paying for the privalige?

[ColJack]

I downgraded my broadband the other day due to money constraints and thought that it would be the price that the package is shown on the ISP's website..
how wrong could I be..

the "size L" broadband is being advertised as £15 a month for the first 3 months, and £20 after that .. fair enough I know I won't get the discount for the first 3 months but I foolishly thought that it would be £20.. the same as they will pay for the exact same service.

I got my bill today and I am being charged £25...

surely that's not legal..
it's like your local shop selling biscuits at 50p a pack, but as a loyal customer who buys a pack there every week, you get charged 55p....

 

[AndrewSchofield]

I suspect its perfectly legal. Ring them and tell them that due to you being charged more than the advertised rate despite being a long-standing customer (are you?) you'd like to cancel your contract. Chances are they'll offer to drop the price for you and if not there's loads of other ISPs you can go to?

 

[Deluks]

Sounds like Virgin? They are really sneaky with their pricing, I don't feel it's worth paying extra for the faster speeds despite their marketing guff.
I don't feel any faster online with their 10mb BB than I did with their 2MB service (which they discontinued and 'upgraded' everyone to the more expensive one.) It's only really worth getting the 20 or 50 meg if you are an IT professional or a DVD pirate!

You might be paying the extra fiver for partial usage from the previous month or for not paying by direct debit or not receiving online billing.

Phone them up and have a go. After keeping you on hold for ages and transferring you via India>Cardiff>Swindon>Manchester>Cardiff>Glasgow they will be really helpful and appear to bend over backwards to resolve the problem. That doesn't necessarily mean it will be resolved though, or at least not for a few months

 

[Stivino]

It sounds like that's an offer to attract new clients, it won't be for existing customers. Have you also been duped into a minimum term contract? If so it might not be so easy to tell them to shove it.

 

[ColJack]

I've been a customer for 3 years at this address ( and probably 5 or more years before that at my parents house ) so the minimum 12 months contract is well and truly up..

They do charge me extra for not paying by DD, but that's another £5 on top of the £25/month they are charging as service fees..

it's for one month use up front ( so next months broadband.. ) so it won't be partial usage as I downgraded 3 weeks ago and only got the bill today ( online.. )

 

[hotrod]

It sounds like that's an offer to attract new clients, it won't be for existing customers.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

It sounds like that's an offer to attract new clients, it won't be for existing customers.

" Brand new customers only! "

 

[Bahco]

I would phone them on 150 and use the "if you are thinking of leaving us" option which puts you through to customer relations team who are trained in customer retention and normally bend over backwards to keep clients.

Give them a try and use the direct debit facility as £5 a month is a bit extravagant.

 

[Stivino]

What I was trying to say in my previous post was; they are promoting that deal to attract new business, as you're an existing customer it doesn't apply to you, i.e. you don't get the discounted rate. And, even as an existing customer, you've entered into new terms and conditions which you might not be able to get out off until a set period has expired. Therefore you might not be able to use the threat of going elsewhere.
I'm with Plusnet and they did exactly the same thing a few years back.

 

[Thermo]

ah yes new customers. we had to renew our car insurance with acertain nautical insurance company, along with our teenage daughter. renewal notices came through. £450 for us £1500 for her. went on line on the comparisons, same company came top, £300 for us, £1000 for her. phoned them up, oh yes we will match that. ANd if we hadnt checked on line??

 

[holmslaw]

This year I have had two insurance renewal quotes. In both cases I went to their websites and obtained lower quotes, one was 30% lower.

I rang them both for an explanation, and they both said the internet quote was lower because there is no personal service. So we went through this little game, both policies had to cancelled on the expiry date and then new policies were drawn up at the internet price - and I was now a new policy holder.

Insurers make extra millions every year due to customers thinking the renewal quote is reasonable - it never will.

Moral - Don't accept any qoutes received via snail mail.

 

[big-all]

not shure if its helpfull as i dont know what package you on

i am with talk talk i pay around £24 for 8 meg broadband free normal calls home and abroad to 30 countries any time only restriction is redial after 60 mins
only real downside is a connection charge off 8p making short calls expensive to mobiles o845 or othernon premeium lines that dont have the connection charge just the high cost lol

any way the £24 includes the dozen or so mobile and other non package calls i make every month