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Broadband prices

pvmb
Aspiring Pro
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Registered: ‎12-02-2014

Broadband prices

I have being paying £29.98 inclusive for my out of contract ADSL 2+ broadband with Plusnet.

Bearing in mind the latest price increase, on 13 June I phoned up to see if I could get a better deal.

Question 176649510

Unlimited broadband service: £6 pm for 18 month
Line rental: £18.99 pm
Total £24.99 pm for 18 month contract (not 12 month)

Just after I accepted this (not as good as I was hoping for) I noticed on the Plusnet website the following BB offer:

Unlimited Usage, 12 month (rather than 18 month) contract, "Now includes line rental" for £18.99 pm

https://www.plus.net/home-broadband/

Indeed, on the same page, for a 12 month contract at £24.99 (the same I was offered) I could get fibre broadband!

Am I being ripped off?

13 REPLIES 13
Gandalf
Community Gaffer
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Re: Broadband prices

Hi there.

Unfortunately we can't always provide existing customers with new customer deals, but our retention offers are still really competitive.

With that said, if you would like to discuss this I'd give our customer options team another call on 0800 013 2632 and we'll see we can offer you anything better.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
Baldrick1
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Re: Broadband prices

Let's put it this way, every deal needs a willing buyer and a willing seiier. Plusnet will not automatically match the deals they offer to new customers. Their corporate policy appears to be to charge existing customers as much as they can get away with, rather than reward loyalty. However, It's not just Plusnet, it's now the way many companies across many sectors operate, insurance being a prime example.

The trick is to go to a price comparison site and find the cheapest deal available. You then ring Plusnet and select the 'I'm thinking of leaving' option. You then ask Plusnet to match the competitors price or you will be leaving. The chances are that they will give you a better deal. Quoting what Plusnet offer new customers will not have the same effect.

If you're still in the cooling off period I would give it another try following this technique. If you do so then let us know how you get on.

 

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pvmb
Aspiring Pro
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Registered: ‎12-02-2014

Re: Broadband prices

Didn't find/make time to deal with this so am now stuck on 18 month contract.

When contract ends will just move to another ISP. Irritating and unsatisfactory but, like motor insurance, that just seems to be the way the BB market 'works'. 

Ndegwa
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Re: Broadband prices

Thank you for getting back to us. The industry at the moment does make shopping around beneficial at renewal. Due to anti competition regulations we cant offer rock bottom prices for the life of our customers and this is why all providers will have the introductory offers to keep competition healthy.  LeeY.

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 Lee Y
 Plusnet Help Team
quelquod
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Re: Broadband prices


@Ndegwa wrote:

this is why all providers will have the introductory offers to keep competition healthy.  LeeY.


And the 'introductory offers' are subsidised by the existing customers. So in reality the ONLY way to get a decent deal is to switch provider at the end of every contract. Not really much point in just asking for a better deal. Any other approach will always cost you more.

Democracy - 3 wolves and a lamb voting about what to have for lunch!
pvmb
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Re: Broadband prices


@Ndegwa wrote:

Thank you for getting back to us. The industry at the moment does make shopping around beneficial at renewal. Due to anti competition regulations we cant offer rock bottom prices for the life of our customers and this is why all providers will have the introductory offers to keep competition healthy.  LeeY.


A little bit of politics...

But it's not about real competition, is it? It's like 'competition' in the utility companies, unreal.

I don't know much about business but I'd have thought there were essentially two ways of 'competing' in a market for actual physical products. Make cheap ones and compete on price. Make higher quality goods and compete on specifications, so charge a higher price.

Combine current market ideology with standard products and services, what do you get? Take electricity.

In the UK there can be ONLY one product: 230v 50Hz ac. So the ONLY way to compete is on price. But if one company were successful at that they would corner the market, no? In the interests of (so called!) 'competition' this can not be allowed to happen. So what happens? Buggins's turn. Today this company is the 'cheapest', a months time, that company is the 'cheapest'. etc. etc. etc.

Pity the consumer who just wants simplicity, consistent service, a good price and no bother. Where's the 'competition' for that?

Baldrick1
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Re: Broadband prices


@Ndegwa wrote:

. Due to anti competition regulations we cant offer rock bottom prices for the life of our customers and this is why all providers will have the introductory offers to keep competition healthy.  LeeY.


@Ndegwa Are you suggesting that the competition regulations make it against the law for Plusnet to offer a loyal customer the same deal as a new one?

Am I the only sceptical old sinner who finds this hard to believe?

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ejs
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Re: Broadband prices

I thought that the Ofcom VULA Margin regulations apply to the discounted new customer deals. But the regulations may apply to all the customers totalled up and averaged out as a whole group, and not so much to any particular person's deal. But then the VULA regulations I'm thinking of only apply to "superfast" broadband, not ADSL.

I doubt we're going to get a link to the particular regulations in question.

Townman
Superuser
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Re: Broadband prices

I don’t by the anti-competition argument.

EE charge new users £2 more than existing ones.

If it’s all about expanding market share ... seems stupid creating a pricing structure which simply encourages people to migrate like butterflies.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Jonpe
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Re: Broadband prices

The business model relies on attracting customers with low prices and hoping they won't go to the hassle of leaving.  That was more often the case before comparison sites; how many of us could be bothered to call every insurance company to compare prices for example?

Nowadays migrating to another ISP, changing energy supplier, insurance provider, bank etc. is quite easy so perhaps it's time to 'be nice' to loyal customers again.

pint
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Re: Broadband prices

I've got renewal/end of term coming up.

 My last tactic was to write down the prices for each provider, for the service level I wanted: monthly/anualy

starting with option 1 doing nothing, plusnet will cost £xxxx.xx over 12 months or £xx.xx a month ( average)

option 2: Sky will cost £xxx.xx for 12 months etc

Now Tv broadband

Origin

Talk Talk

BT

Virgin media

post office

EE

Vodafone

and so on

Jonpe
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Re: Broadband prices

Yes, it's important to compare the cost of the whole package that you are looking for.  I know people who stuck with BT because BT phone and broadband included BT Sport at no extra charge.

Townman
Superuser
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Re: Broadband prices

… and there is also the BTOR service care level provided by the ISP / CP … something few are clear about.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.