One of our shops has a phone line with AAPT – just history, that’s the company the premises were connected with when we took over. Been paying $30 a month line rental. Got letter in mail today from AAPT saying our old plan no longer available, and we’re being moved onto a plan called AAPT At Work – NTC. The small print in the attached brochure says line rental is $39.95 a month. That’s a 30% increase!

So I check the APPT web site. There are only 2 business plans listed, the one mentioned above and a second called AAPT At Work. It’s $29.95 a month, with a 12 month contract. I rang AAPT, on hold for 15 minutes, the guy tells me I can’t have the $29.95 a month for a reason I don’t really understand.

He confirmed the $39.95 a month is the only plan available to us.

How do these companies get away with this? Do they presume that we won’t read the small print, or be too apathetic to take action?

How can a company increase its rates by more than 30%? I’m sure I’ve read somewhere AAPT is in financial difficulty. They deserve to fail.