Overcharged by Slingshot for months - warning to existing customers

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Overcharged by Slingshot for months - warning to existing customers

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402 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1159210 21-Oct-2014 13:18

Rappelle: Had the same problem. Didn't realise they had dropped their price. A notification would have been nice, and I think that's where they've gone wrong. Called to request fibre, told the price for adsl would be $75 now - would have been nice to know that a couple months back.. But hey. I was signed up for the $90 plan, I can understand that they would need your permission to switch plan? It's like if they increase the price of a plan - you still keep the same price you're on until you request to change plan.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the $90 dollar plan includes VoIP phone line and $75 one does not. You still will come 4$/month cheaper if you add $11 to $75 for VoIP, though.

Edit: Sorry, did not read the whole thread before replying. To add something, here, have the link to iTalk: https://www.slingshot.co.nz/italk/overview

Btw, I personally do not see a huge issue with Slingshot in the situation described. If you want to get better deals you would be checking prices and services of internet providers regularly anyway (not just Slingshot) so you would be aware of a price drop. If you don't care that much to check, well then you keep paying the amount you have agreed to pay for the service you subscribed for - there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

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dafman

3791 posts

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#1159217 21-Oct-2014 13:36

Not sure I agree that you are being ripped off. I recently moved to a Vodafone unlimited naked plan for a lower cost than the Vodafone 100gb plan I was on. In our ever fast changing telco world, where plan options are plenty, and change every other week, I don't expect my telco company to regularly advise me of every new offering that might be cheaper. Nor my electricity supplier, for that matter ... and how do I know that the guy who cuts my lawns didn't offer my neighbour a better deal than me? I just accept that I need to shop around and check pricing from time to time.

NZCrusader

646 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1159321 21-Oct-2014 16:15

dusty42:
sbiddle:
You can't have things both ways. You're wanting them to reduce their pricing to you if they offer reduced pricing to others, but seemingly would object to paying more if they put the price up to new users.

No, you've misconstrued me again. I think that if prices are changed then customers should be notified and empowered to accurately asses any changes. Companies have a duty of care to not mislead or obfuscate. A marketplace relies on informed consumers.
That's not having it both ways, that's expecting a modicum of customer service. And expecting a fair and open competition from companies for consumer's business.

Hurr hurring that this is common practice and customers deserve to be overcharged is entirely morally wrong. Your anti-consumer attitude is actually what is wrong with this industry. This is why tough consumer-focused regulation is needed to reign in scam tactics and overcharging.

Name and shame doesn't hurt either.

Picking on an ISP for simply operating in a way that the world operates isn't going to change anything.

Hopefully this serves as a salutory warning for anyone considering giving Slingshot their business; Slingshot have treated me with utter contempt. And it will take hours of my life to sort out.

Thanks for nothing, Slingshot.

Its amusing that you are presenting your extensive vocabulary in this thread, thus implying you are an intelligent being.

It is clearly misleading as you are unable to grasp the basic concepts that others (and myself) have presented to you.

You have your answer and regardless which ISP you join, you will encounter the same behaviour.

Just like any other subscription service you have / join in the future, you have to actually get off your backside and shop around for the best deal.

In my opinion, Slingshot is really good in allowing customers to switch to new plans / pricing before the contract is ended.

Best of luck in your future endeavours.

<Popcorn bucket is empty now>

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mattwnz

19374 posts

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#1159324 21-Oct-2014 16:24

timmmay:
dusty42: Decided the best thing to do is make a formal complaint and take it to the Telecom Ombudsmen.

Playing devils advocate, you got what you paid for, how do you think the ombudsman will help? They probably didn't reduce the price of your package for new customers, they probably created a new package which is available to both new and existing customers. While a bit sneaky I suspect it's legal. TelstraClear did the same thing in the past.

Snap! on the other hand gives existing customers upgrades as their packages change.

As far as I am aware, there isn't a Telecom Ombudsmen. There is the TDR, but that is a private voluntry organisation, which only some telcos belong to. All they do is try to work out a resolution between the customer and the telco. Based on my experience, it just involves getting the problem raised to a higher level in the telco.

It is common for providers to create new plans and grandfather old ones, and the customer remains on the old plans. I suspect it is easier to do this. Customers therefore do have to be proactive in making sure they are on the best plan.

dusty42

116 posts

Master Geek

#1159422 21-Oct-2014 18:12

NZCrusader:
Its amusing that you are presenting your extensive vocabulary in this thread, thus implying you are an intelligent being.

It is clearly misleading as you are unable to grasp the basic concepts that others (and myself) have presented to you.

You have your answer and regardless which ISP you join, you will encounter the same behaviour.

Just like any other subscription service you have / join in the future, you have to actually get off your backside and shop around for the best deal.

In my opinion, Slingshot is really good in allowing customers to switch to new plans / pricing before the contract is ended.

Best of luck in your future endeavours.

<Popcorn bucket is empty now>

Well thanks for all your wisdom. It has not been my experience that companies act in this manner, but then I'm just a noob that gets himself overcharged by Slingshot because I don't f5 the deals page constantly.

dusty42

116 posts

Master Geek

#1159431 21-Oct-2014 18:23

mattwnz:

As far as I am aware, there isn't a Telecom Ombudsmen. There is the TDR, but that is a private voluntry organisation, which only some telcos belong to. All they do is try to work out a resolution between the customer and the telco. Based on my experience, it just involves getting the problem raised to a higher level in the telco.

Yeah, telco ombudsmen an Australian thing I think.

Slingshot is a member of the TDR. Guess we'll see what comes out

It is common for providers to create new plans and grandfather old ones, and the customer remains on the old plans. I suspect it is easier to do this. Customers therefore do have to be proactive in making sure they are on the best plan.

Certainly none of this state of affairs is communicated by the company, as it was I had zero idea I needed to be watching em constantly for dodgy pricing scam. My previous supplier (Telstra cable fwiw) never had any issues keeping pricing and plans current.

I just presumed that a company would want to try and keep customers, as opposed to try and secretly fist them by playing silly buggers with pricing.

jeffnz

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#1159464 21-Oct-2014 18:38

Op you need to change your attitude in here this isn't Trademe forum, when you ask for advice and given then accept that it may not be what you want to hear.

Good luck on your complaint and welcome to reality

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sbiddle

30853 posts

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Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1159466 21-Oct-2014 18:41

dusty42:

Certainly none of this state of affairs is communicated by the company, as it was I had zero idea I needed to be watching em constantly for dodgy pricing scam. My previous supplier (Telstra cable fwiw) never had any issues keeping pricing and plans current.

Vodafone (and TelstraClear before that) did not automatically change plans for people on cable, in part because any such plan changes normally came with a catch.

The basis of your actual post has is flawed in that the new unlimited plan is not the same as the existing plan you're on. If you didn't want the iTalk service then that's fine - you're better off on the new plan.

If you'd used iTalk and been bumped to the new plan automatically and lost iTalk would you now be on here raising that as an issue? My suspicion is you would. I know I would.

mattwnz

19374 posts

Uber Geek

#1159477 21-Oct-2014 18:55

dusty42:
mattwnz:

As far as I am aware, there isn't a Telecom Ombudsmen. There is the TDR, but that is a private voluntry organisation, which only some telcos belong to. All they do is try to work out a resolution between the customer and the telco. Based on my experience, it just involves getting the problem raised to a higher level in the telco.

Yeah, telco ombudsmen an Australian thing I think.

Slingshot is a member of the TDR. Guess we'll see what comes out

It is common for providers to create new plans and grandfather old ones, and the customer remains on the old plans. I suspect it is easier to do this. Customers therefore do have to be proactive in making sure they are on the best plan.

Certainly none of this state of affairs is communicated by the company, as it was I had zero idea I needed to be watching em constantly for dodgy pricing scam. My previous supplier (Telstra cable fwiw) never had any issues keeping pricing and plans current.

I just presumed that a company would want to try and keep customers, as opposed to try and secretly fist them by playing silly buggers with pricing.

This is what I think. Part of the problem is that things change so fast in terms of pricing and deals, so in order to remain competitive they introduce new plans for new cusomters, as they need that constant influx of new customers coming in to offset the churn of old customers leaving. If they didn't have new plans then they wouldn't get new customers. The other end of it is that old customers won't necessarily want to be on the new plan, as they may have drawbacks, and they may need to be talked through what has changed and what plan is best for them, which involves a lot of work and customer support time/ additional cost for them. So they leave them on the old plan. Perhaps the ISP letting you know that new plans are out could be an idea, But many ISPs probably do this already in their newsletters.

Some ISPs do however change the plans that their customers are on, and the plans can be significantly worse than the old plan, and in some cases they may change the plan without any notice to the customer. I had this problem with an ISP who changed the plan I was on, where the only notification was a txt, even though it was to a mobile device that didn't receive text messages. It is why I took them to the TDR, as they switched me from a prepay plan to a plan that started debiting money from the account, and ended up draining it. The telco did end up coming to the party, and it apparently also led to them fixing the way they communciate changes to their customers, as not all mobile data devices accept txts eg ipads.

richms

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#1159500 21-Oct-2014 19:15

dusty42:

I can't find this information on your website. Please post the link to the page showing this.
How much is italk priced as an add on to the new plans?

Slingshot also care to tell us how many customers have not been migrated to the new pricing structure?

Customer numbers will be commercially sensitive information. To ask an ISP to reveal them is not going to happen.

Richard rich.ms

dafman

3791 posts

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#1160015 22-Oct-2014 14:41

I'm picking OP and Slingshot will be mutually happier with OP moving on elsewhere.

dusty42

116 posts

Master Geek

#1160058 22-Oct-2014 15:38

dafman: I'm picking OP and Slingshot will be mutually happier with OP moving on elsewhere.

Yep, the high level complaints line at Slingshot is ok to deal with and have apologized and offered to refund.

Think will still shift to better provider.

It's clear they don't value existing customers. It was a cynical profit grab, and they annoyed a few other customers on twitter, and a couple of people who have read this thread.

Hopefully a few complaints and public gripes like this one make Slingshot consider changing their business practice. It's indefensible - older plans should be price aligned with newer plans, or at the least customers should be informed.

From the chortling of the more cynical posters that efficient pricing shouldn't be extended to customers as of course - think about how dumb you sound. Internet is critical infrastructure. Over charging is inefficient. Consumers being overcharged in a malfunctioning marketplace is why NZ has thrown heaps of money and effort trying to rehabilitate the consumer end of the electricity market.

Duh...

Demeter

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#1160059 22-Oct-2014 15:41

dusty42: From the chortling of the more cynical posters that efficient pricing shouldn't be extended to customers as of course - think about how dumb you sound. Internet is critical infrastructure. Over charging is inefficient. Consumers being overcharged in a malfunctioning marketplace is why NZ has thrown heaps of money and effort at the electricity market.

Duh...

You came here with a rant, expected support and didn't get it. Now you're simply being rude and lashing out at everybody who replied to your post because they see things differently from you. Since you got what you wanted, I really think this thread has run its course now.

dusty42

116 posts

Master Geek

#1160072 22-Oct-2014 15:47

Demeter:
dusty42: From the chortling of the more cynical posters that efficient pricing shouldn't be extended to customers as of course - think about how dumb you sound. Internet is critical infrastructure. Over charging is inefficient. Consumers being overcharged in a malfunctioning marketplace is why NZ has thrown heaps of money and effort at the electricity market.

Duh...

You came here with a rant, expected support and didn't get it. Now you're simply being rude and lashing out at everybody who replied to your post because they see things differently from you. Since you got what you wanted, I really think this thread has run its course now.

No, I'm disagreeing with some people who disagreed with me. Disagreement is fine, you don't need to rush in and close down a thread cause you think someone might be being wrong on the internet.

I've got what I wanted - a warning to other users, an apology from Slingshot with offer of refund.

Try calming down, you're being rude.

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#1160076 22-Oct-2014 15:52

dusty42:
dafman: I'm picking OP and Slingshot will be mutually happier with OP moving on elsewhere.

Yep, the high level complaints line at Slingshot is ok to deal with and have apologized and offered to refund.

Think will still shift to better provider.

It's clear they don't value existing customers. It was a cynical profit grab, and they annoyed a few other customers on twitter, and a couple of people who have read this thread.

Hopefully a few complaints and public gripes like this one make Slingshot consider changing their business practice. It's indefensible - older plans should be price aligned with newer plans, or at the least customers should be informed.

From the chortling of the more cynical posters that efficient pricing shouldn't be extended to customers as of course - think about how dumb you sound. Internet is critical infrastructure. Over charging is inefficient. Consumers being overcharged in a malfunctioning marketplace is why NZ has thrown heaps of money and effort trying to rehabilitate the consumer end of the electricity market.

Duh...

Take a minute to consider how moving elsewhere won't make the situation any better. As mentioned previously, most telecommunications companies won't fix anything if it ain't broke. It obviously becomes their problem when you complain, but don't think the grass is any greener on the other side. Not only that, but by switching to another provider you risk losing it all together. The system designed to complete the churning process between ISPs is terrible and causes chaos on a regular basis. If your new provider submits a new connection and Slingshot a churn notification, you could end up being disconnected, losing your port and waiting two weeks to get the provisioning mess sorted out and a new connection made with your new ISP. You could also end up on a waiting list for the next port that comes available depending on where you live.

Even after your situation with Slingshot, I would not recommend trying to switch to anyone unless there was something seriously wrong with the service. I mean 10X more serious than this when I say serious.

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