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February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

KevH
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

My 24m contract (Fibre Extra, line rental plus call package) runs out on 31 Jan. I've been offered (without prompting) a reasonable renewal price. However, that price will only be in place for one month before the 13.2% 'CPI plus 3.9%' increase adds £3.17 to the monthly costs (assuming I don't take a call package).

 

Has anybody been successful in renewing at this time of year and having the Mar CPI increase included in the renewal price?

 

I did have a general chat with an agent but was told the increase would be applied and I was just unlucky that my renewal was when it was. Delaying renewal to March is not really an option as the increase to an out of contract monthly charge is large. 

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Longliner
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

Sorry Kev, I don't think there is any way round this, a vast bag of gold generously given to all ISPs by Ofcom. With strikes all over the place seeking pay rises even part of the way towards meeting inflation, it's good to know that all ISPs are handed inflation plus 3.9% 😟

 

Mike

Baldrick1
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

@KevH 

I would guess that the CPI+ increase is automatically added by the billing system, so beyond the control of mere mortals.

Another approach is to ring the Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 and see if you can negotiate a deal arguing that the price will be going up in a couple of months so how about knocking a bit off? If you don't ask you don't get.

This phone number is normally answered quite quickly

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Townman
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

Experience has shown that the "new contract" price has not risen by CPI+X%.  You might consider taking a gambol - do not renew immediately, take a month or two on the price hike and then renew after the existing customer price hike.

You will need to do some calculations - 12, 18 or 24 months in contract plus the price hikes vs 1-2 months at out of contract prices plus 12 months contact without the immediate annual price hike.

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.

makaur
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Registered: ‎02-08-2018

Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

I'm in the same boat, contract ends on 18th Feb, phoned the Customer Options line (0800 013 2632) and mentioned the "upgrade renewal offer" that is 49 pence cheaper than new customers (full fibre 145).

The rep didn't seem bothered and said that there are no further discounts despite being a customer with this account since 2017.

With the CPI+ increase it would be £31+ from month 2 onwards, the rep wouldn't even consider going near the £25p/m full fibre Vodafone are offering.

KevH
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

I had thought about not renewing for a month or so to see what would be offered but my out of contract monthly charge will be £47.54 - some £14.40 more than I'm currenly paying - and I suspect even that will increase by 13.2% in Mar so making the time taken to claw back any savings that much longer.

For me the target price is £22 which Vodafone are offering as 70/20 Fibre and line rental (no call time package included). PN's offer via email is £27.16 post CPI increase (also with no call package). Really don't want to move to Voda but we'll see where a phone call takes me. I've been a customer for 17+ years. Would be a shame to leave.

Wildroverandy
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

I've been arguing this point for some time too now, although it is hitting a brick wall trying to get them to accept any kind of customer loyalty considerations. That seems to be something nobody is interested in anymore, just the data for grabbing 'new customers'.

My argument is that the price they are quoting is not accurate right from the start. It's a large bold, in your face, price quote for a 24 month contract. Yet we already know that it *will* go up by at least 3.9% twice before your contract ends, so that quoted price is already not correct. There's a piddling little asterisk to mark there's a condition somewhere on that page (which you have to scroll down to read).

And, as you say, I'm getting offers, stating a price, that will go up in three months time. It doesn't make it easy to make a decision on when to jump.

I'm on old Unlimited Fibre Extra (80/20), but I get a reliable 70+Mb download, so am reluctant to switch to FF at this time (based on some of the forum comments about poor speeds and reliability after switching). My contract expires in May, but I can renew now (for 24 months, after having an 18 month contract) at a lower price, until it goes up again in April.

Or I could switch to FF, but even that's weird right now, they're doing the 144 £1 cheaper than the 74 (OK, that's a no-brainer, but it only proves that all this need to increase my prices in April is total rubbish for their profitability). But then again, it goes up in April.

I see nothing that entices me not to do a 'new customer' deal with someone else (even if I have to pay a couple months severance fee). If I wait until March/April, I can then get a full year at any offer price (of course we don't know for sure what offers will be around then, but I'll bet there are plenty of new customer deals with other ISPs nonetheless). FWIW, I saw Vodafone are actually getting some good ratings.

I did try contacting PN customer support, but as discovered here, it's no dice with getting any kind of deal to get around this. I really cannot see why it's not possible to fix your price for at least the first 12 months when you renew a contract. That would just be simple decent support of customer loyalty.

For sure, I'm not especially angry with PN, they're just playing the same game as everyone else. I'm angry at the system, which seems to have been put in place with the best of intentions, but has rather had an adverse effect for the customer.

But, I have also pointed out before, that this is a maximum they can apply, not a compulsory thing. PN could choose to be a little different, and actually live up to their advertising blurb (make us actually believe the buffoon in their TV adverts).

As you say though, having been a PN customer over so many years (nearly 20 on and off), it'd be a shame to leave.

Andy
Townman
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

FF and speed expectations. In the vast majority of cases the user’s environment cannot saturate the connection speed so DATA speed tests are misleading.

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.

MisterW
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

I'm on old Unlimited Fibre Extra (80/20), but I get a reliable 70+Mb download, so am reluctant to switch to FF at this time

@Wildroverandy check, using the BTwholesale checker, that your exchange isn't 'fibre priority'

If it is then you will not be able to switch to the 80/20 fttc product with another isp. To get better than 40/10 you will have to go to FTTP

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.

Wildroverandy
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

There's no problem with that here, it's non-priority, and has 1000/220Mbps available on FTTP, and I've had confirmed 'Available' when I've checked any new quotes. We're also in a KCOM area, which is available to me as well (although they're too pricey anyway)

Cheers.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Full quote of preceding post removed as per Forum rules.
Andy
MisterW
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

I'd still keep a eye on the checker. My area quietly went fibre priority about 9 months after FTTP became available.

Once it's fibre priority , your options when changing products/ISP are restricted

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.

Wildroverandy
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

Thank you, I had no idea that was even a 'thing'.

Although I guess the KCOM option is always open, as I believe they're putting in their own system.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Full quote of preceding post removed as per Forum rules.
Andy
Wildroverandy
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

This is now resolved. But not as I expected. After talking to my landlord, we’ve decided not to proceed with FF, as there’s too many ‘should’ and ‘maybe’ things involved (such as digging up the drive, where to put the FF box (not enough sockets on this house), and losing the standard landline)., and they’re not too happy about the uncertainties, and I’m not too happy about convincing them it’ll be fine if it turned out to be a mess afterwards.

After all said, I decided to go with the PlusNet 24 month offer on my existing 80/20 package at £23/mth. It means even after the CPI rise, it’s still cheaper than what we’re paying now. We keep the landline active for now, and I do get decent speeds anyway.

It’s not ideal, and the CPI thing does grate on the nerves a bit, but I see no other sensible way around it. Playing the waiting game may not work out well, either for whatever PN will offer in the near future, or what I could get in may if I switched, and this deal is OK.

So there we are, it’s done with now, and to be fair, the PN guys here have always been helpful and polite, even if I do whine a lot ;-), and the overall service has been as good as can be expected.

Cheers.

Andy

Andy
Scoobydoo192
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

After finding out I was about to get a 14.33% increase this year because of this scam, I'm in the process of moving to a PAYG sim instead of a fixed contract on another carrier. This way there is no annual increase for no reason whatsoever but because they can.

Longliner
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Re: February Contract Renewal and CPI Increase

I suppose I should not point out that the price of our groceries and just about everything else has increased by about the same amount. It would be nice if our incomes could rise to meet this extra cost, but that's what inflation does for us.