Renewing package at end of contract

[cheshirepete]

Have to say I also don’t understand BTs pricing option strategy for existing customers, as I approach my 24 month renewal date which is end of February. I’m Halo with Fibre 250

I’ve been checking my options every fortnight to see my deals, most stating It’s better than a new customer, but when you factor in their price escalator over that 24 months, they just aren’t very competitive at all compared to their rivals.

Feb 2020 - First contracted Fibre 250/ Halo 1 £44.99. I’m on the old just CPI rise.

Feb 2021 - 25p rise. So £45.24

Feb 2022 - Expecting CPI to be much higher than in 2021! 5% perhaps. that’s a whopping £2.25 extra come April, so probably looking at £47.50.

Apr 2022 - Not sure where I stand with the Halo price promise, as Fibre 250 is no longer a product they sell, even though I basically get the same speeds as Fibre 300.

Obviously Im in a good position come April as I’m Free to go to whoever I please.

Over the last few months I’ve seen My Upgrade Offers as follows but I still wasn’t tempted to lock-in:

Typically they show me:

Fibre 300 +£1 Seems temping ? Not for me. So they want me to lock in for 24 months and pay them £46.25, I’d then change to their CPI + 2.9% come April so nudging in for 10%? That’s then almost a Fiver more in 2022 then same again in 2023? No thanks as Fibre 250 is basically the same anyhow!

Fibre 500 - Seen them offer this for +£4. Actually Fibre 500 is probably the product I’ll want come March. But again even with their better than a new customer, at £48.25 then another £5 come April 2022 and another hike in 2023

Fibre 900 - almost was tempted with this, they offered me since Black Friday this for £49.25. But I know this will be more like £55 in April 2022 and then in 2023 it most likely then be over £60.

BTs current price escalator simply just doesn’t work for me, even as a Halo customer with an apparent never more than a new customer price!

[DanielS]

Good morning @cheshirepete,

Welcome to our Community.

I have moved your post and edited it just to keep it related to the prices that we are offering you.

We do have teams that can speak with you and do their best to match other offers that you may have had elsewhere. You can reach them by calling 0800800030 and asking to speak about renewing or cancelling your contract.

Let me know how you get on, as I may be able to help.

Thanks
DanielS

[conrad]

The BT price escalator is very similar to a lot of the other ISPs.

[MillyMollyMandy1]

Hello @DanielS 

I think you've just hijacked my post which will make matters even more confusing for me!

MMM1

[cheshirepete]

@MillyMollyMandy1 Yours is still here as below, the titles are just clashing, which is indeed confusing!

Your Post 

[RobbieMac]

Sorry about that @MillyMollyMandy1 

I can see what you mean.  I have renamed the subject of this thread to clear up any confusion.

Thanks and have a good day.

Robbie

[cheshirepete]

@conrad Hi Conrad,

Yes, although recently one has broken ranks.

In the wider economic landscape. Wind back to pre Covid and inflation and CPI were running very low. Even in April 2021 my current contract, which is CPI only, but without the escalator gave me a 25p increase so £45 became £45.25 that’s about +0.5%. No complaints about that!

I’d suggest the think pre 2019 about these CPI + 3.9%, as is the case with BT on new contracts after September 2020 is that inflation was meant to be under control and so in a low inflation economy the ISPs probably reckoned to invest in he network they needed a fixed escalator.

Bear in mind the recent astronomical rise in CPI is primarily driven by rising food, petrol, haulage costs. I don’t know the breakdown on how this is affecting specific ISP infrastructure costs.

Anyhow, fast forward to 2022 and we’re probably going to be hit by a CPI in January of over 5% on top of the 3.9 escalator, no one I suggest would have conceived in 2019 we’d be looking at annual contract hikes approaching 10%.

In my particular case I’m still on the old CPI only, but that’s x10 now what is was in January 2021, and I’m not particularly keen on volunteering to add 3.9% to that as I approach renewal.

Does anyone know the BT policy this year, as in 2021, anyone who recontacted after mid January was not liable to another increase that April? The info on the BT website about price increases still mentions the years  2020 and 2021, and not 2022. We’re  past mid January now.

[Les-Gibson]

I'm with you on this.

My TV package is up for renewal in March, I only have the entertainment package which BT are 'kindly' (or should that be nonsensically) offering me a renewal at £8 per month for the first 6 months followed by £16 per month for the remaining 18 months whereas I can go direct to NowTV and get the same package for £9.99 per month.
Bearing in mind that I don't care for the AMC channel so I will be cancelling when my renewal date comes up.

@RobbieMac 

Hi Robbie.

Obviously such decisions are not yours but perhaps it's worth feeding up the chain ?

[-Richie-]

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@Les-Gibsonwrote:

I only have the entertainment package which BT are 'kindly' (or should that be nonsensically) offering me a renewal at £8 per month for the first 6 months followed by £16 per month for the remaining 18 months whereas I can go direct to NowTV and get the same package for £9.99 per month.

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The price from BT also includes Netflix, direct from NowTV doesn't.

From BT over 24 months is £336
From NowTV over 24 months is £239.76

A difference of £96.24, which makes the Netflix inclusion £4.01 plus you can record via the BT Youview box, direct from NowTV is streaming only.

It comes down to if you think it's worth paying £4.01 per month for Netflix, the ability to record and support from BT, everyones needs vary so what works for you might not for others 🙂

[Les-Gibson]

@-Richie- 

That's true enough but I already have Netflix and the ability to record is a bit irrelevant these days, if you miss a show you just watch a replay of it.