Billing hike!

[tescoisbetter]

Hi tescoischeaper,

We wanted to remind you that your NOW Broadband Membership is out of contract, and let you know what your options are.

Do nothing and continue with your existing membership for £25.50 a month.

Or

Pick from one of the packages available to you below.

I've been out of contract since 2021 and beside the annual rise in April I've been happy with the bill. I get my yearly reminder giving me the option of staying as is or taking the alternate option. At the beginning of this year i have gone with the usual do nothing option, then out of the blue i get a bill this month for £43.50 with no email to inform me of this change/price hike. i called the their oversea's call center with no real explanation other than 'you are out of contract' the could do me a one time deal/offer that they are not 'allowed' to do reduce my bill back down to £25.50 but i would have to pay the extra for my call package(i had a broadband &anytime call package) but essentially were not going to honor the above in the email.

[redchiz1]

The email probably went on to mention, in a somewhat convoluted way, that your "stay as you are" price remained the same until your current discounts ran out. And NOW are most definitely no longer providing their Anytime call plan for free, If you are not happy with any new deal they offer then you are of course free to switch and leave at any time as you are now out of contract. 

[chilli2]

Did the email have at the bottom, a date when your discounts expire?

something along the lines of

You have Discounts to the value of £xx.xx per month, your first/your discount expires on X ( usually 12 months form the date the email was sent)

 Was that, or something like that at the bottom of the email?

There are a lot of people being caught out by this, for myself i am keeping a close eye on my bills although my email had a discounts totaling £X and expiring on X date.

 Either which way those who have been caught out may have good grounds to complain to either offcom and/or the advertising standards agency (ASA)

[redchiz1]

@chilli2 

Ofcom don't handle individual complaints and I can't see anything it has to do with the ASA, not being an advert. There is a complaints process detailed on the help pages which does ultimately provide for independent arbitration if one chooses to pursue that. 

[chilli2]

It could easily/probably fall under this from the advertising standards agency as misleading promotional material https://www.asa.org.uk/type/non_broadcast/code_section/03.html

[redchiz1]

@chilli2 

No it couldn't as it's not a promotion, it's a regulatory requirement. 

[RoyB]

@redchiz1 @chilli2 @tescoisbetter 

Oh well then, it’s just a matter of finding out whoever regulates that area, and then complaining to them that the regulatory requirement isn’t being met properly.

[redchiz1]

@RoyB 

Yawn.  

[RoyB]

@redchiz1 

Are we keeping you up?

[chilli2]

I see the emails as a promotion, they (now) are promoting a product, in my opinion it would be worth a complaint to the ASA as outlined above as in essence there is nothing to lose.

 Of course if you get no where then take your custom elsewhere