SPK- Spark NZ (TELCO)

[Snoopy]

I'm one of those, not 2 & 3 but easier than trying to change everything. Thought I think the Fibre price is not too far away from anyone else, all these so called cheaper options are only for the first 3, 6 months etc or the speed or data amount limited

May Find the other will do the same e.g. 2 degrees etc

Vodafone (ONE) just ditched it all together, had no option!

I am with 2 degrees and I am already paying $10.95 a month for my mailbox only account (no internet access). So Spark at $5.95 a month looks like an absolute bargain to me. To me a credible ISP must run their own mailbox system. Do I really want my e-mail with some US outfit in the cloud? What do you do if something goes wrong? It is quite obvious that the cost of providing an e-mail server is not free. With more and more competition in the market for broadband, these cross subsidised products eventually have to unwind so that users pay their actual costs. You are kidding yourself if you really believe you are getting 'free' e-mail. Your 'free' e-mail account with your US provider becomes an asset, access to which your provider can then sell to those paying for an advertising banner when you log into your e-mail website. Spark e-mail has always been cross subsidised, even if it was only part of a packaged link to get you to sign up to a 'Spark broadband deal'. But when the cross subsidy is removed, then people start whinging? Well, this is just part and parcel of what an open broadband market is all about. Plenty of options out there if you want to go the 'free' internet e-mail account way.

Because of their lack of e-mail facilities I personally would never sign up with Vodaphone for broadband, whatever the price.

SNOOPY

[Ferg]

Because of their lack of e-mail facilities I personally would never sign up with Vodaphone for broadband, whatever the price.

All the more reason to separate your e-mail provider from your ISP. This means you can change ISP without the hassle of changing e-mail address.

OT I know but I have used free gMail for over 20 years and they never sold my address. It was me signing up for silly things in the past few years that got me onto various spam lists plus a secondary account has never had spam. However, today I took the plunge and subscribed for a not free plan at a cost of $34.99 p.a. to give me more features. A bargain compared to Spark.

[850man]

All the more reason to separate your e-mail provider from your ISP. This means you can change ISP without the hassle of changing e-mail address.

OT I know but I have used free gMail for over 20 years and they never sold my address. It was me signing up for silly things in the past few years that got me onto various spam lists plus a secondary account has never had spam. However, today I took the plunge and subscribed for a not free plan at a cost of $34.99 p.a. to give me more features. A bargain compared to Spark.

I'm with you on this one Freg. ISPs offer email to keep people tied to their internet service and nothing more. I also don't believe any of them offer in-house email these days, may appear that way but it's just branding and will be hosted by Microsoft in reality. Spark don't even host email for their employees, it's all in Microsoft Exchange online. Decoupling email and Internet services gives you freedom to move around for the best deal.

[mistaTea]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/spark-...JHX4IQSIZ7SXM/

Well, I mean it could have been worse I suppose.

At least they weren't selling tickets to a one-legged man for an a$$-kicking contest!

[see weed]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/spark-...JHX4IQSIZ7SXM/

Well, I mean it could have been worse I suppose.

At least they weren't selling tickets to a one-legged man for an a$$-kicking contest!

You made my day. That is funny. As for the email charge, if you can't beat them, then join them. I am in the process of buying up lots of SPK for the div. so am not too concerned with a $5.95 per month fee. That is one pot of green tea at a cafe. And it is tax deductible, or you could buy 300 shares in SPK and the div will pay your your yearly email cost.

[ratkin]

The thing with xtra mail is that the people who have had it for 20+ years and not bothered to move to other, better, free options, are likely to be one of a few things:

1) don't want to change their email address so will pay to keep it
2) don't know how to change their email address so will pay to keep it
3) won't look at their bill/ever notice the cost increase and will pay to keep it

I don't think it's a big deal like you are making it out to be

I will likely keep although it is annoying. Have had the same address for over 20 years.
I think this might backfire on them. A few times over the years I thought of changing to
cheaper companies, and it was actually losing my email address that put me off. Now I am
more likely to look at cheaper alternatives for my internet.

I should sit down and go through my emails and change my settings on websites etc, to a gmail.
Question is, can I be bothered? For 5 dollars per Month, probably not

[Bjauck]

I'm one of those, not 2 & 3 but easier than trying to change everything. Thought I think the Firbre price is not too far away from anyone else, all these so called cheaper options are only for the first 3, 6 months etc or the speed or data amount limited

May Find the other will do the same e.g. 2 degrees etc

Vodafone (ONE) just ditched it all together, had no option!

Yep. Xtra is being kinder than Vod/Ihug as at least you can keep the email address if you want for a fee - for now anyway.

At least phone numbers are now portable to a different provider.

[Grimy]

I will likely keep although it is annoying. Have had the same address for over 20 years.
I think this might backfire on them. A few times over the years I thought of changing to
cheaper companies, and it was actually losing my email address that put me off. Now I am
more likely to look at cheaper alternatives for my internet.

I should sit down and go through my emails and change my settings on websites etc, to a gmail.
Question is, can I be bothered? For 5 dollars per Month, probably not

Pretty much my situation too. And I probably won't be bothered to change either. What will make me change is if/when I decide to stop being a Spark customer.

[clip]

I will likely keep although it is annoying. Have had the same address for over 20 years.
I think this might backfire on them. A few times over the years I thought of changing to
cheaper companies, and it was actually losing my email address that put me off. Now I am
more likely to look at cheaper alternatives for my internet.

I should sit down and go through my emails and change my settings on websites etc, to a gmail.
Question is, can I be bothered? For 5 dollars per Month, probably not

You should look at what plan you are on now, vs what plans they have available. If you haven't changed for a long time, you may find you can get the same thing or better/faster, for cheaper than what you are paying now - and keep the email address.

This depends on where you live and what type of internet you need/want, how much data you use etc. But you can get standard everyday fibre for $81 a month - might already be cheaper than what you're on now?

Everyday fibre $81/month
Standard fibre $91/month

[Jay]

I should sit down and go through my emails and change my settings on websites etc, to a gmail.
Question is, can I be bothered? For 5 dollars per Month, probably not

I'm with you on this, however signing up to anything "new" will use another email from now on