Plusnet changing services

robins66

I recently changed to Plus net for my phone and broadband and was influenced by the free international calls as my brother lives in Australia.
I have just received an email saying that the free minutes to international destinations will be stopped from January, which means I will incurr additional costs to ring my brother.
I am tied into a contract for 12 months. It doesn't seem right that they can just change the calling plan.
What are my rights?
:mad:

JustPassingBy

robins66 wrote: »

What are my rights?

http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/index.html#talk

Section 43 onwards.

robins66

Thanks for your quick response.
Section 46 suggests that I may be able to cancel and go elsewhere without incurring penalty charges. I have emailed Plusnet for clarification/confirmation.

spheric

You might be interested to read the description of plusnet's contract structure I've posted here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/39211274#Comment_39211274

In short, you most likely aren't on a 12 month contract and are free to leave. Unfortunately, if you took a free router and set-up from them you might have to pay that back.

robins66

We paid for anew line to be installed and took broadband and phone service, which did include a free wireless router.
They have confirmed that I can cancel if I wish due to their changes but didn't answer the question about cancellation charges/costs. I sent them a second email asking them again if I would be charged and received a response saying, ' sorry you're leaving but unfortunately we cannot deal with cancellations by email. Please ring 0845.... between 9am and 5.30pm.'
They STILL haven't answered the question.

saygoodbyetothese

I know how you feel - we've recently switched to Plusnet and before we've even had the first bill they've emailed us to say that line rental is going up, the broadband speed is less than they estimated and free evening calls don't start until 7pm! Grrrrr!

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

robins66 wrote: »

They have confirmed that I can cancel if I wish due to their changes but didn't answer the question about cancellation charges/costs. I sent them a second email asking them again if I would be charged and received a response saying, ' sorry you're leaving but unfortunately we cannot deal with cancellations by email. Please ring 0845.... between 9am and 5.30pm.'
They STILL haven't answered the question.

The Plusnet forums are the best support route (IMO) and there's usually Plusnet staff on there around the clock.

robins66

I have just spoken to Plusnet customer options centre. Apparently, if I choose to cancel, I will have to pay £90. This is £25 FREE activation fee, £25 de-activation fee and £40 for the router that they GAVE me.
I am advised that Plusnet customers are not on contracts. That's strange! I am certain the agreement I entered into said sign up for a 12 month contract as detailed below:
Broadband with a 12 month contract: There's a £25 activation charge but we'll give you this free if you add Home Phone to your order. We'll also give you a free wireless router worth £40.

· Free broadband activation option
Choose a 12 month contract and add our home phone service to get free broadband activation worth £25
· Fast speed up to 20Mb
Get your speed estimate by clicking 'check availability'
· 60GB usage allowance
More than the most eager internet user could want
· Unlimited overnight usage
Do as much as you like between midnight and 8am without eating into your 60GB allowance
Free wireless router
We'll give you an easy setup wireless router worth £40 if you sign up for 12 months

System

46 - If we have made a change which is to your material disadvantage, you will not have to pay a charge (excludes any charges or payments we have deferred) if you decide to end your agreement early, unless the price guide says otherwise. However, once we have told you about such a change, you must let us know that you want to end the agreement within 10 days.

This suggests that you should only pay for things that you would of after the 12 month period was up. Clearly the activation & router charges are out.

Assuming your migrating to another provider/s and not just turning off your phoneline/broadband then im not sure why a deactivation charge would apply?!

Sounds, to me, like Plusnet are just chancing their arm!

robins66 wrote: »

I have just spoken to Plusnet customer options centre. Apparently, if I choose to cancel, I will have to pay £90. This is £25 FREE activation fee, £25 de-activation fee and £40 for the router that they GAVE me.
I am advised that Plusnet customers are not on contracts. That's strange! I am certain the agreement I entered into said sign up for a 12 month contract as detailed below:
Broadband with a 12 month contract: There's a £25 activation charge but we'll give you this free if you add Home Phone to your order. We'll also give you a free wireless router worth £40.

· Free broadband activation option
Choose a 12 month contract and add our home phone service to get free broadband activation worth £25
· Fast speed up to 20Mb
Get your speed estimate by clicking 'check availability'
· 60GB usage allowance
More than the most eager internet user could want
· Unlimited overnight usage
Do as much as you like between midnight and 8am without eating into your 60GB allowance
Free wireless router
We'll give you an easy setup wireless router worth £40 if you sign up for 12 months

robins66

:(Plusnet haven't responded to last nights query, where I attached an extract from their website. I have spoken to Ofcom who have agreed that they believe this is a contract and that Plusnet cannot charge when they have made detrimenta changes to the contract.
I was advised that Plusnet must comply with Ofcom's general conditions section 9.3. They MUST also give 30 days notice of any detrimental changes, which again, in my case they haven't, as they emailed me on 7th December with changes to take effect on 4th January.
I did advise that there are a number of other people being treated in this shoddy manner and they have registered a complaint on my behalf.

spheric

I've been acting as an attack dog for a friend who isn't brilliant at getting stuck in.

I, like robins66, got in touch with Plusnet using their help assistant (email ticketing) system, and was told to ring the customer options team. (which seems analogous to a retention department)

The guy on the customer options team read the ticket, and must've been delighted to have me foaming at the mouth. He was surprisingly honest: he was able to offer a small discount on broadband charges to offset some of the price increases (about £3 p/m), but the contractual issue is above his pay grade.

He's asked me to write in about the deficiency in notice period. Perhaps in the hope that I'll be put off, or perhaps simply so it lands on someone else's desk. I've written the letter (with the OFCOM mention, thanks robins66!) and we'll see what they do.

In theory, if they try to enforce the new terms on Jan 4th they can be held in breach of the original agreement. If the OFCOM guidelines are right too, they may have acted unlawfully and there might be some remedy through trading standards or OFCOM.

If anyone else is looking for the OFCOM General Conditions of Entitlement, or more specifically for the relevent clause (9.3, page 21) then they're here:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/ga-scheme/general-conditions/