Broadband mis- selling the next big scandal -

anunhappychappy1

Just seen the bill my elderly parents were sent following a contract renewal £129 a month… £72.95 a month for broadband!!!
mum and dad are elderly and were clearly unsold the whole package of things they do not need and want.
it was a simple request straight forward broadband, a landline with basic Netflix service and BT sport so Dad can watch rugby. What they got was additional channels, extra broadband service that they do not need…
to add to my experience my elderly mother in law was sold Sky in a different deal when she did not even have a satellite box or Tv likely to be able to use Sky
.
how many older people are being ripped off by the utility companies who abuse their jargon and technical detail to mislead and persuade customers with no real grasp of what it costs and what would work.  For my parents they can’t afford £129 a month.
2and a half joyless hours trying to solve the issue with EE showed how useless, unhelpful and downright difficult to deal with they are.  Still not solved properly.  They keep most customers waiting so long on the phone they give up
I think that if I’m and regulators need to investigate the average prices paid by older customers.  My mum asked her friends they all seem to be paying lots more than is necessary. They need help and protection as some do not have kids or grandchildren to help them find a FAIR deal

born_again

Well the problem is not the end of contract price rise (Which customer is aware of & gets reminders of)
It is the new customer offers that need stopping.

So given the knowledge when taking out the contract of the end of term price rise & the warning you receive on this. Where is the mis selling?


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6544356/cheaper-energy-deals-for-switchers-delayed-as-regulator-maintains-ban#latest

Energy regulator preventing such deals.

elsien

anunhappychappy1 said:

Just seen the bill my elderly parents were sent following a contract renewal £129 a month… £72.95 a month for broadband!!!
mum and dad are elderly and were clearly unsold the whole package of things they do not need and want.
it was a simple request straight forward broadband, a landline with basic Netflix service and BT sport so Dad can watch rugby. What they got was additional channels, extra broadband service that they do not need…
to add to my experience my elderly mother in law was sold Sky in a different deal when she did not even have a satellite box or Tv likely to be able to use Sky
.
how many older people are being ripped off by the utility companies who abuse their jargon and technical detail to mislead and persuade customers with no real grasp of what it costs and what would work.  For my parents they can’t afford £129 a month.
2and a half joyless hours trying to solve the issue with EE showed how useless, unhelpful and downright difficult to deal with they are.  Still not solved properly.  They keep most customers waiting so long on the phone they give up
I think that if I’m and regulators need to investigate the average prices paid by older customers.  My mum asked her friends they all seem to be paying lots more than is necessary. They need help and protection as some do not have kids or grandchildren to help them find a FAIR deal

My 85-year-old mother is perfectly capable of sorting out her own broadband and knowing what she wants. In some circumstances she has chosen to pay more rather than go through the faff of moving, which is her decision to make. 

Providers cannot apply a blanket  “they don’t know what they’re doing”  to everyone over a certain age. Some people know what they’re doing, others don’t. Including some younger people. 

Always the option for your parents to put a power-of-attorney in place so that you can step in for them as and when they want you to. 

Neil_Jones

anunhappychappy1 said:

Just seen the bill my elderly parents were sent following a contract renewal £129 a month… £72.95 a month for broadband!!!
mum and dad are elderly and were clearly unsold the whole package of things they do not need and want.
it was a simple request straight forward broadband, a landline with basic Netflix service and BT sport so Dad can watch rugby. What they got was additional channels, extra broadband service that they do not need…
to add to my experience my elderly mother in law was sold Sky in a different deal when she did not even have a satellite box or Tv likely to be able to use Sky
.
how many older people are being ripped off by the utility companies who abuse their jargon and technical detail to mislead and persuade customers with no real grasp of what it costs and what would work.  For my parents they can’t afford £129 a month.
2and a half joyless hours trying to solve the issue with EE showed how useless, unhelpful and downright difficult to deal with they are.  Still not solved properly.  They keep most customers waiting so long on the phone they give up
I think that if I’m and regulators need to investigate the average prices paid by older customers.  My mum asked her friends they all seem to be paying lots more than is necessary. They need help and protection as some do not have kids or grandchildren to help them find a FAIR deal

Its got nothing to do with being an "older customer" and there probably is no mis-selling.  Plenty of 60/70/80/90/100 year old who can hand their own affairs

This comes up quite regularly and always begs the question why are you getting involved now?  Why aren't you monitoring it?  Why didn't you say something at the time instead of months or years down the line?

And you don't need a dish to use Sky these days.  Providing the TV has a HDMI port (which if its less than 20 years old it probably does) and an internet connection it'll talk to Sky.

If you're not happy with EE, pick somebody else.

booneruk

£73pm does seem a heck of a lot to be charging for broadband. What is it, a couple of terabits per second?

What exactly are the services being billed for this £129 total?

molerat

Unfortunately these add-ons come as a package,  sport and Netflix come as a part of the "full works" package currently at £107.99, they are no longer simple solo add-ons.   It looks like he got what he asked for.

booneruk

Blimey, that is expensive. I believe I've found the package online, and it does include almost everything. One really does have to fight tooth and nail for a good deal these days.

Or be a new customer every time.

littleboo

If you are claiming that your parents are vulnerable, then the buck stops first with you. I say that as a son of a father who insists he can make good decisions but cant. 

M25

Are your parents and mother-in-law in need of social care or intervention from the mental health team? Can they not manage their affairs?

When did they/you realise they were mis-sold something? Months or years later? Had they been using any of the services?

Is there any personal responsibility or is everyone else to blame? 

Why didn't you help sooner?

JSmithy45AD

anunhappychappy1 said:

Just seen the bill my elderly parents were sent following a contract renewal £129 a month… £72.95 a month for broadband!!!
mum and dad are elderly and were clearly unsold the whole package of things they do not need and want.
it was a simple request straight forward broadband, a landline with basic Netflix service and BT sport so Dad can watch rugby. What they got was additional channels, extra broadband service that they do not need…
to add to my experience my elderly mother in law was sold Sky in a different deal when she did not even have a satellite box or Tv likely to be able to use Sky
.
how many older people are being ripped off by the utility companies who abuse their jargon and technical detail to mislead and persuade customers with no real grasp of what it costs and what would work.  For my parents they can’t afford £129 a month.
2and a half joyless hours trying to solve the issue with EE showed how useless, unhelpful and downright difficult to deal with they are.  Still not solved properly.  They keep most customers waiting so long on the phone they give up
I think that if I’m and regulators need to investigate the average prices paid by older customers.  My mum asked her friends they all seem to be paying lots more than is necessary. They need help and protection as some do not have kids or grandchildren to help them find a FAIR deal

That's a very confused post. Have they got EE BT AND Sky? You can't buy both from one party, is it just Sky TV via Stream as if it was Q then they'd fit a dish for them. Did they renew themselves or were you involved in the negotiating? Are you sure it is a renewal and not just a rolling monthly, out of minimum term deal they're on or is their a minimum term mentioned anywhere?

TV and broadband is not a utility by the way.

wild666

I got a letter today offering me broadband, Netflix and Sky for £39 per month. I currently pay £34.50 for BB only but I have no interest in either Sky or Netflix as the Sky TV part would cost an additional £169.50 for a TV licence which I don't want to pay. Netflix has very little that would interest me as would the Sky channels. I would rather save the £223.50 than pay £4.50, £54 yearly extra for Netlix and sky plus £169.50 for a TV licence.