O/T Mobile Data Charges

Based on the quality of the product, and the cost, I'd say the gas and electricity are in a worse state now than before they were privatised. They've both been benefiting from the infrastuctures put in place when they were public utilities and have made little if any provision to replace it, as now needs doing.

 

I recently had an eye-test, leading to new prescription glasses. Now I've received a form to complete, concerning a check on the opticians' claim from the NHS.

The form/enquiry is from Serco (infamous for claiming payment for tagging dead prisoners). You couldn't make it up.

And most of the other 'privatised' utilities make fortunes for off-shore/foreign-owned cliques. Prior to de-nationalisation they, like the railways were starved of investment.

 

Perhaps, but selling the family jewells is hardly a sustainable business plan. Limiting the artificial population 'growth' would have been far more cost effective.

The utilities turned a profit and provided a decent service. They are now in a poor state due to poor management with any profit going out of UKplc. Previously highly trained staff are replaced with heavily supervised semi-trained labourers who are pressured to make sales and profit over giving good service, which further masks the poor performance.

 

Dunno really, OLM - but I ain't filling the form in. They can go and fook themselves. And Capita/Atos/etc.

These things are rightfully ours, but were effectively stolen from us and given cheaply to grasping organisations. (You don't agree, obviously...)

 

I haven't forgotten the 70's and 80's, and I know people involved in both that worked in both regimes. They're effectively foreign owned and run far, far less efiuciently or effectively than they ever were. The fact they're still providing a product is testament to the previous regimes good management and investment. They haven't invested in maintaining the infrastructure, and the chickens are coming home to roost. UKplc will get the bill.

 

I picked up a leaflet and it was like £25 for 20GB i.e. garbage.

 

The above ^^^^^ including land-line charge, is £30 per month.

 

Back on topic on my orange PAYG i recieved a text when entering Hungary, make a call 18p receive a call 4p internet 18pMB
Same price rest of EU
On entering Serbia ( Non EU ) make a call 110p, receive a call 70p internet 8 quid/MB.
Be very careful if traveling outside the EU.

 

That's not true. Axis operate in Hull and re-sell KC's lines, which I guess is what they do everywhere else with BT's lines.

And that's almost entirely wrong. The thing about pricing out is a complete myth; Ofcom have investigated this and produced a report which I believe is available online where they explicitly state the charges are in line with what BT charge elsewhere in the country (and ISPs routinely pay) and that the main reason stopping ISPs from selling their services in Hull was that those companies didn't think there was enough of a market of people who would be likely to leave KC.

Yep but it's just 4G except instead of a phone picking it up its a router. Works the same as tethering from a smartphone on 4G. I'm not sure of the exact speeds available on 4G but they certainly aren't reliable or guaranteed by the provider. I'd always stick with fixed line broadband

 

^This

 

As far as I know/last knew, Axis broadband is only available for business customers. Don't domestic users have to use Karoo as provider?

 

No one has to use any provider. KC own the lines in Hull same as BT own them everywhere else. Companies such as Sky, Plusnet, TalkTalk can pay to use those lines, they do just that in most places but not in Hull. The reason, as explained above isn't anything KC do but simply that the companies don't think they'll pull enough custom away from KC to make it worthwhile.

Axis are a reseller in Hull. They aren't popular but anyone should be able to get it. There's no difference between businesses and consumers except that businesses generally pay more and get greater service levels as a result.

 

We tried to get Sky Sports for the pub last year, they quoted us something like £8,000 for the year. Which is ****ing disgraceful. Apparently it's done based on the size of the premesis; the pub trade is already on it's arse and those kinds of prices certainly aren't helping.

 

As someone outside Hull that sounds pretty expensive. I'm currently paying about £17/mth for line rental, calls, and internet combined. The internet is limited to 10GB/mth between 8am and midnight, but for the other 8 hours I can use as much as I want. In June I used something like 8GB during the day, and 60GB on the unlimited time, and that's pretty typical. I think about 59GB of that 60GB was done between midnight and 1am when I'd waited til midnight and then set everything to download from iplayer. Calls are probably only evening and weekend, but I'm sure it's not £13 to upgrade to anytime.

 

Yeah they are good at some things. They're good at being the cheapest bidder due to the way they cut corners, low paid staff, cut everything to the bone. I'm sure they must do good stuff somewhere but I have never ever had a good experience when dealing with them.

My Local hospital is NHS but run by Circle, and Circle have completely turned the place around financially and service wise. I suspect this form of hospital management will be rolled out more widely, and tbh, I think its a good idea.