Moving home with plusnet - absurd and unfair

mercedade

After following the MSE link for cashback voucher with Plusnet, taking out 12 months of totally free broadband (which all worked fine), we are now in the process of moving home.

As anticipated (and understood), plusnet do not refund the pre-paid line-rental, which is as I expected. What I was surprised to hear is that they also want to charge an additional fee (£4 per month remaining on the contract) to cancel, on top of the money they are keeping from the pre-paid line rental.

This is absurd and patently unfair - it would actually be better for
us to NOT cancel the contract and instead keep the line open despite the fact that we won't be living there - we would never incur any further charges as we would not be using the home phoneline and broadband is free for the length of the contract. And because the broadband is unlimited, we could leave the house streaming high bandwidth videos and voice calls until December and still be better off than cancelling the contract!

This can't be what was intended when they offered this deal through MSE?

Obviously, the other option is transferring plusnet to the new property, and from their website they say "Line Rental Saver can be transferred to the new phone line without penalty."

However, what they said to us that they will (very generously!) waive the £65 (or more if there is no line) 'moving fee' if we instead take out a new contract (thus losing the pre-paid LSR).

I don't understand how any of that can be considered "without penalty".

Am I missing something?

JJ_Egan

You have a valid contract that you are required to pay .Its not the providers fault you are choosing to move .
Most ISPs will allow transfer to a new property if they supply that property but starting a new contract .See multiple identical posts .
As its a new property it will pay to consider NEW customer deals and paying off your existing contract .

mercedade

Hi, thanks for your reply. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my original post. I understand that I have a contract that I am required to pay - I have no issue with that (well maybe a little one, but that's not this complaint).

My issue is that I have, in fact, already paid the full cost of the contract. I pay no monthly BB fee, and I have already paid the line rental.

I don't understand how this position correlates with their statement that I should be able to move 'without penalty'.

JJ_Egan

Without the original terms my guess is that they included a charge if you cancelled early in those conditions .

System

Never heard the phrase 'Possession is nine-tenths of the law'

I never pay upfront for line rental etc as circumstances can change or they can change the T&Cs to your detriment. It's much harder to negotiate when they already have your money...

steveE2

Your contract is for free broadband for a 12 month minimum term,you wish to cancel the service and not complete the minimum term so will have to pay the early termination fees.

From your original post it seems your minimum term is up in December so we're talking of 5 months cancellation fees at £4 p/m a total of £20(plus the lrs you will lose anyway)pay the fee and get a new deal when you move,maybe with a new supplier making sure to read the t&c first.-check cashback sites for good deals

Is there a line already at the new property you could transfer the lrs to? This would save you paying line rental for a few months but at the cost of a new 12 month broadband contract at a new fee with Plusnet.

kwikbreaks

If you don't transfer the contract to the new premises then in addition to any termination charge there will be the Openreach disconnection charge too - usually ~ £30 - the exact amount will be in your T&C somewhere. That is usually picked up by the ISP with transfers.

Dragonfly1

Yes - You are all missing something :rotfl:

Just terminate your contract penalty-free.

Have you got a Calls package with Plusnet? This is going up in price - so cancel on these grounds.

Alternatively just say you know there is a price increase and you want to leave.

Now if they play hard to get (and say it will not affect you), try these lines...

"Yes I want to move property in the next few months"....
"But your price increase will be detrimental to my circumstances"
"Therefore I wish to terminate my contract at this point".

"Yes, I can terminate my contract because the price change is detrimental to my circumstances of moving house in the next few months - Because I will be expected to pay higher costs if I stay with Plusnet. I was always planning to move house and pay the current fees on a new contract with Plusnet. Had I know Line Rental was going up the extortionate £1 a month, I would never have signed a 12 month contract with you! As £1 a month extra is clearly unaffordable for me".

"It is disgraceful that you have made this price rise mid-contract..........."

Try not to use the last one It's only TalkTalk that I have to be so blunt with as they try to wiggle out of their T&Cs with me

Go with the above.......

Then buy me a :beer:
Paypal details on request

kwikbreaks

That still won't escape the Openreach disconnection charge.

Dragonfly1

However being forced to use PlusNet at his new address will cost the OP an additional £160 in broadband costs alone over the 12 months compared to his current deal with PlusNet.

Therefore it is far far more cost effective to leave them and change company whilst paying £60 to have your line disconnected.

EDIT: You should also get any un-used line rental saver refunded to you - since they are in breach of the contract

kwikbreaks

Part of any advance line rental contract is that you don't get any back if you terminate early. Companies can and do give ex gratia deals to transfer to a new line.

I agree that having to pay to terminate a free service early sucks but iirc BT do similar things with rolling 12 month "free" evening and weekend calls packages.

The only way to work out the way forward is to compare the costs of transferring against cancelling and going with a different ISP (taking cashback etc.into account).