Changing providers, who notifies who?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Changing providers, who notifies who?

tigercorp

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#129143 5-Sep-2013 07:59

Not sure if this should go in the Telecom or Slingshot forum but I guess that's the question I'm asking...

Moved home line and adsl from Slingshot to the Telecom VDSL home package on 1/8 with the billing period for Slingshot finishing on 3/8.

The internet service from Slingshot stopped but I've just received a bill for the phone line.

I guess I expected it to happen the same as the internet connection but should I have contacted SS about moving the phone line before it happened?

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#890071 5-Sep-2013 08:07

Gaining Service Provider should contact Losing Service Provider

Slingshot terms will advise you have to give 30 days notice

tigercorp

668 posts

Ultimate Geek

#890080 5-Sep-2013 08:24

johnr: Gaining Service Provider should contact Losing Service Provider

Slingshot terms will advise you have to give 30 days notice

Thanks John, but is that a definite for both services?

Just had a chat with a pleasant SS CSR who credited the bill and closed the SS account but was still adamant that for the phone service I should have actively notified them.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#890082 5-Sep-2013 08:27

It pays to follow-up with LSP but GSP does contact LSP

Yyrael

222 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#892346 9-Sep-2013 20:16

tigercorp: Not sure if this should go in the Telecom or Slingshot forum but I guess that's the question I'm asking...

Moved home line and adsl from Slingshot to the Telecom VDSL home package on 1/8 with the billing period for Slingshot finishing on 3/8.

The internet service from Slingshot stopped but I've just received a bill for the phone line.

I guess I expected it to happen the same as the internet connection but should I have contacted SS about moving the phone line before it happened?

It depends on exactly the type change (there are a few where you have to contact your provider but you will be specifically told to do so) however we should have notified slingshot for any change from them since I'm fairly certain that every switch from them sends a disconnection notice. If they're claiming they didn't receive it then there may have been a mix up or the email may have been lost, its more common than I'd like to think.

We do spreadsheet all of the change of providers we send through so there would be a record and there is a process that any New & Move CSR can follow to check this for you and we'll happily credit it if it was our fault but it seems like slingshot have sorted it for you anyway :)

raytaylor

4017 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#892387 9-Sep-2013 21:40

1) Order service with new provider
2) Wait for new provider to give you a porting date
3) Notify the old provider only if you have to - the nice CSR might try and help you by closing your account early without realising there will be nothing for the new provider to port across.
4) I suggest you wait until the new provider has ported services across, wait 2 days and then give your old provider their 30 days notice. However if your contract has expired, and they dont specify that the 30 day notice period continues on a month-to-month contract, then you dont have to. To make everything go smoother, i suggest not telling your old provider anything unless you really have to, until after the porting is completed. Then if needed, just pay the extra 30 days service / double up if they really have to penalise you.

Ray Taylor

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PaulBags

809 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#892438 9-Sep-2013 23:19

Orcon tried billing us for a few months way back when we switched to telecom. We paid one month, then politely told them where to shove it.

Our next switch, if it happens, we'll do in the middle of a billing cycle. As far as I'm concerned anything more than one weeks notice (after everything is switched) with LSP is good enough, given you really can't advise them in advance in case they cut you off early. It's completely unreasonable to expect people to pay in advance for services they won't ever receive.

As for only giving free installs to new customers, do they not realise that it would also be an incentive to stay? If you lock them into a new contract, especially if the old one's run out, what's the difference?

richms

28191 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#892448 9-Sep-2013 23:31

Do they say 30 days notice, or at least 30 days notice? You could always advice them you are moving sometime between 30 and 60 days away from them and be sticking to you end of the contract.

Richard rich.ms

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Yyrael

222 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#892689 10-Sep-2013 13:16

PaulBags:
*Snip*
As for only giving free installs to new customers, do they not realise that it would also be an incentive to stay? If you lock them into a new contract, especially if the old one's run out, what's the difference?

*Snip*

There are (as of today) credits available for existing customer who are not currently in a contract and wish to go into a new contract with an Early termination of $63.

The $63 will cover a standard reconnection of a property (tech or no tech) but if the house has never been connected the $63 will be subtracted from the area based first time connection fee.

Ragnor

8223 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#892779 10-Sep-2013 15:03

raytaylor: 1) Order service with new provider
2) Wait for new provider to give you a porting date
3) Notify the old provider only if you have to - the nice CSR might try and help you by closing your account early without realising there will be nothing for the new provider to port across.
4) I suggest you wait until the new provider has ported services across, wait 2 days and then give your old provider their 30 days notice. However if your contract has expired, and they dont specify that the 30 day notice period continues on a month-to-month contract, then you dont have to. To make everything go smoother, i suggest not telling your old provider anything unless you really have to, until after the porting is completed. Then if needed, just pay the extra 30 days service / double up if they really have to penalise you.

Modify #4 to the below and you have a winner:

AFTER you are fully 100% on running on the new provider ALWAYS call the old provider to ensure your account with them is 100% closed.

PaulBags

809 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#892811 10-Sep-2013 16:13

Yyrael:
PaulBags:
*Snip*
As for only giving free installs to new customers, do they not realise that it would also be an incentive to stay? If you lock them into a new contract, especially if the old one's run out, what's the difference? *Snip*

There are (as of today) credits available for existing customer who are not currently in a contract and wish to go into a new contract with an Early termination of $63. The $63 will cover a standard reconnection of a property (tech or no tech) but if the house has never been connected the $63 will be subtracted from the area based first time connection fee.

I'm sorry, I explained myself poorly. I was refering to the terms for switching from adsl to vdsl. Free for new customers, $99 for existing customers.

Yyrael

222 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#892883 10-Sep-2013 19:17

PaulBags:
Yyrael:
PaulBags:
*Snip*
As for only giving free installs to new customers, do they not realise that it would also be an incentive to stay? If you lock them into a new contract, especially if the old one's run out, what's the difference? *Snip*

There are (as of today) credits available for existing customer who are not currently in a contract and wish to go into a new contract with an Early termination of $63. The $63 will cover a standard reconnection of a property (tech or no tech) but if the house has never been connected the $63 will be subtracted from the area based first time connection fee.
I'm sorry, I explained myself poorly. I was refering to the terms for switching from adsl to vdsl. Free for new customers, $99 for existing customers.

Ahhhhhhh, yeah not much I can say on that one, I lack the knowledge surrounding it but as has been said many times before $99 is pretty good for a splitter, a jackpoint and VDSL with a modem. That being said it stings a little ( I paid it also).