We belong to an organisation that puts you in touch with pet-sitters when you go away. People who can look after your house and animals while you're on holiday. And it was coming up for renewal, wasn't it? The subscription, yes.我们加入了一个组织，当你外出时，它会帮你联系宠物看护的人。他们可以在你度假期间照顾你的房子和动物。而我们的会员马上要续费了，是吗？对，就是订阅服务。

Every year. Fine. But what they didn't tell us was it was more expensive than the previous year.每年都要续费，好吧。但他们没告诉我们的是，这次续费比前一年更贵。

And what's more, it was more expensive, a lot more expensive than new customers were going to pay. We're looking at customers' loyalty. It wasn't the first time that we found out that we as existing customers were paying more for a product than new customers coming on.更糟的是，这次续费比新客户要付的钱贵得多。我们说的就是对老顾客忠诚度的“惩罚”。这不是第一次我们发现，作为老客户，我们反而比新客户付更多钱。

We're not the only ones. In the UK, Citizens Advice, which is an independent charity, have recently complained to a government department about these loyalty penalties, which people are paying in essential markets. Yes, now these essential markets, they include things like paying for your mobile, broadband, home insurance is a big one, bank savings and mortgages.我们并不是唯一的例子。在英国，一个独立慈善机构“公民咨询局”最近向政府部门投诉这种“忠诚惩罚”，它出现在很多基本民生市场里。是的，这些基本市场包括手机套餐、宽带、家庭保险（这个特别严重）、银行储蓄和房屋贷款。

They're all more expensive for their loyal customers than for new people joining. Yeah, their existing customers. Up to 64% of consumers didn't know that they were being charged either the same or much more than newer customers.这些服务对长期客户来说都比对新加入的人更贵。是的，就是说对老客户更贵。多达 64% 的消费者甚至不知道自己被收取的费用要么和新客户一样高，要么更高。

Yes, and they found that 8 in 10 bill payers are currently charged significantly higher prices for remaining with their existing supplier rather than getting a new supplier. And I suppose, Richard, part of this is because of privatisation. In the past, a lot of these – especially gas and electricity, things like that – the government provided those.是的，而且他们发现，十分之八的账单付款人因为继续使用原服务商，而不是更换新服务商，被收取了明显更高的费用。我想，Richard，这部分原因是私有化导致的。过去很多服务——特别是燃气、电力之类——都是政府提供的。

And now you have to go and look, and it's difficult to choose which company to go for. And when they've got special offers to attract new customers, that's got to be paid for by someone. So, we're feeling very sympathetic towards these people, especially because of our own situation.而现在你必须自己去选择，挑选哪家公司很麻烦。而且企业为了吸引新客户会推出特价优惠，而这些成本总得由某些人承担。所以我们对这些被多收费的人很同情，尤其是因为我们自己也遇到了类似的情况。

However, Richard... Yes? I'm wondering whether this might change your mind. OK. Now, we have a couple of dogs and we go to the supermarket and we buy dog food.不过呢，Richard……什么？我在想这件事可能会改变你的看法。好，现在我们有几只狗，我们去超市买狗粮。

Yes. We can choose to switch to a different brand if we discover that it's cheaper. We have the option to do that.对。如果我们发现另一种品牌更便宜，就可以换品牌。我们完全可以这样做。

Yes. And it would actually be very nonsensical of us to stay with our normal brand if it has become more expensive. Do you agree with that? If the quality is identical, you go for the cheaper the product.是的。如果我们发现平常买的品牌变贵了，还坚持不换，那其实很不明智。你同意吗？如果品质一样，当然选便宜的。

Right. OK. Because this is all about a competitive market.好的。因为这一切都与竞争性市场有关。

And competition is for the benefit of the consumers. And so, if you're going to have a competitive market, this includes switching from one brand to another. Loyalty doesn't pay.而竞争是为了让消费者获益。所以在竞争市场里，你就应该在品牌之间切换。忠诚并不划算。

Right. OK. So, there is less sympathy for people being penalised for being loyal if, in fact, they just need to do a little bit more work and go for the cheaper brand.好的。所以如果消费者只需要稍微动动手，就能找到更便宜的品牌，那么他们因忠诚而被多收费，别人可能就不太同情了。

It's just like buying in a supermarket. I'm not so sure about that. Obviously, there's more to it, isn't there, Richard? Because in the supermarket, the switching is very simple, isn't it? You just choose the other brand.这就像在超市购物。我不太确定哦，显然事情没那么简单，是吧 Richard？因为在超市换品牌很容易，你只要拿另一包就行了。

Exactly. And I think what's happened nowadays, it's much more difficult to switch from one brand to another. And there are often penalties.没错。但现在情况更复杂了，从一个品牌切换到另一个往往非常困难，而且还会有罚金或额外费用。

And also, if it's an auto-renewal subscription, then that price increase should be communicated to customers.而且如果是自动续订的订阅服务，价格上涨应该明确告知客户。

Definitely. Actually, recently we changed our web host that hosts the site, Podcast in English.没错。事实上，我们最近更换了为 "Podcast in English" 网站提供服务的网络主机。

I didn't choose the very cheapest host. I chose one a bit more expensive because their renewal price didn't actually go up that much. You're computer savvy, you see.我没有选择最便宜的那家，而是选了稍微贵一点的，因为他们续费的涨幅不大。你是电脑高手嘛。

So, at the end of the day, if you know there are cheaper options out there but don't switch, that's your problem. However, if you stay with a brand who is overcharging because the barriers to switching, you know, it's too expensive or it's difficult to understand, those barriers are too big, then that is not acceptable.所以，最终如果你明明知道外面有更便宜的选择却不切换，那是你自己的问题。但如果你因为转换成本太高、太复杂，而被迫留在一家乱收费的公司，那就不可接受了。

But really, people are going to be less sympathetic to us because we can find out about the switching and go for the cheaper option.但说实话，别人对我们不会太同情，因为我们有能力查到替代方案，也能选择更便宜的选项。