Switching broadband providers - how?

CiniO

I'm with eircom for the last few years.
As price difference seem to be big, I decided I want to switch to different provider.
I rang eircom customer helpline, and I was told my contract expires on 1st May.
And that I need to give them my resignation letter at least 1 month in advance, so generally I need to submit a letter before 1st April that I want them to stop providing me with broadband+talktime bundle.

Is that the right way to do it, or should I contact new provider first, and they should take care of switching?

What I don't want is to be in situation when my eircom broadband will be turned off, and I'll be waiting for few days for new provider to turn it on, as I generally need it everyday.

Any advice appriciated,

Thanks.

Mr Simpson

Once you are out of contract, if the new provider is using the same line (eg Sky/Vodafone) they can submit the cease request to Eircom, you don't need to contact them.

You shouldn't be without service for more than a few minutes.

*Disclaimer: I do work for a rival provider, but I'm just going from my personal experience of switching from Eircom.

Edit: If you do give them a months notice when you're coming out of contract. Make sure you advise them you are switching provider and to not cease the line.

CiniO

Mr Simpson wrote: »

Once you are out of contract, if the new provider is using the same line (eg Sky/Vodafone) they can submit the cease request to Eircom, you don't need to contact them.

You shouldn't be without service for more than a few minutes.

*Disclaimer: I do work for a rival provider, but I'm just going from my personal experience of switching from Eircom.

Edit: If you do give them a months notice when you're coming out of contract. Make sure you advise them you are switching provider and to not cease the line.

All right.
I do want to switch to new provider using the same line (Sky or Vodafone as to be precise).
Eircom told me if I don't submit my resignation, I'll be just out of contract, but they will still provide me with the service on month-to-month basis.

So should I just contact new provider (Sky or Vodafone) now (before 1st April) so they can arrange to cease my contract with eircom by 1st May and start providing me with broadband from 1st May, or should I just wait until 1st may to contact them and then do the switching?

Mr Simpson

The new provider can't choose a cease date.

I would wait until the day your contract ends, then contact the new provider with your Eircom Account Number (UAN) and Phone Number.

The order should then take about a week and a half from when it's processed (all going well).

CiniO

Mr Simpson wrote: »

The new provider can't choose a cease date.

I would wait until the day your contract ends, then contact the new provider with your Eircom Account Number (UAN) and Phone Number.

The order should then take about a week and a half from when it's processed (all going well).

Thanks for advice.
I'll do so.

Mr Simpson

CiniO wrote: »

Thanks for advice.
I'll do so.

No probs

ED E

Mr Simpson wrote: »

You shouldn't be without service for more than a few minutes.

Only for a smooth insitue swap. Not always the case and you can't tell if this wil be the case.

OP have a fallback for 10 days off no service. Wont happen for sure, but can depending on when eircom close the BB account and when you get connected on the far end.

Mr Simpson

ED E wrote: »

Only for a smooth insitue swap. Not always the case and you can't tell if this wil be the case.

OP have a fallback for 10 days off no service. Wont happen for sure, but can depending on when eircom close the BB account and when you get connected on the far end.

As I said, I'm going from my own personal experience

Kristopherus

CiniO wrote: »

Thanks for advice.
I'll do so.

Make sure you clarify with Eircom that, say, if you get transferred to your new provider on 10th May, that they will bill you for the 9/10 days of May and not the full month of May. Eircom are b***ards at pulling fast ones on departing customers. For instance they have been directed by Comreg to desist from insisting that out of contract customers must still give a months notice of leaving. If they are now complying, its only very recently. You could ask all about that on the Talk to....Eircom forum. Nothin beats having a clarification in print:).

OneEightSeven

Wait until the day after your contract ends. I rang up the day my contract ended and got hit with an early termination charge.

Mr. G

Just to clear this up, you should give notice to them that you will be porting away when the contract ends and instruct them not to cancel the line. If you don't give them notice, you would be charged a one months line rental (I think). Put it in bold to instruct them that the provider you're porting to will cancel the line and that the email/letter is notice as per terms and conditions.

Your new provider will port the number and Eircom will issue you a final bill at the end of the port.

Generally, it takes 24-48 hours for Voice services and then 7-10 working days for broadband after the voice.

You cannot be charged VAT on cancellation charges (as no good or service is being supplied, according to Revenue's website), so make sure you check this OneEightSeven.

Just to be safe, wait until the day after. It can be complicated when it really shouldn't be.

Mr Simpson

Mr. G wrote: »

Just to clear this up, you should give notice to them that you will be porting away when the contract ends and instruct them not to cancel the line. If you don't give them notice, you would be charged a one months line rental (I think). Put it in bold to instruct them that the provider you're porting to will cancel the line and that the email/letter is notice as per terms and conditions.

Your new provider will port the number and Eircom will issue you a final bill at the end of the port.

Generally, it takes 24-48 hours for Voice services and then 7-10 working days for broadband after the voice.

You cannot be charged VAT on cancellation charges (as no good or service is being supplied, according to Revenue's website), so make sure you check this OneEightSeven.

Just to be safe, wait until the day after. It can be complicated when it really shouldn't be.

Comreg ruled that eircom can't require one months notice when porting. When the switch is to sky, Broadband takes 1 week and voice about 3 days after

Link to comreg ruling:
http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg13114.pdf

CiniO

That's all very helpful.
Thanks guys

apm0003

Mr Simpson wrote: »

Comreg ruled that eircom can't require one months notice when porting. When the switch is to sky, Broadband takes 1 week and voice about 3 days after

Link to comreg ruling:
http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg13114.pdf

Yup, that was my experience. I recently switched a line from Eircom to another provider. I was not in contract and I did not give notice. It was all arranged by the new provider, I never talked to eircom at all. I received the final bill from them a couple of weeks after moving. I was only charged by Eircom up to the day it moved to the new provider and no more.

Mr Simpson

apm0003 wrote: »

I recently switched a line form Eircom. I was not in contract and I was not charged for a month. It took about a week and I was just charged by Eircom up to the day it moved to the new provider and no more.

It was all arranged by the new provider, I never talked to eircom at all. I received the final bill from then a couple of weeks after moving.

Which is exactly what should happen.

CiniO

apm0003 wrote: »

Yup, that was my experience. I recently switched a line from Eircom to another provider. I was not in contract and I did not give notice. It was all arranged by the new provider, I never talked to eircom at all. I received the final bill from them a couple of weeks after moving. I was only charged by Eircom up to the day it moved to the new provider and no more.

Mr Simpson wrote: »

Which is exactly what should happen.

Hopefully it will work for me as well.
I'm going to contact new provider then after 1st May.

Only issue I can see, is that Eircom charges for their services in advance.
So on 1st May I'm going to receive a bill for period from 1st May to 1st June.
Once I pay it, and switch will be arranged in the middle of May, what I should actually get from eircom is refund for unused part of May.