Plusnet Cancellation & Debt Collectors?!

redpanda20

Hi all

Never racked up debt in my life, and now received a letter from 'Past Due' - debt collectors by the sound of it, in relation to Plus Net. The only thing I can think is they're trying to slap some kind of cancellation fee when I left a good 8 months ago. There was an issue at the time as during a call to notify them of cancellation, I couldn't give them some secret bizarre number reference, even though I had their letter, even though I could provide security details of my own information etc. I paid upfront in full for my 12 month (I think) contract, and I don't believe - and of course they couldn't / didn't discuss with me - whether there were any outstanding charges. Honestly, because I paid upfront there was never really any need for letters etc, so I was used to not really hearing from them.

 I moved, which is part of what I was trying to notify them of as well, so I've never received any letters if they sent any. It's really frustrating as the day I called, I said I'd removed the modem entirely - i.e. there is not a single byte of data being used at the address any more - and let them know I was moving.

Anyway, flash forward now and I'm getting debt collector letters for nearly £100 (inclusive of 'admin fees') - the whole time I've been happy to pay up with PlusNet but because of this darn number I've never been allowed to confirm my *own details* nor received their letters about what I need to pay, how much, and why. I suspect it's going to be a BS, but 'pay it rather than fight the toss' £30 random fee. Frustrating, but manageable. However this debt collector is clearly inflating the original "debt" as well as adding bogus admin fees that I assume, in a typical leech-y fashion, they'll just increase over time to scare people.

So I guess my question is, is it too late to approach Plus Net directly and explain? If it is, what is the best course of action with 'Past Due'? I was always told just to ignore such letters, but I don't know if they have a legal stance to continue adding 'fees' to this bill -- or is this exactly the kind of scaremongering that gets them the extra bob?

PS - writing from Scotland, if that makes a change...

JJ_Egan

Cancellation how did this happen .

You where out of contract and  closed the account .Where you out of contract ??

You swapped ISP no need to cancel gaining ISP does all the work .

redpanda20

Hiya, I rang them and notified them re: cancelling the service. Believe at the time I checked my particular contract (paying upfront) and I recall it had a shorter window of cancellation than a paying-monthly one. In any case, they wouldn't confirm what was still left to pay, or do, if I was mistaken because it was a 'data protection issue' although I literally gave them references and dates for payments that you could only know by being the bill payer....

Maybe a silly question but what's ISP? Internet Service Provider? If so, I didn't swap per se - my partner has an existing contract, and we were getting a place together so I had no need to continue with PlusNet (aside from this final call, they'd been perfectly fine to deal with)

Carrot007

So to phrase it so people undestand?

1. You moved house and rang to cancel but you did not pass identification so got nowhere).

2. You then attempted nothing further.

Therefore you did not  cancel and the service went on until the next occupier of the property sorted it out which would have been a right nightmare.

Oh. Also.

3. No further payments were taken from you.

So you cancelled the direct debit? or paid some way without setting one up (if on a card for an annual policy they would have taken another year unless cancelled so you must have done something).

Maybe you got an idiot on the phone the first time? Who knows but you needed to sort it by rining someone else or escalating it (or inded being plusnet, using the only support you should ever use, the online chat). So yes I would think you owe something. Ask them what and why and don't run away from problems in the future and they will come back.

littleboo

as above, it seems likely that if you couldn't pass the security validation, the service wasn't cancelled

niktheguru

Seems slightly odd. How can you not pass security? If you cant remember your "password" there are usually other ways to get through security. Why did you try and cancel the day of moving out, surely you know you usually need to give 30 days notice regardless of whether you paid upfront or not. You say you had your contract, couldn't you have emailed/written/online chatted with them giving these details to cancel seeing as you had no luck on the phone?

You could try contacting plusnet again, and should do, though i suspect if you didn't pass security last time what makes you think you will this time? didn't you redirect your post when you moved out or gave a forwarding address to previous landlord or new owners? I suspect they will say its too late and has gone to the debt collecting agency now. Still worth a shot though. Make sure you sort it out ASAP as this will be going on your credit file and affecting your credit rating.

Carpetman

My son canceled his Plusnet Broadband contract in June but has now received a letter from them saying that they have passed his debt to Past Overdue Credit Solutions (PDC) - he's had no previous contacts to say he owes money even though the letter says the opposite.  We have tried to pay the debt via PDC, however, their website won't let us get passed the login page and when we ring their 0141 number we get a voice mail message saying there is no-one in the office to take calls due to Covid restrictions.  He is trying to get a mortgage and this could end up on his credit file - does anyone have any good solutions?

JJ_Egan

Cancelled as in cancelled a valid contract  or out of contract and gave 30 days notice ?