43 replies to this topic

[pgdownload]

Obviousman, on Jan 22 2011, 06:17 PM, said:

What a crock. I don't watch sports or lifestyle, so these new channels mean zero to me... but I get slugged an extra $4 per month. I'm giving serious consideration to having the service disconnected.

Austar's churn rate (people disconnecting) is about 1.5% a year. If I was a betting person I'd say you'll be in the 98.5% group for 2011

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[xJTx]

killer1500, on Jan 21 2011, 10:24 AM, said:

At least Box Office HD On Demand (Austar Anytime) is coming soon.

Coming Soon? Austar have stated maybe by end of year, but knowing them it will be mid next year. Either way, don't expect it soon.

[BamBBBam]

pgdownload, on Jan 22 2011, 04:34 PM, said:

Austar's churn rate (people disconnecting) is about 1.5% a year.

So the average subscriber stays for 66 years?

[pgdownload]

BamBBBam, on Jan 22 2011, 10:45 PM, said:

So the average subscriber stays for 66 years?

Did think I shouldn't rely on memory on that one. The churn rate is actually 1.2% per month. So about 15% a year.

Still happy to lay odds on the 85%

Regards

Peter Gillespie

[nutmeg1]

I thought "churning"was applicable if you had another option to go to eg ISP for internet.
With austar there is no other option you either subscribe or miss out as you have no other choice.

[OzyDave]

pgdownload, on Jan 23 2011, 12:32 AM, said:

Did think I shouldn't rely on memory on that one. The churn rate is actually 1.2% per month. So about 15% a year.

Still happy to lay odds on the 85%

Regards

Peter Gillespie

15% per year when the alternative is disconnection? Wow. If they had genuine competition I reckon the churn rate would go to 40% or more.

[SLE355]

Looks like i'm one of the 15% as of the 10th of feb, and yes I am churning

[ozjad]

I will also be joining the cancellation queue in February.

[BamBBBam]

Makes me wonder how many "disconnections" are really just putting in a 'second' foxtel box from a city cousin?

[davidhes]

BamBBBam, on Jan 23 2011, 01:34 PM, said:

Makes me wonder how many "disconnections" are really just putting in a 'second' foxtel box from a city cousin?

You can do that?? And how?? I have family in who subscribe to foxtel however I am in an austar area. How would I go about doing this?

[viewer]

Justy get the city person/friend to get an extra outlet and box fitted at $19 for the extra one per month, same channel package, and relocate the box onto your expired austar dish. Obviously against terms and conditions, but easily doable.Then just split his/her monthly bill between you.

[DrP]

Just be aware that Foxtel may introduce the policy that Austar has - ie, when a fault occurs in a residence with more than one receiver, even if the fault only concerns one receiver, the person that attends 'checks' the others to make sure they are working as well.  Obviously if the other receiver(s) are not present that's going to raise some red flags somewhere.

[davidhes]

DrP, on Jan 23 2011, 04:50 PM, said:

Just be aware that Foxtel may introduce the policy that Austar has - ie, when a fault occurs in a residence with more than one receiver, even if the fault only concerns one receiver, the person that attends 'checks' the others to make sure they are working as well.  Obviously if the other receiver(s) are not present that's going to raise some red flags somewhere.

Wow so it's as simple as plugging it into the same ports and it will work? Nothing needs to be setup on the box specific to my area? As I am in Townsville and thy are in Brisbane. I am so doing it if that's all you need to do. Do foxtel offer self installations? I.e they will send a box out without charging you install fee for the extra one, as there are already spare ports in their house, they just don't use them ATM.

[ozbrit]

davidhes, on Jan 23 2011, 09:07 PM, said:

Wow so it's as simple as plugging it into the same ports and it will work? Nothing needs to be setup on the box specific to my area? As I am in Townsville and thy are in Brisbane. I am so doing it if that's all you need to do. Do foxtel offer self installations? I.e they will send a box out without charging you install fee for the extra one, as there are already spare ports in their house, they just don't use them ATM.

They have to be on Foxtel satellite. Most City users are Foxtel cable and that won't work for Austar. You also need to be aware that if you're satellite wiring is a few years old it'll only be good for a standard box and not one of the newer boxes with recording capability ie mystar, IQ etc.

Edited by ozbrit, 24 January 2011 - 09:06 AM.

[davidhes]

They are on satellite and I currently have Mystar HD so sounds like i'm good to go! Parents are coming to visit soon, might get them to bring their foxtel box and can test it out. Then I can say goodbye to Austar forever!!

[Karlston]

ozjad, on Jan 23 2011, 08:37 AM, said:

I will also be joining the cancellation queue in February.

Just be aware that Austar has a T & C that says you must give them a month's notice.  In other words, you may need to keep and pay for an extra month.

The drone threw that at me when I called to cancel early last December.

I told them it was not in the T & C in 2001 when I took up the service. Didn't matter she said... strike 1...

I told them (AFAIK) that any change to T & C that is "detrimental" to the customer, is void. No it isn't she said... strike 2...

Now I'm pissed off, I just want to get rid of this overpriced service with its flaky hardware right now, so I told them I refuse to pay that extra month and will make sure there's insufficient funds in the account when they try to direct debit it, and also will cancel the direct debit instruction with the bank.

Then she mentioned debt collectors, credit ratings,... I angrily told her that Austar could do their worst, I'll never need another loan or credit card, and will happily ignore any debt collectors...

Eventually she backed down, got authorisation from her supervisor to cancel the service immediately, no more to pay. CRACK... home run...

The moral of the story... persist...

And no, I don't miss Austar one little bit.

[Bobbsy]

I'm genuinely curious about the economics that make Austar more expensive because "it's not metropolitan".

If Austar was trying to deliver a cable service, I could certainly see this with the distances involved.  However, since it's a satellite system--and all the content is on the satellite for Foxtel distribution anyway--surely their delivery costs should be lower than Foxtel who have to lay many thousands of miles of cable around the major capitals (or, at least, pay Telstra for access to the cabling).

To me it appears that the Austar operating costs should in fact be lower.  Or is it simply what they're being charged by content providers and the satellite owners for access to the signals?  If so, then these extra costs are very artificial.

As I say, I'm genuinely interested.  My background prior to retirement was in the satellite industry--but at the "wholesale" end, not direct to home services.

Bob

[BamBBBam]

It depends whether Austar buy transponder space direct from Optus, or as a 'sub-buy' from Foxtel.

[skooter]

They have to send installers out to whoop whoop too for a $29 install...