What You Can Do About In Contract Broadband Price Rises
What can you do about in-contract broadband price rises? This blog delves into why some providers increase their prices mid-contract, what can be done about it and why choosing providers who guarantee no in-contract price rises can save you money.
Why has my broadband provider increased my price mid-contract?
Yet one broadband topic that’s loud and clear, is when your provider informs you they’re hiking up your monthly cost mid-contract…pretty infuriating! Unfortunately, this is common practice with many internet service providers and there are loads of reasons why broadband prices can increase. For example:
- Inflation – some providers increase their prices in line with the inflations rate each year (check your T&C’s, bet you didn’t already know they could do this)
- Internal pricing re-structure – if a provider has had pricing re-structure, they are allowed to increase the tariffs for existing customers in order to match their new pricing models. (cheeky right?)
- Service upgrades – occasionally, providers upgrade your service which can include additional TV packages, increased speeds or improved download rates. This means they can increase their prices to accommodate the changes in service even if you don’t use them. (great, so they make things they weren’t doing well, better, then try and charge you for it…)
- Tiered contracts – this is where it can get confusing. You may be on what’s called a ‘tiered contract’ so for example, you pay £15 plus line rental for the first month, then £20 plus line rental per month for the remainder of your contract. Tiered contracts can have different price and time implications associated with them, so we recommend you thoroughly check your contract and document when your pricing will change so it doesn’t come as a surprise.
What can I do if my broadband provider increases my price mid-contract?
On the bright side, your provider legally has to notify you 30 days before any price rises come into play. Giving you time to contact your provider to ask why your price is being increased. If it’s not in line with inflation (see above, checked your T&C’s yet?) and you’re still within your minimum contract, you can leave your contract penalty free and sign up with TrueSpeed. (I know, cheeky right, but worth a shot).
Uswitch has a great section with tips on how to cancel your broadband contract and get the best deals from alternative providers. Remember, there are internet service providers who offer no in contract price rises meaning you pay a fixed monthly price for the entirety of your contract – nice and simple! (like us).
Look out for ‘average’ or ‘up to’ speeds in your broadband contract
As a consumer, you have the right to receive the levels of service you are paying for. However, lots of providers sell their services based on ‘average’ or ‘up to speeds’. This means speeds will fluctuate particularly at peak times, so you don’t always get the speeds you are paying for. (who wants that?)
Speak to your provider and clarify if they can guarantee their speeds (full-fibre providers will be able to do this), or if they only supply ‘average’ or ‘up to speeds’. Make sure you carry out regular speed tests, as if you’re not being delivered what is advertised you can cancel your contract penalty free.
It’s really easy to carry out broadband speed tests, just click the link and away you go! (why wouldn’t you?)
Before you sign on the dotted line
Make sure you’ve done your research especially when it comes to ‘fibre’ broadband. Lots of companies advertise their service as ‘fibre’ but it’s actually part fibre and mainly copper – which gives fluctuating speeds at peak times and drop outs. Don’t be afraid to question your provider if they are advertising fibre but delivering you sub-standard service – being consumer savvy can save you time and money in the future.
Ideally, you want ‘full-fibre’ broadband which delivers guaranteed broadband speeds directly into your property – in essence, you always get what you pay for. What’s not to like about that?