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Plusnet disgusting practice...
Keruge
Posts: 41 Forumite
You may remember back in late May Plusnet increased their prices, at the same time Sky were offering a deal, not as good as the usual deal but way better than anything Plusnet was offering.
So I told my neighbour about the Sky deal and how under Ofcom rules he could abandon Plusnet and their damn price increase. He is profoundly dyslexic and has other special needs so I sat with him and we had Plusnet on Loudspeaker.
On the first call the system proudly announced a 35 minute wait time!
It actually took 45 mins for a member of staff to come on, he told them he would like to cancel his broadband and they promptly cut him off!
He wanted to give up but I was determined to try again, this time we tried different options on choices from the automated system until we found one that was 15minutes (new business). They transferred us to the right department and a gentleman took the details.
At first he tried to tell my neighbour that if he cancelled he would incur £538 of charges, at this point I responded that my neighbour was leaving under OFCOM rules and because they had put up their prices he had a right to leave without charge. At this point the chap said he would need to check with a colleague, I asked him whether he was new and he said no, he had been with Plusnet for several years.
I said "So are you telling me that in the years you have worked at Plusnet you are not aware of OFCOM right to leave rules". He pretended not, put us on hold and then came back confirming we were right and there would be no charge.
My neighbour got the email confirming the termination, it mentioned OFCOM in the notes as the reason and all seemed fine, or so we thought.
The service was indeed terminated but a few weeks later my neighbour got a bill from Plusnet for the £538! My neighbour could not read it so brought it to me, well we got on the phone, after a long wait spoke to a very helpful sounding lady, she promised to sort it out, told us she was going to tell the appropriate department and we should ignore the demand.
Again all seemed fine until a few weeks later when there was ANOTHER demand for the £538, ironically at this time Plusnet called my neighbour on his mobile trying to invite him back (for a crap price) you can imagine he told them to take a run and jump.
That evening we called again, another 30 min wait time put us in fighting form, another supposedly helpful chap promised to sort this out, we took his name and were pretty firm and he apologised saying it would definitely be sorted.
Well you can probably guess what happened two weeks later?
DEBT COLLECTORS!
Can you believe this incompetent bunch still had not cancelled the breach of OFCOM rules and had instructed a Debt Collection company to retrieve a fake charge?
So once again an evening of hassle, long waiting times, a promise and an email saying it would be sorted out.
I came on here to warn others of this disgusting practice and to ask whether individuals can complain to OFCOM as I feel that Plusnet are not only badly informing customers of their right to cancel but also this is a form of abuse. From the initial denial, the nasty letters (with debt increased) to the Debt Collectors.
Now for all he knows they have screwed his credit record with this sharp practice.
Things are hard enough for him as it is, he cannot read letters, has apps on a phone read things for him, he also is a bit soft, if a company tells him he owes them money he believes them.
To be honest I am not entirely convinced that it is the end of it, but I think so, finally.
As I said such disgusting practice, I hope that if anyone else has this kind of experience with Plusnet they will gain strength to fight them all the way.
So I told my neighbour about the Sky deal and how under Ofcom rules he could abandon Plusnet and their damn price increase. He is profoundly dyslexic and has other special needs so I sat with him and we had Plusnet on Loudspeaker.
On the first call the system proudly announced a 35 minute wait time!
It actually took 45 mins for a member of staff to come on, he told them he would like to cancel his broadband and they promptly cut him off!
He wanted to give up but I was determined to try again, this time we tried different options on choices from the automated system until we found one that was 15minutes (new business). They transferred us to the right department and a gentleman took the details.
At first he tried to tell my neighbour that if he cancelled he would incur £538 of charges, at this point I responded that my neighbour was leaving under OFCOM rules and because they had put up their prices he had a right to leave without charge. At this point the chap said he would need to check with a colleague, I asked him whether he was new and he said no, he had been with Plusnet for several years.
I said "So are you telling me that in the years you have worked at Plusnet you are not aware of OFCOM right to leave rules". He pretended not, put us on hold and then came back confirming we were right and there would be no charge.
My neighbour got the email confirming the termination, it mentioned OFCOM in the notes as the reason and all seemed fine, or so we thought.
The service was indeed terminated but a few weeks later my neighbour got a bill from Plusnet for the £538! My neighbour could not read it so brought it to me, well we got on the phone, after a long wait spoke to a very helpful sounding lady, she promised to sort it out, told us she was going to tell the appropriate department and we should ignore the demand.
Again all seemed fine until a few weeks later when there was ANOTHER demand for the £538, ironically at this time Plusnet called my neighbour on his mobile trying to invite him back (for a crap price) you can imagine he told them to take a run and jump.
That evening we called again, another 30 min wait time put us in fighting form, another supposedly helpful chap promised to sort this out, we took his name and were pretty firm and he apologised saying it would definitely be sorted.
Well you can probably guess what happened two weeks later?
DEBT COLLECTORS!
Can you believe this incompetent bunch still had not cancelled the breach of OFCOM rules and had instructed a Debt Collection company to retrieve a fake charge?
So once again an evening of hassle, long waiting times, a promise and an email saying it would be sorted out.
I came on here to warn others of this disgusting practice and to ask whether individuals can complain to OFCOM as I feel that Plusnet are not only badly informing customers of their right to cancel but also this is a form of abuse. From the initial denial, the nasty letters (with debt increased) to the Debt Collectors.
Now for all he knows they have screwed his credit record with this sharp practice.
Things are hard enough for him as it is, he cannot read letters, has apps on a phone read things for him, he also is a bit soft, if a company tells him he owes them money he believes them.
To be honest I am not entirely convinced that it is the end of it, but I think so, finally.
As I said such disgusting practice, I hope that if anyone else has this kind of experience with Plusnet they will gain strength to fight them all the way.
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Comments
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So sorry to hear this Keruge. It sounds as if Plusnet customer service is going down hill.
I know someone who is having prolonged problems with inaccurate Plusnet bills and frustration trying to get Plusnet to sort their continuing problems and refund etc.
Crimson0 -
"It sounds as if Plusnet customer service is going down hill. "
Unfortunately it already has but not quite at the bottom - yet. Just goes to show what the BT string pulling has had on this once excellent company.0 -
I had their broadband when they were a fledgling company years ago, customer services times & service was atrocious then.
10 yrs later i tried their mobile service recently still the same horrendous incompetent customer services. 1 month in i have no choice but to leave (very long story), again they've managed to issue me with invalid pac codes. Apparently i have to wait another 30 days for new one's!!!!!, how can that be?!!.
I'm now being charged by 2 companies for 1 mobile phone. Not inc the other 3 in my family.:(No one said it was gonna be easy!0 -
1. TOTALLY AGREE THEY HAVE GOT TOO BIG & BECOMING VERY EXPENSIVE.saranmahesh wrote: »Sad..They are not the company that they used to be!
2. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE, NOTHING LIKE IT USED TO BE.
3. THE EXTREMELY LONG CALL WAIT TIMES ARE SHAMEFUL & THERE IS A RISK OF THE LINE DROPPING OUT.
4. IF THEY MOVE YOU TO ANOTHER DEPT YOU HAVE ANOTHER VERY LONG WAIT.
5. I FEEL CUSTOMER SURVEYS ON THIS SITE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR SUCCESS. PLUSNET EVEN STATED ON A PREVIOUS PRICE INCREASE THAT DUE TO THE HIGH CUSTOMER APPRECIATION ON THIS SITE THEY WERE MAKING AN ADDITIONAL PRICE INCREASE FOR LINE RENTAL & ALL CALL CHARGES.
Hope you can get the matter successfully resolved Keruge0 -
Well would you believe I am currently going through similar issues with John Lewis who I think are closely linked with Plusnet.
I moved away from them to EE about a month ago, I paid my final bill and stopped my DD and thought that was that but no, I have received regular emails and texts insisting I owe them money and are now placing my account with debt collection.
Three times I have spoken to them and three times I get ‘Sorry we appear not to have closed down your account, please ignore these emails’ but still the crap keeps comingI choose the rooms that I live in with care,
The windows are small and the walls almost bare,
There's only one bed and there's only one prayer;
I listen all night for your step on the stair.0 -
To Keruge : Ofcom do not entertain personal complaints. If your complaint is relevant, then they might use the info to investigate to see if changes are required. If you use their subsidiaries in manchester, they are crap. I had a blatant, on paper, 3month Breach of contract with bt, sat on their shelves for 18 months with 2 go aheads in writing, before they told me that they are limited and probably £25ish. Government protection or what.
Be aware folks. BT, Talk Talk, Sky & Plusnet, have joined together to form another conglomerate. That if you join either, then leave the group, theres a £30 leaving fee. Do you not find, like the government, any regulator takes years to help the public from being ripped off. I have found out this week, what I thought was the end of my contract, was end of line with 6 months broadband left. It means either paying full line rental, or £63 to leave, plus the £30 if going elsewhere. This to me, is Sky & BT conniving, as they do with the TV, with an american influence. They can kiss my touch!0 -
To Keruge : Ofcom do not entertain personal complaints. If your complaint is relevant, then they might use the info to investigate to see if changes are required. If you use their subsidiaries in manchester, they are crap. I had a blatant, on paper, 3month Breach of contract with bt, sat on their shelves for 18 months with 2 go aheads in writing, before they told me that they are limited and probably £25ish. Government protection or what.
Be aware folks. BT, Talk Talk, Sky & Plusnet, have joined together to form another conglomerate. That if you join either, then leave the group, theres a £30 leaving fee. Do you not find, like the government, any regulator takes years to help the public from being ripped off. I have found out this week, what I thought was the end of my contract, was end of line with 6 months broadband left. It means either paying full line rental, or £63 to leave, plus the £30 if going elsewhere. This to me, is Sky & BT conniving, as they do with the TV, with an american influence. They can kiss my touch!
What makes you think Sky charge £30 for leaving? (couldn't comment on the others)0 -
The £30 charge is for cancelling rather than migrating. All ISPs are supposed to charge it but some don't pass it on to the customer0
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Here's Ofcom's "Complaints per 100,000 customers" data for the telecoms companies.
As others suggest, Plusnet doesn't come out very well...
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/telecoms-pay-tv-complaints-march-170 -
Thanks...I was about to move from Plusnet to BT as my contract has finished, but it appears they are just as bad, complaints wise, as Plusnet0
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