new customer / existing customer price match - ofcom

I *thought* ofcom introduced guidance or even rules that ISP's should offer existing customers the same deals as new customers if the existing customer signed up to a new deal?

I searched the forums, as I was remembering this being discussed a couple of years ago, but my searches did not find anything useful. I did find the requirement that ISP had to notify that your contract was ending, but no mention of price matching to new customer deals.

As usual, loyalty is wasted .

I have always phoned the ISP up when nearing end of the contract and have always been given either the new online for new customers or better.

Paul

+1. Just tell them you’re leaving (and mean it)

I have never needed to do that, I just phone and have always got a great deal.

Paul

I see you’ve never had the ‘pleasure’ of dealing with the likes of Virgin then 🙈😂?

Agreed but making sure that you deal with the retentions team.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

I see you’ve never had the ‘pleasure’ of dealing with the likes of Virgin then 🙈😂?

Oh I have for a year of them each month lying to me saying it was coming into my area, TBH I am glad they never came into my area.

Paul

In reply to a post by longedge:

Agreed but making sure that you deal with the retentions team.

Oh I just phoned up the normal FTTP (when with BT) that I have always used and said that I was looking into renewing my contract and wanted to see what good special deal that they could offer me there and then, I was always polite.

And every time I have done that I have always got a very good deal which has always been cheaper that what was shown online.

I did the exact same thing when signing up with Community Fibre, and I got a cheaper monthly price that what was shown along with a free month plus a public dynamic IP which is very sticky that's linked to my routers MAC, so in a way I sort of have a Static IP that I can request to be changed when I want.

Paul

Fair enough, just a matter of what works for you. Each time my renewal comes up. the first thing I do is have a good 'look around' to get a realistic idea of what's available in terms of price and then I ring up choosing the 'I'm thinking of leaving' option.

First question is what is your best offer for me to stay and if that is =< to what I've previously found then just go with that otherwise give details of what I've found and ask whether they can match it. I've been with Plusnet since the late 1990's

p.s. - my initial search does of course include Plusnet.
p.p.s - I agree 100% with your point about being polite, very important to treat people as you would expect to be treated

Edited by longedge (Fri 05-Aug-22 15:24:08)

Hi all, I found the Ofcom communication at last: Fairer prices for broadband customers

So it is strange to me that, at least my experience with Plusmet, was they did not offer the same deal as a new customer - not the first time I rang anyway.

So does this agreement with Ofcom have any teeth, or simply forgotten as the years move on?

In reply to a post by PaulKirby:

I have never needed to do that, I just phone and have always got a great deal.

Paul

Good for only ever had one provider do this and it was a very long time ago.

My father has been with plusnet for almost a decade and everytime they say cant offer the same even with threats to leave the other providers he was with before was the same.

I understand not matching everything but these companies dont care about loyalty.

I would rather ofcom stop the whole ripping people off with cpi etc if you sign a contract for a set price that is what it should be this is how it was in the old days and if the company does want to raise prices the contract is void if the customer does not agree.

This is being exploited not from only isp but mobile phone companies do it as well you dont get charged the real rate they put on a large % to what the released rate is making it for most people 8%+ increase every 12 months.

My father has been with plusnet for almost a decade and everytime they say cant offer the same even with threats to leave the other providers he was with before was the same.

I have to ask then why your father is still with PlusNet? Are they offering a better service for the money as if not why doesn't he carry through the threat of leaving to go to someone else?

In reply to a post by ian72:

My father has been with plusnet for almost a decade and everytime they say cant offer the same even with threats to leave the other providers he was with before was the same.

I have to ask then why your father is still with PlusNet? Are they offering a better service for the money as if not why doesn't he carry through the threat of leaving to go to someone else?

As with so many cases like this the provider is backing their inertia marketing policy against the user's zeal to research then move to another supplier. And in a lot of cases it works.

And therefore empty threats of leaving are pointless - if someone doesn't like the price they are paying or the service then they actually need to leave. Staying with the same supplier for 10 years despite better deals being available is why suppliers don't need to offer better deals for retention.

I think we are on the same page here!

Yes, indeed we are.

I'd lay a bet on the father speaking to online support/sales. Not the Retentions team. Probably because he doesn't know it exists.

In reply to a post by GonePostal:

As with so many cases like this the provider is backing their inertia marketing policy against the user's zeal to research then move to another supplier. And in a lot of cases it works.

Does anyone else feel that the longer you have been with a company, the more likely they are to call your bluff and withhold more competitive deals?

My BT retention offer was definitely worse than that offered to new customers, so I switched to vodafone for 24 months - 2/3rds the monthly cost, and a substantial cashback incentive. I hate being expected to jump through hoops to get a competitive deal, I have better things to do with my time.

If I recall Vodafone's prices are typically far cheaper than BT's normally and especially if you're then adding in cashback as a new customer.

In reply to a post by pluralist:

I'd lay a bet on the father speaking to online support/sales. Not the Retentions team. Probably because he doesn't know it exists.

You are wrong he has every time gone to retention's who give the same old story they cant match new customer deals or price match others.

My parents are very old school all done over the phone as well but do ask for email confirmation due to being lied to by other providers before VM was one of them.

People asked why doesnt he just leave issues in past my parents are very old school as well they use landline.

Edited by mortmaru (Thu 01-Sep-22 11:03:46)

People asked why doesnt he just leave issues in past my parents are very old school as well they use landline.

Other ISPs do landlines as well. Inertia is what suppliers rely on to keep prices up. They have a history of not following through with the threat of leaving and therefore less incentive for the ISP to give any discounts. If their current ISP has benefits for them over all of the others then perhaps paying a bit more is worth the price to stay with them.