BT Broadband Price Increase

[DECEiFER]

It's true folks. Just when you thought the state of broadband and its prices within Ireland couldn't get any worse...


The 3mb Broadband package with Talk has cost €50 a month since I joined in February 2006. Not anymore though. It's gone up to €56 a month now. All their broadband packages seem to have taken a price hike, even the ones without calls and line rental included. See: http://home.btireland.ie/echannel/BT...Label=homePage.

I know Eircom are to increase the line rental by about a euro or so a month, but why are BT bringing their top package up by 6? It doesn't make sense, especially since the packages without the calls and line rental included are being affected too. If anything, it should be going down, in-line with UK and European prices.

Virgin Media (formally NTL, Telewest, and others) in the UK have a top package of 20mbit for £37 (€54.91) a month without a cap. See: Size: XL (up to 20Mb).

BT offer up to 8mbit (depending on the line's distance from the exchange will determine how close you get to the full 8) for no more than £25 (€37.10) a month, and it's also uncapped (top package). See: BT.com | Personal | BT Total Broadband | Option 3.

And here we are, still trotting along at a mere 3mbits (ADSL) and paying out of our arses for it!

I wrote to BT to see if this increase would affect existing customers. My tone was harsh to say the least, and I know I could of taken a cooler approach, but I didn't feel the need to. I was angry.

Here's my letter:

Customer 16/07/2007 05.11 PM
Hi, I have the 3mb Broadband & Talk package, previously costing €50 per month. I see it's now gone up to €56 per month.

A. Will existing customers from before the increase see the increase in their bill?
B. If so, when were you planning on informing us?


Thank you.

That was it. Here's the response they gave me today (a day later):

Response (Customer Care) 17/07/2007 03.15 PM
Thank you for your email.

Please be advised that letters would be sent to the customers 27.07.2007. advising about change of price.
Please be advised that you will be able to see this change of price on your next invoice.

Kind Regards

BT
Customer Care Team
T: 1904
Mail: customer.care@btireland.ie
www.btireland.ie

They should of wrote out to us sooner than July 27. However, it's totally crap that their existing customers should have to bear this increase.

The sooner LLU is taken advantage of, the better. Right now, we're being messed about. Seriously, I just hope it's a matter of getting a little bit worse for a short time before it's to get better.


What are you're thoughts on this, folks?

[ALIKIM]

Price increase should not effect the existing custumers if they are not informed before their next bill.but remember this is ripoffrepublic they can do whatever they want, yes there is something called comreg but I am not sure what they do ,problem is that they don't know what they do either.There is no point complaining about it, when your contract is over change your provider.
Alikim

[Mad_Lad]

Of course there is point in complaining about being ripped off! That's why ireland is the way it is. The attitude of a well shur that's the way it is is very wrong. It makes the powers that be think they can get away with what they do. That's why I love the internet so much. Not like the media, only printing what they want to print, what they want you to hear, afraid of upsetting the powers that be! That reminds me of people that say "what's the point of voting" . So complain it's your right!

[Gwasanaethau]

Originally Posted by Mad_Lad

Of course there is point in complaining about being ripped off! That's why ireland is the way it is. The attitude of a well shur that's the way it is is very wrong. It makes the powers that be think they can get away with what they do. That's why I love the internet so much. Not like the media, only printing what they want to print, what they want you to hear, afraid of upsetting the powers that be! That reminds me of people that say "what's the point of voting" . So complain it's your right!

Hear hear!