Imminent Ofcom Market Re-Classification and Plusnet Pricing

[#1]

Now that my phone contract with BT is up I would quite like to move to Plusnet for telephone and broadband.  But my Exchange is Market 1 despite the fact that there are now two LUU operators so the deal Plusnet can offer me would get better (seemingly by about £4 per month) when Ofcom reclassify exchanges in March or April or whenever.  Should I wait in hope that the same deals are around in 3 or 4 months time?  In principle that would save me quite a lot, since I was offered a new 24 month contract.  Or should I go with the bird-in-the-hand principle?  I'm grateful for any insight that will help me make up my mind. 

[#2]

1. Find out what sort of deal you would get from the LLU operators.
2. Ring up and ask for your MAC and tell them you are leaving to get a better deal. You should get a pleasant surprise.

[#3]

Just ask what deal they'll give you if you take Home Phone and work it out from there. I'm Mkt1 with no hope of an exchange upgrade [I assume unlike yourself] and have just signed up another 24 mths with PN.

[#4]

ReedRichards
When i rang up last month (market 1 , with no LLU) was not expecting much, but got made an amazing offer for a new 24 month contract ( bb and phone )
Regards
Mike

[#5]

What I would like to achieve is something akin to what Plusnet say they will offer new customers.  I have been with Plusnet  broadband for quite a few years now at the "standard" rate and if I switch my phone to Plusnet they will get my lucrative line rental.  The advert on the main entry page says "from £2.50 plus line rental", which would be a fantastic deal compared to what I pay at present.  But the Plusnet rep. I spoke to said he could not offer me something as good as that because I was on a Market 1 exchange.  He still made me a pretty good offer but from what he said I implied that I might do better if I waited until my exchange was reclassified.   

[#6]

Bear in mind we wouldn't offer that price to a new customer if they were on a Market 1 exchange.

[#7]

Yes, I fully understand that, James.  My dilemma is whether I should jump now or wait until I'm re-classified out of being a Market 1 customer.

[#8]

Why not contact the COT and ask if they can include a review option for three month's time to take advantage of price changes/offers that might be available then following any classification changes introduced by Ofcom?
Changing might necessite restarting any contract you agree to, but that would be no different from waiting (with fingers crossed) for three months before taking action.

[#9]

There is another variable that you might not have taken account of !
The OFCOM 'market review' due to happen around April, is expected to reclassify exchanges from areas "1", "2", and "3", to the new gradings of "A" and "B" - where "A" is the higher cost areas.  From memory, pretty much all "Market 1" exchanges will become "Market A", and all "Market 3"s will become "Market B",  but I don't remember how the "Market 2" exchanges will be split between "A" and "B".
If your exchange is currently "Market 1" plus two LLU operators, then presumably that would have become "Market 2",  but because the "Market 2"s will be split between "A" and "B", you might still be unlucky in still being classified as a high cost area.
I don't know whether the Plusnet "Exchange Status Checker" tool would give you an accurate indication of your exchanges likely "Mkt2014" classification ?
Hopefully OFCOM will come to their senses and do away completely with tiered pricing, as the existing "Market" system clearly doesn't work. 

[#10]

In an ideal world; they would do away with the "market" pricing; however they would also sort out the issues that mean I cannot switch product without paying substantially more as I don't wish to (& can't) switch my phoneline away from BT (this is not just PN - having spoken with Sky; line rental with Sky is mandatory to get any of their packages  )

[#11]

For informational purposes only
From http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/
My Exchange is going from 3 to B

Quote

Enabled: 27 May 2002 Market: 3 Mkt2014: B

[#12]

Thank you everyone, my exchange will go from Market 1 to B; I did not know I could look this up.  Spraxyt's idea of a review option seems to be the best one, lets hope my negotiating skills are up to it.     

[#13]

Like the above, im in the same boat. due to go from high cost market 1 to market B but the question is when?

[#14]

I believe the intention was that the revised regulatory framework would be introduced in April 2014. However that depends on Ofcom publishing their final report in February 2014 to allow BT to give the required 28 days notice of any pricing changes.

[#15]

Any sign of this report due in February?
At the moment im hanging off renewing a line rental saver with plusnet as the LLU options availablet to me ( on an exchange where apparently BT are the sole provider)  are somewhat cheaper