30M Immediate 30 to 60 Increase & price reduction - success!

pgnl · 01-07-2012, 13:22

I have been with VM since 2001 and currently only have BB XL 30Mb/s, no phone. My charge was increased from 28.50pm to 30.00 pm in April, which although quite high, I accepted. I was however annoyed that the ongoing cost for new customers (for BB only customers without a phone) was advertised last month at 27.50 pm on their website, so I wrote and complained. I live in an area that was due to have speed doubled 'from July onwards'.

Anyway, I got a call today from 'Customer Relations' offering to double speed immediately, reduce cost from 30.00 to 22.50 pm for two years on a one year contract. Result! Â£180 saving over two years and speed increase working immediately. My beef is, why don't they just offer plain and simple pricing to everyone, instead of annoying existing loyal customers and expecting them to have to complain before they can offer them a better price? It makes no sense, surely it would be better in the long run to have satisfied customers? Plus you'd need fewer 'Customer Relations' staff!

Patrick

RealDiamond · 01-07-2012, 14:25

Why don't they offer it to all.
Because they will run the chance of Losing a lot of money.
They only offer those likely to leave Offers... having your money for Â£22.50 per month instead of Â£0 per month is a win but you are still losing them money over those who won't or can't jump ship as No other fibre provider is in there area and the BT exchange is over 4km away resulting in crap speed via ADSL...
My package is listed at Â£38.40 but I get it for Â£30 because BT fibre is due this year in my area. VM would prefer that i pay Â£30 for 12 months instead of Â£0 for 12 months buy joining Sky fibre.

kwikbreaks · 01-07-2012, 14:35

I just upgraded from 10 to 60 at Â£25 a month. I got a free Superhub which VM probably count as a +ve even though I don't and is probably why I had to take a year contract. I was paying Â£22.50 for 10 which is the standard price. You obviously missed out on a reduction at some point.

They run the company like car boot stall - any time you are out of the minimum contract term I guess it's worth a punt on what you can get.

pgnl · 01-07-2012, 15:05

Actually I wasn't out of contract, I upgraded to 30Mb earlier in the year and paid my Â£30 for the Superhub on the premise that eventually almost everyone would probably end up paying for one. At that time I had to re-contract for 12 months. Then they announced the speed increases.

RealDiamond actually there is no competition for fast broadband here, we'll probably get BT Infinity in 2020 (if were lucky and I am only 15 miles from Bham), only last year did they enable Sky on our exchange. I take your point though, they use the competition or lack of it as a bargaining tool, I have had that before when I've complained, basically they've just said there's no competition where you live tough s**t, like it or lump it. So I was lucky this time. After the two years are up, no doubt I will be going through the whole malarkey again, it just seems so pointless...

Patrick