Cancelling contract due to price change and taking out a new product with the same company?

Sunshineflipper

So my Nowtv broadband is £21 a month for 30mbps but they are offering £20 a month for average of 70mbps. 

My current contract has a price rise and the email says this: 

Your right to cancel

We hope you continue to enjoy your NOW Broadband Membership. But if you’re not happy with these changes, you can cancel your membership. If you’re within your minimum contract period, call us on 03300 412 498 within 30 days of getting this communication to avoid early termination charges. Unless you tell us otherwise, your NOW Broadband Membership will continue as usual.

So can I cancel and simply start a new contract with nowtv for their better and cheaper fibre without penalty?

400ixl

Is that new price for new customers? If so, how do they define a new customer, often that means someone who has not been a customer for at least 12 months. At the very least I would have thought you would have to wait until the current contract had actually terminated which would then have a lead time for the new connection leaving you without broadband for a number of days.

All to save £12 a year?

user1977

400ixl said:

All to save £12 a year?

A considerably higher speed, for £12 less a year...

But in answer to the question, from a quick look at the terms I can't see anything obvious about there being a minimum period to regain your new customer status. I suppose in theory they'd still be within their rights to turn down a new application.

WhoopsIDidItAgainITrolledWithYourHeart

400ixl said:

Is that new price for new customers? If so, how do they define a new customer, often that means someone who has not been a customer for at least 12 months. At the very least I would have thought you would have to wait until the current contract had actually terminated which would then have a lead time for the new connection leaving you without broadband for a number of days.

All to save £12 a year?

It's not really all to save £12 a year, 70mbps is a significant uplift over 30mbps.

That being said, I very much doubt they would be considered a new customer for at least six months if not twelve after cancellation.

bris

You tend to find that cancelling often gets their attenion and they then offer better deals.

I do this same dance with sky every year.

Ergates

I'd suggest phoning them up and checking.  See if there is a time you'd have to wait after cancelling to be considered a new customer.

The_Fat_Controller

If you are on a FTTC service also consider that your line may not be able to support higher speeds, the maximum it can handle depends on length to the cabinet.

Even if a higher speed package is offered it may be a red herring.

Best to call, armed with competitor's pricing (if applicable) and your target price and ask them to match or better those prices.

littleboo

As above, average speeds are meaningless, but providers are required to quote them by the regulator. You need to find out what you line is able to achieve. 

Grumpy_chap

On the NowTV website where it gives the broadband packages:
https://www.nowtv.com/broadband#ib-section-section-3

If you click the pale grey "Terms & Conditions" arrow at the bottom of the page, it reads "NOW Broadband available to new NOW Broadband customers and new and existing TV customers, not available to existing NOW Broadband/Combo customers."

Rather than trying to buck the system by cancelling, hoping that meets the requirements to not be a customer, then re-joining at the better rate, which may not work and likely means a period without service, it might be better to shop around, find the best deal, and then negotiate with the NOW retentions team.

shiraz99

The question is can you actually achieve 70Mbps or above?

The first think I'd do is put your details into the BT Wholesale checker to see what speeds are available to you, it'll be pretty pointless changing the product if you can only get around 30Mbps anyway.

BT Broadband (btwholesale.com)

And as mentioned above, cancelling won't make you a new customer let alone the fact that cancelling broadband (rather than transferring) is the last you want to happen as it will cost you.

powerful_Rogue

Also bear in mind, if you do cancel, you could lose your slot in the cabinet and me much worse off.