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Original poster

Giving up landline, any problems?

18 replies

nostress · 26/05/2014 11:00

DH wants to give up the landline and apparently we can then get hd tv at £20 less than we are paying now per month. It makes me feel uneasy but do we really need a landline? About 80% of the calls are cold calling and then its just our parents/school/bank that call.

OP posts:
Cindy34 · 26/05/2014 11:21

Do you have broadband and if so do you have it via something other than the fixed phone line?

Has anyone got rid of landline completely - did it cause any issues with things like credit checks? I would hope these days it would make no difference but do wonder if not having a home phone number, just a mobile number, would cause any issues regarding credit checks.

GiveTwoSheets · 26/05/2014 11:29

I would do away with my landline but wouldn't make any difference to my tv/Internet package. Only people have my ex directory landline number is parents everyone else mobile incl drs, yet every feckin day i get calls for someone else, cold callers, recorded mesg does my head in, i also use mobile to make calls as cheaper than landline.

specialsubject · 26/05/2014 12:18

probably not an issue EXCEPT if the people who you want to call you don't have mobile packages with unlimited minutes. If they don't, it will cost them a fortune to call you on your mobile and they won't do it.

this may be a good thing, of course...:-)

the TPS and the ICO service do get rid of cold calls eventually. You also need to stop giving out your mobile number to all and sundry (give a fake one for all internet forms) or the cold calls just transfer to that.

oh, and you don't need to pay a subscription for HD TV - buy an HD recorder box for £100-odd, attach to your HD-ready TV and that's it.

storynanny2 · 26/05/2014 12:24

We have no landline any more. It was a complete waste of our money every month. We have a mobile each on a contract and iPad on a £25 a month contract with 3 for our internet use. We have no tv package other than free view, so no broadband in the house at all.
We manage fine, only problem we come across is we therefore have no wifi. Get round that easily though by going to the library if we need say to download a kindle book. We don't watch I player which would need wifi.
There is only the 2 of us, no children at home anymore so not sure if that would make a difference.

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/05/2014 12:56

We have a landline but no phone plugged in.

I'd want to see precise details of what he's proposing incl charges.

ShevelKnievel · 26/05/2014 13:12

We don't have a home plugged into ours but need it got broadband as there's no 3G here

It bugs me, I'd live to do away with it all together

overthehill74 · 26/05/2014 13:27

We have never had a landline here. We both have mobile phones, freeview tv and as there is no 3G reception here we have a dongle that gives us mobile wifi. We find it works very well.

overthehill74 · 26/05/2014 13:27

We have never had a landline here. We both have mobile phones, freeview tv and as there is no 3G reception here we have a dongle that gives us mobile wifi. We find it works very well.

MrsJohnDeere · 26/05/2014 13:28

Love to get rid of ours but we need it for broadband and there's next to no mobile signal here.

99% of calls are scam/hoax ones and it is so annoying. We are rousted with TPS but it hasn't helped.

specialsubject · 26/05/2014 20:13

try reporting scammers to the ICO site, it does seem to work. Be VERY careful about giving out your landline number.

if you are with BT and are renewing your line rental saver, they will give you caller ID for free which at least means you know who to ignore.

Lovage · 26/05/2014 21:58

A friend of mine said she has had trouble getting a mortgage because not having a landline apparently makes her credit score worse. But I don't know the full story, so it might not apply to your particular situation.

SoonToBeSix · 26/05/2014 22:34

You don't need a landline for wifi if you are with virgin

mkmjimmy · 27/05/2014 08:36

For guaranteed 999 calls if the power goes off you need a landline - or make sure mobile always charged.

Original poster
nostress · 27/05/2014 08:39

Yes at the moment we have virgin fibreoptic massive package for 3 big pc gamers in the house. And sky for tv, phone and a second broadband connection(its what we had before getting virgin and is the cheapest one you can get). So we dont need sky broadband and debating phone so that we can get a better TV package and save money.

I had it in my mind that a landline was used to varify a home address etc. altough I dont think we will take out any loans any time soon. I also dont like talking to the bank etc on a mobile. Am I worrying too much? I dont do internet banking.

Oh yes and there is a phone box about 20m from my front door!

OP posts:
forago · 27/05/2014 08:40

I haven't had a landline for nearly 10 years. makes absolutely no difference. wouldn't make my virgin any cheaper unfortunately.

Petrasmumma · 27/05/2014 09:18

We got rid of our land line more than 5 yrs ago, no problems.

specialsubject · 29/05/2014 13:04

to be exact, if you want a phone when the power goes off you need a corded phone - cordless landline phones need mains power.

so it is always worth keeping one in a drawer if you have a landline.

also note that if the whole area goes out, mobiles don't work either as no repeater!

ScrambledEggAndToast · 15/06/2014 20:10

I have a Virgin package and if I get rid of the landline, the broadband and TV on their own cost £2 more per month thieving bastards

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