ntl 1mb BB at £9.99

[Chrysalis]

there has been a recent trend where companies are starting to extend offers to current customers following orange's success. I havent had the flyer but then again I have had no flyer's since I complained to NTL about getting such crap with my bill's. If the offer is for a year and the min contract is for a year then I would guess at £9.99 they must be making a profit or its a very dumb move. As it would then allow the customer to be a loss leader for the entire length of their contract.

[The Fool]

Originally Posted by bertJ

Unfortunately I'm trapped with ntl. My BT underground cable was destroyed years ago by some cowboy builders. At the last enquiry BT wanted £150 to reinstate it. Obviously ntl are responding in some degree to market forces, hence the fairly recent drop in price for 1mb. I don't think the 12 month contract with ntl is valid in my case as I've been with them for 6 years.
Not wishing to tread on any toes but I'm a bit bemused by what seems to be the attitude of some people to this form of cynical marketing. There seems to be a suggestion that I should be grateful to ntl for any small reduction in my monthly fees. It reminds me slightly of the attitude that existed in some up-market shops - I should feel privileged that they're allowing me to spend my money in their store!

the whole thing is a farce if you asked me. I am (have requested to be) on the 1 meg service, yet my speed shows 2 meg ( as I couldn't be arsed to reboot the cable modem to 'get the new speed' like the girl told me when I downgraded from 2 mega couple of months back. So now I have the £17.99 tariff showing on my bill along with the £37.99 (3 meg tarriff alongside it! what that is doing on there is anyones guess) - so in a way I am involved with all three levels. Have been a cmr for about 4 or so years and when I think back on my time with ntl rarely has there been any month when I have not had cause to phone in about the bill being wrong. Each time I phone I am told 'dont worry it will be right next month', but it never ever is. This months bill is >£140

[Vlad_Dracul]

Originally Posted by SLM

How about a mod close this thread as it is always the same when a new deal comes out.

ntl are a "for profit" company not a charity if people do not like what they are paying please go to a different provider, I think ntl are a fare priced isp in the market at the moment.

I think it would be wrong for anyone to close this discussion as i think it is a situation which deserves some exchange of views. No one is argueing about prices/service levels etc i have been happy with NTL's service and have been with them for nearly three years. If they are going to offer a service then let it be the same price for all,not a two tier system. Companies should look after their existing customers as well as seeking to attract new ones. By offering 9.99 to newbies they are not only causing annoyance to existing loyal/satisfied customers but they will encourage a huge influx of newbies which will threaten to degrade the infrastructure-result ,us mugs paying 17.99 a month for a worse system. The money is not the issue here,it is customer care/service which is the issue.

[The Fool]

Originally Posted by dooper786

I think it would be wrong for anyone to close this discussion as i think it is a situation which deserves some exchange of views. No one is argueing about prices/service levels etc i have been happy with NTL's service and have been with them for nearly three years. If they are going to offer a service then let it be the same price for all,not a two tier system. Companies should look after their existing customers as well as seeking to attract new ones. By offering 9.99 to newbies they are not only causing annoyance to existing loyal/satisfied customers but they will encourage a huge influx of newbies which will threaten to degrade the infrastructure-result ,us mugs paying 17.99 a month for a worse system. The money is not the issue here,it is customer care/service which is the issue.

[roy]

Whats worse is people like me not knowing you could upgrade paying £17.99 for 350k for months on end. They should upgrade existing people automatically I think. It still hasnt changed and I had to ring up 3 times. 24 hours apparently it takes.

[The Fool]

Originally Posted by roy

Whats worse is people like me not knowing you could upgrade paying £17.99 for 350k for months on end. They should upgrade existing people automatically I think. It still hasnt changed and I had to ring up 3 times. 24 hours apparently it takes.

there was a piece of software (licensed) that they used to use to handle changes of this type. I have it on good authority that it got abandoned as a cost cutting exercise. There is a department called Revenue assurance (being changed to data integrity and being upsized by about 40 people to take care of the telewset merger) that manually checks all the accounts that change via the website etc. I also hear that there are over 14000 phone customers who pay no bills at all due to the shambles of the system.

[Geordie_jc]

Originally Posted by bertJ

Just received a flyer through the door offering ntl Broadband 1mb to new customers at £9.99 per month for a year. As an existing £17.99, 1mb customer I was naturally somewhat put out.
Phoned customer services and they offered me 3 months at £9.99. I suppose that's better than nothing but I did wonder about cancelling my existing contract and starting again.
Is this another example of how ntl alienate their existing customers?

just tell them you're leaving , they gave me 12 months bb free.

[The Fool]

Originally Posted by Geordie_jc

just tell them you're leaving , they gave me 12 months bb free.

classic

[Geordie_jc]

heh, check the thread here http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=31386

[MovedGoalPosts]

The deals available to new customers, not be available to existing, they are incentives to get you to join ntl. Anyone who is now with ntl will have joined and had the opportunity to benefit from some offer or other at the time they first subscribed. Although it would be nice to get further offers as time marches on, there has to be limits to discounts avaialble which are intended to win customers over from the potential dispruption and upheavale of changing service.

Existing customers don't have it that bad. As TV packages change we get the new channels, and as BB changes getting faster or costs frequently have lowered, those have become available. Althouhg conversely there have been adverse changes of some tarrif changes, or alterations in the Ts & Cs or AUP.

[ian@huth]

NTL, like all companies, have very large fixed costs which are not dependent on customer numbers or revenue. These costs have to be met from customers subscriptions. If you are a NTL customer you have to pay your share of these costs. Your share however will reduce the more customers and revenue that NTL get. It is in your interest therefore for NTL to acquire new customers. NTL, like most other companies, give special offers to new customers to encourage them to join. The number of new customers receiving those special offers is relatively small in relation to the total customer base and it is possible that those customers are paying less for their services than the cost of providing them. NTL hope that the new customers will remain long term customers and increase their spend with the company thus turning them from loss makers to profit generators. It would be impossible for all customers to be given the same special offers as this would reduce profitability to the extent that there would be no cash for infrastructure maintenance and renewal.

Don't be fooled into thinking that all NTL special offers generate a profit for the company. Likewise prices charged by other ISPs may be at a loss making level just intended to gain customer share and ultimately will have to increase to move the company into profitability.

[Chrysalis]

Well I want to add 2 points.

1 - Its deals like this that make so many customer's ring retentions with fake intentions of leaving just so they get a discount, because they KNOW that ntl can offer them a lower price and stay in profit.

2 - I keep hearing the comment "we have all had our own deal when we signed up so live with it", but I didnt get any deal anywhere near this magnitude I got free install which seems normal now anyway but I paid the standard monthly fee's and I am sure many others did as well.

NTL are not a charity true so why are they been a charity case to get new customer's.
__________________

Originally Posted by ian@huth

Don't be fooled into thinking that all NTL special offers generate a profit for the company. Likewise prices charged by other ISPs may be at a loss making level just intended to gain customer share and ultimately will have to increase to move the company into profitability.

This must be a proftable price because it lasts for a year, if it isnt NTL have made a very dumb move because they are then paying a customer to use their service for the entire length of the minimum term of the contract.

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

This must be a proftable price because it lasts for a year, if it isnt NTL have made a very dumb move because they are then paying a customer to use their service for the entire length of the minimum term of the contract.

Do you honestly think that giving a new customer free installation and 1Mb broadband for a year for £9.99 per month generates a profit for NTL? You obviously have little concept of marketing if you do.

[roy]

I dont know what people are so fussed about. You have to offer new customers deals to get people to come to you. Its good for new people to get it for £9.99. Ntl no doubt lose money on it but make it later with the new customers.

I really think people should stop complaining about the £9.99 thing. Broadband is a good price right now and its come along way from the 56k 1.5p a minute that I used to pay. Its 1mb for £17.99 and thats a great deal, people should remember what low speeds we used to pay for and how cheap it is now and how fast it is now instead of worrying about what new customers are offered.

Also my speed now works! woo!

[salem]

damn!! £17.99 for 1Mb bb
i'm paying £37.99 for that, sometimes i'm paying £37.99 for dial up
i'm sure i read somewhere that ntl are going to bring out a 2 or even 3 Mb bb service pheeeuwe i cant wait for that to be launched

pmsl


SALEM