It sounds like you are taking the right option.

You do need to check what contract you are on before switching. Some contracts last for 12, 18 or 24 months after which time they go onto 30 day notice contracts. If it is likely to be a bit sticky getting out of the contract, it would be worth detailing your problems in writing to the ISP and giving them a "last chance" to fix things before stopping payments. If they then tried to enforce a contract, you would be in a strong position particularly if, as is likely, you can prove that the letters arrived (recorded delivery) but you got no response.

Since June 2008 we have seen Pipex Broadband (up to 8MB), now part of Tiscali, deteriorate to the point at download speeds are so low that its like going back to dialup days 40-100 Kb!). This, despite Pipex supposedly having told us that they had "fixed" the problems that clearly come from their infrastructure.

Our line can support up to 6Mb. We have made every possible check here and all is as good as it could be - new master socket, new filter, connecting new router directly to the master socket and even turning off the fire wall.

After two weeks of trying and trying again to get through to the Pipex "help" lines and always getting an engaged tone, needless to say we will be leaving them after many years and having paid them many hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

If Pipex/Tiscali is to dispense with its domestic customers, as has been suggested then this is hardly the way to do it.

Even worse is that Pipex's website gives no advice on the problems it clearly has had over the last months, recently leaving many of its customers unable to collect email.

Harvey