Broadband increase during contract term - Any options 23 February at 8:22PM in Broadband & internet access 11 replies 614 views

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu

Are there any options available for broadband packages that don't increase their prices mid contract? Or at least give you the option to leave?

I can't find any, and the comparison sites don't have a  filter to exclude those that do have contract terms to allow increases?

The only option I could think of is to select for 1 month contracts, but there do not seem to be any of them.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just think it is immoral to tie your customers into a long contract and then have the option to increase the prices mid term, without allowing you you leave.

Cisco001

Can you not factor 15% uplift from 12 months yourself?

Or just choose 12 month contract...

spikejrt

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Are there any options available for broadband packages that don't increase their prices mid contract? Or at least give you the option to leave?

I can't find any, and the comparison sites don't have a  filter to exclude those that do have contract terms to allow increases?

The only option I could think of is to select for 1 month contracts, but there do not seem to be any of them.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just think it is immoral to tie your customers into a long contract and then have the option to increase the prices mid term, without allowing you you leave.

Sky/NOW Broadband.

Neil_Jones

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Are there any options available for broadband packages that don't increase their prices mid contract? Or at least give you the option to leave?

I can't find any, and the comparison sites don't have a  filter to exclude those that do have contract terms to allow increases?

The only option I could think of is to select for 1 month contracts, but there do not seem to be any of them.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just think it is immoral to tie your customers into a long contract and then have the option to increase the prices mid term, without allowing you you leave.

Options do exist.

But you'll pay more from the outset, at the risk of it costing just as much as if you'd gone with the budget end in the first place at the end of the deal with the automatic price rise.

Whether its immoral or not, its not a new thing and mobile providers have done this for years (as have Sky TV).  Broadband providers just playing catch-up.  Ofcom will look into it it but whether it results in anything is up for debate.

TractorFactor

I don't think it's reasonable.
That's like a bus driver asking you for more money half way through the journey.

If they want to increase the price, do it after the contract has ended and you're on a 30-day rolling.  They can't wait for 24 months?  Start offering affordable 12 month contracts then!

Because 16% rises isn't reasonable in my opinion.
Would people be happy with 20%?  30%?  What percent suddenly becomes unreasonable?

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu

Cisco001 said:

Can you not factor 15% uplift from 12 months yourself?

Or just choose 12 month contract...

Of course, I could add a "15% uplift". However, each provider has their own stated increase, so it's add 3%+RPI for this one and 2% + CPI on another one. And each one do their auto increases at different times of the year. So it depends on when you do the comparison as to how much the "12 month contract" will cost. It's not as simple as a "15%uplift".

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu

Neil_Jones said:

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Are there any options available for broadband packages that don't increase their prices mid contract? Or at least give you the option to leave?

I can't find any, and the comparison sites don't have a  filter to exclude those that do have contract terms to allow increases?

The only option I could think of is to select for 1 month contracts, but there do not seem to be any of them.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just think it is immoral to tie your customers into a long contract and then have the option to increase the prices mid term, without allowing you you leave.

Options do exist.

But you'll pay more from the outset, at the risk of it costing just as much as if you'd gone with the budget end in the first place at the end of the deal with the automatic price rise.

Whether its immoral or not, its not a new thing and mobile providers have done this for years (as have Sky TV).  Broadband providers just playing catch-up.  Ofcom will look into it it but whether it results in anything is up for debate.

Just because others do it does not make it ok. I still think it is immoral to lock you in and increase the prices part way through.

And the options I was referring to are on comparison sites where you cant say something like "exclude ones with automatic increases". I have not seen any that do that. Are you saying there are some. If so, which ones?

foxtrot_mike

It would be useful for MSE to highlight Broadband providers that don't increase mid term,  I have found two so far  that don't 1pBroadband and Cuckoo, it would be great to see a list.
_ _ _ _ _ _

Three (mobile) annoyed me greatly with their mid contract inflations, and as a result i left them for a mobile provider that didn't do that so ill be doing the same with Plusnet when the contract is up.

Neil_Jones

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Neil_Jones said:

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Are there any options available for broadband packages that don't increase their prices mid contract? Or at least give you the option to leave?

I can't find any, and the comparison sites don't have a  filter to exclude those that do have contract terms to allow increases?

The only option I could think of is to select for 1 month contracts, but there do not seem to be any of them.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just think it is immoral to tie your customers into a long contract and then have the option to increase the prices mid term, without allowing you you leave.

Options do exist.

But you'll pay more from the outset, at the risk of it costing just as much as if you'd gone with the budget end in the first place at the end of the deal with the automatic price rise.

Whether its immoral or not, its not a new thing and mobile providers have done this for years (as have Sky TV).  Broadband providers just playing catch-up.  Ofcom will look into it it but whether it results in anything is up for debate.

Just because others do it does not make it ok. I still think it is immoral to lock you in and increase the prices part way through.

And the options I was referring to are on comparison sites where you cant say something like "exclude ones with automatic increases". I have not seen any that do that. Are you saying there are some. If so, which ones?

I didn't say anything about comparison sites.

Comparison sites always work at the bottom end of the market and focus exclusively on price.  The end of the market Where the baked in rises are.

This thread might be of interest:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6395669/which-bb-phone-providers-dont-have-an-automatic-price-escalator-included-in-the-contract

onomatopoeia99

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Neil_Jones said:

68ydbk0CgKt8aB69Lxgu said:

Are there any options available for broadband packages that don't increase their prices mid contract? Or at least give you the option to leave?

I can't find any, and the comparison sites don't have a  filter to exclude those that do have contract terms to allow increases?

The only option I could think of is to select for 1 month contracts, but there do not seem to be any of them.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just think it is immoral to tie your customers into a long contract and then have the option to increase the prices mid term, without allowing you you leave.

Options do exist.

But you'll pay more from the outset, at the risk of it costing just as much as if you'd gone with the budget end in the first place at the end of the deal with the automatic price rise.

Whether its immoral or not, its not a new thing and mobile providers have done this for years (as have Sky TV).  Broadband providers just playing catch-up.  Ofcom will look into it it but whether it results in anything is up for debate.

Just because others do it does not make it ok. I still think it is immoral to lock you in and increase the prices part way through.

Don't contract with suppliers that include a price increase provision in the contract then if you find it immoral.  Not rocket science.

If you care about this stuff, read the full terms of the contract before signing up.  

J292

Having worked in telecommunications myself for a few years I learned pretty quickly to use the system to my advantage. 

Couple of years ago my parents broadband was with BT I managed their account (was in my name) they were paying over £30.00 at the time for broadband they had TV with sky and they were offering the same speeds for £25 a month so what I did was get in touch with BT and got them to recommit me to a new 18 month contract which came with a new 14 day cooling off period i then proceeded to make an order with sky while in that cooling off period and got them to do an active line takeover I then got a notification from BT advising that sky were taking over the line and there would be no charge to leave as I was in my cooling off period. 

I understand that same ploy wouldn’t work with virgin as they have their own network but if your ever on the open reach system it’s a loophole that can be exploited to great effect especially if you ever feel disgruntled at the mid contract price rises.