When does the 14 day cooling off period start?

teresa.f

Hi,
So after having enough of Virgin Media price hikes, I've joined Plusnet mid-October. One issue after the other and a month later I still don't have the fibre broadband I'm paying for (even ADSL only started working on Wednesday - few weeks no internet whatsoever!)
Talking to their customer services last time (after 20 minute wait to get through to someone) I had enough and asked them when my cooling off period would finish. I was very surprised when I was told you get 14 days from when you join, not when you get the service. Is this right?
If so, this means I'm now stuck on a 18-month contract with a service I don't even know when or if I'm ever going to get!
Thanks

teddysmum

teresa.f wrote: »

Hi,
So after having enough of Virgin Media price hikes, I've joined Plusnet mid-October. One issue after the other and a month later I still don't have the fibre broadband I'm paying for (even ADSL only started working on Wednesday - few weeks no internet whatsoever!)
Talking to their customer services last time (after 20 minute wait to get through to someone) I had enough and asked them when my cooling off period would finish. I was very surprised when I was told you get 14 days from when you join, not when you get the service. Is this right?
If so, this means I'm now stuck on a 18-month contract with a service I don't even know when or if I'm ever going to get!
Thanks

I'm not happy with PlusNet, either. I've been with them for just 4 weeks and have nowhere near the quality of supply from O2 and Sky (Over the last 6 years).


My announce input at the end of the 14 day settling in is lower than (in the case of Sky, much lower) than the over wifi speeds previously.


After numerous chats and phone calls, one lady did a full line check and said that she could see numerous drop outs and that low upload suggested the modem was at fault (numerous others denied that this was likely).


The new modem seemed to much reduce the drop outs from every half hour , even off for several hours, to the odd buffering on chip tv or the odd drop to 'yellow signal' for a few seconds, but at 2am,today, I did several tests and found ping rates in the 100s and even over 1000, once, with speeds of under 2 and as low as 0.3.


I was just about to contact them to see if they could up the 5.3 input to the 5.7 they told me I had part way through settling time ( with a suggestion that it would get even better).


I so regret leaving Sky, to save money, when they gave me 6 to 6.4 for most of the time (over wifi) and now I'm stuck with this useless service. (I know that Sky is a little different, as it's LLU, but I had a reliable 5 to 5.4 from O2, with BT line rental).

Anthorn

teresa.f wrote: »

Hi,
So after having enough of Virgin Media price hikes, I've joined Plusnet mid-October. One issue after the other and a month later I still don't have the fibre broadband I'm paying for (even ADSL only started working on Wednesday - few weeks no internet whatsoever!)
Talking to their customer services last time (after 20 minute wait to get through to someone) I had enough and asked them when my cooling off period would finish. I was very surprised when I was told you get 14 days from when you join, not when you get the service. Is this right?
If so, this means I'm now stuck on a 18-month contract with a service I don't even know when or if I'm ever going to get!
Thanks

Yup Plusnet are correct. I had thought that the cooling off period started when connected but I was corrected in another thread and checked it: The cooling off period starts on the signing-up day. With a switch typically taking 10 days to connect that leaves just 4 days to appraise the service. Probably something for Ofcom to look at. The positive is that they will most likely increase their prices during the contract period so that will free you from the contract if you don't like them.

Overall, it's kinda like receiving your new car after the guarantee has expired!

teddysmum

Anthorn wrote: »

Yup Plusnet are correct. I had thought that the cooling off period started when connected but I was corrected in another thread and checked it: The cooling off period starts on the signing-up day. With a switch typically taking 10 days to connect that leaves just 4 days to appraise the service. Probably something for Ofcom to look at. The positive is that they will most likely increase their prices during the contract period so that will free you from the contract if you don't like them.

Overall, it's kinda like receiving your new card after the guarantee has expired!

Possibly even less time to appraise, as the notice period begins from the day of agreement, but the 10 day promise is 10 working days starting from the following working day. (eg I agreed on a Friday and the 10 days were from the Monday.) Also, you can't really judge the quality over the full 14 days as they claim it takes that long to settle. Despite a promise that things would improve, my service has gone worse. (Reading BT's T&Cs , which are probably like others, our home should get 3 to 7, with 5 likely, though they are only required to provide 1Mbps !)


The usual annual price rises are very recent , so unlikely to happen for 11 months from now.