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Do any phone providers offer one-month contracts?
Dear Simon, We have recently moved to a small flat which has never had a telephone line installed. At the moment we use 3G mobile broadband, but it is not sufficient or fast enough for us.
We want to get a phone line installed, but most providers want us to take an 18-month contract with them. However because we are usually out of the country for eight months of the year, this is not practical. Ideally we would like a home phone and broadband package which would let us use it for part of the year.
Have you any suggestions?
Thank you so much,
Margaret Hadden, Glasgow, via email, Updated: Friday 19 February, 2010
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Our expert says...
Hi Margaret, thanks for getting in touch; I can understand you not wanting to pay for a package with a long contract when you are abroad for most of the year.
The good news is there is a supplier that offers one-month home phone and broadband contracts, so you won’t have to rely on your mobile broadband anymore, and its service is available in your area. Read below for more details…
Direct Save Telecom
Direct Save Telecom (www.directsavetelecom.co.uk), has been an independent phone service provider since 1999. As well as competitive home phone packages, Direct Save Telecom also offers broadband connections for homes and offices.
The company’s one-bill option lets you organise your home phone service - your line rental and your calls package - into one simple monthly payment. If you bundle your phone package with broadband from Direct Save Telecom you can make huge savings.
The Broadband Family Option 1 package includes:
- A free 4 port router
- 20GB download limit during peak periods
- Unlimited downloads during off peak periods (fair usage applies)
- A static IP address
- Free weekend calls to UK landlines.
The package only includes free weekend calls, however you can upgrade this for a little extra a month. See Direct Save Telecom’s call packages for more information.
The bundled package shown above costs £14.95 a month, plus line rental at £10.86 a month. There is also a one-off charge for line activation of £29.95, and a charge of £5.95 for the p&p on the router.
Contract length is one month, however if you cancel your contract during the first 12 months, there is a £50 cancellation fee. While I know this isn’t ideal, you should weigh up the costs of getting a phone line installed by another home phone provider and signing up to a 12-month contract with them and having to pay for the months you’re not in the country versus the cancellation fees for leaving Direct Save Telecom.
To sign-up for a package from Direct Save Telecom, call 0800 280 2021.
Note: Direct Save Telecom may not be available in other areas. Please use our postcode checker to see if Direct Save Telecom is available in your area.
Phone line installation
When it comes to installing a new phone line at your property, most providers offer this service (see phone line installation options). However, Direct Save Telecom is the only provider that will install a new line and offers one-month packages.
If you don’t have a phone line, or if you are currently a cable customer (i.e. Virgin Media), Direct Save Telecom can arrange and manage the installation of a new line for you. This currently costs £79.95 - cheaper than having the line installed by BT.
If you already have an existing line but it is not active, Direct Save Telecom can activate the line within 24 to 48 hours, however you will need to pay a security deposit of £100.00. This charge will be returned to you when you leave Direct Save Telecom, but only after you have paid your final bill in full.
How much will this cost me?
Overall, getting a new home phone and broadband service from Direct Save will cost you about £270 for the four months you are in the country:
- Line installation - £79.95
- Broadband and calls package - £14.95 x 4 = £59.80
- Line rental - £10.86 x 4 = £43.44
- Line activation - £29.95
- Wireless router p&p - £5.95
- Cancellation fee - £50
While this may seem like a lot, in the second year it will be considerably less as you don’t have to pay for the line installation.
Hope this information helps with your query Margaret. Though Direct Save Telecom packages are very competitive, it is important you weigh up the costs of line installation, activation and cancellation before you sign up, as you may find it works out cheaper signing up to a 12-month contract and paying for the months you’re not in the country rather than paying a cancellation charge.
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