topic Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers in Plusnet Feedback

£2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Gus — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 22:06:14 GMT

Just seen the new TV advert, now I see why you are increasing the prices for existing customers with their phone line if with you this October, to pay for the 9 months the new customers get reduced prices.
I've been saying this for too long, better the devil you know. My current contract is up in January, I will be looking for a new devil.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

spraxyt — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 22:31:52 GMT

Why not give the Customer Options Team a call to see what they can offer?

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

happybunny — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 23:11:28 GMT

I got that deal just by contacting the COT which was better than the deal they offered me because of the price rises.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

JamesM — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 23:35:22 GMT

I am with you Gus, my contract is up in December and I am looking for another provider, as for phoning up the COT and asking for a reduction, well begging is just not my style.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

billnotben — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 23:36:16 GMT

You're probably also paying for the up and coming plusnet TV service.
Most people, I would think, originally joined/chose plusnet for the plain simple honest uncomplicated broadband. I know I did.
So the future is not looking good.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Mayfly — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 07:18:15 GMT

Over years PN has been good to me and I'm on a reduced rate which is up in January. However I am getting more and concerned about the way PN treat their long term customers. £2.99 for unlimited for new customers is a bit of a kick in the butt for those on Mkt 1 who pay £16.99.
I'm Market 1 and whether I stay or go will depend on the policy PN adopt if/when Ofcom reclassify the markets.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

anniesboy — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 07:30:57 GMT

Yes I agree,I could move to Sky,TalkTalk, BT, and others all of whom offer introductory deals and save money. Just like banks electricity gas etc.
But I'm not going to simply because the same thing would happen there.
Its way most companies operate Plusnet are no different.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

billnotben — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 08:59:15 GMT

Quote from: anniesboy
Its way most companies operate Plusnet are no different.

That maybe changing as at the moment banks "introductory" offers are already under investigation.
Personally I would like to see all of these so called "offers" come under close scrutiny.
Just because most do it doesn't make it right.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 09:03:46 GMT

Quote from: Mayfly
I'm Market 1 and whether I stay or go will depend on the policy PN adopt if/when Ofcom reclassify the markets.

Absolutely !
Other ISPs manage to have pricing schemes which don't charge an additional £7 for the pleasure of inadequate up to 8Mbps speeds on a Market 1, compared to their neighbours who get up to 24Mbps on Market 2/3. It is ludicrous being charged nearly double the cost for one third of the service that other customers on the same 'product' get.
I joined Plusnet back in the days when it was Force9. Back then the reason for joining Force9 was that it was described as "the ISP for enthusiasts", with market leading products with many attractive add-ons built into those products. Over the years, those additional features have been eroded and dropped as each new broadband 'product' was released, and now the current products are a mere shadow of what they once were, despite many of those lost features still being present and active on very old legacy products (or to those who upgraded to more recent products).
It seems that Plusnet have been stagnant for a long time now. There have been hints of new innovations over recent years, with 'trials' for various things, but it seems that very few 'trials' actually seem to get implemented. A typical example of this was the 'trial' of IPv6, that seems like years ago now - but where is it now ?.
I might be stuck being on a 20CN exchange, but my internet usage is evolving, so I am looking for new features which Plusnet are clearly not interested in providing. As things stand, I am increasingly migrating my internet needs elsewhere, and I ALREADY pay for independent hosting for email, domains, webspace, cloud storage, VoiP, streaming TV, and landline phone. Many of these features are available to me as a plusnet legacy customer, but other companies do better email, cheaper domains, larger and feature rich webspace, and include caller display with landline phone. Migrating these services to independent providers also has the side effect of making it much easier to swap ISPs in the future, as there is reduced tie in to the ISPs email address, VoIP phone numbers, etc. Plusnet is reducing itself to merely being the supplier of the broadband connection - which can be done by anyone, when previously it supplied the whole internet experience, but lost it's way.
My next broadband milestone, will be to complete the conversion of my home network to being as fully IPv6 capable as possible.
In order to achieve this goal, as Plusnet still don't provide IPv6, I will initially have to run a IPv6 over IPv4 tunnel to provide internet connectivity, but I don't see that as a long term solution, and the only way around that is to change ISP who does native IPv6 (probably AAISP Home::1) when my 12 month contract with Plusnet is up for renewal.
I need more from my broadband provider, and Plusnet are simply not keeping up with what is on offer elsewhere, and the Market 1 premium is a huge point of resentment.
I also agree with 'JamesM' -

Quote
as for phoning up the COT and asking for a reduction, well begging is just not my style.

When I'm ready to jump ship, I will have made my mind up, and I will be gone
I just hope Plusnet can turn things around within the remainder of my contract (June 2014)

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Jaggies — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 09:21:07 GMT

Quote from: purleigh
Other ISPs manage to have pricing schemes which don't charge an additional £7 for the pleasure of inadequate up to 8Mbps speeds on a Market 1

OTOH, you could look at it like I do - Plusnet are the only mainstream provider I'm aware of who pass on the Wholesale Market 2/3 savings to their customers - all other ISPs appear to charge the full whack no matter what the Market classification.
I'm happy that I'm one of the benefactors of this pricing policy.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Mayfly — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 10:03:48 GMT

And I can understand where you are coming from if I was the other side of the fence I would be happy too!
My concerns are what will happen if/when 2 differently priced packages end up being lumped together as one? Mkt 2 customers won't be happy with a price rise and I certainly won't be willing to pay more than they will. Unfortunately my renewal will be up I guess just before anything will be announced so it looks like I may have to play it by ear and take a risk of either jumping ship or staying without knowing what the pricing future with PN holds.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Anonymous — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 10:06:00 GMT

@'Jaggies' - I can't argue at all with that point of view - from any Market 2/3 customer's perspective !.
However it seems an unusual marketing strategy to potentially alienate 10% of the existing customer base to the extent that many long time customers who joined before 'market' pricing was introduced, now feel compelled to leave and get a better deal elsewhere.
Then at the same time alienating many existing customers with unplanned mid-contract price rises, using a near blackmail strategy to get customers phone services, and trying to replace the lost "Market 1" customers with new "Market 2/3" customers with introductory offers at 17% the cost of what those existing "Market 1" customers pay for the same product.
They might as well put a banner on the sign-up page saying "Market 1 customers not welcome here !"
Whether or not people choose to leave, all these issues further erode customers perception of the company that they were previously happy to be with, to being just another faceless utility supplier - rather than the once outstanding provider of broadband services that many would have been happy to recommend to friends.
If all these price hikes turn out to be for funding a yet unannounced streaming TV service, then I will be even more disillusioned, as ISPs should be concentrating on providing quality internet features at a fair price for all, and not to get distracted by providing irrelevant content that few existing customers are likely to want.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

peter10 — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 19:53:49 GMT

The £2-99 is a headline rate. I think that it is £2-99 for 9 months and £9-99 for the next 9 months. This averages out at £6-49 over the 18 month contract as I can't see anyone being allowed to leave without penalty. I watched the advert and only just noticed the 18 month contract which while probably legal is a bit disingenuous. I wonder whether this offer will backfire as it seems to have annoyed existing customers and if new customers check the figures it is only a 35% saving on broadband over the 18 months. Some ISPs are offering half price at the moment.
Whilst I don't agree with it many businesses are making similar offers to attract new customers and rely on inertia.
I would have no qualms about contacting COT as I always get in touch with retentions when my home insurance, car insurance, breakdown cover etc. come up for renewal and often they will match other quotes. Now I'm retired I have the time to do this.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

valart — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 16:21:13 GMT

It would be far better to look after existing customers instead of putting up prices for the most faithful I am annoyed be more considerate to your members.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Townman — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:10:44 GMT

Quote from: Salmo
The £2-99 is a headline rate. I think that it is £2-99 for 9 months and £9-99 for the next 9 months. This averages out at £6-49 over the 18 month contract as I can't see anyone being allowed to leave without penalty.

Which s what many existing users on the basic package are paying now, so where's the beef?

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

BryanP — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:25:19 GMT

I pay £6.49 per month but only get 10 gig allowance, the advert is for unlimited, maybe PlusNet should automatically put me up to unlimited

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

spraxyt — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 17:39:56 GMT

If you want to you can upgrade to Unlimited yourself using the Member Centre Product Upgrade link. However that will cost £9.99 per month (assuming line rental is with Plusnet) and involve a 12 month contract.
Alternatively give the COT a ring and see what they can offer.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

All4One — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 21:07:05 GMT

@BryanP they can't automatically put you up as it's a different contract which you need to agree to. So either log in to your account and upgrade or call.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

peter10 — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 05:57:20 GMT

Quote from: townman
Quote from: Salmo
The £2-99 is a headline rate. I think that it is £2-99 for 9 months and £9-99 for the next 9 months. This averages out at £6-49 over the 18 month contract as I can't see anyone being allowed to leave without penalty.

Which s what many existing users on the basic package are paying now, so where's the beef?

Not sure what you mean? All I'm doing is pointing out that the deal is not as good as it first appears especially compared with other ISPs who have been sending me letters promoting their own 1/2 price offers. I looked on the web site and had to go to the legal bit to find out that it was an 18 month contract as I wrongly assumed it was 12 months. I guess by the basic package you mean Value which I'm on although I am changing at next billing date.

Re: £2.99 for Unlimited for new customers

Mayfly — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 06:32:03 GMT

TBH I find the whole site very confusing and have no idea what I would have to if I were looking as a new Mkt 1 customer as everything is geared to advertising the lowest price - I know that's normal practice but I don't think the increase in Mkt 1 pricing is clear enough especially as it's normally twice the price. There are far too many caveats to read in the 'small print' for anything to be clear to me.
I dare say tho' it may just me thats dim!!!