Plusnet Renewal: No Joy - Options?

SJMALBA

We’re currently with Plusnet, as follows:

Unlimited Fibre with Anytime Calls – £24.14/month

Out of Contract Price – £41.75/month

Email renewal offer - £32.27/month (£21.99 broadband + £10.28 anytime landline & mobile calls)

I phoned PN a couple of days ago, following the options for leaving, and… nothing better than the email renewal was offered; when I said I had seen cheaper elsewhere, they didn’t ask with whom or how much. I’ll give them another call, just in case I was unlucky, but not looking promising so far.

No problems with PN, just the increased cost.

Main alternatives seem to be:

Vodafone Fibre 1 (or 2, for the same price) @ £30/month (£22 + £8), and a £100 gift voucher.

Now Fab Fibre (or Super Fibre, again same price) @ £30/month (£22 + £8)

It’s just myself and my elderly, chronically ill mother, who I care for full-time – while friends/family calls could (in the main) be made during evenings/weekends, inevitably, there are calls to the GP surgery, Pharmacy etc. during weekdays, hence the anytime calls. We also make use of permanent number withhold, and 1572 (for blocking nuisance numbers).

The only mobile we have is a ‘state of the art’ 🤣 Nokia 3510i, which was resurrected via an RWG £5 PAYG SIM, for use with OTP texts for online banking.

We only have FTTC at the moment – depending on who you believe, our max. DL speed is 37 or 48 Mbps (we currently get circa 37, which is fine), though Openreach are apparently about to start work on FTTP, with first orders possible within 12 months… apparently.

Any thoughts/options/advice, in order to try to keep costs down, gratefully received

Neil_Jones

Look at new customer deals for other providers and bounce them off Plusnet.

Make sure they're genuine deals or at the very least extremely plausible.  Don't include the vouchers as that just complicates things.

Phone up and say I've been with you for ages but Dalek internet are doing a new customer deal for <whatever> a month and it includes <this that and the other and everything but the kitchen sink> but I'd rather stay with you what can you do for me.

Might take a couple of attempts to get a decent deal as you don't have a right to one, but its up to them to offer it.  And up to you to get it.

problems

I am with Plusnet and my contract is up next month. I am currently on a 12 month contract which I had to ask for as FTTP providers are supposed to be 'rolling out in my area' and I didn't want to have to buy out of my contract. The trouble is they have been 'rolling out' for the last 2-3 years and no sign of any of them actually putting their equipment in. The roads all around the estate where I live have been dug up, cable put in and all finished last Summer. It is a mystery to me as it is a large estate with 500 + flats, just what you think they would be looking for. The present Openreach system is poor with part aluminium cable and distant from the cabinet providing a maximum download speed of 37 Mbps (on a good day)

By the way @ MSE, Hyperoptic do not provide a service to the estate where I live even though it is on your list of providers at my postcode, the same goes for Uswitch.

I currently pay just over £26 on a 12 month contract and they are offering a new contract for £25.50 but for 18 months so if I phone up for the 12 month contract again, which would be the third time of doing so I'd imagine it would be similar to what I have now after a minimal haggle.

I used to be PAYG as well but 3 and o2 both increased their prices so I went with Lebara who I have been happy with. They use the Vodafone network which is good where I live and I got the deal through MSE for £4.90 pm for all calls + 100 minutes international and 3GB data which is plenty for me.

Yes as said above, do try ringing Plusnet again with some other providers offers and you may get someone more flexible on the other end of the line.

Good luck.

elsien

Last time I was with Plusnet they were playing hardball. When I said I had an offer of X  with Y company they basically said go with them then. There wasn’t a lot of room for negotiation at all

RavingMad

I left Plusnet for Vodafone a couple of years ago for the same reason; they weren't willing to match any offers. Shame really because their service is great but I went for Vodafone's cashback.  

Farway

elsien said:

Last time I was with Plusnet they were playing hardball. When I said I had an offer of X  with Y company they basically said go with them then. There wasn’t a lot of room for negotiation at all

That was also my experience a few years back, I finished up with NOW who always seem to have renewal offers, and IME decent CS as well

SJMALBA

Neil_Jones said:

Look at new customer deals for other providers and bounce them off Plusnet.

Make sure they're genuine deals or at the very least extremely plausible.  Don't include the vouchers as that just complicates things.

Phone up and say I've been with you for ages but Dalek internet are doing a new customer deal for <whatever> a month and it includes <this that and the other and everything but the kitchen sink> but I'd rather stay with you what can you do for me.

Might take a couple of attempts to get a decent deal as you don't have a right to one, but its up to them to offer it.  And up to you to get it.

Pretty much what I did, but unlike 18 months ago, they didn't seem interested - I'll give it another go, though.

SJMALBA

RavingMad said:

I left Plusnet for Vodafone a couple of years ago for the same reason; they weren't willing to match any offers. Shame really because their service is great but I went for Vodafone's cashback.  

How have Vodafone been?

SJMALBA

Knowing next to nothing about mobiles, but out of curiosity, what is the least we could reasonably expect to pay for a mobile replacement for out landline phone, purely for making/receiving calls?

SJMALBA

elsien said:

Last time I was with Plusnet they were playing hardball. When I said I had an offer of X  with Y company they basically said go with them then. There wasn’t a lot of room for negotiation at all

That was my experience this time round, too.

SJMALBA

problems said:

I am with Plusnet and my contract is up next month. I am currently on a 12 month contract which I had to ask for as FTTP providers are supposed to be 'rolling out in my area' and I didn't want to have to buy out of my contract. The trouble is they have been 'rolling out' for the last 2-3 years and no sign of any of them actually putting their equipment in. The roads all around the estate where I live have been dug up, cable put in and all finished last Summer. It is a mystery to me as it is a large estate with 500 + flats, just what you think they would be looking for. The present Openreach system is poor with part aluminium cable and distant from the cabinet providing a maximum download speed of 37 Mbps (on a good day)

By the way @ MSE, Hyperoptic do not provide a service to the estate where I live even though it is on your list of providers at my postcode, the same goes for Uswitch.

I currently pay just over £26 on a 12 month contract and they are offering a new contract for £25.50 but for 18 months so if I phone up for the 12 month contract again, which would be the third time of doing so I'd imagine it would be similar to what I have now after a minimal haggle.

I used to be PAYG as well but 3 and o2 both increased their prices so I went with Lebara who I have been happy with. They use the Vodafone network which is good where I live and I got the deal through MSE for £4.90 pm for all calls + 100 minutes international and 3GB data which is plenty for me.

Yes as said above, do try ringing Plusnet again with some other providers offers and you may get someone more flexible on the other end of the line.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the info.

Interesting that you mention Hyperoptic, as they seem to one of the few offering a social tariff that includes in their eligibility 'Attendance Allowance', but, unfortunately, not available in our area.

I am wondering about the feasibility of going for a mobile, in place of the landline phone, but would need a new mobile, and, as mentioned, know next to nothing about them...