Inflation-busting Broadband Price Rises

skydog

Plusnet have taken away their annual line rental saver, and made me an offer of a contract which is £6 a month more than new customers can get elsewhere - which is disappointing after 10 years with them. I also notice they will appy annual price hikes of inflation PLUS 3.9%. Whay are we letting companies do this? Who in goverment has authorised this inflation-busting behaviour and how do they justify it? Needless to say I am looking elsewhere, although I suspect the annual price hike will apply wherever I look.

JJ_Egan

Does not need authorizing we don't yet live in a nanny state .

Neil_Jones

skydog said:

Plusnet have taken away their annual line rental saver, and made me an offer of a contract which is £6 a month more than new customers can get elsewhere - which is disappointing after 10 years with them. I also notice they will appy annual price hikes of inflation PLUS 3.9%. Whay are we letting companies do this? Who in goverment has authorised this inflation-busting behaviour and how do they justify it? Needless to say I am looking elsewhere, although I suspect the annual price hike will apply wherever I look.

Line rental saver went away last October.  The price changes in April are the value of the CPI (as of January/three months earlier) +3.9%.  CPI is not the same thing as inflation.

This is a commercial/market decision that is not unique to Plusnet.  It is nothing to do with government so there is nothing to justify.  Sky have been doing it on their TV packages for years.

Find another deal and move provider.  Loyalty means nothing.

brewerdave

skydog said:

Plusnet have taken away their annual line rental saver, and made me an offer of a contract which is £6 a month more than new customers can get elsewhere - which is disappointing after 10 years with them. I also notice they will appy annual price hikes of inflation PLUS 3.9%. Whay are we letting companies do this? Who in goverment has authorised this inflation-busting behaviour and how do they justify it? Needless to say I am looking elsewhere, although I suspect the annual price hike will apply wherever I look.

As a matter of interest, I have just agreed a renewal deal with PN - I've got basic (40Mb) fibre inc line rental for almost exactly the same price as I had for the previous 2 years for "standard" ADSL plus annual line rental saver. Quoted TalkTalk and Sky prices at the agent and got the deal offered within a couple of minutes.

onomatopoeia99

skydog said:

 Who in goverment has authorised this inflation-busting behaviour and how do they justify it? Needless to say I am looking elsewhere, although I suspect the annual price hike will apply wherever I look.

Can you explain why a limited company needs government authorisation to change prices?  This isn't a single monopolistic supplier situation where there may be regulatory involvement in pricing.

I have been with A&A for broadband (not line rental) for 18 years and they have never increased prices charged to me in that time - I have changed packages a couple of times as their offerings have changed.  You won't like their prices though, but I'd rather have good than cheap.