VAT Increase & Price Changes - January 2011

[#1]

Quote

It's clear there's some objection to the £1.50 fee, and I'd be lying if I said we didn't expect that to a certain degree. As I've mentioned before though, it's pretty painless to switch to DD and in most cases (Unlimited customers excepted) if we hadn't frozen the price of your broadband then the VAT hike would probably have amounted to a similar amount of money anyway. At least that's the way I've been looking at it.

You aint kidding there is objections because it's a rip off. BB cost are dropping all the time so freezing the BB charge does not make up for it.

[#2]

Quote from: nadger

Assuming one always has sufficient funds in ones account then I fail to see the problem in paying by DD. Were I to want to I could cancel my DD to any provider in seconds - try doing that with a Continuous Authority on a credit or debit card where the payee, not the payer, is in control. My Gas & Electric providers give me a better deal for paying by DD so why not Plusnet.

The problem with a reliance on Direct Debit by Plusnet is the onerous terms they impose – namely, a minimal notice period of charges and a need to wait some time for a refund – put in combination with a flakey billing system. Perhaps it was just coincidence but my litany of billing problems only really began once I was forced to move to DD when moving my landline to PN. Bear in mind too that stopping a DD payment to Plusnet isn't particularly prudent because you then end up in failed billing mode pretty quickly.
If Plusnet were to turn around and say ‘I tell you what we'll do, to ease the pain of the fee-induced move to Direct Debit we'll adopt the industry standard 10-day notice period before payments are taken’ I'd be somewhat less negative about the move – but that is, alas, a can of worms that's probably best not opened in this thread.

[#3]

Quote from: glloyd

BB cost are dropping all the time so freezing the BB charge does not make up for it.

AFAIK, there hasn't been any reduction in the cost of BT Wholesale's products that coincides with these changes. Besides, bandwidth use is increasing at an almost alarming rate, and as we use a capacity-based charging model, the more bandwidth customers use the more it costs us.
If anything Broadband is becoming more expensive for us, not cheaper.

[#4]

OK-I'm reading it as being better to join the current Anytime package before January 4th. how do I switch, please ? This is because I need too retain my international minutes....
Can somebody do it here for me, lease, or direct me to the right link ? Seems I've little choice and will be moving under total duress !! I really thought better of you guys than this...........
Cheers, Lynda ~

[#5]

i'll not respond to whats rubbish
except if you suspected problems with charging people for using a cash card to pay you your right
as its theft
monthly users wont want to set up DD and who would blame them
I'm wasting my time  talking with  financial  crooks  and in a austere period
I now realize i'm dealing with a horn of  BT
if others want to pay ok
but i'm not willing to pay the extra £1.50 for using a debit card
and i wont be setting up any DD for a 3 month  end of term period
so after jan if you dont accept my card free of charge
you'll have to inform me how to pay and
i'll take the letter to my bank manager

[#6]

@Be3G, reasoned comments and ones I'll make sure get fed back to the powers that be. To be honest I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't raise the DD notice thing whilst this project was in incubation stages
On the same subject though, the failed billing processes have been a little more gracious/forgiving since we improved them a couple of months back.

[#7]

Quote from: nadger

Assuming one always has sufficient funds in ones account then I fail to see the problem in paying by DD. Were I to want to I could cancel my DD to any provider in seconds - try doing that with a Continuous Authority on a credit or debit card where the payee, not the payer, is in control. My Gas & Electric providers give me a better deal for paying by DD so why not Plusnet.

yes you get a discount, not a surcharge.
A discount might have encouraged me to swap, this surcharge is a slap in the face after 7 years of paying by card quite happily.
I find the increase on unlimited quite ridiculous. No other legacy package that I am aware of has had the price raised, ever.
Did PN get the package so wrong that they have to bully people off it? Because that's what it certainly feels like
Sadly I do think this is going to push me over the edge, with be's competitive pricing and cashback available I can have 12 months with a total spend the same as I am paying now.

[#8]

It's all about price-points.
A VAT increase always messes with marketing plans.

[#9]

Quote from: Lynda

OK-I'm reading it as being better to join the current Anytime package before January 4th. how do I switch, please ?

Hi Lynda, you can request the change here.

Quote from: giro

monthly users wont want to set up DD and who would blame them

Why? You do know 85% of our customers (the vast majority paying monthly) use Direct Debit don't you? I have to be honest, I'm really struggling to understand just why you're so aggrieved by this. I'm also not sure what your bank manager would do. Assuming you don't leave within the next 30 days, you'll have defaulted to accepting the new terms of your account (and that includes the introduction of the non Direct-Debit surcharge)?

[#10]

Quote

you'll have defaulted to accepting the new terms of your account (and that includes the introduction of the non Direct-Debit surcharge)?

if it makes a new contract then you can count me out ?
let me know i'll rejoin opal
or i may just scrap the lot like i did with the tv
i'll not be robbed by bt barons

as its new terms  its a new contract so let your customers  hear it publicly

[#11]

Having seen the problems that people, paying by cca, have had leaving companies like TalkTalk ( Pipex, Tiscali etc) I'd never pay any other way than by DD.

[#12]

Thankyou Bob-I'll get onto it now. Sorry you're copping all the flak but  it is a pretty awful way they've treated some people, in my opinion, and I'd been SO chuffed at finding a decent supplier after the nightmare I'd had the last 18 months only to be kicked in the teeth.....
Cheers, Lynda~

[#13]

I currently don't have a phone with Plusnet so haven't looked at the changes. As I see it, the reason Plusnet have increased the cost of the unlimited product is that people are using more data than expected and they want to cut their losses on those accounts. With regard to the VAT increase it will happen to all accounts..... it can't be avoided. The difference on residential products is that they have decided to cut the net amount and freeze it until 2012 when who knows what will happen.
The other thing I don't understand is why people have so many problems with DD rebates. If a problem occurs, advice the bank and they refund the money straight away. Notify Plusnet, and tell them to claim the correct amount. The Plusnet and the bank can sort it out. Plusnet don't seem to like this approach but it is the one set down by the DD guarantee.

[#14]

Bob, as Lynda said you have copped all the flak for this debacle.  I would hope Jamie Ford is aware of the feelings of members and it would be courteous if he was to apologise for the confusion and let us know what he is doing to resolve it.  Is he in the loop on this?

[#15]

plusnet hopefully  you'll let me know shortly
and i protest BT as i'm against charges for paying   via a debit card
financial rogues i'm getting the hell outta here
but if you do change my terms and break the contract with me plusnet
you'll hear from me