Home Phone price changes - May 2013

[#1]

If the cost of PlusNet phone for existing customers is brought in line with new customers I will be off. I get very fed up with companies who once  they hook customers they up prices.

[#2]

There used to be loyalty discount offers for existing customers every now and again. Haven't seen one for a few years now unless you count the Line Rental Saver, which from FAQ on this thread seems to be staying the same even when it comes up for renewal

[#3]

No, I don't count LRS as a loyalty discount - surely it's a 'customer retention mechanism'.
Current LRS renewal has remained the same price but no customer knows whether it will increase before their renewal date.
Having said that, I think it's a good move on Plusnet's part to keep charges the same for existing customers (though I can't imagine the new rates doing much to encourage take-up by new customers - are Plusnet actually trying to reduce Home Phone customer numbers and concentrate on Broadband or do they need to increase revenue somewhere to pay for all the new customer discounts that have been publicised as 'not available to existing customers'?).

[#4]

Quote from: Mad

I'm currently on Plusnet Extra with Talk Anytime and Line Rental Saver. If I was to change my broadband product (either to Fibre or to Unlimited Broadband), could I keep my phone product or would I have to pay the new prices?

You would keep your current phone products.

Quote from: w23

@ Ben, have any call charges changed for existing customers?  (What is the impact of this announcement to existing customers staying on their existing Home Phone package?)

No, the call charges remain unchanged for existing customers.

Quote from: Mad

There used to be loyalty discount offers for existing customers every now and again.

We email customers occasionally these days offering retention discounts. We never used to. Having said that, the emails only tend to be sent to certain demographics.

Quote from: w23

Having said that, I think it's a good move on Plusnet's part to keep charges the same for existing customers (though I can't imagine the new rates doing much to encourage take-up by new customers - are Plusnet actually trying to reduce Home Phone customer numbers and concentrate on Broadband or do they need to increase revenue somewhere to pay for all the new customer discounts that have been publicised as 'not available to existing customers'?).

No, we're not trying to reduce Home Phone customers. On the contrary. As a business it's a given that we need to drive revenue. Obviously we keep a keen eye on take-up and if things were to drop significantly then I'd expect something to change.

[#5]

Quote from: Bob

No, the call charges remain unchanged for existing customers.

Thanks, that's reassuring.

[#6]

Quote from: Bob

Quote from: Mad There used to be loyalty discount offers for existing customers every now and again. We email customers occasionally these days offering retention discounts. We never used to. Having said that, the emails only tend to be sent to certain demographics.

Some offers I remember came up in discussion pages but I'm pretty sure there were mailings about discounts for taking up new products or for signing up to a year's contract and suchlike, maybe in the Plusnet Newsletter we used to have sent.

[#7]

Quote from: Bob

Quote from: w23 @ Ben, have any call charges changed for existing customers?  (What is the impact of this announcement to existing customers staying on their existing Home Phone package?) No, the call charges remain unchanged for existing customers.

Sorry Bob, that's not correct. The cost of calls to 118118 has already gone up, as the tariff has changed from dq131 to dq143.  It's currently £4.79 for the first minute and £1.96 pm thereafter 

[#8]

That increase wasn't part of the May 2013 price changes as far as I'm aware, the thread referencing it started before this week's changes.

[#9]

Can you say when that particular increase happened please Chris?

[#10]

I have no idea when the charging band changed, that's best being asked in the ongoing thread about that query rather than in here as Ben had been keeping an eye on that thread.

[#11]

1 Feb 2013 as taken from the BTw data

[#12]

Quote from: Bob

Quote from: MsDizzie I could be wrong but wasn't there an option to hop back and forth between  'Plusnet Anytime' and 'Plusnet Anytime International' (formerly known as 'Talk Anytime' and 'Talk Anytime International'). Has that now been removed? No, you'll still be able to move between the call packages. If you're on the cheaper 'Talk Anytime' though and move to 'Plusnet Anytime International' then you'll move to the dearer line rental and new call tariff.

Not too happy about how much notice you have given your existing customer base
Fortunately I haven't swapped back to Talk Anytime and was on Talk Anytime International when this change had been made (for work purposes) else I would have found myself forced to the dearer call tariff and line rental.

[#13]

Primus are offering unlimited broadband plus evening and weekend calls for £2 a month for six months then £4 thereafter plus line rental from £10 pm. Makes PlusNet seem damn expensive to new customers.

[#14]

That deal will not be available on any 20CN Market 1 (non-LLU'd) exchanges or any other where TalKTalk do not have a presence.

[#15]

What have Talk Talk to do with it? Do they own Primus?