Price increase

[Pughie82]

Many existing customer seem to get a worse deal than new customers. When changing or renewing deals with sky they should honor the deal customers agree to. Or even so offer better deals to stay with sky. Issue is that the price increase for both tv and broadband have shot up £6 which is expensive. Why no better deals for existing?? And why when you call they go on about "youve been a customer for ...... years" You dont get anything better. Sky you have gone more and more expensive comparwd to other providers.

[Mark39]

Much depends on how seriously you negotiate. Be prepared to give notice to cancel.

Not sure that Sky are comparatively more expensive.

[johndarlo]

I only signed a new deal with them last month (been a customer for 21 years on this account, was originally a sky pioneer way back in the 90s) and had notice my bill is going up £120 a year, virgin here i come 

[Melancholic]

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@johndarlo wrote:

I only signed a new deal with them last month (been a customer for 21 years on this account, was originally a sky pioneer way back in the 90s) and had notice my bill is going up £120 a year, virgin here i come 

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I used to be a Virgin media customer in my old house as their broadband was the fastest there. Still had the same annual price increase and the same end of contract negotiations. No business is any different to how Sky operate.

[johndarlo]

I understand that, but I only agreed to stay with them based on the new price last month, I havent paid the new price yet and I've had notification its going up, if it was April 24 and I was 12 months into a deal I would undertand I'd be fed up, but understand.   And yes I've looked at the contract and it states we can increase the price whenever they want, but it leaves a bad taste in the mouth when they know they can agree a deal with you then change thier mind on the price at any time.

Its a very shystery practice that they are using a catch all statement in a contract. 

[Daniel0210]

@johndarlo 

There is an annual price increase every April so if you've been a customer for a while unfortunately it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. If you only renewed in February your 18 month deal will incorporate another increase April 2024 as well. 

[johndarlo]

I know that, and thats why i expected a price increase in april 24, but i expected to make more than 2 payments at the agreed rate before they put it up.  Its legal, its what i agreed to but its still a very unethical practice.

whats to say they dont decide in April that they want to increase it again? its in the contract, and if we all roll over and take it they'll keep doing it.  I use to work in a similar industry, and customers often asked why we never dropped thier prices after a number of years, and the asnwer we gave was we assume your happy unless you tell us otherwise.  So I'll be telling them I'm not happy

[TimmyBGood]

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@johndarlo wrote:

 i expected to make more than 2 payments at the agreed rate before they put it up

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It's not an 'agreed rate', though.  Yes, that's how actual human beings perceive it, but not accountants (or lawyers).

[Mark39]

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@TimmyBGood wrote:

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@johndarlo wrote:

 i expected to make more than 2 payments at the agreed rate before they put it up

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It's not an 'agreed rate', though.  Yes, that's how actual human beings perceive it, but not accountants (or lawyers).

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...and why, when you acknowledge that there's an annual price increase, would you not expect to be liable for 14 months...

[johndarlo]

I expected it to go up 12 months into an 18 month contract I think that's reasonable, I don't like the idea that an 18 month contract doesn't have a fixed price for the duration of the contract, but that's probably just me

I'm just nieve I assume, I ring up to leave sky, they offer to reduce my payments to a stated level I accept that level, and having now checked my upcoming payments, I'll only make 1 payment at that price before the increase is applied.  

Everyone stares there's a price rise in April, but that's not what the contract says, it says they can up the price at any time,  with 1 months notice.  

I just think it's bad business practice to quote a price knowing that you will put it up the following month, as I've said the contract doesn't say it will go up in April, but at anytime.

I understand that contract prices go up, and discounts are applied to retain customers, the discounts stay, but the base price goes up, but as I've said you don't expect a price rise 1 payment into an 18 month deal.

[PandJ2020]

@johndarlo It's not a secret that the price rise is every April.

Whilst only 1 month in is annoying it's a general rise that affects the list price for everyone.  At least there won't be another rise until next April...

[johndarlo]

It's not a secret, but by the same measure it's not in writing either, the contract says can go up at anytime, 

i get it's nothing illegal, but as I've said there is nothing in writing in the contract for me to expect a price rise 1 month into a contract other than well that's what they've always done

[PandJ2020]

@johndarlo April is anytime...

[Melancholic]

I wonder how people get so surprised by these annual rises. They've been going on since I can remember. It's like people have never entered into a contract with a utility company or service before. 

If you don't agree with it, see out your contract and move on at the end of it, but I bet you the next company you move on to will do the exact same thing next year too. 

[johndarlo]

very true,  but all I'm saying is it's bad form to increase a contract  one month in and hide behind well we can do it at anytime