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Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

paulh
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Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Hmm.
I seem to find (due to the number of threads on the subject, not through any emails PN have sent, mind you) that there's been a product refresh and that BBYW is no longer available and that there are now things called "markets", and dependent on which "market" I'm in (something I can't choose) I might get charged different prices for broadband.
Slightly confusingly, SamKnows tells me that I'm in market 2 even though BT is the only supplier at my exchange.
It seems I might be better off to move from my existing legacy BB+ (rarely using 4GB in total let alone in peak) to the Value package ... except that then I appear to be tied in to an 18-month contract whereas (if I remember correctly) I'm now on a rolling monthly contract ... and I will probably move house in the next year.
Hence the confusion of the title.  I'm seeking a little clarification.
paul

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Oldjim
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Paul,
A transfer for existing customers is a 12 month contract but without the free router (recently changed).
As you are on a Market 2 exchange you will pay £11.99 per month after the first 3 months.
It does, if I remember correctly, include a free house move I didn't  Embarrassed
James
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

The 12 month contract does not offer a free house move.
It does howver, offer the reduced pricing for the first 3 months (hence the contract period).
Oldjim
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Slightly off topic - well not really - what is the justification for the 12 month contract for economy if you are in a Market 3 Area as there is no special offer for the first 3 months
James
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Ultimately, you're signing up for a contract that costs £71.88 for a years service.
It comes with a 10GB usage allowance - It's still a very good offer.
Oldjim
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

It may indeed be a good product but it isn't a good offer for Market 3 exchanges.
I can see no possible justification for the 12 month tie in for existing Market 3 customers when they don't get any discounts of freebies.
I suggest that this should be reconsidered by the higher management as it is patently unreasonable.
Equally existing customers in Market 1 or 2 exchanges should be allowed a transfer with no increase in contract period providing they don't want the three months discounted price.
Alex
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

I think this has been mentioned before, but I ain't searching through that massive thread Smiley
If the justification for having the contract is the lead-in price, then why isn't there an option to pay full whack and not have the contract (unless of course that's not really the justification).
It's a very similar system BT operate for their landline packages .. they tried to stitch me up into a 12 month phone contract by having x months cheaper then y months full price.
But at least they had the option of just paying y .. can't remember what it was, but I think that made it a 3 or 6 month contract then.
paulh
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

this all seems ridiculously overcomplicated. the end result will be (because it is so hard to make any comparison on a like-for-like basis, plus inertia) that I probably stay on the same product and pay more than I need. Ofcom haven't helped matters ... and I thought they are the industry watchdog.
give up. am clicking "stop watching this thread" as I'm none the wiser.  thanks to OldJimfor trying though.
grahamt
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

As far as I can make out, the concession to existing users about the 12-month contract period for new products hasn't been properly announced at all. There was a message on about page 61 of the huge 'product refresh'  thread, followed by a few clarifications in later messages. How many existing customers will actually read about it? At the very least there should be something on the front page of the Community area and a mention in the next newsletter (assuming a link from the main page showing the new products would be way too much to hope for). If Plusnet can't announce it properly then it's clearly just intended as a sop to the malcontents in the forums, particularly as it's not offered by the automated 'upgrade' procedure. (As I understand it you have to raise a special ticket. Is this a temporary measure, which would be understandable, or a permanent 'feature'?).
Once a move has been made from a legacy product to a 12-month contract, any subsequent product change would mean an 18-month sentence, yes?
Not that great a concession, then, is it?
paulby
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Quote
Once a move has been made from a legacy product to a 12-month contract, any subsequent product change would mean an 18-month sentence, yes?

No, I don't think so.  AFAIUI, once you've done your 12 months on the new products you can switch between them and stay on a monthly contract. See this post from Mand.
One of the comms team will hopefully clarify things though.
James
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Quote
No, I don't think so.  AFAIUI, once you've done your 12 months on the new products you can switch between them and stay on a monthly contract. See this post from Mand.

That's true for upgrades.  If you move from Value to Unlimited after you have completed your contract term, then you would remain on a monthly contract until you elected to recontract.  However, on downgrades (ie: Unlimited to Value), this would result in a recontract.
godsell4
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Quote from: Jameseh
  However, on downgrades (ie: Unlimited to Value), this would result in a recontract.

Now why would that be?
If they have been on Unlimited for 12 months and then wish to change to Value, why should there be a new 18 month lock in? You might argue with some success, that they are tied in a further to 6 months but never for a further 18 months.
SW.
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grahamt
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Thanks for the clarifications. It would be nice to have a proper announcement with all the clarifications (from here and from the monster 'Product Refresh' thread) built in, wouldn't it?
All the talk about what happens at the end of 12-month or longer contracts may not be meaningful, as it's possible that by then there will be new, new products and 'Value', 'Unlimited', etc. will already be legacy products.
godsell4
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Re: Markets, Product Refresh, Legacy BB+ and Confusion

Quote from: grahamt
... it's possible that by then there will be new, new products and 'Value', 'Unlimited', etc. will already be legacy products.

And is it right that PN should be making widespread changes to their product ranges every 12 months? No, as that DOES lead to confusion. Those people making these choices to change the product mix every 12 months or so, BBYW is at most 18 months old, no industry truly changes that quickly.
Look at the way in which Virgin have the M, L and XL products, they have pretty much enhanced those products rather than create new ones at 12/18 month intervals.
By doing this, PN are creating a lot of internal problems to maintain/configure the network for all those different account types. Think how much simple the Ellanoya configuration could be! This complexity affects the Networks and CSC staff the most I guess, no pain for the Marketing folks so they just do what they like! Think how much works goes on due to this that directly results in wasted time, which means wasted money or at least means PN is more expensive to run than it could be. Sad
SW.
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