How Plusnet can lose a customer in one easy step.

[#1]

I have been a customer of Plusnet for about 9 or 10 years with 2 accounts - one for my home and one for my holiday home. The router at my holiday home keeps freezing and needs to be switched off then on again at the plug to reboot it. It is a very old router, I am told. But I am not there all the time and I have items running on the internet there. So I phoned Plusnet today to ask for a new router and was given a flat no because I am out of contract. In fact, I am about 6 months within the line rental saver contract but I was told I could take the new router and then leave immediately. Having been with Plusnet for so long, why would I????

So what Plusnet has done is to ensure that I look around for the best deal to get a new router and maybe if that deal is good I will also move my home account also.

Great thinking Plusnet.

[#2]

So I phoned Plusnet today to ask for a new router and was given a flat no because I am out of contract.

@NigelR normally they would offer you a new router (for the cost of p&p) if you recontracted. Did that not happen ?

[#3]

No, he just said I couldn't have one because I have a legacy account.

[#4]

Deleted

[#5]

No, it is a basic package because it is a holiday home but the phone is part of the package.

[#6]

Yes, it's not possible to recontract on the same Legacy product, but if you were happy to recontract on a current product then that ought to be possible

[#7]

Fair enough but I might as well check the market to see who is offering the best deal, then. As I said, I might then move my other fibre account and phone package if I find a good deal elsewhere. Then I will get a new router anyway.

[#8]

Thanks for your post @NigelR and welcome to our Community Forums.

From what I can see the last router we've sent you was 8 years ago so it's well out of warranty. We can't replace it free of charge without you committing onto a contract of at least 12 months. 

While I appreciate you've said you've got line rental saver left to run, depending on when you paid it, it's going to end February next year at the latest, because we stopped offering it in February earlier this year.

As this is less than 12 months away this is why we'd ask you to recontract. You can do so on a legacy account but you can't remain on your legacy broadband package, you'd have to upgrade to unlimited. 

I suspect likely getting a much cheaper deal too because our capped usage packages are generally fairly costly compared to today's prices (Using the word today loosely, not meaning actually today although that may still be true)

Happy to arrange somebody to call you back to discuss renewing on a cheaper deal and getting a free router.

Feel free to PM me your contact number and a rough time frame when you'd be available for a call.

[#9]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I have just upgraded the account and paid for a new router to be sent to me. It was more the attitude of the guy i spoke with that annoyed me. He didn't offer to pass me on to anyone who could help with a new account. Anyway, sorted now (when I get the new router (and the upgrade)). BTW I was on unlimited, having upgraded a few years ago, but your billing system couldn't cope with that so it showed as limited.

Thanks again.

[#10 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for getting back to me and staying with us @NigelR 

Ah yes I can see we tried to recontract and upgrade your account to unlimited quite a while ago, but it was stuck in our billing system and when the issue was resolved, it doesn't look like we ever changed your account type across to unlimited.

Those issues should be largely behind us now and your upgrade to unlimited fibre should go through fine. 

The order's still pending with Openreach but we should be able to confirm the upgrade date within 24-48 hours.

Normally we'd automatically send your new router closer to the order completion date but I've just manually pushed it through now so you should get it a lot sooner, which will work with your existing standard broadband service.

Finally I've also arranged for feedback to be passed on to the adviser you've spoken with through their manager. 

Really sorry for the bad experience you've had.

[#11]

Thank you very much.

[#12]

No problem, happy to confirm your fibre's due to go live on the 6th October.

Let me know if you have further issues of there's anything else you'd need help with.

[#13]

Good morning. I'm afraid there is another issue - oh dear! I have just received an email telling me that my bill is ready. This is the first bill since upgrading my account. However, it included line rental (in fact the bill is full of debits and credits which are very confusing) but before upgrading I checked with Plusnet that my Line Rental Saver would carry over to the new package and was assured that it would. But it doesn't appear to have happened. Very annoying!

[#14]

Hi @NigelR 

I'm sorry to see your latest bill's wrong after renewing your contract and upgrading with us.

I've now refunded the overcharge to your bank account in advance of your upcoming payment you should receive before or shortly after we take your payment. I've also fixed this moving forward and I've emailed you more information.

I hope this helps. 

[#15]

Thank you.