NTL offering package to challenge talk talk

[DaggaDagga]

Their strategy is probably pretty sensible. Remember that most NTL subscribers don't visit cableforum.

A big chunk of NTL's subscribers will continue paying £35 per month or whatever, will not leave, and won't know anything about NTL discounts. By only offering discounts to those who moan, they can keep taking money off those who don't.

I don't think "fair" enters into the equation. Life isn't fair. NTL, like any other business, wants to take in as much cash as possible.

[headrush]

Originally Posted by DaggaDagga

A big chunk of NTL's subscribers will continue paying £35 per month or whatever, will not leave, and won't know anything about NTL discounts. By only offering discounts to those who moan, they can keep taking money off those who don't.

I think thats probably a fair point, however sometime in the near future NTL are going to have to offer a package to compete with the ever reducing prices other companies are offering bb for, otherwise they will never entice new customers. If they continue their current strategy of not being particularly competitive and only offering discounts/upgrades to existing customers who try to leave, they can only expect their number of customers to reduce.

[etccarmageddon]

the 10meg upgrades for the existing 1meg and 2meg customers should be enough to counter the talktalk threat.

they also might put a big one page advert in the papers saying how "we have 2 million customers who prefer to pay for their broadband" - that's what BT have just done!!!

[DaggaDagga]

Hehe. It's on the BT.com site too (follow link to Broadband). Why are all the subscribers at the bottom of the advert waving guns though?

Don't see what they're offering that TalkTalk don't.

Originally Posted by DaggaDagga

Why are all the subscribers at the bottom of the advert waving guns though?

Maybe BT has bought a franchise in Najaf?

Don't see what they're offering that TalkTalk don't.

Are Talk Talk doing free modems, connection and 0800 customer support? The free add-ons are usually the first to go when a service is offered at bargain prices (or completely free). IIRC NTL internet support cost a fortune when it was 'free' dial up.

[etccarmageddon]

Talktalk charge £30 for connection, give you a 'free' modem and charge 50p a min for help based on that BT press advert 'hint' at the cost. I can not find a phone number on the talk talk site in order to check that 50p cost.

[Derek]

Hmmm BT seems to be getting a bit liberal with the truth on the 50ppm costs

Originally Posted by Talk Talk

The technical support number is 0871 226 7146 and the lines are open 8am - 10pm. Calls are charged at 10p/min which is the standard cost for an 0871 number.

From - http://www.talktalk.co.uk/talktalk/s...P.BBHELP.BBFAQ

[Neil]

Originally Posted by dezzo

Hmmm BT seems to be getting a bit liberal with the truth on the 50ppm costs



From - http://www.talktalk.co.uk/talktalk/s...P.BBHELP.BBFAQ

Hmmm...

I was under the impression that currently if you ring the TT 0871 number from your home phone (to query a bill/add a feature/whatever for example) that the call was free.

[etccarmageddon]

so today's BT advert which doesn't mention talktalk but is referring to 'free' broadband providers is extremely misleading as it taints these free providers as having 50ppm phone numbers.

I hope they can at least provide an example 'free' broadband provider which does charge 50p a min or their advert is a lie.

---------- Post added at 16:24 ---------- Previous post was at 16:20 ----------

perhaps the ad was about this company:-

http://www.biscit.net/biscit_home/pr...eemax_info.php

oh dear they also charge 10p a min.

---------- Post added at 16:26 ---------- Previous post was at 16:24 ----------

perhaps I misread the advert and they didnt mention 50p a min tech support?

[gazzae]

Wanadoo charge 50p a minute on some of their packages

---------- Post added at 16:59 ---------- Previous post was at 16:56 ----------

Thats not a 'free' package though.

[etccarmageddon]

I've checked the BT advert and it does mention the 50p per min charge.

So I'd like to know the point of advertising why 2million BT customers enjoy paying for their broadband because they wont have to pay 50p a min support costs when if you DONT pay for broadband you also wont have to pay a 50p a min support cost either.

Also the advert fails in another sense - ie. those 2 million BT customers only enjoy paying for broadband because probably 99% signed up when paid for broadband was the only option. You can't advertise that your customers enjoy paying for a service when the 'free' alternative has only been available for a week AND a lot of your customers will be tied into a 12 month contract so cant leave yet anyway!

[DES_1001]

phoned cs earlier and got talk unlinited 24, line rental,free international calls , 20% off of mobil calls + 2 mb broadband for £19.75 a month with no new contract

[Shaun]

Just to let you guys know that Bully aren't (at the moment) offering to match the new Talk Talk offer.

Ntl seem to be able to do it but the cancellations department at Bully can't.

When I pushed the guy that I spoke with he said he'd offer me 2 months free rental (£60) but he couldn't do anything else. So it's definitely worth a call to cancellations.

Seeing as I'd only be saving £108 by moving to TT and I'd have to pay at least £30 activation then I thought it was a fair compromise.

However I'll be watching to see how the market reacts to the TT offer and I'll be jumping ship if necessary. A very nice £60 it was but not enough of a sweetener to keep me permanently!

Just posted this on my site, it looks like Ntl are being fairly clever over this, Bully don't seem to have done anything to plan for it. Maybe they have less customers phoning about it?


http://www.my-bulldog-hell.co.uk/for...=2963#post2963

[bonzoe]

Originally Posted by DaggaDagga

I rang them today. Got the following offers:

10Mb broadband half-price at £17.50 per month for 3 months.
5p Talk Plan for £5.25 per month for 6 months.

Total: £22.75 +calls at 5p per hour (evening/weekend)

And the best bit - broadband was installed 7 months ago, the phone was installed 3 months ago

Not sure what happened there - I'll believe it when I get the bill! I was with NTL for years at a previous address though.

What???? Charging you for the 5p talk plan, I thought that was free now, certainly is on my bill!!!!! I only heard it was free on this site a few weeks ago and got put on it.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

Also the advert fails in another sense - ie. those 2 million BT customers only enjoy paying for broadband because probably 99% signed up when paid for broadband was the only option. You can't advertise that your customers enjoy paying for a service when the 'free' alternative has only been available for a week AND a lot of your customers will be tied into a 12 month contract so cant leave yet anyway!

That advert is down right disgusting, have the asked their customers? I really hope someone has reported it to the ASA.

How anyone at BT can think they can get away with saying their customers prefer paying when most of them haven't seen the ad's or had chance to swap.

Do they really think 2,000,000 customers could have switched in the past couple of weeks, even if the service was available now? Their call centres couldn't cope with that sort of call volume let alone TT's.