Shell broadband - free fibre upgrade for ADSLers

Jabba_flabba

Just a heads-ups that on Tuesday, 11 January I received an email from Shell stating that my ADSL broadband (branded Fast broadband) would be automatically upgraded to their Superfast Fibre this month: "Your broadband prices and the terms of your contract will stay just as they are."

The email gives a phone number (0330 094 5801) that you need to ring if you want to stop the automatic upgrade from happening, and also that they'll "reach out to you a week before your scheduled upgrade to confirm the date".

This may well be a welcome change for a lot of people. However, if you took one of the MSE deals like I did and are still within the minimum term then you're currently paying less than their standard prices. The email does not make any mention of the fact that when your minimum term ends, the standard pricing will apply, which is considerably greater for their Superfast Fibre package. So you won't pay any more immediately but you will if you don't switch provider at the end of the minimum term. For me, because of the date on which I signed up originally, this would mean £31.99 per month for fibre, versus £23.99 per month for ADSL. And the Energy discount is only £2 per month (versus £4 per month for ADSL). Sneaky! There are other reasons I don't want to upgrade... I don't need the extra speed, and my old & trusty router does not have a VDSL modem, so an auto-upgrade would take my internet down until I replace the router (which I don't want to do).

So I phoned up today, to cancel the automatic upgrade. To cut a long story short, the number given in the email put me through to Retentions; first guy wasn't aware of the email or any free upgrade, and passed me through to Customer Services, who couldn't help because apparently the marketing campaign was organised by Retentions. I was then passed back to Retentions, and finally got through to a Retentions representative who knew about the email, queried why I didn't want to upgrade, and duly cancelled the upgrade as I requested. He also confirmed that, if you don't phone to cancel, the upgrade will automatically happen, which wasn't explicitly clear in the email. I was on the phone over 1 hour, just to do this, most of which was spent on hold. Grrrr!

This seems like an ill-thought through move by Shell, and for me is made worse by the protracted phone call just to cancel something I never asked for. I'm putting this out there as I can't be the only one who received the email.

neilmcl

So once "upgraded" there's nothing stopping you moving to another provider when the term ends to keep your price down. Still plenty of providers offering VDSL/FTTC for what you're paying now or less. In fact Shell themselves are offering the Superfast broadband for £21.99 for new customers so in reality you're paying too much at the moment anyway. I can't understand why anyone would want to pay £23.99 for an ADSL package.

Jabba_flabba

neilmcl said:

So once "upgraded" there's nothing stopping you moving to another provider when the term ends to keep your price down. Still plenty of providers offering VDSL/FTTC for what you're paying now or less. In fact Shell themselves are offering the Superfast broadband for £21.99 for new customers so in reality you're paying too much at the moment anyway. I can't understand why anyone would want to pay £23.99 for an ADSL package.

Of course I can switch at the end of the term - this is what I have done for many years now and will continue to do so, assuming the status quo of new customer promo deals continues. But others may choose, consciously or otherwise, not to move. My post was really to highlight the fact that if you don't move at the end of the minimum term you will be paying significantly more after the end of the minimum term as a direct result of the automatic (opt-out only) upgrade to fibre. Others may not realise this, and the email from Shell certainly doesn't state this.

You seem to be suggesting that I am paying £23.99 per month - I am not. It sounds like you misinterpreted what I wrote. This is what I would pay after the minimum term if I don't move away from Shell. I am currently paying the equivalent of £13.82 per month, all in, until the minimum term ends.