Fairer broadband prices for existing customers

brewerdave

southsidergs said:

alan235 said:

Now that the law has been changed and insurance companies cannot charge deeply discounted prices to new customers, how about getting the same fairer treatment for Broadband customers?

 The major broadband companies like Virgin Media, Talk Talk and BT are all offering cheap deals to new customers that they state in their advertising are not available to existing clients.

Eh? BT (and others) have agreed with Ofcom that they'll get in touch in the last 10-40 days to offer the SAME as a new customer (less any rewards etc obviously) so you're mistaken there

Fairer prices for broadband customers - Ofcom

Except that the feedback on here and elsewhere, is that it isn't working!!

agentcain

Marvel1 said:

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

Compare new supplier, complete details- done.  How is it hard?

Much less than time looking and completing details for a new insurance provider.

And what about those who don't have the luxury of another provider at comparable speeds? Too bad for them I guess.

agentcain

Neil_Jones said:

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

The op is right. These marketing tricks and incentives should stop. Existing customers should be charged the same as new ones. These are fundamental expenses that we shouldn't have to negotiate around. 

This is a money saving website.  You don't save money with companies by letting the regulator/ombudsman/big cheese getting involved.  All that does is push prices up for everybody, and the apathetic ones win.  No you save money by getting your own deals, doing your own bouncing and making the effort.

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to believe that as most replies of that short is a knee-jerk reaction that follows this exact mentality; save money for those few "smart" ones, everyone else, marked apathetic, should have known better and should foot the bill.

agentcain

Marvel1 said:

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

Compare new supplier, complete details- done.  How is it hard?

Much less than time looking and completing details for a new insurance provider.

It might be hard for those less tech savvy. But let's fleece them so the rest can enjoy the excitement of getting a non transparent deal that depends on the quota of the particular representative on the day you decide to threaten them with taking your business elsewhere. Lovely. Great society model. 

flaneurs_lobster

agentcain said:

Marvel1 said:

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

Compare new supplier, complete details- done.  How is it hard?

Much less than time looking and completing details for a new insurance provider.

It might be hard for those less tech savvy. But let's fleece them so the rest can enjoy the excitement of getting a non transparent deal that depends on the quota of the particular representative on the day you decide to threaten them with taking your business elsewhere. Lovely. Great society model. 

Very true. Thank goodness for regulators and laws, a completely free market would be a very ugly place indeed.

RogerBareford

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

The op is right. These marketing tricks and incentives should stop. Existing customers should be charged the same as new ones. These are fundamental expenses that we shouldn't have to negotiate around. 

I'm with BT and they charge me far less than what they do a new customer and all it took was one phone call. It's not difficult at all do i don't see why everyone should be charged more just because people are too lazy to shop around for a good deal or call up.

agentcain

RogerBareford said:

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

The op is right. These marketing tricks and incentives should stop. Existing customers should be charged the same as new ones. These are fundamental expenses that we shouldn't have to negotiate around. 

I'm with BT and they charge me far less than what they do a new customer and all it took was one phone call. It's not difficult at all do i don't see why everyone should be charged more just because people are too lazy to shop around for a good deal or call up.

Not all deals are available everywhere. And some people suffer from social anxiety, including making phone calls. Providers like VM make sure to only consider phone calls, as emails are too hard for them. Not to mention those who don't speak English fluently or simply are not in the habit of haggling for necessary services, especially when that requires waiting in queue to reach VMs retention centrw. Let's just strike them out as lazy. 

I saw how much the energy sector's gift incentives didn't affect prices. Those 50£ to join us referral links are a great idea.

I take it you're also against the recent law on insurances? 

flaneurs_lobster

A recent (yesterday) example. My car breakdown insurance is due for renwal in two weeks, I rang my insurers to ask what the cost of renewal was. Told £100.80. Said "Thats a lot, any discounts available"?. Tap, tap..."£67.20". 

That policy would have auto-renewed at the higher price had I not asked. Until this ridiculous "haggling" (there wasn't any in this case) is abolished either by legislation or custom I and others, who are willing and able, have to go this ridiculous process at each renewal.

Just offer me the final, best, lowest price at the onset. This is supposed to be a mature regulated marketplace not a medieval souk. 

RogerBareford

agentcain said:

RogerBareford said:

agentcain said:

So you're all up for making our life more miserable and less easy eh?

The op is right. These marketing tricks and incentives should stop. Existing customers should be charged the same as new ones. These are fundamental expenses that we shouldn't have to negotiate around. 

I'm with BT and they charge me far less than what they do a new customer and all it took was one phone call. It's not difficult at all do i don't see why everyone should be charged more just because people are too lazy to shop around for a good deal or call up.

Not all deals are available everywhere. And some people suffer from social anxiety, including making phone calls. Providers like VM make sure to only consider phone calls, as emails are too hard for them. Not to mention those who don't speak English fluently or simply are not in the habit of haggling for necessary services, especially when that requires waiting in queue to reach VMs retention centrw. Let's just strike them out as lazy. 

I saw how much the energy sector's gift incentives didn't affect prices. Those 50£ to join us referral links are a great idea.

I take it you're also against the recent law on insurances? 

I don't see why a company shouldn't be allowed to offer variable pricing to attract customers.

Using your logic then sales in shops and vouchers shouldn't be allowed and all products must be sold at the same price by all stores?

My Sainbury's nectar app and others offer me personalised discounts on certain products but not to other people, should this all be banned?

RogerBareford

flaneurs_lobster said:

A recent (yesterday) example. My car breakdown insurance is due for renwal in two weeks, I rang my insurers to ask what the cost of renewal was. Told £100.80. Said "Thats a lot, any discounts available"?. Tap, tap..."£67.20". 

That policy would have auto-renewed at the higher price had I not asked. Until this ridiculous "haggling" (there wasn't any in this case) is abolished either by legislation or custom I and others, who are willing and able, have to go this ridiculous process at each renewal.

Just offer me the final, best, lowest price at the onset. This is supposed to be a mature regulated marketplace not a medieval souk. 

But that's the thing. If a company has to offer the same price to all customers it won't be the best and lowest price they offer it will be a higher price with a nice big profit margin for all customers instead.

If they know no companies are allowed to offer lower prices to attract new customers then all prices will go up.