MSE News: TalkTalk and Plusnet customers to be hit by price hikes

snowcat53

Rang Plusnet. Negotiated after I said wanted to leave - they have given me new customer rate with half price broadband for 9 months Also paid 12m line rental up front reducing this from 14.50 to 10.49 a month

So well worth phoning them (wait was about 10 mins)

Good luck

espresso

snowcat53 wrote: »

Espresso -You accuse me of being unable to understand plain English - that is rude. If you had said 'no you are wrong' that would be blunt but not rude.

You seem to be a apologist for Plusnet and are defending them despite what I see as a lack of clarity and candour. They bury the right to move in the small print at the bottom of the email (yes it is indeed there on close inspection), and I at first missed the clause 'without moving to another provider' in the text. I expect companies to play fair and I do not expect to have read small print or messages over 3 pages of a forum to get the simple facts.

It is not rude, you didn't understand the plain English simply because you couldn't be bothered to read all of the information provided to you before having your hissy fit, making you look like an idiot.

I am certainly not an apologist for Plusnet. I have never been a customer, I do not like their business model or their really annoying media advertising but I bet that you will not move to another better supplier.

l_jane

So - for talk talk only if we've paid the line rental for the year in full upfront, is this sum going to go up - ie. are they going to ask for more money from me?

Secondly, if I've negotiated my broadband contract down, will this increase too?

As a long-standing TT customer my major 'beef' with them is that they offer great deal to new customers - MSE had line rental AND broadband together working out overall (with vouchers) at less than £7 p/m not so long ago - by offering them vouchers but refuse to offer these to existing customers to renew. Giving new customers £80 for signing with one hand whilst increasing the rates for their existing customers with the other hardly seems fair or a way to keep them happy.

My line is so crackly we can't use it to make phone calls, so to pay £9+ a month is always irritating. Fortunately we pay less than £1.60 p/m ontop for unlimited broadband so it works out ok.

Plusnet_company_representative

Hi,

bendaw wrote: »

Mr Plusnet, just to be absolutely clear
1 I was out of contract and leaving Plusnet and Retentions persuaded me to stay by offering me a new two year fixed contract.
2 You don't dispute that the new contract fixed charges for two years

The agent you spoke to will have been oblivious to any planned price increase. They offered you a price in good faith that it would remain static for the duration of the contract.

bendaw wrote: »

3 You maintain that my agreement to the first contract several years ago will always apply no matter what is agreed in any subsequent contract.

Kind of. There are terms of service that are applicable to all of our customers all of the time and these terms are presented upon sign-up. Much of this is completely irrespective of any profit forgone contract or pricing deal you're now part of.

bendaw wrote: »

3 This first contract allowed you to increase charges so the new fixed price contract is not valid

It's important not to confuse our terms of service with that of a retention deal or special offer.

bendaw wrote: »

5 Is Plusnet not in breach of contract for not adhering to the terms of my new two year fixed price contract?

No.

bendaw wrote: »

6 Is Plusnet admitting that Retentions lied to me as there is no such thing as a fixed price contract?

No, they didn't lie to you. The person you spoke to will not have been aware of the price increase in October.

oldagetraveller wrote: »

Even on the PN forum someone else has posted it is "confused.com" and Mr Pullen "believes" certain changes are correct. They've certainly made a complete horses backside of these price increases!
If a PN rep. is not sure, it's no wonder customers are having to ask for clarification.

I *am* sure, it was just a figure of speech. I'm not a betting man but I'd warrant a guess that the majority of those who are confused are the ones trying to make sense of the changes before the receipt of their email.

To be honest, the changes *are* confusing if you're wanting to understand all the implications for all the various account types/customer profiles we have. If you concentrate just on your own circumstances and the email we send to you though then things should be much, much easier to comprehend.

Best regards,

Bob Pullen

2010

Great service from TalkTalk

Part of the email I recieved today:

Renew your Value Line Rental to save up to £65.40

Last year you paid for your line rental in one upfront payment and saved up to £60. You are now coming to the end of that year so we want to give you the opportunity to make these savings again by renewing Value Line Rental for a further 12 months.

Just renew your Value Line Rental before October 2013 by making a one-off card payment of £114 and you will continue to save up to £65.40 overall for the year. This works out at just £9.50 a month, compared to paying the standard monthly line rental*. It also means you won’t have to worry about paying line rental each month and it’s cheaper than BT, Sky and Virgin Media.


Please make sure you renew before 29th September as the Value Line Rental price will be increasing from £114 to £126 a year

bendaw

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
Mr Plusnet, just to be absolutely clear
1 I was out of contract and leaving Plusnet and Retentions persuaded me to stay by offering me a new two year fixed contract.
2 You don't dispute that the new contract fixed charges for two years

Plusnet response
The agent you spoke to will have been oblivious to any planned price increase. They offered you a price in good faith that it would remain static for the duration of the contract.

That is plainly not credible
Plusnet prices increased within four weeks of my fixed two year contract.
a) How can you seriously claim that Plusnet Retentions were not aware of this?
b) How can you seriously say that your agent didn't expect prices to increase over that two year period
c) To have any credence whatsoever, please support your excuses by giving dates of any two year period when Plusnet didn't increase their prices.

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
3 You maintain that my agreement to the first contract several years ago will always apply no matter what is agreed in any subsequent contract.

Plusnet response
Kind of. There are terms of service that are applicable to all of our customers all of the time and these terms are presented upon sign-up. Much of this is completely irrespective of any profit forgone contract or pricing deal you're now part of.

a) No weasel words, are you stating that anyone's first contract would allow price increases and that that will take precedence over any future contract even when a new fixed price contract is offered by Plusnet Retentions?

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
3 This first contract allowed you to increase charges so the new fixed price contract is not valid

Plusnet response
It's important not to confuse our terms of service with that of a retention deal or special offer.

Ok, nicely sidestepped. Please answer the question "Are you saying that this first contract allowed you to increase charges so the new fixed price contract is not valid"

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
5 Is Plusnet not in breach of contract for not adhering to the terms of my new two year fixed price contract?

Plusnet response
No

Please give a reason why Plusnet is not in breach of contract

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
6 Is Plusnet admitting that Retentions lied to me as there is no such thing as a fixed price contract?
Plusnet response
No, they didn't lie to you. The person you spoke to will not have been aware of the price increase in October.

That is plainly not credible
Plusnet prices increased within four weeks of my fixed two year contract.
a) How can you seriously claim that Plusnet Retentions were not aware of this?
b) How can you seriously say that your agent didn't expect prices to increase over that two year period
c) To have any credence whatsoever, please support your excuses by giving dates of any two year period when Plusnet didn't increase their prices.

KxMx

2010 wrote: »

Get on the blower and get a better deal

---

they don`t want to lose you.

HAGGLE

I would but I am not the bill payer so those decisions/actions are not mine to take

Plusnet_company_representative

Hi,

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
Mr Plusnet, just to be absolutely clear
1 I was out of contract and leaving Plusnet and Retentions persuaded me to stay by offering me a new two year fixed contract.
2 You don't dispute that the new contract fixed charges for two years

Plusnet response
The agent you spoke to will have been oblivious to any planned price increase. They offered you a price in good faith that it would remain static for the duration of the contract.

bendaw wrote: »

That is plainly not credible
Plusnet prices increased within four weeks of my fixed two year contract.
a) How can you seriously claim that Plusnet Retentions were not aware of this?
b) How can you seriously say that your agent didn't expect prices to increase over that two year period

I'm pretty confident they won't have known. Regardless, somebody is always going to fall foul of this sort of thing, whether they've recontracted weeks prior or months. It doesn't change the situation you're in.

bendaw wrote: »

c) To have any credence whatsoever, please support your excuses by giving dates of any two year period when Plusnet didn't increase their prices.

Is this really relevant? I know for a fact that there are contiguous annual periods where we haven't increased prices during the last decade I've worked here. It still doesn't change the situation.

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
3 You maintain that my agreement to the first contract several years ago will always apply no matter what is agreed in any subsequent contract.

Plusnet response
Kind of. There are terms of service that are applicable to all of our customers all of the time and these terms are presented upon sign-up. Much of this is completely irrespective of any profit forgone contract or pricing deal you're now part of.

bendaw wrote: »

a) No weasel words, are you stating that anyone's first contract would allow price increases and that that will take precedence over any future contract even when a new fixed price contract is offered by Plusnet Retentions?

You're confusing a contracted offer with the terms of the service we provide again. They are not the same thing. Everybody is bound by the same terms for the length of their service with us and yes, this does contain a clause allowing us to change the pricing of the service given the relevant notice.

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
3 This first contract allowed you to increase charges so the new fixed price contract is not valid

Plusnet response
It's important not to confuse our terms of service with that of a retention deal or special offer.

bendaw wrote: »

Ok, nicely sidestepped. Please answer the question "Are you saying that this first contract allowed you to increase charges so the new fixed price contract is not valid"

As above.

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
5 Is Plusnet not in breach of contract for not adhering to the terms of my new two year fixed price contract?

Plusnet response
No

bendaw wrote: »

Please give a reason why Plusnet is not in breach of contract

Because the terms and conditions of service allow us to make pricing alterations given the stated period of notice. Customers such as yourself were obviously considered whilst planning the delivery of these changes. Our approach has been vetted legally and you are free to leave and move to another ISP without paying any termination fees.

Originally Posted by bendaw View Post
6 Is Plusnet admitting that Retentions lied to me as there is no such thing as a fixed price contract?
Plusnet response
No, they didn't lie to you. The person you spoke to will not have been aware of the price increase in October.

bendaw wrote: »

That is plainly not credible
Plusnet prices increased within four weeks of my fixed two year contract.
a) How can you seriously claim that Plusnet Retentions were not aware of this?
b) How can you seriously say that your agent didn't expect prices to increase over that two year period
c) To have any credence whatsoever, please support your excuses by giving dates of any two year period when Plusnet didn't increase their prices.

As above.

If you're not satisfied with the news then why not give us a call to request your MAC? You never know the retention folk might even offer something akin to the offer you were given a month or so back. This exchange just seems to be going round in circles?

Best regards,

Bob Pullen

VisionMan

@bendaw

Hi,

I have been reading this thread with interest, as *all* companies have/will be putting their prices up this year (including mine). But on all the few forums I post on, I haven't seen anyone act as vociferously as you have to such a price increase.

But a contract is a two way street, and both you and the company are both covered by such changes in a contract. And they not illegal either.

So when faced with such changes, a user has two choices -

Accept it and stay, or choose to leave. In which case (as Bob Pullen suggests above) you may be offered discounts to keep your business.

And those are really the only two options you have. Hope you didn't mind me saying.

Kite2010

NittyGritty wrote: »

24 moth contract:o they must have seen you coming, you prob would have been better off with a 12 month contract and used cashback sites each year plus their normal 12 month half price deals, (assuming you had much choice of going too) personally for 24 months at £9.99 thats a very bad deal in my opinion

The area I live is non-LLU (and will probably get fibre the day Private Parking Companies are outlawed) so the choices are limited

TalkTalk are out, I escaped them last year and vowed never to go back, and the only other suppplier in the list was BT, which would be £16 a month ('free' for 6 months), but higher call-charges & line rental (and I did check cashback deals, the best I could find for BT was £10.10 via TCB. So it would be about the same.

And via Sky it would be though Sky Connect, which isn't the best deal.