MSE News: Ofcom bans landline and broadband rollover contract tie-ins

v6nat

Having been a long term hater of this blatant theft by BT I am glad this ripoff has been closed

pqrdef

DaveF327 wrote: »

Are they equally happy with the penalties for switching providers during these contracts they didn't even know they were in?

If you think you're going to get discounted prices and still have the option of switching at any time without penalty, then I'm sure there are no plans for that.

If you want the option of switching at any time without penalty, then of course that is already available and will continue to be available. So long as you pay full prices.

pqrdef

The bizarre thing is that energy firms have been criticised for automatically switching customers back onto standard tariffs at the end of their discounted fixed-term deals, but now it seems like that's exactly what BT is being told it's got to do.

Question is, what are utility companies supposed to do at the end of a discounted fixed-term deal? Obviously there has to be a default that is implemented automatically, in the absence of any input to the contrary. Choice of

(a) revert to standard tariff

(b) renew discounted fixed-term deal for another fixed term.

There's also

(c) maintain discounts but without a fixed term

but nobody is going to do that. Certainly nobody is being told they've got to do that, so anybody who thinks they are has got the wrong end of the stick.

JimmyTheWig

I guess the best thing, pqrdef, would be if they contacted you, say a month before the deal was due to end, and asked if you wanted to renew or not?

pqrdef

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I guess the best thing, pqrdef, would be if they contacted you, say a month before the deal was due to end, and asked if you wanted to renew or not?

That would be nice of them, but if that's all this is, it's hardly the major victory this is being cracked up to be.

There still has to be a default, in case I don't reply.

Garry_Anderson

I got an email today from OFCOM ombudsman.

I won an official complaint against my ISP about the way they renewed my contract (amongst other things e.g. refusal to give MAC) - indeed won every point made.

I could not lose.

Needless to say - they refused to say why it was not fraud - but I knew this - just wanted to press the legality angle.

Quote:

Following my investigation of your complaint, my decision is that Supanet should:
• remove the outstanding charges on the account and confirm the account has been closed with
no further amount owed.
• refund payments taken since 4 March 2011
• send a letter of apology; and
• award a goodwill gesture of £75 to recognize the inconvenience caused (this also includes an
amount to cover the charge for excessive broadband usage you incurred because you did not
know your monthly allowance had decreased).

kwikbreaks

pqrdef wrote: »

If you want the option of switching at any time without penalty, then of course that is already available and will continue to be available. So long as you pay full prices.

And if you are not tied in with a penalty charge hanging over you those prices need to be competitive....

pqrdef

kwikbreaks wrote: »

And if you are not tied in with a penalty charge hanging over you those prices need to be competitive....

BT standard call charges are never going to be competitive. Why would they poison their own well?

Same with their broadband. Introductory offer for 5 minutes with 18-month lock-in (this is the offensive and unfair part, because you're locked in before you find out if they're any good or not). After that, no lock-in, but not cheap.

kevinalpha

I've just contacted Supanet to ask for a MAC to be told that I am on a 24 month contract that I new nothing about. Surely there needs to be agreement on both sides for a contract to be entered into.

Any tips for unravelling this mess??