Problems with Plusnet termination charges

Better_Days

I have been a customer of PN for 10 years, but have found that CS isn't what it was.

I signed up for a 24 month contract when we moved last year on the understanding that the price wouldn't increase during that period. I was told by CS that if PN did increase the price I would be able to terminate the contract without penalty (no time period in which to do so was mentioned).

On checking my bills breakdown last month I discovered that the line rental had been increased (PN only email me with the total bill amount each month, not a breakdown and it varies due to call charges so I didn't pick up on it straight away)

DH had been talking about BT sport so I thought this would be a good opportunity to change ISP without incurring substantial termination charges. Rang up PN and CS informed me that they had emailed re the increase in line rental in August, and I then only had 30 days to cancel the contract.

Well, I didn't get the email (and don't always get emails when service notices are placed on my account). I have asked PN for a copy of the email, including headers so I can see when it was sent, and to what email address and the contents.

PN have refused to provide a copy of the email. They maintain that an email would have been sent but have been unable to provide any evidence that the email was actually sent. They can't even say for certain which email address they think they sent the email to. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for a copy of the email as it effectively sets up a new contract - but all PN have been able to do is to repeat the contents of the service notice on my account.

Ofcom don't consider a service notice to be adequate notification, but that is the only evidence PN have been able to provide that they have notified me regarding the price increase.

On top of the above there is also a cessation charge of £30 on the account - presumably because I didn't request a MAC key. But I didn't request one as BT didn't ask for, and presumably didn't need one.

Anyone else had these problem with PN?

buglawton

PN has fattened up its user base and now feels it can afford to be complacent- remember it's owned by BT

brewerdave

1. Presumably you have signed up for BT Infinity if you have gone for BT Sports? If so, BT have treated it as a new FTTC connection, wouldn't have needed a MAC -so even if you had supplied one, it wouldn't have been used. Ideally PN wouldn't charge the cease fee -but they seem to have taken an unforgiving line over the use of MACs.
2. Did you post on PN's own forums re the cancellation charges/lack of price rise email? The Customer Care reps on there, have sorted out several similar queries lately.


EDIT- OP -see the thread further down - that poster had the same issue re MAC

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5112572

Better_Days

brewerdave wrote: »

1. Presumably you have signed up for BT Infinity if you have gone for BT Sports? If so, BT have treated it as a new FTTC connection, wouldn't have needed a MAC -so even if you had supplied one, it wouldn't have been used. Ideally PN wouldn't charge the cease fee -but they seem to have taken an unforgiving line over the use of MACs.
2. Did you post on PN's own forums re the cancellation charges/lack of price rise email? The Customer Care reps on there, have sorted out several similar queries lately.


EDIT- OP -see the thread further down - that poster had the same issue re MAC

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5112572

Thanks for the info brewerdave.

No, we haven't got the infinity package - only 2mbps here, so just the unlimited BB package . However I seem to remember in the stuff BT sent me that they said that if they needed the MAC they would ask for one. They didn't so I took it that they didn't need one.

Thanks for the link re the other thread, it does seem that the £30 may not be chargeable - I'll follow it up with PN.

I haven't posted on the PN forums, but I'll go over and have a look - have just been in correspondence with the CS reps via PN's help and support section.

Frankly there is very little 'help and support', all PN do is just say the same thing over and over, and refuse to even acknowledge any other POV than their own. This is not the first time I have had this problem with PN, and both times they have responded in the same way. A real shame as in the past I found them to be fair and straightforward. Now they seem to lack transparency in their processes and procedures and will mislead customers in order to get business.

The previous problem I had with them related to charging too. They said that if I signed up for 12 months the price would stay the same. The next month the price went up by £5 a month. Oh they said when I queried it, you had a reduction on your account which only lasted a year and it has finished now. This, in my view, amounts to sharp practice. Had the CS rep pointed out at the time the £5 reduction was coming to an end I could have made an informed decision. But they kept quiet about it.

Don't know if BT will be any better, but I have no trust at all in PN now.

brewerdave

You mentioned BT Sport in your first post? You won't get it with only a 2Mb connection I'm afraid.

iniltous

brewerdave wrote: »

You mentioned BT Sport in your first post? You won't get it with only a 2Mb connection I'm afraid.

Perhaps the OP has Sky,

brewerdave

iniltous wrote: »

Perhaps the OP has Sky,

-- true - but if he has, it might have been cheaper to have it as an add on with Plusnet!:)

Better_Days

Thanks for your thoughts on BT Sport.

BT sport doesn't stream too badly with 2mbps - well DH hasn't moaned yet and sometimes he links it up to the tv in the kitchen. Definition isn't that good, TBH I wouldn't be bothered to watch it, (especially when it is German matches and the like) but he seems happy enough.

We've lived in a rural area for years, so used to a poor service. The package we have includes BT Sport for 'free' - so after a year DH can decide if it is worth paying for.

Plusnet_company_representative

Hi Better Days,

Sorry to see you've decided to move your services to another provider.

With regards to the £30 cessation fee this would only be applicable if your new provider doesn't use a recognised migration route. If you're migrating to BT they will most likely place a transfer order for both phone and broadband in which case the cessation fee would not be applicable.

I'm very sorry if you did not receive the notification regarding the price increase. We did send these out to our entire customer base. If you'd like us to look into this further for you then we'd advise getting in touch with us on our Community Forums, if you haven't done so already, so that we can easily locate your account and investigate for you.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this.

Regards,

Linn K

Better_Days

Just an update if anyone is interested.

With regards to the £30 cancellation fee a helpful chap on the PN forums suggested that BT may have not used the recognised migration route which resulted in the £30 charge by PN. I have contacted BT and they were very helpful, have noted my account and said they will credit my BT account £30. Good result as long as it goes through.

Have posted on the PN forums and also kept in communication with PN CS via their 'tickets'. PN remain adamant that they sent the email advising of the price rise - but remain unable to prove it. It turns out that they cannot provide a copy of the email as they don't keep a copy. This seems rather odd to me. Ofcom requires that the ISP notifies the customer of in contract price rises by email and that a service notice on the account is not sufficient. But PN only keep a copy of the service notice and not the email.

And even though my BB and phone have been with BT since the end of last month PN have emailed me today (that email got through fine!) to let me know they are collecting a £9.99 DD for BB.

On the plus side Mr BD is enjoying the football on BT Sport

Better_Days

Agghhh

PN are now saying that they have not received notification from BT that the BB has been transferred over to them for the last 3 and a half weeks and that is why they are charging my account. How can they not have noticed BT are now supplying my BB?

I have to ring them up to sort it out. Rang up PN but they have at least a 15 minute waiting time as they are very busy - well they always seem to be which is why I try and deal with online:mad::mad::mad::mad: