Exetel - Over Paying and Realising I'm on a Legacy Plan

Sensei888 on 13/03/2024 - 12:49

I've just noticed that I've been over paying on my bill by $5 each month. They must have created new cheaper plans at some point and I've been stuck on a legacy plan.

I asked them to switch me over to the new plan and credit my account for the time I've been over paying; but support sent me a blunt email that says to the effect 'We won't offer you a credit as that's the plan you originally signed up for'.

Do you think that's an acceptable thing for them to do? I'm thinking about switching to another provider.

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Comments

  • m a c9 on 13/03/2024 - 12:57
    +9

    My 2 cents-

    is it acceptable thing for them to do? - yep, why not. They are technically correct in what they said. Is it the acceptable thing to do from a customer's service POV? definitely not. Do they care? nope. I'd assume if you were paying $5 LESS they would've been onto you from day one and told you the plan no longer exists and you need to pay more.

    thinking of switching? - go for it. Maybe if you call them to disconnect and state the reason as to why you're leaving they might offer you something. Even then, no need to stay.

    • HeWhoKnows on 14/03/2024 - 07:47
      +1

      Yes and no
      Suppliers change plans all the time.
      Sometimes they are cheaper.
      Sometimes they cost more.

      So for this reason I must disagree.
      Because according to your logic its OK to push you onto a more expensive plan…hmmmm maybe not.

      Hence its up to the customer to decide a change of plan is warranted.

      Probably the supplier should at least inform the customer about any new plans. Though this rarely happens.
      Maybe OP was informed and missed the message. we dont know.

      And therefore OP's expectations are totally unwarranted

    • iminabrons on 14/03/2024 - 13:27

      What we need is an AI app that instantly decides and then alerts us to any changes that a "provider of any services" we use makes, regarding prices that may affect us.

  • Dollar General on 13/03/2024 - 12:58

    What do the terms & conditions in your contract state about changing you over the the cheapest plan, if there is such a clause?

    Did you not get the service you signed up for?

  • Mechz on 13/03/2024 - 12:59
    +8

    Vote with your feet and find another provider that's probably cheaper with the same service.

  • original15 on 13/03/2024 - 13:00

    When you access your account does the plan show the $ you’re paying or the new account price/plan name ($5 less than current).
    Or is it simply they have a new plan available that is the same speed and data as your current and it happens to be $5 cheaper?

    • Sensei888 on 13/03/2024 - 13:05
      -5

      When I access my account I can see that my plan is $89.95 for 100/20. However when I clicked on 'Change Plan' then I noticed there is no $89.95 option. There is a plan called 'Family' that is 100/20 for $84.95.

      They were just hoping I wouldn't notice I guess. I would have expected to be notified that there's new plans, or automatically switched to the Family plan. I guess that is asking too much?

      They were happy just to leave me there forever over paying and hope I don't notice.

      • jv on 13/03/2024 - 13:09
        +20

        They were just hoping I wouldn't notice I guess.

        You are on a legacy plan.

        It's up to you to change it, not them…

        I'm on a legacy plan $5 cheaper than what is currently available by my provider… Should I complain?

      • Chandler on 13/03/2024 - 13:19
        +9

        You must be new to this. This is standard behaviour for any service - Internet, Telephone, Energy, Insurance, etc - new customers get the deals.

        As others have said - vote with your feet. Decent internet providers are a dime a dozen, and churning between them is (usually) pretty quick these days.

        • original15 on 13/03/2024 - 13:44
          +1

          This^
          They won’t notify you of new plans.
          If you were overpaying what was listed in your account you’d have grounds but just paying lazy tax

          • Sensei888 on 13/03/2024 - 15:31
            +3

            @original15: OK perhaps I was naive to think they were out of line. Just felt stupid I was overpaying all these years without noticing. The internet service has been fairly good so I think I will just stick with them.

        • jv on 13/03/2024 - 15:31
          +2

          As others have said - vote with your feet.

          You don't need to, you can just switch to the new plan.

  • jv on 13/03/2024 - 13:05
    +1

    I've just noticed that I've been over paying on my bill by $5 each month.

    What did your contract say when you joined? 🤣🤣🤣

  • hasher22 on 13/03/2024 - 13:11
    +3

    They're a business, they're not going to switch plans for you automatically unless the legacy plan will be discontinued and you're forced to go on a new same or like-for-like plan and they need to give you at least 60 days notice of that.

    Also, if they did switch you to the new plan, some old plan benefits, if any, that benefits you may be lost.

    You as a consumer need to try keep on-top of your plans and the get the best deal every now and then by shopping.

  • mboy on 13/03/2024 - 13:21
    +8

    I think this fits into the "lazy tax" category. The onus is on you to ensure you're getting the best deal.

    You found that you're not, so change and move on. You're not entitled to be compensated for what you "overpaid".

    • parsimonious one on 13/03/2024 - 14:04
      +2

      Exactly, this is the same sh!t that insurance companies pull every year at renewal time

      It’s the same as gas and electricity companies do when they release new pricing plans

      It’s always been incumbent on the consumer to check they are getting the best deal

      It’d be good if companies notified you about better deals but that is rarely the case

  • JimmyF on 13/03/2024 - 13:40
    +2

    Do you think that's an acceptable thing for them to do?

    Yes… As it goes both ways, what happened if you found out the new plans had been $5/m more and you had been paying less? Would you be happy if they sent you a bill?

    As they said, that was the plan you signed up for. It happens all the time with mobile plans, power plans etc. It is up to you to keep an eye on these things, not them.

    I'm thinking about switching to another provider.

    That is your choice. But had you not been happy with the service?

  • Davo1111 on 13/03/2024 - 13:46

    lol, backpay.

    If the price goes up should they charge you more?

    • Mechz on 13/03/2024 - 20:12

      Guaranteed they would email you saying it's going up in a month.

  • Chaddy on 13/03/2024 - 13:48

    I think from a customer service pov, they probably could of been a tad less blunt, they probably couldn't of given you a huge amount of credit, maybe a little to keep you as a customer though, maybe a couple of months worth or something especially given the wholesale pricing for the 100Mbps plans has actually been reduced by NBN co.
    So it doesn't cost them quite as much to deliver the service.

  • parsimonious one on 13/03/2024 - 14:08

    I just noticed the iPhone 12 I bought a couple of years ago now sells for much less than I paid back then

    Do you think apple will refund me the difference?

    Also, now that I think of same goes for my car!

  • Muzeeb on 13/03/2024 - 14:31
    +1

    Lol. Username doesn't checkout.

  • scrimshaw on 13/03/2024 - 14:32
    +3

    The ‘lazy tax’ is a hidden financial penalty you pay for not regularly shopping around, negotiating, and upgrading to the best new deal on everything. Things such as:

    • Insurance
    • credit card
    • Utilities (Energy / Electricity)
    • Home loans

    Companies will take advantage of your complacency and charge you the most they can, to maximise the amount of profit they get from you.

    It's almost always better to churn between ISP's too— the deals are always targeted to new customers not existing ones. Want a free month of NBN? Gotta sign up as a new customer. Want 8 free weeks of insurance coverage or $200 electricity bill credit? Also gotta sign up as a new customer.

    • Muzeeb on 13/03/2024 - 14:37

      Waiting for that person (I can't recall their username) to chime in.

      That's not what a lazyman tax is.

  • Drakesy on 13/03/2024 - 14:51
    +3

    Someone's been paying the lazy tax and now wants someone else to be responsible.

    Sorry honey that's not how it works.

  • melbourne guy on 13/03/2024 - 17:17
    +2

    There is no legal obligation for a company to notify you of a plan price change if they choose to keep you on the arrangement you originally signed up for.
    (The only exception I know of is energy companies have to let you know on your bill if you're currently or not currently on their best available plan).
    The best you can do currently is to call them up and threaten to switch to another provider and they may give you some compo or a better price.
    In the future, best to check current plans on offer regularly to ensure you're getting the best value for money.

  • AndyC1 on 13/03/2024 - 18:58
    +2

    Have you checked your:
    a) health insurance to ensure that you are on the best plan?
    b) Have you checked you car insurance?
    c) Have you checked you house and.or contrents insurance?
    d) Have you checked you electricity plan is the best you can get?
    e) Have you checked you phone plan?

    I would assume NO for all of these based on your post.

  • Worf on 13/03/2024 - 19:45

    Anyone here on 25/10 plan/speed

  • Mugsy on 14/03/2024 - 09:28

    I wanna know what plan they have now costs $5 less per month and is offering the same speed and data quota. The plan I am on now costs more when starting up a fresh service… they've actually been good to me to keep the price lower.

  • jizmo on 14/03/2024 - 15:43

    If they send you promotion emails with invoice or other, I'd be pissed.
    I they don't too bad

  • knobbs on 15/03/2024 - 10:01

    I got kicked off my legacy plan to pay a higher cost. It only works one way with them

  • ECE on 15/03/2024 - 10:25

    Im with them and paying $69 for 50/20Mbps unli from $54.99 50/20 500GB.

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