Plusnet

janem72

Hi,

I have been a customer of Plusnet for a few years now, and always found they had great service. But four months ago I requested a change of direct debit date as my husband had changed jobs and got paid on a different date. I have chased this up with phone calls to customer services each month since and have been told they will change it.

I called again yesterday to ask again why the request had not been done, as I was told again it would, to be told that Plusnet cannot change direct debit dates, the date your service was connected when you first joined cannot be changed.

I was quite surprised as I had not heard of a company not being able to change the date before? I requested my MAC code from them yesterday after hearing this, after four months of phone calls regarding it. It's a shame as I like them as a company, and the service for phone and broadband is good, but currently by DD comes out a week before payday, and with a family it's not idea.

Is this normal for a company not to let you change your DD date?

Jane

macman

Your monthly fee is normally due to be paid a month in advance. Could you not ask them if it's possible to make a manual payment for one month to put the account into credit, then resume the DD a month or so later on the required date?

only_mee

Yeah i read elsewhere recently plusnet can't change the date, (they are looking into changing it in the future) although sky are able to and you can even diy yourself online

Buzby

Many companies have no facility to do what you suggest. The dates are based on your billing date, and there is no flexibility to alter this. Just as you didn't choose the original date the only way to force the issue is to explain you are leaving. This will either get you a virtual termination and a restart, or you will genuinely have to go to another supplier.

The other solution is to cancel the DD and pay when you have the funds available.

janem72

I tried that macman, but they would not allow it still.

I did explain to them that I am leaving yesterday, and the reason why, this was after countless calls to get the DD date moved, to only be told yesterday they cannot do it, well I was told they can but it's too hard work to do it, but it can be done and will take 6 weeks to do. The thing I do not understand is, I changed from broadband to Optic earlier in the year, and I was told this would be a new contract etc, yet the DD date still did not change

Unfortunatly the charge date is a week before payday so even paying by card would not be great as the amount differs each month too, it's a shame as I would like to stay with them, as they have been great in the past...should get my mac code today, so time to start looking around

Jane

Buzby

There was really no change (except for your router). You are on the same contract, same copper connection (no fibre - that is still upstream of you, but perhaps in a street nearby instead of the exchange). All that genuinely happened was you had the minimum term reimposed - you will have the same customer number too!

Unless you are offered the option when signing up, choosing a debit date (which used to be allowed by the banks) was dropped in favour of 'take what you want, when you want, as often as you want' - officially called an 'unspecified amounts on unspecified dates' mandate.

cajef

janem72 wrote: »

o. The thing I do not understand is, I changed from broadband to Optic earlier in the year, and I was told this would be a new contract etc,

You do realise that if you changed to Fibre earlier this year you started a new 18 month contract and cancellation charges will apply if you leave.

Surely it is not difficult to budget monthly and allow for your payments for your service.

skintsmiffy

I have the same problem right now. It's ridiculous that an ISP/IT based company cannot alter DD dates! And as for Cajef's comment on budgeting, thats not really helpful, thing happen every month with families that mean your skint come pay day.

cajef

skintsmiffy wrote: »

And as for Cajef's comment on budgeting, thats not really helpful, thing happen every month with families that mean your skint come pay day.

Believe it or not I have brought a family up, if we could not afford things we went without, if you are that skint that you cannot budget for something then don't have it.

tronator

macman wrote: »

Your monthly fee is normally due to be paid a month in advance. Could you not ask them if it's possible to make a manual payment for one month to put the account into credit, then resume the DD a month or so later on the required date?

Why not leaving that amount sitting in her bank account then? Would have the same effect...