Plusnet - knowingly overcharging customers 25 April 2022 at 3:55PM in Broadband & internet access 9 replies 464 views

milton1970

Those that have a new contract starting in March / April - take care 

Plusnet has knowingly overcharged you - the %age CPI increase has been applied across all customers despite the fact that contracts are clear .. spoke to CSA today after a long wait in call only to be told that the company is aware of it.

Sharp practice or error they should not be knowingly overcharging customer surely .

Neil_Jones

milton1970 said:

Those that have a new contract starting in March / April - take care 

Plusnet has knowingly overcharged you - the %age CPI increase has been applied across all customers despite the fact that contracts are clear .. spoke to CSA today after a long wait in call only to be told that the company is aware of it.

Sharp practice or error they should not be knowingly overcharging customer surely .

Except they're not because it was stated at the time that prices will increase on April 1 (or somewhere around that date) by as it turned out 9.3%.  If you joined up before that date it will exclude the rise.  After that date it should be included.

It must also be remembered Plusnet charge in advance.  So if your bill date straddles the new price date, it'll look a bit odd for a bill or two.

milton1970

Neil_Jones said:

Except they're not because it was stated at the time that prices will increase on April 1 (or somewhere around that date) by as it turned out 9.3%.  If you joined up before that date it will exclude the rise.  After that date it should be included.

It must also be remembered Plusnet charge in advance.  So if your bill date straddles the new price date, it'll look a bit odd for a bill or two.

I am afraid you are incorrect in your statement - certainly for me anyway. My contract quotes a price at 14/03 & that price increase applies on contracts starting before 01/03 

They complaints team admitted they were aware & planned to send emails advising  .. so as I say KNOWINGLY overcharging customers 

acc

milton1970 said: My contract quotes a price at 14/03 & that price increase applies on contracts starting before 01/03

My Plusnet contract was due to end on March 29, and I was offered a competitive renewal price, but with a clear rider that the price would be subject to the CPI increase on March 31.

This meant the renewal price would apply for only one day, and then increase by 9.3%.

I rang customer services to say that an increase after one day of the renewal was not reasonble, but they confirmed the increase would apply.

I therefore switched on March 30 to another provider that waives the first year increase for new contracts started after January 9.

Neil_Jones

Must disagree I'm afraid, because I phoned up on somewhere around the 25th pf March in search of a new deal and was told at the time if I took an offer before April 1 it would go up by 9.3%.

As it turned out I got a better deal after April 1 that was cheaper than the pre CPI+3.9% rise, but that's not the point.

Of course may be just a case of some front line workers not entirely aware of what they're selling.  Has happened before.

milton1970

Disagree all you like @Neil_Jones

This is the paragraph on my contract note with a quoted price from mid March with Manager agreeing there was an issue. Was told that all customers on new contracts agreed in March had been overcharged ..

“For residential customers, the price for broadband, line rental, call plans, call charges and add-ons will be increased on or after 1st March every year from March 2022 by the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year plus 3.9%. Other prices, content and terms may also change during your contract. See CPI Plus 3.9% Guide for details. “

southsidergs

milton1970 said:

Neil_Jones said:

Except they're not because it was stated at the time that prices will increase on April 1 (or somewhere around that date) by as it turned out 9.3%.  If you joined up before that date it will exclude the rise.  After that date it should be included.

It must also be remembered Plusnet charge in advance.  So if your bill date straddles the new price date, it'll look a bit odd for a bill or two.

I am afraid you are incorrect in your statement - certainly for me anyway. My contract quotes a price at 14/03 & that price increase applies on contracts starting before 01/03 

They complaints team admitted they were aware & planned to send emails advising  .. so as I say KNOWINGLY overcharging customers 

How on earth do you get to them KNOWINGLY overcharging from that? Take a step back it's likely an error which they're admitting too & resolving, you make it sound like they did it on purpose when you have no such proof

milton1970

Maybe I am expecting too much.

Expecting a technology/telecoms company to action a new contract and charge me according to that contract, without having to call them (with a 30 minute wait), to ask why they haven’t charged me in line with the new contract - to be told we knew about the issue but still decided to overcharge the customers involved without advising them …

I expect too much .. maybe 

Or maybe it is more reflective of the poor processes at Plusnet & their approach to customer 

Planetthanet

milton1970 said:

Maybe I am expecting too much.

Expecting a technology/telecoms company to action a new contract and charge me according to that contract, without having to call them (with a 30 minute wait), to ask why they haven’t charged me in line with the new contract - to be told we knew about the issue but still decided to overcharge the customers involved without advising them …

I expect too much .. maybe 

Or maybe it is more reflective of the poor processes at Plusnet & their approach to customer 

Can we just clarify all this as I am in the same boat.

Having been with Plusnet for many years I normally renew just before the end of contract and agree a new one. So I didnt read the small print. It happened that I agreed £23.99 for 18 months starting March 15th this year and thought nothing more of it. On month two however, I was charged £27.5 which apparently is the new £26 rate per month rate backdated to March 15th. So the contract was basically not worth the email it was written on. So is that the government have allowed the broadband market to become like the insurance market where you have to change every year to get the best deal?  I would be less annoyed if the operative had informed me at the time that what I had just agreed with him would not be happening.

hamski

I’ve had a similar experience with plusnet which I complained about.
Plusnet reviewed the conversation I had when taking out the contract and agreed I was not informed of the price increase My Original monthly fee has been honoured. 

So anyone who has not been told of the true price when taking out the contract make a complaint and it should be sorted.
Full details on the community forum at plusnet.
Thanks to Ryan at plusnet for sorting .