Advice on leaving outside of contract (Plusnet)

jenniewb

I had signed up with PlusNet because it offered 24/7 technical support. If I had just £1 for every technical failure I've had with my line over the years, I'd be paying the lowest ISP bill known to man.


PlusNet had excellent support as far as I was concerned- not only 24/7 but not with a heavily accented fast speaking overseas staff but an English accent and someone aware of how important internet is to many of us here.


They've cut that support ! It's now only until 10:30pm which is pretty useless to me.
I wasn't warned about this and as far as I see this is a change in the contract although PlusNet say it isn't.


My contract wont end for another few months. I still want to leave. I'll probably be moving to BT.
PlusNet have warned me I've got a £30 early termination fee coming my way. I am trying to find a way out of this- I don't really want to leave PlusNet, they are otherwise great in my books. But I can't do the no technical support thing.


Has anyone any ideas on a way out of the fee? Am I right in finding fault with their changes affecting me mid-contract? I'd not be leaving if they hadn't cut the 24/7 support.

cajef

Out of interest why do you need 24 hour technical support, in the nine years I have been with then I have only ever needed it twice.

jem16

jenniewb wrote: »

My contract wont end for another few months. I still want to leave. I'll probably be moving to BT.

Are you not able to leave penalty free because of the recent increases in phone line rental etc? Or do you not have phone line rental with them?

If you do when did you receive your email about the price changes? If it was less than 30 days ago you can leave penalty free.

PlusNet have warned me I've got a £30 early termination fee coming my way.

Are you sure the £30 is not a cease charge as opposed to an early termination fee?

jem16

cajef wrote: »

Out of interest why do you need 24 hour technical support, in the nine years I have been with then I have only ever needed it twice.

Perhaps it's not the 24 hour support but more needing support after 10:30pm.

cajef

jem16 wrote: »

Perhaps it's not the 24 hour support but more needing support after 10:30pm.

Maybe, but they would still be better off waiting for in hour advice than the support they will get from BT's foreign customer advisors or should we say script readers.

JJ_Egan

Why tech support after 10-30 pm ??.
The vast majority do not need tech support on an ongoing basis and night support is probably shunted to India .

Dont see how the tech support would have been part of your contract unless it was a business contract ??

jenniewb

cajef wrote: »

Out of interest why do you need 24 hour technical support, in the nine years I have been with then I have only ever needed it twice.

In the last 6 months I've used it about 10 times (roughly counting) with Talktalk it's worse; I have many frequent line failures meaning a BT guy ends up being called out more times than I can count. It always or mainly seems to happen at night around 1am-5am when I am online.


I don't get a mobile signal so can't use a dongle, I don't get to wait in all day so I can't hang around during the day waiting to speak to someone so use the overnight technical support people. I have been told the line is very degraded but despite being in London, it's yet to be replaced. I've complained countless times to BT and whichever ISP I'm with at the time (current count is 4) all to no avail. Apparently its too big a job. I've been waiting for Fiber for 5 years now, they keep putting that back and back...I doubt anything will be sorted soon.

jenniewb

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Why tech support after 10-30 pm ??.
The vast majority do not need tech support on an ongoing basis and night support is probably shunted to India .

Dont see how the tech support would have been part of your contract unless it was a business contract ??

I always spoke to an English Yorkshire person when I called with PlusNet. With Sky and Talktalk it was always based in India or Malaysia but at least they'd start the ball rolling and a few times did actually fix the fault.

jenniewb

jem16 wrote: »

Perhaps it's not the 24 hour support but more needing support after 10:30pm.

Techie people yes, but when the internet and sometimes even the phoneline go down, I want to/need to get that fixed, waiting in during the day time isn't always (or is rarely) possible. I'm not normally around. I have until now managed fine with PlusNet on that front, even arranging a BT visit for the line all with overnight technical support people. I can't see how it will work without that, it's not life and death admittedly, but I'm not paying for a service which doesn't work when I need it to.

jenniewb

jem16 wrote: »

Are you not able to leave penalty free because of the recent increases in phone line rental etc? Or do you not have phone line rental with them?

If you do when did you receive your email about the price changes? If it was less than 30 days ago you can leave penalty free.



Are you sure the £30 is not a cease charge as opposed to an early termination fee?

Sadly no; I was warned at the line rental a while back (possibly May or June?) I think they may have emailed me and I clicked through to say I'd agreed though didn't extend my contract at the time, hence it running out in a few months rather than a year or 18 months away.


I did ask about the termination fee and was told that a cost of £9 or so a month would apply- I'd assumed that would cover the monthly fee as well but will ask when I get a chance to contact them again (at this rate it wont be any time soon...)

cajef

Well I am sorry to have to say it but if you have line problems I doubt that you will get any better service from any other ISP especially ones with foreign service advisors plus I am not sure how many will have 24/7 hours anyway.