INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
old BT email address since she switched providers two years ago
Ofcom is writing to broadband companies to ask why some
but want to keep using their email addresses as before.Virgin deletes those it gives to customers 90 days after they leave, but Sky lets
people keep theirs for free.Ofcom told Radio 4's Money Box it could see no reason for what one customer called "basically daylight
robbery".Ofcom added: "We're looking at this to consider whether we need to step in and take action."As the UK's four big providers, BT,
an old address during the three years since switching from BT.'Daylight robbery'It's a similar story for Wendy Small, from Bookham in
it doesn't help incentivise people to switch provider."If you're switching to save money, but then you suddenly find that you're going to
have to pay to keep your email address so you don't have the inconvenience of changing everything that's linked to your email address and
wider practice in the sector
If the sector refuses to change its practices, I think Ofcom should be stepping in to regulate."BT says people can keep their email
addresses for free using a basic service that's only accessible via a browser, but that customers who want to maintain their normal email
So we're looking at this to consider whether we need to step in and take action."Last year we also secured commitments from companies to
treat customers fairly, so we've asked them to explain how this fits with that promise."Image copyrightDave CurrieImage caption
Dave Currie, pictured with with wife Mary, says he'd be put off looking for a better broadband deal and switching because of the
hassle of losing his email address
As well as people having to pay to keep old email addresses, another possible area of
concern for Ofcom is the risk that people are being put off switching providers to get better deals, because of the hassle of losing their
entire year if paid in advance)Virgin: Account deleted 90 days after disconnectionSky: Users can keep old email address free after switching
providerThe idea of having to change his email address with all the sites he uses is something Dave Currie, from Inverkip, says is just not
worth any potential savings.He had to switch once before when his supplier "dumped" him on to another company: "I had to change every online
account that required an email address as a login and there were over 100 of them."I had to change logins for bank, gas and electric
suppliers, car insurance, house insurance, holiday companies, airlines, all the online shops that require that."I also had some problems
with auto-renew contracts that sent reminders to my old address, so that caused a lot of problems."Having had to do it once, I would
certainly be put off changing service providers, even for a much better deal
It just involved too much time and effort."Dan Grabham, editor of technology website Pocket-Lint, says the amount people are being charged
is shocking, especially as some providers let their customers keep them for nothing if they decide to switch."If Ofcom is serious about
mandating ISPs (internet service providers) to provide access to addresses after you leave your provider, then it will have to institute a
system similar to the ability to swap your mobile phone number to another network
"If you're thinking about leaving your ISP in future and have an email address with them, it's worth finding out now how much it will cost
you and factor that into your decision to switch
"It could be that it will still be cheaper for you over the next 12 months to switch even if you are paying for access to your email address
"However, my advice would be to prevent this being a problem in future by taking the hit now
Set up a web-based email address from a reputable provider, such as Microsoft's Outlook or Google's Gmail, start using that instead and
gradually move your logins for the services you use across to it."You can hear more on TheIndianSubcontinent Radio 4's Money Box programme
by listening again here.Follow Money Box and Dan on Twitter.
