Broadband - anti-competive contracts & LOCKED-IN

RHud

Hi all,

A bit of context. My elderly parents have both just turned 80yrs in last 2 years and I’m witnessing cognitive changes especially with one who has received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in last 12 months.
Their broadband contracts are about to change and tbh I’ve seen a significant change in how the market has started to operate (with the digital switchover) and it feels like there is a “cartel” approach to herd everyone towards significant price hikes with one particular conglomerate leading the pack with BT operating 3 brands (EE, Plusnet & BT Home) using the switch as primary driver to accelerate costs to consumers by locking people into 24 month contracts with double price increases (for broadband, tv streaming services and phone options) within these so called “contracts”

For example on 24 month broadband only the following March 31 price increases are;

Plusnet Fibre 145 & EE 150 are exactly the same product defined differently -

£22.99 (mar 2026), £26.99 (mar 2027) +17.4% YOY & £30.99 (mar 2028) +14.8% from the initial £22.99 to £30.99 is staggering 34.8% increase.

One can debate inflation, CPi cost of living etc but it’s becoming clear that the market is not overall as competitive as it’s used to be with this level of consolidation and they are LOCKING in consumers with unavoidable hikes. The 12 month and 18 month contract periods are almost none existent amongst the major players.

In addition to this the land line needs amongst the over 70s and vulnerable who need land line as form security and reassurance being forced into paying significant increase on so called “call packages”.

For example EE charges

Pay As U Go pack = £5 p/month plus the calls 📞 31.05 per minute charge

Plus an additional 22.84p access charge on calls made to 084, 087, 09,118 plus the service on top from the company you calling.

EE streaming products with Netflix & NOW at £19 p/month, increases to £21 in Mar 2027 & £23 in Mar 2028 = +21% price increase. If you buy Netflix directly you are on a flexible rolling contract and are NOT locked in for 2 years, with EE apparently you cannot cancel for a month or 3 or whatever plus you are forced to pay the additional price increase of for example £3.00 more per month from Mar 2027 and +£4.00 more from Mar 2028.

The products, packages and extras all start to add up when they increase costs within your contract term sometimes by over £200 from the initial proposal we receive when we sign up!! And more importantly have not accurately budgeted.

Martin we need you on this!

thanks for anyone’s attention in advance.

Brie

The problem isn't that the companies are increasing prices, it's they seem to depend on people not noticing what they get for the higher prices. I'm with EE and not paying for Netflix or Now because I choose not to.

But some people, and unfortunately this is where the seniors get hit, don't or can't read or understand what the contract cover. Many think it's like in the past where BT supplied the phones and everyone paid the same amount. There was no annual or 2 year contracts so "upselling" wasn't such a thing. Now they might get a letter or even a call to say "do you want to continue using us?" and not see what agreeing to actually means - more add-ons because they didn't say no, higher costs because they don't know to shop around.

mta999

Hopefully I'm not wrong but I think mobile phones are the way to go - not landlines

I think landlines are getting priced out of existence and maybe that is what they want - I don't know

I know it is difficult to persuade some people to part with their landline and that is fair enough as long as they realize there is an associated (high) cost with keeping it

Once you take the landline out of the equation and start looking at just broadband then there are some competitive deals out there

iniltous

You do realise that Plusnet , EE and BT account for less than 25% of the market, don’t any of like them , you have dozens of alternatives to chose from

QrizB

This would be better on the "vents" forum, if you ask me.

OP isn't looking for help and hasn't asked a question but is just going off on one. And doing so misguidedly, in my opinion.

dnpark38

." My elderly parents have both just turned 80yrs in last 2 years and I’m witnessing cognitive changes especially with one who has received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in last 12 months."

Before you start worrying about BB you need to get legal things such as Legal Power of Attorneys sorted.

bristolleedsfan

BT offer 12 Month contract -

https://www.bt.com/broadband/twelve-month-deals

Taken from EE explore broadband page -

Pick a plan to suit you

Choose between 12 and 24 month contracts.

onomatopoeia99

If you don't like it, don't sign up to it, that's the nature of a competitive market with dozens of options. Broadband with one month minimum term and no baked in price rises exists.