The UFC-Que Choosing Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Free and La Poste Mobile, which have the bad habit of directing their customers to mobile plans not adapted to their needs, and therefore too expensive.
Even if some well -known operators are increasing fairly regularly and often discreetly their prices in recent years, a week has been without a telephone operator has been spending a special offer on one or more packages. In fact, we even witness spectacular decreases, operators engaged in a real trade war.
But you still have to find your way among all the offers! For this, many users decide to go to telephony shops in order to obtain advice and a little human contact. However, against all odds, it is not necessarily a good idea. The Consumption Observatory of the UFC-Que Choisir has published two surveys On sales methods in telephony stores. The association sent false customers to 789 telephony and post office shops. Gold, 4 out of 10 customers were advised with a package that does not meet their needs, and therefore more expensive than what they really needed. And that is without counting on certain morally questionable business practices …
Telephony stores: packages not adapted to needs
While they were looking for a basic mobile offer for a 12 -year -old child, 43 % of false customers were oriented towards a more expensive by sellers. La Poste Mobile – which has just been bought by Bouygues Telecom – is a bad student, with only 45 % of good advised packages. In discharge, however, prices remain very reasonable – this is where the bill is the lowest. False customers get out of € 8.22 per month on average, even if a € 4.99 formula exists. Conversely, Orange has 64 % of good packages, but prices are excessively high, with an average price of € 12.47 per month.
Among other operators, correct answers are 61 % for SFR, 57 % for Bouygues Telecom and 51 % at Free. For the latter, the UFC-Que Choisir Note that he “Orients near one mystery customer out of two to a plan at € 8.99 for a year, then € 19.99, while an offer at € 2 would have been enough.”
The advice given depend on the customer’s head. When he knows nothing about it, the entry-level formulas have generally passed over in silence. The customer is rather oriented towards packages and more expensive phones, especially if it is an elderly or speaking French person, who constitutes an ideal target. All means are good for selling the maximum of Go. Besides, 43 % of mysteries have not seen themselves requesting their data needs by the seller, that is to say.
Some advisers take advantage of the lack of knowledge of customers to overflow them, for example by making them buy a new smartphone at 300 € supposed to be more suitable for the new package. Likewise, 57 % of the sellers did not mention the cost of the SIM card, which can still amount to around fifteen euros depending on the operator.
Telephony stores: risks of abuse and overcharging
Please note, you should not completely throw the stone to the sellers either. Their behavior results mainly from their disproportionate sales objectives and poorly thought out remuneration systems. They face enormous pressure and must have the maximum number of contracts signed to achieve their sales objectives and receive commissions, which are higher as the contracts are more expensive. As for managers, they are paid according to the results of their team, which pushes them to put pressure on them. Result: telephone shops are governed by the culture of profit rather than the search for customer satisfaction. According to testimonies, some sellers even go so far as to sign documents to customers without telling them that they were committed to an offer, or even to subscribe to them!
Afterwards, the situation should not be generalized, which varies according to the shops, but it still shows a certain tendency which calls for vigilance. In order not to be fooled, the UFC-Que Choisir advises to identify its needs beforehand, in particular with regard to the quantity of data. Arcep has calculated that French consume an average of 14 GB of data per month, while 32 % have a 100 GB or more package. Keep in mind that pay more for more gigas is to throw money out the windows!
It is also essential to inquire about mobile offers upstream on the internet. It is possible to do so in a few clicks on the sites of operators or with independent comparators – you can also help you with our permanent guide. Do not hesitate to play the competition to have better prices!
Besides, you can change operator very easily. You don’t even have to terminate your old contract, since it is the new operator who takes care of all the steps! And by opting for portability, you keep your phone number. And don’t forget to look at the Low Cost subsidiaries of operators (Sosh, B & You, Redbysfr) and the MVNO. Finally, if you absolutely want to go through a telephone shop, favor the beginnings of months, when the sellers have no visibility on the achievement of their commercial objectives. You will be less likely to be abuse before the 15th of the month. Please note, shopping in stores do not benefit from any rights of withdrawal, unlike online subscriptions.