PSA - Orcon has a 30 day 'notice of cancellation' period in an Open Term Contract. Just got stung a months fee for nothing.

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › PSA - Orcon has a 30 day 'notice of cancellation' period in an Open Term Contract. Just got stung a months fee for nothing.

tehgerbil

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#288585 10-Jul-2021 16:05

Customer beware here. It's just caught me out.

I was very confused when I was billed for a months usage which I had no way of using, turns out my contract had a 30 days 'notice period' in it.

So Orcon got another months bill out of me for absolutely nothing, which in my opinion is quite scummy behaviour, I thought I was being clever cancelling right before my billing date.

Just let this be a warning to anyone else that if you're thinking of changing ISP's to tell your ISP and then set the physical changeover date for a month later.

Yes, buyer beware etc etc but hopefully this forum post can help save others the same mistake I made.

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#2742165 10-Jul-2021 16:10

Hi, this is nothing new, as far as I am aware most ISP do it, I recently changed from Spark to Sky, I gave notice and was going to wait out the 30day, then something came up that meant I cut over early, so ended up paying approx 15days for both services, didnt worry me one bit, just part of the game in my view.

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tehgerbil

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#2742180 10-Jul-2021 16:18

I (stupidly) thought as I wasn't in a term Contract there wouldn't be any 'hidden surprises'.

I'm guessing this catches many people out, and is probably quite the nice money maker for those ISPs, it's nothing less than punishing customers for leaving. Next Billing cycle would be (and is) understandable, but a fixed 30 days seems vindictive.

I have not come across this with my previous ISP's, so didn't know to expect it from Orcon.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2742181 10-Jul-2021 16:29

This may be common, but it's also often calculated incorrectly. Check they have charged you for only what they are entitled to, and watch out for inconsistent terminology... 30 days is not a month etc. If it's unclear, dispute it.

antonknee

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#2742182 10-Jul-2021 16:33

The usual suspects will come along and say this is fair, to be expected, everyone does it, blah blah blah.

It’s a disgusting, distinctly consumer unfriendly practice; and the fact that most ISPs insist on doing it doesn’t make it right.

networkn

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#2742184 10-Jul-2021 16:35

antonknee: The usual suspects will come along and say this is fair, to be expected, everyone does it, blah blah blah.

It’s a disgusting, distinctly consumer unfriendly practice; and the fact that most ISPs insist on doing it doesn’t make it right.

ROFL.

Chorus charge RSP's by month and require notice. If you don't want this, the alternative would be, when your contract ends, your internet disappears unless you renew. Imagine how many posts there would be "my RSP disconnected my internet with no notice" there would be.

It's entirely reasonable to need to give notice of termination. If you don't like it.... Plan better.

antonknee

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#2742188 10-Jul-2021 16:42

networkn:
antonknee: The usual suspects will come along and say this is fair, to be expected, everyone does it, blah blah blah.

It’s a disgusting, distinctly consumer unfriendly practice; and the fact that most ISPs insist on doing it doesn’t make it right.

ROFL.

Chorus charge RSP's by month and require notice. If you don't want this, the alternative would be, when your contract ends, your internet disappears unless you renew. Imagine how many posts there would be "my RSP disconnected my internet with no notice" there would be.

It's entirely reasonable to need to give notice of termination. If you don't like it.... Plan better.

That Chorus do it too doesn’t make it right. In any case, an RSPs business with Chorus is frankly not my problem as an end user. Take Chorus out of the equation and look at pay monthly mobile - Spark insist on 30 days’ notice for mobile and that doesn’t have Chorus’ input.

I don’t have to give my power company or my gas company or my insurer or really anyone else 30 days notice.

Even within telco, Vodafone say they require 30 days notice but they don’t enforce it in my experience.

networkn

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#2742219 10-Jul-2021 17:27

AntonKee

That Chorus do it too doesn’t make it right. In any case, an RSPs business with Chorus is frankly not my problem as an end user.

Yes it is, that's the terms you sign up to. Don't like it, don't agree to the terms. Good luck finding an ISP who doesn't require it.

I don’t have to give my power company or my gas company or my insurer or really anyone else 30 days notice.

I seriously doubt the veracity of that comment. I have to give 30 days notice for all my subcriptions, all my utilities. Pretty much anything. 30 Days is nothing.

Deamo

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#2742229 10-Jul-2021 17:51

networkn:

Yes it is, that's the terms you sign up to. Don't like it, don't agree to the terms. Good luck finding an ISP who doesn't require it.

No, it's not. An end-users contract is with the RSP, it has nothing to do with the owner of the network.

Each electricity network provider has charges for certain meter configuations. Retailers can make up charges for whatever configuration they like.. they are not restricted to what the network make available.

I seriously doubt the veracity of that comment. I have to give 30 days notice for all my subcriptions, all my utilities. Pretty much anything. 30 Days is nothing.

He's right, for energy utilities, you do not have to give 30 days notice of cancellation (excluding fixed term contracts).

rugrat

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#2742238 10-Jul-2021 18:14

If I’m out of contract with my power company, I don’t even have to talk to them to change over without penalty.

Just ring the gaining one, and everything is taken care of.

I don’t agree that the broadband way is fair, I managed to get my last change over pretty smooth, don’t know if just luck.

Set change over day more then 30 days, got text from LFC, which is Enable in my case. Then rang losing provider and gave them change over date in text message, which was 30 days plus out.

MaxineN

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#2742240 10-Jul-2021 18:22

networkn:

I seriously doubt the veracity of that comment. I have to give 30 days notice for all my subcriptions, all my utilities. Pretty much anything. 30 Days is nothing.

Previous Orcon customer several times. Have not given 30 days notice. Have not been charged for said 30 days in all instances.

Spark tried and backed off the one time I was with Spark due to my service ending before bill date(thus couldn't charge me another 30 days anyway).

2degrees didn't either.

All of these we're out of contract mind you.

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Handle9

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#2742242 10-Jul-2021 18:31

Deamo:

networkn:

Yes it is, that's the terms you sign up to. Don't like it, don't agree to the terms. Good luck finding an ISP who doesn't require it.

No, it's not. An end-users contract is with the RSP, it has nothing to do with the owner of the network.

Sure. Equally your objections aren't the RSPs problem. They offer you a service either buy it or don't buy it. You signed a contract, it is what it is.

KiwiSurfer

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#2742252 10-Jul-2021 18:54

networkn:

I seriously doubt the veracity of that comment. I have to give 30 days notice for all my subcriptions, all my utilities. Pretty much anything. 30 Days is nothing.

Can you give us some actual real life examples of where you have actually been charged 30 days worth of services? I've not come across any examples across all my subscriptions and utilities even though I don't give any notice at all. I just cancel and/or switch to a new provider and have them take care of the transfer. I think it's case of the bark being worse than the bite.

cokemaster

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#2742256 10-Jul-2021 19:09

networkn:

Chorus charge RSP's by month and require notice. If you don't want this, the alternative would be, when your contract ends, your internet disappears unless you renew. Imagine how many posts there would be "my RSP disconnected my internet with no notice" there would be.

Certain service providers that sell Fixed Wireless and Mobile services still enforce the 30 days notice requirements even without upstream Chorus charges.
Part of this is an initiative was to retain as much earnings as possible (a lot of folks who decide to churn, just do an ASAP churn) and to decrease churn by adding friction to the leaving process (eg. to avoid this fee, the effort is too high so I might as well stay).

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antonknee

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#2742258 10-Jul-2021 19:10

Never once have I had to give 30 days notice for something to anyone but a telco. And believe me, I chop and change services all the time. I’ve rented for the past 7 years and lived in around 10 houses - each move involved ending services. Additionally I have zero loyalty and will go with whatever is cheapest and often look to churn providers.

That a 30 day notice period is required in the contract might be true, but that’s not the point. I’m not saying it’s illegal or even unknown, I’m saying it’s crap and shouldn’t exist.

snnet

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#2742267 10-Jul-2021 19:49

tehgerbil:

I (stupidly) thought as I wasn't in a term Contract there wouldn't be any 'hidden surprises'.

I'm guessing this catches many people out, and is probably quite the nice money maker for those ISPs, it's nothing less than punishing customers for leaving. Next Billing cycle would be (and is) understandable, but a fixed 30 days seems vindictive.

I have not come across this with my previous ISP's, so didn't know to expect it from Orcon.

I got caught with this with Orcon many many years ago but fought it and got my money back because when I signed up I had paid a month in advance and the service they were providing was literally unusable and they refused to send Chorus out to fix the network issue (which Spark were happy to do immediately when I switched, paying joining fees and higher prices at the time but I was sick of their rubbish service and lack of support seeing as I'd paid about 3 months with no service)

Do you recall if you paid a month in advance when you joined?

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