Broadband/TV - renewal of contract

Billxx

A recurring complaint on this and other forums is the anxiety and difficulty when agreeing a new contract with the Broadband/TV service providers.

It strikes me that one of the problems is that some of the providers do not publish a menu of items with prices.  So essentially you never know if you are getting a good deal, a standard contract or being ripped off.

I realise that constructing a tariff menu would not be easy.  There are different broadband speeds, different TV packages, a selection of TV channels and providers (Netflix, Disney etc), different equipment (Tivo, Streaming devices) and so on.

May be a menu of prices would reduce the anxiety and even increase customer satisfaction?

Just an idea.

oldernonethewiser

Billxx said:

A recurring complaint on this and other forums is the anxiety and difficulty when agreeing a new contract with the Broadband/TV service providers.

It strikes me that one of the problems is that some of the providers do not publish a menu of items with prices.  So essentially you never know if you are getting a good deal, a standard contract or being ripped off.

I realise that constructing a tariff menu would not be easy.  There are different broadband speeds, different TV packages, a selection of TV channels and providers (Netflix, Disney etc), different equipment (Tivo, Streaming devices) and so on.

May be a menu of prices would reduce the anxiety and even increase customer satisfaction?

Just an idea.

Never had a contract which doesn't indicate what is included.

Can you give an example?

Neil_Jones

Billxx said:

A recurring complaint on this and other forums is the anxiety and difficulty when agreeing a new contract with the Broadband/TV service providers.

It strikes me that one of the problems is that some of the providers do not publish a menu of items with prices.  So essentially you never know if you are getting a good deal, a standard contract or being ripped off.

I realise that constructing a tariff menu would not be easy.  There are different broadband speeds, different TV packages, a selection of TV channels and providers (Netflix, Disney etc), different equipment (Tivo, Streaming devices) and so on.

May be a menu of prices would reduce the anxiety and even increase customer satisfaction?

Just an idea.

If you're phoning up after a new deal you know what you're after in terms of the offering, surely you'd know what you're phoning up for and what sort of price you can get it for elsewhere?

As to the recurring complaints, well firstly you're not entitled to any discount whatsoever so if you don't get one, then try again later.  And if you still don't get what you want, vote with your feet.  And I've never had a new deal and not known what I'm agreeing to in terms of duration or cost for that matter - and it's on the email I get.  The main issue seems to people don't read what they're signing up to and then moan about it later...  But no amount of regulation will fix that.

Billxx

Thanks for your comments. I am not suggesting anyone gets a contract that does not list the elements in the package.

If you negotiate with VM, they send you a pre contract document that lists the elements that make up the package with a total cost.  However, there is no itemisation.  So if you want to reduce the package, say by taking out TNT Sports or lowering the broadband speed, you have no idea what this would do the final cost.  You end up calling VM and negotiating again.  On the VM forum the other week, there was an instance of where someone asked about removing an item and the cost increased.  Apparently it was how the package was structured.

Yes, you can always vote with your feet, but where I live if you want more than 50mb broadband you have no option other than VM.  The whole village was cabled by NTL World years ago.