Is free install actually free??

I could be reading too much into these deals or I'm just naturally
suspicious. When you have broadband installed you would normally just pay
for the modem, the microfilters and the connection fee, plus the regular
monthly payment for the service of course. (Unless you were installing the
modem and filters yourself). So these install free packages mean that they
activate the line or whatever for free. Or am I still paying for something
else? I tried to get a straight answer out of Freedom 2 Surf's sales people
on this and it felt like I was talking to a machine.

Jay

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 18:04:22 +0100, "jayeff"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>The ISP pick up the tab on the basis you stick with them for 12 months (in
>most cases) and sting you if you try and switch? Or does free install relate
>to something else?
Free activation means FREE ACTIVATION I was charged 22.50 and nothing
else by Freedom2 Surf last month and I have had nothing but polite
conversations with members of F2S staff in all departments in fact F2S
are about the best of UK ISP's .
Monty .

"jayeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:blurmq$976$(E-Mail Removed)...
> So
> is this the line activation that BT would normally sting you about £50
for?
> The ISP pick up the tab on the basis you stick with them for 12 months (in
> most cases) and sting you if you try and switch?

Yes, basically - though BT charge the ISP for the activation, not you
directly and then the ISP's normally pass it on unless they choose not to
(as in free activation offers etc)

For instance Pipex offer free activation but if you leave within 12 months
you have to pay a penalty of 50+VAT - effectively the activation fee that
you would have paid at the beginning (if you had etc...)

Others such as Virgin don't seem to have any tie-in or penalty and come with
a one month contract, though again they hope people will stay with them for
longer!

Regards
Sunil

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:blv03i$gb8n7$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "jayeff" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:blurmq$976$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > So
> > is this the line activation that BT would normally sting you about £50
> for?
> > The ISP pick up the tab on the basis you stick with them for 12 months
(in
> > most cases) and sting you if you try and switch?
>
> Yes, basically - though BT charge the ISP for the activation, not you
> directly and then the ISP's normally pass it on unless they choose not to
> (as in free activation offers etc)
>
> For instance Pipex offer free activation but if you leave within 12 months
> you have to pay a penalty of 50+VAT - effectively the activation fee that
> you would have paid at the beginning (if you had etc...)
>
> Others such as Virgin don't seem to have any tie-in or penalty and come
with
> a one month contract, though again they hope people will stay with them
for
> longer!

That's how I thought it worked, I just needed it spelled out a little
clearer. This is all Plusnet's fault actually, the way they phrased their
offer on their site made it sound like the free install related to something
else and there was still a hefty fee lurking there somewhere. Besides I'm
too long in the tooth to take special offers at face value.

Pipex only offer email support I hear which takes them out of the running as
far as I'm concerned. Virgin didn't score so high on adslguide.org compared
to Plusnet, Demon and Freedom 2 Surf. But from what I could tell they are
unique in not stinging you if you switch ISPs.

Jay.

"Monty" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 18:04:22 +0100, "jayeff"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >The ISP pick up the tab on the basis you stick with them for 12 months
(in
> >most cases) and sting you if you try and switch? Or does free install
relate
> >to something else?
> Free activation means FREE ACTIVATION I was charged 22.50 and nothing
> else by Freedom2 Surf last month and I have had nothing but polite
> conversations with members of F2S staff in all departments in fact F2S
> are about the best of UK ISP's .
> Monty .

Ok that's much clearer.

I never said F2S weren't polite, I just said they didn't answer my
questions. I can't fault them on politeness.

What really threw me is that in about 3 emails they had used the terms:
activation fee, connection fee, engineering & admin fee, setup fee and
install fee. I figured it probably was all referring to the same thing but I
couldn't shake the nagging feeling, being a newbie, (and naturally
suspicious) that there might be more to it. I just couldn't seem to get
across to them that I was somewhat confused by all this and needed it
defined properly. I tried in such a way it should have got yes or no answers
and they just kept rephrasing what they'd said before which just added to my
confusion.

Jay

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 23:28:34 +0100, "jayeff"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:


>That's how I thought it worked, I just needed it spelled out a little
>clearer. This is all Plusnet's fault actually, the way they phrased their
>offer on their site made it sound like the free install related to something
>else and there was still a hefty fee lurking there somewhere. Besides I'm
>too long in the tooth to take special offers at face value.

OOPS - That sounds like we made what is in fact a great offer sound
very bad.

Would you mind going into a bit more detail about any particular
phrase which caused you to think this (It was probably glib, and I
probably wrote it!) ?

Cheers,

Ian
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