Unhappy with not being able to change contract plan pricing

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Unhappy with not being able to change contract plan pricing

vortexnz

58 posts

Master Geek

#260145 12-Nov-2019 20:42

Pretty frustrated to see 2degrees offering new customers $85/month for unlimited 950/400 fibre - with a $200 joining credit, while I’m locked into a contract under the same terms for $110 per month....

My experience of other big brand ISPs has always been they were always quite happy to extend your contract for an additional term of lock in, and match the pricing to keep existing customers happy.

Spoke to two layers of CSRs who essentially said “I don’t want to, you can’t make me, na na na na na”.

The stupidity of the situation is my cancellation fee is $249 to break the contract - new customers get a $200 credit and $25 cheaper per month - I’d be better off to cancel and re join or cancel and find a new provider with a better rate who actually appreciate their existing customers...

Anyone else in the same boat had any luck talking some sense into 2 degrees or conversely recommendations for a provider who actually values their customers? Like the product, good inter webs, but $25 just seems a bit rich per month above the market rate.

End of rant!

1 | 2

11413 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2352514 12-Nov-2019 20:46

Not sure why you are having a rant you signed a contract term for xyz offer x amount of time!

Are they providing what you signed up for?

richms

28172 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2352516 12-Nov-2019 20:49

The deal was good when you took it. IME expecting a resign during your current contract isnt realistic. Perhaps once its over then yeah, but they have budgeted on you paying what was offered at the start. Really residential ISP is so non-profitable that they probably dont care if you walk somewhere else.

Richard rich.ms

ripdog

548 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#2352520 12-Nov-2019 20:53

I hate to break it to you, but contracts are never a good deal.

If you take a contract, just accept that it will be written to favour the writer, not you.

Stay month-to-month, then you can take advantage of new rates and switch should your current provider upset you in some way.

michaelmurfy

meow
13242 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2352521 12-Nov-2019 20:55

I'm paying $100/mo, have on-account mobile with them (x2) and I am still happy with the value I get.

ISP's have promos all the time. I'm happy with the $200 I got, I am in contract with them, I still like them.

That reminds me. I need to complain to my bank as they've got a far better mortgage rate than what I am currently fixed at. It happens, it is how contracts work. There is no right time to sign.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
Referral Links: Quic Broadband (use R122101E7CV7Q for free setup)

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? Please consider supporting us by subscribing.
Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

insane

3239 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2352522 12-Nov-2019 20:56

That's no different from fixing a mortgage for 5 years, and then finding out that interest rates drop within your contracted term. Or you buy a new car and then 6 months later the dealer has a run-out sale offering a 5K discount.

I can't think of any business which has a standard policy to provide existing customers with a discount when prices change apart from Super Cheap Auto - which has a 14-day price guarantee

vortexnz

58 posts

Master Geek

#2352527 12-Nov-2019 21:08

Wow ok, fair response - maybe my expectations were unreasonable - just used to Spark / Voda /Power cos historically being quite happy to add another year on the term and trade the lock-in for a better deal.

I stand corrected!

Linux

11413 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2352528 12-Nov-2019 21:10

Vodafone and other carriers would only really only do this in the last month of a contract term not if you are only 50 or 80% into a term

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

Linux

11413 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2352530 12-Nov-2019 21:14

But 2degrees is ripping no one off look at the competition they have brought to the fixed line and mobile space to bring down the pricing for consumers

rugrat

3107 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2352539 12-Nov-2019 21:34

I’m out of contract.

2degrees emailed me offering free Prime and half price one month of broadband.

I emailed back saying already had free Prime but it ends in March, asked if it could be extended a year.

They emailed back saying no, but I could have the half price broadband for a month which works out $42.50 and to email back if want offer.

I didn’t email back as not interested in being in contract for a saving of $3 something a month.
I’ll cancel Prime Video in March and then have another go for contract with free Prime, otherwise will play it by air.

Haven’t checked 950 prices elsewhere but doubt $85 is market rate, guessing you got an offer to go on contract.

mentalinc

3229 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2352545 12-Nov-2019 21:43

Interesting, seems its not available to existing customers.

I went to change plan (not on contract) and it doesn't show the $85 price still at $110 per month.

But to be fair this is fairly standard practice, great deals for new customers.

CPU: AMD 5900x | RAM: GSKILL Trident Z Neo RGB F4-3600C16D-32GTZNC-32-GB | MB: Asus X570-E | GFX: EVGA FTW3 Ultra RTX 3080Ti| Monitor: LG 27GL850-B 2560x1440

Quic: https://account.quic.nz/refer/473833 R473833EQKIBX

Linux

11413 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2352547 12-Nov-2019 21:48

Call and speak to retention team and see what they can do and don't expect another $200 credit

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#2352551 12-Nov-2019 21:54

If you were in a contract for a product and the price went up you'd obviously be happy to willingly pay more based on your logic?

liquidcore

187 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#2352575 13-Nov-2019 06:37

mentalinc: Interesting, seems its not available to existing customers.
I went to change plan (not on contract) and it doesn't show the $85 price still at $110 per month.

But to be fair this is fairly standard practice, great deals for new customers.

I called them as I was also off contract. They are offering existing customers a 6-month discount on their gigabit offering (to $85/month) if you re-sign for another 12 months. Towards the end of the 6 months, you will be sent a reminder email that prices are going to be going back up and you are free to downgrade your plan (i.e. 100/20).

surfisup1000

5288 posts

Uber Geek

#2352588 13-Nov-2019 07:47

This 2degrees offer is pretty good. I just came off my spark contract, will check out 2degrees.

Hammerer

2476 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2352590 13-Nov-2019 07:49

My ISP, Vodafone, has encouraged me to move to a cheaper contract when it suits them but these are not the sort of imperatives that 2Degrees are trying to achieve: to get me off an old plan so they can standardise their service offering; to get me off the T-Box and onto Vodafone TV; to get me off the old Telstra-Clear billing platform and onto the combined fixed+mobile billing platform; to get me to take up SkyTV from Vodafone.

sbiddle:

If you were in a contract for a product and the price went up you'd obviously be happy to willingly pay more based on your logic?

That would only be correct if the user ignores their goal which is to gain a benefit.

It is not realistic to remove self-interest. Without a self-interested goal providers could ratchet up prices and the user wouldn't complain or switch.

1 | 2