Are You Getting Free Broadband Technical Support?

By Julia Kukiewicz Staff Writer Wednesday, 5 March 2008

How much is your broadband technical support costing you? The Rules Check before you spend with our handy list of non-geographic numbers prefixs to look out for when you call from a BT landline. How much to call 0870? 6p p/min daytime, 1.5p p/min evenings How much to call 0844? Between 1 – 5p per minute as decided by owner (e.g: Madasafish calls are always 4p p/min) How much to call 0845? 2p per minute daytime, 0.5p evenings Remember: these are the charges from a BT landline and not from any other provider or a mobile. So, for example, although TalkTalk uses 0870 numbers they’re free from a TalkTalk landline Related Broadband Guides See our other recent related guides to help you compare broadband and find the best broadband deal: Who offers free line rental with broadband? YOU could avoid paying line rental altogether by opting for a broadband package that includes free line rental. Julia Kukiewicz finds the broadband providers offering cheap or free line rental. Who offers the best fair use policy? Neil Hawkins reveals which broadband fair use policies are fair and unfair.

EXPENSIVE technical support numbers have long been a way for the budget broadband providers to make quick cash from their customers. With BT's recent move to make both its customer and technical support free, however, that could be about to change.

Amazingly few broadband providers have so far cottoned on to the fact that paying £15 an hour to get your £6 a month broadband up and running is blood-boilingly irritating.

Or rather, they have cottoned on to it but failed to work out that it sends their customers running for the hills.

Free tech support

As of April 1st this year, BT broadband entered the elite group of broadband providers (which includes Be* Broadband, O2 Broadband and Fasthosts Broadband) offering totally free telephone support as their six most popular chargeable numbers became completely free.

That’s 99% of numbers as opposed to the current 92%.

For BT executives the announcement was an object lesson in extreme smugness.

"There really is no excuse for companies whose prices are either sky-high or verging on the ridiculous," claimed Gavin Patterson, BT's managing director, adding that he estimates broadband customers are losing out on a cool £70 million a year.

Free support raises prices

It seems unlikely, however, that many broadband providers will follow BT’s lead.

From one point of view that isn’t such a bad thing. Freephone technical support raises prices of broadband packages and why pay for something that you might never use?

Then again, you do pay to have access to the Internet and don’t expect to have to pay for what often turns out to be your broadband provider's mistakes on top of that.

So how much are you paying your broadband provider for technical support?

It's best to really research before you buy, taking care to check the small print.

Sneaky trick

One sneaky trick to watch out for is broadband providers who make the customer support line free and the technical support a premium rate number and then advertise free support.

Remember, too, if you are experiencing problems with your service and can afford to wait, an email or a good old fashioned letter can solve the problem just as well as a phone call and for cheaper.

Look below to see whether your broadband provider is a phone support star or a phone support shame.

Broadband Phone Support Hall of Stars

Price From a BT Landline	Providers
Free!	Be, BT, Fasthosts, O2 Broadband, Virgin Media*
Local Rates	Pipex
0845 numbers 2p p/min daytime 0.5p p/min evening	Eclipse, Zen, Post Office Broadband, Virgin Media (Non-cable Customers)*
0844 numbers Between 1-5p p/min	Madasafish (always 4p a minute), Orange (Home Max and Home Select packages only - always 5p a minute)
0870 numbers 6p p/min daytime 1.5p p/min evenings	Easyspace, Sky, TalkTalk (free from TalkTalk landline), AOL

Broadband Phone Support Wall of Shame

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