A small issue, but getting annoying.

[#1]

This is a small issue, granted, however after a year it's starting to annoy me.
After a disaster of an install some 14 months ago, and the promise of substantial compensation, and finally receiving a £10 discount from my bill  and then being over charged via direct debit, I decided to take control of my bill, and opted to pay via debit card once I receive an invoice, and I cancelled my direct debit.
Since doing that, every single month I get what can only be described as bullying, from PlusNet.
My invoice is issued on the 10th of every month, making payment due on the 17th.
Every month, including today, I get my invoice by email, then I get another email threatening to cut me off within 7 days if I don't pay immediately.
Both emails arrive at the same time.
Then tomorrow, as every month.. I am expecting 2 text messages and an email telling me my bill is over due and I am about to be disconnected, and infuture to avoid disconnection I MUST set up a direct debit.
On the 12th of every month I then get a pop up message on my computer telling me my services have been restricted, I click ok and then can carry on surfing.  I then immediately get a text and email telling me my services have been restricted and to log on to my account and pay my bill to clear the restriction.
Please bear in mind my bill is not over due until the 17th of the month.
This happens every single day until I pay my bill, which I must add is always paid in full.
This harassment is beginning to annoy me PlusNet.
Why are you doing this?
I sent a question via the ticket system... explaining that my bill is produced to me on the 10th of the month. Every month, and that I am told the bill is due on the 17th of the month, EVERY month.
Here is the reply... notice the part where it says I am emailed on the 7th telling me my bill is ABOUT to be produced.. not only has this never happened, but seriously, why would any company tell you they are about to send you a bill.......
any way... copy and paste reply below...  also notice where he says I get 14 days to pay... the whole answer is a contradiction!!

Thank you for getting back to us.
I can confirm you do not pay in arrears. For example your most recent billing was for the 10th of May until the 9th of June.
Please note when your bill is generated on the 10th, your bill is due on that day. We give you 14 days to make the payment however after that we will deactivate your account.
We also give you 3 days notification prior to you being billed, this means we email the account address on the 7th so you know the bill is due.
When the payment is missed on the 10th we will of course try to contact you to pay for your services, this has happened 7 occasions whilst you have been with us. We do have this policy in place as we are aware not all customers check their emails and we wish to keep them informed that they may have missed a payment.
If you want to prevent this from happening again please ensure the bill is paid on the billing date which is the 10th of every month.
If you wish to read the Terms and Conditions I have provided the link below:
http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/
If you wish to raise a formal complaint please read the Complaints Code of Practise below and follow the set procedure:
http://www.plus.net/support/service/policies/complaints_code_of_practice.shtml
I hope this answers your query.

And here is a copy of todays email...

Dear Mr **** ******,
The next payment for your Internet service is now due.
Please ensure we receive payment within the next 7 days. Failure to pay by 17 June 2012 will result in service restrictions.
Username: ***************
Make cheques payable to: Plusnet
Send to:
Plusnet
The Balance
2 Pinfold Street
Sheffield
S1 2GU

Remember to write your username on the back of the cheque.


Thank you for your custom.
Kind regards,
Plusnet Customer Support
That is the email sent with my invoice, quite plainly stating the date of my bill is the 10th, and payment is due on the 17th.

[#2]

Ask for a MAC code - if you don't use it within a month it will expire.
Presumably they will make an attempt to retain your custom?

[#3]

TBH getting a MAC and moving away isn't a solution... all telecoms companies treat their customers with utter contempt!
But I guess the threat is there...
My phone and broadband have always performed perfectly whilst with PN though, I give them that!

[#4]

Actually, the email does say "The next payment for your Internet service is now due." Try paying it on the 10th and see what other emails and texts you then get!

Quote

but seriously, why would any company tell you they are about to send you a bill.......

First Utility and EDF do, to name 2 that I know of 
Also Plusnet did when I wasn''t paying by DD, but by continuous authority on a credit card.

[#5]

Well no company that I have ever done business with has ever given me notice that a bill will be produced in a few days!!
As for paying on the 10th, why should I?  The bill is due by the 17th, so why should I pay on the day the bill is printed, to stop PlusNet harassing me?
I have never had a pre bill email in the 14 months I have been a PN customer,  so ANOTHERONE you must have been a special customer?

[#6]

I also get an email from PN a few days before my bill is due informing me that they are going to take payment at a later date.  I pay by DD.

[#7]

I suggest you read the T&C's!

Quote

24. You agree to pay the charges on your billing date. You may also need to pay a deposit or a payment upfront before you can receive the service or goods. 25. If you do not pay your bill, we will send you a reminder or call you. If we do not receive payment within 10 calendar days of the date of that reminder, we may add a late payment charge of £7.50 to your next bill by way of compensation to us for breaking the terms of this agreement. We may also charge you £10 by way of compensation to us for any Direct Debit or cheque payments which are returned to us because you do not have enough funds in your account. The charges set out in this paragraph are not subject to VAT. 26. We will generally not suspend or end the service or the agreement until 14 days after your payment was due, unless the service terms or the price guide say otherwise. However, sometimes we may take this action earlier. For example, when you reach your credit limit.

[#8]

Hi Devonian,
The billing date we have for you on your account is the 10th of each month, and that's when the system tries to take the payment. As there are no active payment details on your account, we can't take it automatically so the system sends a notification because payment is due - I'm not sure where the 17th comes from as all the notifications we've sent state that the payment is due on the 10th?
If a direct debit was active on the account the automated systems would start the payment process - granted that means the money wouldn't leave your account for several days but the billing process has started, so it's only if the direct debit request fails that we'd then send a notice in that case.
I can understand your reasons for not wanting to have payment details on your account and ready, and am sorry it's come to that, but I hope that helps explain why the notifications are coming.

[#9]

Thanks for the reply Matt.
Yes the 10th is when the bill is produced, but as every bill states, payment is due by the 17th.
Every invoice clearly states at the bottom that payment is to be made by the 17th.
Can you also tell me why some peole have said they get an advance warning that their bill is being produced, yet I don't?  I know its a small issue as obviously I know my billing date, but it seems some people get a little extra customer service!

[#10]

I think you'll find it's the DD customers that get the advance notification.

[#11]

Hi devonian
Jelv has covered the actuality of customer payments in his quote above from the T&C's.
Payment is due, in your case, on 17th of each month, your billing date. We do not offer credit terms, we do however give customers a grace period if they enter failed billing before cancelling an account or progressing to credit control.
Clearly there is some wording in your billing notice which is causing confusion or is misleading. I'll have that reviewed and amended where appropriate.
Bottom line and as per the T&C's, payment is due on your billing date and no later. If you pay by card, the payment will be taken immediately and again in your case that would be the 17th. If you were to pay by DD then the request for payment would be sent to your bank on the 17th and payment taken a few days later. The lag is due to the DD system and the speed of the payment submission and bank processing.
Apologies if the wording of any email or response from our support teams has generated any confusion.
Mark

[#12]

Mark,
Are you sure his billing date is 17th because that doesn't explain this:

Quote from: Devonian

On the 12th of every month I then get a pop up message on my computer telling me my services have been restricted, I click ok and then can carry on surfing.  I then immediately get a text and email telling me my services have been restricted and to log on to my account and pay my bill to clear the restriction.

Has his billing date been shifted at some stage and a mess made of doing it so that not all the systems have the same date?

[#13]

Hi Devonian,
We've just looked at the service notice, the invoice (and the printable invoice) in the portal and in workplace and can't see anywhere that it states the 17th, except on the follow up service notice where it states that if payment is not received by the 17th service restrictions will apply.
This isn't a statement that the 17th is the date required, this is the end of the 7 day grace period following the date the payment was due.
If you could let us know where the 17th is stated (and if possible provide a screen shot) we'll happily advise further.

[#14]

Hi Matt,
I think it's covered in the original post (of the 10th June) where the OP stated:

Quote

And here is a copy of todays email... Dear Mr **** ******, The next payment for your Internet service is now due. Please ensure we receive payment within the next 7 days. Failure to pay by 17 June 2012 will result in service restrictions. Username: ***************

(My bolds for clarity)

[#15]

... which is exactly what Matt is saying. Payment is due on 10th, 17th is the end of the grace period.
As per my previous post, what isn't explained is why he is being restricted on the 12th.