Switch Your Broadband Internet Provider Without Hassles – Instructions for Use
Dissatisfied with the services of your current provider or moving to an area that he does not cover or simply looking for a new provider? You want to change Internet operator but back away from the steps to be taken? Here is everything you need to know before you start:
To maximize the chances of a trouble-free migration, read the terms and conditions of your supplier carefully and follow the procedure carefully.
Termination: a procedure depending on the operators.
When changing the ISP, the first step is obviously to identify your future operator and the formula that interests you. However, unlike the practices that prevail for example in the world of mobile telephony, it is up to you most often to cancel your old subscription.
Termination, unfortunately, remains a rather unharmonized procedure: each service provider, therefore, has its way of operating. If necessary, find out about the practice of your ISP by reading your contract again or by contacting the hotline. In general, the procedure for terminating an internet subscription includes the following major steps :
-The subscriber informs his operator of his intention to terminate his contract by a first informal notice. This notice can be made, according to operators, via a phone call on the commercial platform, by instant messaging or simply by filling a dedicated form on the customer space available in the line.
-The decision must then be officially confirmed by sending a recommended cancellation letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The ISP is legally obliged to terminate your contract within ten days of receiving this letter.
-At the same time, the rental equipment (box, TV decoder …) must be returned to the operator. Depending on the case, the former subscriber can return them by parcel post or deposit them directly in the shop.
What are the Costs?
Your former Internet Service Provider may charge you a cancellation fee as long as it is included in the contract you signed. Find professional advice on this from broadband from Usave.
Under a 12-month commitment contract, there is generally no charge beyond the commitment period. However, in some cases, you will be liable for penalties for breaking the commitment period, even though the non-binding formulas are becoming more numerous.
Finally, be aware that termination without costs is possible if you can invoke a “legitimate motive.” It must generally be an event beyond your control, such as a unilateral amendment of the tariffs or the terms of the contract by the operator, a professional transfer, the death of the policyholder, his long-term hospitalization, the commitment of an over-indebtedness procedure and others. There is no exhaustive list of these reasons that the operator appreciates on a case-by-case basis.
You can also test your net speed using speedcheck.org
How to Keep Your Landline Number?
It will be possible, most of the time, to keep your old landline number when you change carriers, but the conditions are slightly more restrictive than in the field of mobile telephony.
Before the cancellation of your old line is effective, you must send this request to your new supplier and give it a “portability mandate.” This mandate will enable him, as a bonus, to carry out most of the termination procedures for you. However, not all service providers offer this service.
If your change of supplier doubles as a move, the conditions of portability may also differ depending on your numbering. Interpersonal communication numbers are transferable without difficulty, everywhere in the UK or overseas territories. On the other hand, the geolocalised numbers require you to stay in the same geographical area. If you leave, you will need to take a new number.
Some Tips Before Signing Up At Your New ISP
The transition between two Internet access providers necessarily implies a temporary cut in the service. This can last a few days in the best case, but also for several weeks in the worst case scenario! This is true even if you stay with the same operator, for example from First Utility to Gigaclear. To minimize this pitfall, one trick is to subscribe your new offer a few days before sending the cancellation letter for your old subscription.
Have you thought about your data stored on your old box or the cloud of your former operator? It is recommended to transfer them securely to a personal hard drive so that you do not lose them at the time of migration.
You are dissatisfied with your ISP and decided to change it? In this case, there is no urgency. Learn about current promotional offers and, more generally, take the time to review the various offers available at your place of residence.
