If you're thinking of joining Plusnet.. DON'T!

[#1]

After 9 years with Plusnet we.re finally leaving!

Plusnet are not the same company I joined, customer service is now shocking with long times on hold, cut off multiple times and when you do get through to someone, the info you are given is often incorrect. You then get passed round various departments with nobody willing to take ownership of an issue. It seems their only 'solution' is to hold you to ransom.

Customer loyalty counts for nothing it would seem. It would appear you're nothing but an account number.

In many ways we're model customers, if we have issues, especially technical, we try to fix them our end without bothering customer service, we pay our bill on time, every time. We even pay £10 more each month than current offers for the same service. Yet the minute we do have a problem, Plusnet are not interested and hold you to ransom.

We are on a old deal which we signed up to in 2012. 76mb broadband with a 250gb limit (I'm pretty sure that 250gb limit was added after we signed up to the deal and it was initially unlimited, but that's another matter)

So for the first time in memory we have gone over that limit and are now being billed £5 per 5GB we use. Since Sunday we have been billed an additional £20 and will continue to be billed at this extortionate price until our next billing cycle on 25/12.

We have tried to find a solution to this with Plusnet, only to be told there isn't one. Even if we signed up to a new deal - 76mb with unlimited downloads, this would not kick in until our next billing date and we would still be charged £5 per 5gb up until that time. Even though we have been out of contract for years. We inquired if we could buy more data at a more competitive price, but it seems not. It seems there is no way around it and so we are left with the prospect of barely using the internet over the Christmas period or paying through the nose for it.

We've been a loyal custom since 2008 and Plusnet couldn't care less. If the computer says no, you're stuffed.

We currently pay £40 a month and have done since 2012 (£480 p.a)

Plusnet offer the same deal today for £31 a month (£372 p.a)

I'm going over to Vodafone where the same deal can be had for £27 (£324 p.a). Vodafone customer service isn't the greatest at times, but then neither is Plusnet, so why pay more?

[#2]

Did you ever try retentions for a better deal ?

0800 013 2632

[#3]

Retention's is one of the departments I got passed around.

Not willing to do anything. Their solution was to sign up to a new deal, however like I say, that won't kick in to the next billing cycle (25/12) and so has absolutely no benefit right now. We'll still be billed £5 per 5gb until then.

[#4]

Ignoring the idiosyncrasies of the billing system I see no reason why Plusnet can’t write off the cost of you going over your limit. After all if it cost them anything then surely no one would be offered an unlimited package!

Could one of the superusers pickup on this thread to see if there is anything that can be done. The days of this type of contract are all behind us so why should a loyal customer be penalised.

@pjmarsh, @Townman, @ITWorks, @MauriceC

[#5]

It is sad to read your story and see what has become of PlusNet under the current senior management.

How can it make business sense to alienate a long standing customer and drive them to a competitor by being intransigent?

Short term financial gain, at customers expense, ruins hard earned reputations.

Good luck with Vodafone.

I have had to troubleshoot a friends issues with them.

The man problem was that the Vodafone HHG2500 VDSL router was unfit for purpose.

Any more than 2 or 3 devices connecting via WiFi would result in the router crashing. This in turn led to BT DLM taking action due to the router disconnects....

The workaround, found on the Vodafone forums, was to turn the Vodafone WiFi off and use a TP-LINK wireless router to handle WiFi connected to the Vodafone router via Ethernet cable.

The TP Link's "wan" Ethernet address was added to the Vodafones routers DMZ.

This was in the days before Vodafone would give customers their usernames and passwords.

Apparently they will now give the details out, if you phone up and request them.

It is better to use your own router and avoid the Vodafone router.

Richard

[#6]

@Anonymous - done.

[#7]

@Anonymous You'd think so wouldn't you?

I don't mind paying for the extra data we've used, it's fair cop. But I don't like being held to ransom past that point. i'd like to find a solution and Plusnet have refused to move on it. Hiding behind 'nothing can be done as our systems won't allow it', which is complete rubbish, something can always be done. 

Like you say, going forward it could be billed and then refunded as a good will gesture, especially for a long standing customer.

And I would have stayed if that was the case. But no, so i'm l left with no option to leave.

Vodafone seems like a good bet. I've been with them for mobiles for coming up to 17 years. I know how they operate and it's cheaper. Not massively cheaper that I would move because of it, but I do know they value my custom and that's what matters.

What's more they have guaranteed me 73mb speeds (I'm about 25m from an exchange), where as with plusnet I get around 45mb on a 76mb package. Whether I actually get 73mb remains to be seen, but as they have guaranteed it, I can cancel my contract if I don't get it.

Thanks for your help BTW

[#8]

@RichardB

I've never used ISP supplied routers, they've never really been up to much. Seems pointless paying for fast lines only for it to be throttled by cheap modem/routers. 

[#9]

@colourrepublic,

The constraints of the billing system sadly does bring about scenarios such as the one you are in and indeed the in-process system will say "No" ... working out of process needs someone with the ability to take such decisions being aware and able to instigate out-of-process options.

This case sits central to discussions which have been taking place within the SU group.  I have cited this case; I cannot promise that your situation will change, but I have asked about options very much in line with your suggestion.

...which reminds me, I need to go and add a supplemental question.

[#10]

Thanks for that @Townman.

Sadly it’s probably too late, I’ve already started the move to Vodafone. I’m not the kind of person to say I’m doing something just to get a reaction. I just do it as haven’t got time to play games.

It’s a shame that I’m leaving with a bitter taste in my mouth. Over the years I’ve recommended Plusnet to others (who joined as a result) as it once was a good service, of course I can’t say that anymore. So no doubt I’ll have to update my recommendations and let those people know the issues I’ve since faced.

It will be interesting to see if Plusnet do anything about it though. Especially as I’m already leaving. Let’s see if they make a gesture for the last 9 years of my custom, or if it’s a case of ‘sod him, let’s squeeze as much out of him before he leaves’.

Hopefully things change for others and appreciate the SU’s role in that 👍

[#11]

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@colourrepublic wrote:

Not willing to do anything. Their solution was to sign up to a new deal, however like I say, that won't kick in to the next billing cycle (25/12) and so has absolutely no benefit right now. We'll still be billed £5 per 5gb until then.

 Sorry about the extra usage charges, we can usually change the product immediately, If you could PM me your details I'd love to take a look at the account and give you a call with some suggestions.

---

[#12]

Hi JonoH,

Thanks for looking in to this for me.

To give you some further background it may be useful to see some of the notes that have been put on my account after the initial calls to Plusnet. 2 tickets have been raised over the same issue and both tickets contain inaccuracies, from 2 different perspectives. Firstly what I said and the timeline of events, are inaccurately recorded. Secondly between what you are saying (i.e. packages can be changed almost immediately) and what 3 different PN advisers have told me (i.e. changes take 2 weeks). I'm not saying you're wrong, just pointing out what I have been advised.

But before you read the case notes below, please note the correct 'timeline' of events are as follows...

1) I'm aware that - a) i'm now getting charged £5 per 5GB of data over our set allowance and - b) I am out of contract and have been for many years

2) I research the current advertised PN offers, I also research 3rd party providers current offers before I call PN.

3) I call PN customer services to see what options are available to me and what can be done so I don't incur further costs.

4) I am told that I can sign up to new 18 month contract and that it's pretty much the same deal as I currently have but with unlimited, this will cost just shy of £31 a month. I ask if any additional add-ons or deals are available (I'm quite interested in BT Sport). I'm quoted you're standard prices, no real deals available. I tell the adviser that I can get the same package from Vodafone for £4 less a month and i'd like to think about my options before signing up to a new 18 contract. But is there a way we can minimise the extra data charges in the meantime? I am told that if I speak to 'Technical' then they can remove my data cap and I will incur no further additional charges. Great, can you pass me to technical

5) I speak to technical. He seems confused about my request and doesn't believe he can do that. He asks his supervisor for clarity. No it can't be done, I will still be charged £5 per 5Gb unless I - a) sign up to a new deal or  - b) he can take my speed down to something stupidly low where it's impossible to use any data at all! I ask to get put back to sales/retention so I can sign up to a new deal

6) I speak to sales/retention. (By this point after getting cut off twice earlier, waiting times are 30 mins. i'm now thinking Vodafone is a good bet, This is not the reason I first chose Plusnet, this is not indicative of the adverts you put out all those years ago). I'm told I can sign up to a new deal, but that new deal won't kick in until the next billing cycle. I clarify that in the meantime I will still be charged for extra data? Yes i'm told. I'm now thinking what benefit is there in signing up? I'm getting screwed either way. It is at this point my mind is made up. I'm moving.

7) I tell the adviser there is not point in me signing up and will now be moving to Vodafone as it's cheaper for the same package. I inquire if in the meantime is there any last minute thing I can do, to not incur further charges before I move? No I'm told.

So now I'll show you the notes put on my account, hopefully you'll notice that point's 1-6 above have been completely omitted and from PN's notes, only point 7 has been recorded, which if i'm honest is unfair and out of context.

(i've blanked out names for your staff privacy)

#

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA names fully removed from attachments as per Forum rules.

[#13]

Please note the times and dates PN's notes were made.

[CSA Removed]'s response to me is only because he read [CSA Removed]'s note, which in fact happened after [CSA Removed] had passed me to her some 2 days before.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA name removed as per Forum rules.

[#14]

Hi @JonoH

Just wondering if you'd had a chance to look into my account?

Sorry to be a pain, just that we've already hit around £45 in extra charges over the last week and we're barely using the internet 

[#15]

Have you got Win10 platforms?

There are a number of massive updates being quietly downloaded. You may wish to reconfigure the network connections to be METERED. That should stop the update process.