Price increase for new Spark contract?!

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dafman

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#160629 14-Jan-2015 09:05

I recently signed up to a 12 month contract with Spark for naked broadband at $65 per month. 6 weeks into the contract, I’ve been advised that price is increasing by $4 per month. Given that I have locked into a twelve month contract, with financial penalties if I exit early, I (obviously, naively) assumed the Spark price was fixed for the contract period? What’s to stop them putting it up to $300 per month?

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#1213596 14-Jan-2015 10:11

I guess they can't put the prices up for your particular contract then, right? Vodafone put the prices up for my plan for any new customers but didn't put the prices up for me as I already agreed on a price when I first signed up with them.

keewee01

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#1213628 14-Jan-2015 10:39

How recently did you sign up? If it was after the publicity around the increase, and you spoke to a human when signing up then they should have told you there was going to be an increase. If they didn't you'd have a good case for not having to pay the increase for the term of your contract.

xpd

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#1214630 14-Jan-2015 11:18

If you're on a contract, most of the time you wont be affected by increases until the contract ends.... however, read the fine print.

Have they actually charged you a new fee or was it just a mass email advising people ?

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NonprayingMantis

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#1214649 14-Jan-2015 11:39

the price change is pretty well shown on their website.
6 weeks ago I'm not sure if the new prices were announced or not.

Regardless, they do have the right to change the price in the Ts and Cs. (which is a load of BS, but unfortunately they can do it)

Jase2985

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#1214728 14-Jan-2015 12:53

im pretty sure you can get out of the contract with out any penalties because they have changed the terms and conditions from when you signed up

dafman

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#1214751 14-Jan-2015 13:19

I signed up 5 December after shopping around for price, so pretty disappointed price is increasing early in the term and I am locked in! Just had a look at terms and conditions - nothing I could see on price changes, but an overarching "these terms can be changed at any time ..." so, probably don't have a leg to stand on. Previously with Telstraclear / Vodafone, and they never pulled such a swifty, so will be reverting back in 10.5 months!

dafman

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#1214752 14-Jan-2015 13:20

xpd: If you're on a contract, most of the time you wont be affected by increases until the contract ends.... however, read the fine print.

Have they actually charged you a new fee or was it just a mass email advising people ?

New fee, latest invoice said the new charges will be reflected in my next month's bill.

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dafman

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#1214755 14-Jan-2015 13:24

Just sent this to Spark - will update thread when I hear back "I recently signed up to a 12 month term contract on the basis of price - I can't leave early without penalty, so how can you increase the price on me during this term? As you have changed price during term, will you allow me to leave contract before expiry without penalty?"

dafman

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#1214926 14-Jan-2015 16:08

Ok, so the offical spark response was: Hi, thanks for contacting us! Our standard terms & conditions state that we may change our prices from time to time, this is the same for open term or in contract. Your contract does not dictate that the price of the plan you are on will remain the same for the contract period. An early exit fee still applies should you want to disconnect your services prior to the end of the 12 month contract.

n4

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#1214929 14-Jan-2015 16:13

dafman: I signed up 5 December after shopping around for price, so pretty disappointed price is increasing early in the term and I am locked in! Just had a look at terms and conditions - nothing I could see on price changes, but an overarching "these terms can be changed at any time ..." so, probably don't have a leg to stand on. Previously with Telstraclear / Vodafone, and they never pulled such a swifty, so will be reverting back in 10.5 months!

I believe VF pricing has gone up as well so you are probably in the same position if they were your next option.

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dafman

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#1214932 14-Jan-2015 16:20

n4:
dafman: I signed up 5 December after shopping around for price, so pretty disappointed price is increasing early in the term and I am locked in! Just had a look at terms and conditions - nothing I could see on price changes, but an overarching "these terms can be changed at any time ..." so, probably don't have a leg to stand on. Previously with Telstraclear / Vodafone, and they never pulled such a swifty, so will be reverting back in 10.5 months!

I believe VF pricing has gone up as well so you are probably in the same position if they were your next option.

VF pricing on website unchanged from when I signed up in Dec. VF cable is currently cheaper than the increased Spark price I am now paying (and that's for ADSL).

n4

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#1214935 14-Jan-2015 16:36

dafman:
n4:
dafman: I signed up 5 December after shopping around for price, so pretty disappointed price is increasing early in the term and I am locked in! Just had a look at terms and conditions - nothing I could see on price changes, but an overarching "these terms can be changed at any time ..." so, probably don't have a leg to stand on. Previously with Telstraclear / Vodafone, and they never pulled such a swifty, so will be reverting back in 10.5 months!

I believe VF pricing has gone up as well so you are probably in the same position if they were your next option.

VF pricing on website unchanged from when I signed up in Dec. VF cable is currently cheaper than the increased Spark price I am now paying (and that's for ADSL).

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dafman

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#1214954 14-Jan-2015 17:00

n4:
dafman:
n4:
dafman: I signed up 5 December after shopping around for price, so pretty disappointed price is increasing early in the term and I am locked in! Just had a look at terms and conditions - nothing I could see on price changes, but an overarching "these terms can be changed at any time ..." so, probably don't have a leg to stand on. Previously with Telstraclear / Vodafone, and they never pulled such a swifty, so will be reverting back in 10.5 months!

I believe VF pricing has gone up as well so you are probably in the same position if they were your next option.

VF pricing on website unchanged from when I signed up in Dec. VF cable is currently cheaper than the increased Spark price I am now paying (and that's for ADSL).

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ok, thanks. Release says that VF will increase most plans, so still unclear if increase will apply to those VF customers still in contract period versus those outside of contract period.

I had always assumed that my price was fixed for the contract period. I now accept it wasn't. Having now read the Spark T&Cs, I realise there is no consumer protection at all - Spark can unilaterally change any term or condition, at any time, for any reason. They could distill several pages down to one simple sentence "Welcome to Spark. You are contractually bound to comply with whatever we want for the next 12 months."

Generally, the advantage for contract over non-contract is a cheaper install. Next time, I think I will pay the $200 and keep my options open.

n4

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#1214962 14-Jan-2015 17:25

dafman:
n4:
dafman:
n4:
dafman: I signed up 5 December after shopping around for price, so pretty disappointed price is increasing early in the term and I am locked in! Just had a look at terms and conditions - nothing I could see on price changes, but an overarching "these terms can be changed at any time ..." so, probably don't have a leg to stand on. Previously with Telstraclear / Vodafone, and they never pulled such a swifty, so will be reverting back in 10.5 months!

I believe VF pricing has gone up as well so you are probably in the same position if they were your next option.

VF pricing on website unchanged from when I signed up in Dec. VF cable is currently cheaper than the increased Spark price I am now paying (and that's for ADSL).

Geekzone Front Page

ok, thanks. Release says that VF will increase most plans, so still unclear if increase will apply to those VF customers still in contract period versus those outside of contract period.

I had always assumed that my price was fixed for the contract period. I now accept it wasn't. Having now read the Spark T&Cs, I realise there is no consumer protection at all - Spark can unilaterally change any term or condition, at any time, for any reason. They could distill several pages down to one simple sentence "Welcome to Spark. You are contractually bound to comply with whatever we want for the next 12 months."

Generally, the advantage for contract over non-contract is a cheaper install. Next time, I think I will pay the $200 and keep my options open.

I get how you feel, but compared to max $48 worth of plan cost increases you would be loosing out.

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mattwnz

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#1214964 14-Jan-2015 17:27

Probably another good thing to check and get it in writing, that the price must remain the same throughout the minimum contracted period.

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