Further Information

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The market is full of great offers to suit people's needs. Over the next few months, many companies will be advertising their phone services, so see what you can find.

As the independent regulator, Ofcom cannot provide advice on which service is best for you. But there are several different ways of getting useful information about which company and which package would be most suitable.

If you're thinking of switching phone company - or if you think you should be on a different package with your current company - you might want to think about speaking to your current supplier first.

You can also find useful opinions and customer feedback in consumer technology magazines and by searching on the internet. But, as with anything you buy, don't take a phone company advert at face value - and before changing or signing up to anything, read the small print.

Work out which kind of phone calls you make most often. For example, are there certain numbers for friends and family that you call all the time and for long periods? Do you call abroad a lot - and if you do, to which countries? Do you make lots of calls to mobiles? What about calls to 0845, 0870 or premium rate (09) numbers? Some phone companies are a lot cheaper for some kinds of calls than others.

Then ask yourself about the other kinds of services you can get down the phone line. For example, broadband. Many companies will sell you a combined broadband and home phone package which might be cheaper than buying two services separately from two different companies.

Then there's digital TV. Some companies offer combined digital TV, broadband and home phone for a single monthly charge. A package pulling together all three services with one monthly bill might be the right choice for your needs.

As with many kinds of products and services, price isn't everything. Customer service and contract terms are very important, too. What's the minimum amount of time you must sign up for? What happens if you want to cancel the contract early? What happens if you move house? What happens if you want to complain about the company?

You should ask if the phone company is a member of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. The ADR service will investigate consumer complaints and can get compensation on the customer's behalf if a company is in the wrong. If a company isn't a member, tell Ofcom; by law, all companies must belong to an ADR scheme.

There are a number of websites which can provide helpful information on pricing. Simply enter in a few details about your household's phone usage and the website will compare the prices of different providers and services to find out what deals suit you. Some of these websites also have a customer service phone number so you can go through the process with an adviser over the phone as well as online.

Please note that Ofcom is not responsible for any of these websites.

Pricing information websites include:

www.bt.com
www.firsthelpline.com
www.simplyswitch.com
www.unravelit.com
www.uswitch.com

Of course, price is not the only factor to consider when exploring your options. It's also important to consider a company's quality of service. For example, whether its bills are accurate, or how quickly it responds to complaints from customers. Topcomm is a service, provided by the phone industry, which offers impartial and audited information about the performance of major phone companies. It can be found online at:

www.topcomm.org.uk

Disclaimer

Ofcom cannot guarantee, and is not responsible for, the contents of any website. Nor is Ofcom liable for any action taken in reliance on the contents of any website. We recommend that you check the prices quoted by a website with the relevant telecoms supplier before you change suppliers.

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