Plusnet (dis) Honest Broadband

[TKH]

My daughter took out Plusnet broadband and telephone last year, using them because the had a monthly rate with no cancellation fees at all if she gave the appropriate notice (or so they said on the phone and on their web site!!). She had a few problems with them during the time but hey (sh)it can happen.

She came to leave the flat she was in to come back home. She rang Plusnet to confirm the cancellation process 2 months before she was due to leave the flat.

This was shock number 1. Rather than just giving the required notice she was told that she would have to pay a £25 fee to cancel the line. At no time was this mentioned when the contract was taken out and the guy expressly said that there would be no cancellation fees. I re-checked the advert and under "Heres the legal bit" nothing at all is mentioned. I strongly complained but was told by Plusnet that if my daughter didn't pay then they would AUTOMATICALLY refer to debt collection. The only way out was to get the new tenant to take over the line. My daughter managed to do this. She got a mac code for the new tenant who went with Sky on the date agreed, and that information was passed to Plusnet. The Sky installation date was also the last valid day for the mac code.

So, thought my daughter, all is well, just give notice on time, which she did. WRONG.

The tenant went with Sky as discussed. My daughter was checking her email and found an email from Plusnet telling her they were going to take a direct debit from her account to pay for the next months service . She rang them straight away and was told everything was still active - even though they agreed they had received the cancellation on time. They stated that the new tenant hadn't taken up the service with Sky even though she had.

What Plusnet in their shear incompetence failed to pick up was that in many exchanges large companies like Sky have their own equipment (called local loop unbundling - LLU). Plusnet now insisted on £25 AND additional service costs even though she had canceled on time and done exactly what they told her to do.

At no time did they try to contact my daughter to tell her that the service was still active of that they failed to cancel the service.

My daughter lodged a complaint and insisted on speaking to a manger. She was told this would take 2 days. Eventually someone did ring but she was getting poor cell reception. They emailed her so she responded and said she would ring back, which she did and was told the guy would ring her back that day. This was over 10 days ago now and no call back.

In my opinion this is NOT honest broadband, it's despicable business practice. It clearly shows poor management and indifferent customer support. Even if they were giving the stuff way I wouldn't use them.

You have been warned, if you want an honest service go elsewhere.

[TDMick]

Thanks for that, my lad is moving into a rented place this summer, and I was thinking of PLusnet as a possible provider for him/them.


Their loss.

[celticbiker]

I had awful service from BT and finally moved to Sky, got to say I have had no problems with them in the 18 months I have been with them.

[drb277]

I'm with Sky for my broadband, which I've been for over 4 years and it seems very good. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/good.gif[/img] Thing is with people like plusnet they don't realise the damage they do themselves by giving someone a poor service, [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ranting.gif[/img] because they'll loose out long term [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/excl.gif[/img]

[LewisBlackburn]

just to let you know, BT own Plus Net

[TDMick]

Never had a problem with Virgin, been with them since dial up modems were all the rage.

[slartybartfarst]

I've been with Plusnet for nearly 10 years and as far as it goes had no problems. Certainly in terms of the system working I can't fault it. And when my details changed and they couldn't take payment they emailed me and gave me a months grace to sort it instead of just cutting me off. That said I only get broadband and I'm on a monthly contract so I shouldn't have any grief if I went elsewhere. However a couple of month back they announced I'd have to pay by direct debit or pay an extra £1 a month for them to take the payment from my debit card. Not that such blatant profiteering is unique to Plusnet.

This sort of BS is typical of all the big companies now. They just know that most folk simply what the problem to go away and aren't prepared to spent endless valuable time sorting things so they just put more and more hurdles in the way - knowing most will give up and pay-up.

Might be worth reporting them to trading standards. And if the adverts are still running the ASA - though there might not be a legal definition of 'Honest'.

It not a unique attitude my 'leccy supplier wanted £500 'deposit' to change my meter from pay as you go to a standard one - My pointing out I didn't spend £500 on 'leccy last year made not a jot of difference - computer says no.

Chris

This post was last modified: 25-07-2011, 11:49 AM by slartybartfarst.

[dmmsta]

Always the way isn't it.

2 days out of the "right to cancel" period and this thread come up...

Bugger.

[TKH]

Here we are again.

My daughter received an email today telling her that Plusnet were taking another months bill from her account this is after she has canceled the account TWICE and has had it confirmed by the pleb on the phone that it would be canceled.

When she rang she was told that because they had an outstanding call against her account they couldn't close it. What a scam!! The problem was she was waiting for one of their bunch on incompetents to return her call.
This being the case, she still won't be able to cancel because said same "manager" will be ringing her back (allegedly).

She has done everything they have asked her to do, paid everything she has been asked to and still finds herself with a rolling monthly contract she can't get rid of.


My daughter has threatened not to pay and they just said that it would be put into debt collection. This would kill her credit rating. Within the next year or so she's hoping to buy a house and that would hit her hard with any loan she took out. So she's stuck with no apparent recourse.

I implore anyone thinking of buying phone and or broadband package to go elsewhere. This outfit is an amazing con. FFS how they get away with it is beyond me.

This post was last modified: 16-08-2011, 05:26 PM by TKH.

[LewisBlackburn]

Escalate to next manager/complain about the manager and also claim for compensation for losses.

When it gets high enough the people causing problems will be bollocked and you will get a full apology.

They should send something like flowers


If you want to complain about someone, even if its a duty manager they have to acknowledge your complain and pass to there manager.

[MikCoshell]

Not worth pissing about arguing with em.

Try Google, Broadband Complaints

Trading standards. Offcom, etc. Normally the threat is enough to get a result.

Mik

[Daveb]

tell them you are going to contact a consumer program or citizens advice for advice.

found this by googling complaints against plusnet.

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.ph...984.0;wap2

[TKH]

<!--quoteo(post=218142:date=Wed 17th Aug 2011, 02:55 PM:name=Daveb)-->QUOTE(Daveb @ Wed 17th Aug 2011, 02:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->tell them you are going to contact a consumer program or citizens advice for advice.

found this by googling complaints against plusnet.

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.ph...984.0;wap2<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


Thanks Daveb looks like a common problem.....