with a move to EE then he would be better off going elsewhere and taking the ETC hit.

[XRaySpeX]

I see that he has a choice between:

1. Apply to BT for a move to EE & get like-for-like features but not paying any ETC. This will keep any BT Mail.
2. Apply direct to EE for a migration from BT to get whatever plan he wants but having to pay BT for ETC. This will involve paying to continue with BT Mail or downgrading it to BT Basic Mail.

[yatersley]

@XRaySpeX 

Sorry if I'm pushing the point but the real purpose of me persisting is over ETCs. You say pay BT the ETC, that's fine. BUT, is the ETC recoverable from EE if moving from BT? If so, what is the procedure? This will be the deciding factor over the choice of new ISP.

My friend is not tech savvy, so unless there is a simple process I will recommend him taking the ETC hit and we shopping around. Life is too short trying to argue the point after the move.

[Mustrum · Accepted solution]

@yatersley 

From your original questions.

1. Would the ETC compensation be payable on a move to EE? If so, how is it claimed?

No, the terms specifically exclude moving from other parts of the BT Group.

2. Can the current Digital Phone number be ported to EE.

Yes.

3. If he decides to make the move, can it be done on-line or is it best to ring in? If on-line, is there a clearly defined way to recover the ETC?

It can be done either way, but would be better waiting until the last month of their contract. There have been complaits from people moving from BT paying more than they need and not being able to reduce services. That said, going direct to EE would mean reduction of BT Email function, and having to pay for Norton Security amongst others.

Edit link added 

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/early-cancellation-credit 

[XRaySpeX]

EE offer to pay up to £300 of your Early Cancellation Fees from your previous ISP does not apply to migrations from the BT Group (BT, EE and Plusnet) . See Switch Broadband to EE and we'll pay your leaving fee. 

[Matt_124]

The EE Switching Offer is not valid on ETCs from other BT Group companies (BT or Plusnet), and especially not BT as there is an established migration process via BT. Details can be found here: https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/early-cancellation-credit 

In my mind it would be better to wait until the last 30 days of the contract minimum term, at which point a new contract can be negotiated with either BT or EE and the current price they are paying will no longer be factored in as they are within their contract re-negotiation window.

If BT do not let you choose a cheaper (non-All Rounder/Full Works) plan at that point, you could place a new order for an Essentials package on the EE site and not need to pay any ETCs.

If a BT email is involved and wanted to be kept, the official BT to EE migration route via BT will have to be followed however.

[yatersley]

@Mustrum @Matt_124 @XRaySpeX 

That's what I was looking for. Thank you.

Unfortunately his FTTP is being provided as part of a Government funded fibre community parnership deal, so now that FTTP is live, he is under pressure to upgrade so that Openreach can collect their grant money. He doesn't use the BT Norton offer or email. At some point he has been talked into signing up for Halo 3, he doesn't know what it is, let alone have any use for it. Hence his currently high price for no gain. 

All on offer that I can see at the moment in his BT account is an upgrade to FTTP on his current package, presumably kicking off a new 2 year contract at this inflated price.

[Mustrum]

@yatersley   signing up as a new customer , but speaking to CS would appear the best way to go. Delaying the install for as long as possible will help reduce costs. 

It would also be worth looking at the BTW DSL checker om desktop mode to see if there are any complications or reasons for a delay. Use the address tab if the phone number does not work, enter the post code, then pick the address from the drop down. https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome