Broadband provider reneging on 50% off forever

[Deleted User]

"As long as you're a customer" means "as long as you're a customer." If that's what they said then they are legally bound, they can't just increase it because they feel like it. But as you say, it won't likely won't benefit you in a practical sense. I have a lifetime guarantee on my BB, in place since 2006, and I pay £11 a month for 60Mb/s as opposed to about £38 which I'd pay if I was a new customer. That has followed me through two house moves, so technically they could have withdrawn the offer twice but did not do so.

silvercar

I’m showing my age now, but Mercury telecom, had a similar deal. Sign up and get free weekend and off peak calls for ever. They were a landline provider who then branched in to mobile networks, eventually becoming T-mobile. At one point you could buy landline handsets that had a blue mercury button on the phone, to remind you to press it before making a call to take advantage of the deal. This was in the mid 1990s. After a few years they cut the off peak and only offered free weekend calls. Then the competition grew and Orange started offering rates which undercut the Mercury deal, so it eventually died.

the point is they got away with changing their “forever” offering. If you googled Mercury One2one you can probably find some articles on it.

Dalaibuy

Just a small update: Raised a complaint, which they said would lead to me being contacted within 48 hours by a customer service manager to address, which has come and gone with no communication. 

Interestingly this article has just been released, showing the rug-pull is becoming more common knowledge (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/jurassic-fibre-broadband-isp-customers-hit-by-uk-price-rises.html). Will be interesting to see if Jurassic have to make a more public response as it gains attention...

Dalaibuy

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Could attempt to claim a 25% discount on all payments made:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/regulation/27I

or seek damages:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/regulation/27J

Although this mentions "does not include the right to be paid damages in respect of the difference between the market price of a product and the amount payable for it under a contract" which may or may not affect this case depending upon it's exact meaning. 

Thanks, this is spot on (especially the 1st link), I think this will be the line of reasoning I take once I hear back from whoever's dealing with my complaint there.

silvercar

Dalaibuy said:

Just a small update: Raised a complaint, which they said would lead to me being contacted within 48 hours by a customer service manager to address, which has come and gone with no communication. 

Interestingly this article has just been released, showing the rug-pull is becoming more common knowledge (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/jurassic-fibre-broadband-isp-customers-hit-by-uk-price-rises.html). Will be interesting to see if Jurassic have to make a more public response as it gains attention...

So they are now claiming that you are out of contract. Did you agree to a fixed term contract?

powerful_Rogue

Dalaibuy said:

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Could attempt to claim a 25% discount on all payments made:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/regulation/27I

or seek damages:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1277/regulation/27J

Although this mentions "does not include the right to be paid damages in respect of the difference between the market price of a product and the amount payable for it under a contract" which may or may not affect this case depending upon it's exact meaning. 

Thanks, this is spot on (especially the 1st link), I think this will be the line of reasoning I take once I hear back from whoever's dealing with my complaint there.

It may sound good, but there is a high chance you'll have to take them to court if they refuse. Then it's whether the court agrees with that.

powerful_Rogue

Dalaibuy said:

Just a small update: Raised a complaint, which they said would lead to me being contacted within 48 hours by a customer service manager to address, which has come and gone with no communication. 

Interestingly this article has just been released, showing the rug-pull is becoming more common knowledge (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/jurassic-fibre-broadband-isp-customers-hit-by-uk-price-rises.html). Will be interesting to see if Jurassic have to make a more public response as it gains attention...

A very important part they said in that link:

That also applies to those customers who were on the “50%” discount but are now out of contract. We maintained that discount for the life of the contract, in line with the terms and conditions, and in many cases beyond,

Paully28

This sounds very much like the Orange broadband deal many years ago which was supposed to be free for as long as I had an orange phone contract

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Dalaibuy said:

Interestingly this article has just been released, showing the rug-pull is becoming more common knowledge (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/jurassic-fibre-broadband-isp-customers-hit-by-uk-price-rises.html). Will be interesting to see if Jurassic have to make a more public response as it gains attention...

That article says they are increasing their prices, which if you are out of the fixed contract period they can do, the £32, £35 and £40 per month mentioned in the article match what they offer on their website. 

The issue is whether they pull the discount but based on the above SmartHome 150 would be £16 a month after a 50% discount which is less than the £17.50 you were paying OP? 

Edit I see it's £39 for 12 month and 32 for 24 month. 

Hamalot

I also have this issue:
"When you joined us, we were pleased to offer you a 50% discount on your monthly broadband charge. We’ve worked hard to keep this promise, but due to rising costs, we can no longer sustain this offer.  As a result, we need to bring your pricing in line with our standard rates"  this is not a price increase (which they would be able to do) it is a removal of the discount.

I signed up to:
Broadband Package   :  SmartHome 150
Broadband Discount   :  50 Percent off Broadband Forever


I have my t&c's, there is no contract term: "Contract Term. If you have ordered a residential product, your services will automatically continue on a monthly basis from the date that the services are activated" and there is absolutely no mention in the t&c's about the "discount" or "forever".  I'm not sure if that fact means they are not bound to it, or they have no clauses in place to get out of it.