Broadband supplier contract problem

catminim

I had a broadband contract with onestream which expired some months ago in which I was paying around £31 pm. I used moneysupermarket to source a cheaper quote from plusnet at around £22pm and started the signup process with them. onestream contacted me and promised to provide broadband at around £21.95pm to which I agreed and they renewed my contract for 12 months. I have had 2 bills now and the monthly bill has not changed and is still around £31pm. I am in correspondence with them and have emails in which they claim I am being billed at the correct rate but am paying in advance rather than arrears. what are my options and rights? 

Aylesbury_Duck

What does your new contract with onestream actually say about the price?  I can't see that the arrears/advance thing is relevant, because presumably if you were paying in advance, even more reason why your payments should be at the £21.95 level.  If you were paying in arrears, it might be that you're paying £31 for old months, but that's not what they've told you.

It comes down to what price is in the contract and what evidence you have of the £21.95 rate if the contract actually says £31.

catminim

Hi, Thank you for your time on the phone this morning. Just writing to you to confirm we have renewed your contract into a 12 month contract on the Jetstream Fibre Unlimited Broadband at £20.95 per month. We have also applied 1 month credit to your account, which will reflect on your second invoice. If you require any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Kind regards,

I don't have access to the contract it was renewed on the phone and I got them to send me the above email. there is a web portal with my bills but no contact. they didn't even supply the credit promised.

Aylesbury_Duck

That's good, you have written confirmation of the new rate and the credit, which is contractual.  Probably just a question of perseverance.  If you get no joy, speak to your bank because the rate agreed for the direct debit differs from what they're taking.

Ergates

Yes, if they're dragging their heels, reclaiming the money back via the DD guarantee scheme might kick them into action.  Problem is, I don't think you can just claim back the difference.

born_again

Have they just dropped the broadband price, but still charging the difference for the landline side?

Jumblebumble

Ergates said:

Yes, if they're dragging their heels, reclaiming the money back via the DD guarantee scheme might kick them into action.  Problem is, I don't think you can just claim back the difference.

I hope and prey  that if the OP follows your advice that their credit rating is not damaged as a result which stops them getting a mortgage in the future

Ergates

How would their credit rating be damaged by a Direct Debit reversal?  Given the price being charged via the direct debit is different from the price that has been contractually agreed, this would be a legitimate reversal.

kaMelo

Ergates said:

How would their credit rating be damaged by a Direct Debit reversal?  Given the price being charged via the direct debit is different from the price that has been contractually agreed, this would be a legitimate reversal.

No it wouldn't, it would be an abuse of the DD guarantee which is about payments being taken in error, as in they should not have been taken at all
When a payment is taken with your agreement but for an incorrect amount it's a civil dispute between you and the company. It is not an error and not covered by the DD guarantee.

Ectophile

kaMelo said:

Ergates said:

How would their credit rating be damaged by a Direct Debit reversal?  Given the price being charged via the direct debit is different from the price that has been contractually agreed, this would be a legitimate reversal.

No it wouldn't, it would be an abuse of the DD guarantee which is about payments being taken in error, as in they should not have been taken at all
When a payment is taken with your agreement but for an incorrect amount it's a civil dispute between you and the company. It is not an error and not covered by the DD guarantee.

The direct debit scheme requires that a company tells the customer in advance how much they will be charged, before taking the money.

If the company agrees one price with the customer, but takes a larger amount, then they have broken the terms of the scheme, and the direct debit guarantee applies.

It's more difficult though if the customer was sent a bill before the money was taken, and that bill showed the money that was about to be taken, even if that wasn't the amount agreed.