Why would exisiting Telecom broadband customer get charged $99 for upgrade?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Why would exisiting Telecom broadband customer get charged $99 for upgrade?

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mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#927900 5-Nov-2013 22:00

Inphinity: I think it's quite frustrating that a new customer gets it free AND gets a Premier League Pass, but an existing customer has to pay and doesn't get the pass, despite both getting lock in for the same contract term - it's essentially a penalty for staying with Telecom. Next time, I'll change provider to get some 'new customer' benefits, rather than be penalised for staying.

To be fair, many companies do this to get new customers, as it comes our of their marketing spen. eg pay tv, newspaper etc. They offer great deals to new customers, and existing cusomters miss out. The difference in this case though is unlike paytv and newspaper delivery, there are other providers to switch to to get a good deal.

riahon

946 posts

Ultimate Geek

#927957 6-Nov-2013 05:24

When you first joined ISP XYZ you received what was at the time a really good deal, now someone else is joining same ISP XYZ and they are receiving a really good deal and guess what, new customers in the future will join same ISP XYZ and will receive an even better deal........sheeesh we have bred a nation of cry babies.

sbiddle

30853 posts

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Retired Mod

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Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#927985 6-Nov-2013 08:24

Presumably you're now out of contract? If so have you asked Telecom whether you can get this deal if you sign another 12 months contract?

jeffnz

2870 posts

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#927987 6-Nov-2013 08:29

riahon: When you first joined ISP XYZ you received what was at the time a really good deal, now someone else is joining same ISP XYZ and they are receiving a really good deal and guess what, new customers in the future will join same ISP XYZ and will receive an even better deal........sheeesh we have bred a nation of cry babies.

well put, I think the other thing is we are finding people have no allegiance to any one provider and just change at the droip of a hat for a perceived good deal. I wonder if, in their business, their clients did same thing would they be bleating as bad :)

Galaxy S10

Garmin Fenix 5

Inphinity

2780 posts

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#928011 6-Nov-2013 09:39

mattwnz:
Inphinity: I think it's quite frustrating that a new customer gets it free AND gets a Premier League Pass, but an existing customer has to pay and doesn't get the pass, despite both getting lock in for the same contract term - it's essentially a penalty for staying with Telecom. Next time, I'll change provider to get some 'new customer' benefits, rather than be penalised for staying.

To be fair, many companies do this to get new customers, as it comes our of their marketing spen. eg pay tv, newspaper etc. They offer great deals to new customers, and existing cusomters miss out. The difference in this case though is unlike paytv and newspaper delivery, there are other providers to switch to to get a good deal.

I realise that, and I feel the 'tradeoff' should be, as an existing customer who was not under contract, I should have been able to pay to upgrade, and NOT have to take the same 12-month contract as a new customer who gets the install free. Thus, I get all the negatives (i.e. locked in for a year), without the benefits (nothing free). I would have expected that the contract period is to ensure you stay at least long enough to recoup the initial loss of subsidising the 'free' install & premier league option. And no, I know it's not Telecom-specific that do this, it's many companies. It just seemed like a relevant thread to comment about it :)

Oh, and yes, I know there is a $299 no-contract option.. what does $299 get me? Just waives any early-termination fees, effectively...

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