Over a barrel with contract length and pricing

[#1]

I wonder if anyone else has been able to resolve this issue.

December 2023 my contract had to be renewed. We are unlucky and have to have the old copper cable service at £28.05 per month for 24 months. I explained at the time that we were moving in June 2024 and what could we do then. I was told we could upgrade to fibre at our new address and we wouldn't be charged a movers fee.

Fast forward to yesterday. I ring Plusnet to advise them we are moving and ask if we could transfer the contract. With 18 months remaining on the old contract I was told we couldn't take that service with us and a new 24 month contract was required at £28.99 a month. This I queried as the advertised price is £24.99 a month, and MANY other providers are offering £19.99 a month for the same or better speed.

The advisor on the phone said it was only 'New' customers, and if I wasn't happy the leaving charge was £270+.. 

A complaint ticket raised last night has been answered with the same information. I feel i'm over a barrel now. Take a new 24 month contract at £28.99 or leave and pay the £270 release fee. Any advice?

[#2]

I explained at the time that we were moving in June 2024 and what could we do then. I was told we could upgrade to fibre at our new address and we wouldn't be charged a movers fee.

Do you have that "told" in "writing" (i. e. an email or ticket), or was it just over the 'phone?

If you have it, they will probably honour it - but you will have to argue beyond blue in the face.

(If it's a ticket, take a copy now, in case it mysteriously disappears.)

[#3]

@carmow68 

You should have the option of paying £65 to move your serice and retain the old contract on the old copper contract, be it without the phone service, should it be still available at the new addreess. See here under other charges  https://www.plus.net/help/legal/plusnet-price-guide-for-residential-products/#bb-other-charges-for-y....

Reading between the lines it looks like you have elected to change your product to Full Fibre, hence the new contract. I suspect that it is unlikely that Plusnet would allow a customer to leave a contract part way through and take out a new one at a cheaper price without incurring a penalty.

Plusnets offer was: I was told we could upgrade to fibre at our new address and we wouldn't be charged a movers fee. My reading is that this is what has happened, there was no offer to continue the old contract or reduce the price that you would pay.

[#4]

Reading between the lines it looks like you have elected to change your product to Full Fibre, hence the new contract.

If the new property is in a Fibre priority area, then there's no option for anything other than Full Fibre, even with a house move.

[#5]

Is this the same as the one on Moneysavingexpert, as that one has been resolved?

Mark

[#6]

Hi Baldrick1,

Plusnet tell me the old copper service is not available at the new property, that is why we MUST have fibre and take out a new contract. This null and voids the £65 movers fee. I then asked if I could end the contract as they cannot provide the service, but was told it is a contract to my current property, not a contract for service to anywhere else.

I don't want a new 24month contract at £28.99 so I have to pay to leave. Those are the only two options it seems.

[#7]

@carmow68 

Fair enough but is it worth paying £270 to leave?

I assume that you would have been happy to continue paying £28.05 a month after the move, or did you expect the cost to drop after agreeing a contract for 2 years at that price? If you do the sums I suspect that it will be much cheaper to stay with the current offer and if you really want to leave after 18months then pay the reduced ETC.in 18 months.

[#8]

@Baldrick1 

We signed for £26.99 on the copper contract as we had no alternative, the price rise has taken it to £28.05. I was hoping they'd play fair and see me as a 'new' fibre customer and honour the £24.99 that was all. 

Principle says pay the £270 and tell them what I think of them. Reality say's sign the new contract and pay the £28.99 for another 2 years. Just sticks in the throat when others are offering £19.99 for a faster service.

[#9]

@Marksfish 

No this is a seperate issue.

[#10]

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@carmow68 wrote:

Just sticks in the throat when others are offering £19.99 for a faster service.

---

I came back to PN as they were the cheapest at £27.99pm and boy, did I look around and searched out the voucher deals. The only cheaper were Sky (who am I leaving) who were offering 500meg for £18.99pm, but only to new customers, £34.99 for existing!

@carmow68 wrote:

@Marksfish 

No this is a seperate issue.

Okay, sorry, a thread very similar going on over there.

Mark