This topic

Difference between new and established customer service costs

chrisjp — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 20:37:36 GMT

I note that my broadband and DV contract renewal cost is about twice that being offered to new customers.

I thought that this was illegal under legislation that banned service providers offering different prices to new and established customers. Insurance companies can get away with this by claiming risks are different between customers, but I don't see how BT can do this.

Is BT breaking the law?

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

ScarletP — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:26:34 GMT

Don’t know about that, mate but ISPs are certainly going down the same road as insurance and taking customer loyalty as a sign of gullibility. The answer is to do what people started to do with insurance, namely, switch ISP every renewal as a matter of course. Hopefully, they'll get the massage just as insurance did.

Welcome to “Rip off Britain”.

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

-Richie- — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 19:30:31 GMT

@chrisjpwrote:
I note that my broadband and DV contract renewal cost is about twice that being offered to new customers.
I thought that this was illegal under legislation that banned service providers offering different prices to new and established customers. Insurance companies can get away with this by claiming risks are different between customers, but I don't see how BT can do this.
Is BT breaking the law?

Most customers are comparing apples to oranges, if you are outside your minimum term, you will be offered the same deal as a new customer, if you're within the minium term your offers won't be as competative.

What package do you have now Vs a new customer deal?

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

chrisjp — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:41:03 GMT

I have Halo3 with FTTC, VDSL broadband and digital voice. This is costing me £55.99/month.
Yet I can search for new broadband deals as a new customer for my postcode (putting in a property close to mine) and BT offers me Fibre 1 with broadband and phone and the same broadband speeds as I'm currently getting for £37.99/month.
When I recently renewed my 2 yr contract with BT, I was offered only variations of the Halo 3 package all at over £55/month, and not Fibre 1.

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

NigelB72 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:50:23 GMT

I had the same experience, I was paying £25 more than new customers for VIP tv and double what was being offered to new customers for broadband. I attempted to renegotiate and was offered £1 off my TV and an insulting offer for my broadband renewal. I left after many years... BT's retention policies are very much a lottery depending on how a team member or their team is performing against target

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

Crimliar — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:34:19 GMT

It's not just BT. If it weren't for existing subscriber rip-offs, I'd still be a Vodafone customer. Six months after leaving Vodafone, they came back with a couple of very custom offers, one of which I'd have jumped at if I'd not moved on.

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

chrisjp — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:55:43 GMT

It's dishonest of BT.
They make the statement on my contract that "you'll never pay more than a new customer when you renew your contract" which I guess is true, if the new customer opted for Halo3. And I guess this gets them around breaking the law.
But a new customer would clearly be offered the cheaper Fibre1 deal, and I was not offered this.
All that Halo3 offers in addition to what Fibre1 does seems to be "Home Tech Experts" and "Keeping Connected Promise", neither of which I use.
I do feel cheated.
I could cancel my recent renewal as I'm still in the cooling off period, but I don't see any way of getting offered Fibre 1. As soon as I put my actual address into the BT website, it just offers me Halo 3.
So BT are effectively breaking the law but using the ruse of offering different deals to existing and new customers to get around this

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

-Richie- — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 10:44:08 GMT

@chrisjpwrote:
I have Halo3 with FTTC, VDSL broadband and digital voice. This is costing me £55.99/month.
Yet I can search for new broadband deals as a new customer for my postcode (putting in a property close to mine) and BT offers me Fibre 1 with broadband and phone and the same broadband speeds as I'm currently getting for £37.99/month.

and this is what I meant by apples to oranges, the Halo price guarantee only applies to Halo plans, which means that your Halo package won't cost more than a new customer taking Halo.

Fibre 1 is slower speeds (depending on line speed) and no Halo benefits.
The Fibre 1 deal is £37.99 per month without any inclusive minutes or £55.99 if you do use the landline for making calls.

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

Carlusha — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 10:58:09 GMT

I'm on Fibre Halo 2 and paying £79.67 a month plus Sport £17.50 and Family Mobile (2 users) £26.23 making a total of £123.40. Too deaf to negotiate anything and RelayUK will not hang on for ages waiting for the phone to be answered by BT.

Re: Difference between new and established customer service costs

chrisjp — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 11:53:02 GMT

But my point was that I was not offered Fibre 1, only Halo3, when I went online to renew my contract. In fact, as an existing customer I can see no way of actually getting Fibre1 - only new customers are offered it.
I think this is sharp practice by BT - new and existing customers should all be offered the same range of different deals so they can make up their own minds about which services and additional benefits they want.