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Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

bj
Grafter
Posts: 68
Registered: ‎08-08-2007

Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

I've been with PN for 6 or 7 years. And now I'm expected to pay £5 to clear a 10p bill.
I'm on Broadband Pro. BB Pro comes with 4 hours anytime inclusive minutes of BB Phone (VOIP).
It is very odd but Freephone numbers (0870, 0845 etc) are excluded from the inclusive minutes. I forgot this and my default 50p credit went down to -10p. Now I can't make any calls at all. I'm expected to make a minimum top-up of £5.  £5 worth of calls I will never make. I only want to use the inclusive minutes I have already paid for via my BB Pro account.
1) Why do PN charge for Freephone numbers?
2) Why do PN let the call credit go negative?
3) Why was the 10p bill not cleared at my last billing payment?
4) Why after 6 - 7 years (with referals) am I being penalised for 10p ?
I'm outraged. I'm tempted to move to PN Value and Home PHone anyytime (already have Home Phone). This will lose PN £10 - £15 per month. If, in fact, I don't just move to Virgin cable.
See ticket 39241211
I hold my hands up and say this is the second time I've accidentally dialed a Freephone number and got locked out. Last time I was given a free 50p credit to unlock my account. Come on PN how about doing that again? How about showing me some loyalty? And how about rationalising the product?
Stuck at home  with a migraine today. Cound do without this.l
13 REPLIES 13
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 965
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

0845 and 0870 are NOT Freephone.
0845 is local rate, 0870 national rate.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
dvorak
Moderator
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Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

Although the home phone packages included these calls, VoIP packages do not.
There has been discussion on this in the broadband phone forum.
Customer / Moderator
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bj
Grafter
Posts: 68
Registered: ‎08-08-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

OK so I gave the wrong numbers. 0800 are excluded too. But that is not the point. Y0u have got sidetracked away from the main issue.
Not applicable

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

bj - I know that rules are rules but I too would be a tad annoyed at this. I do hope that  someone from the digital care team picks this up and as a gesture of goodwill to a loyal customer
cancels this charge.  Good luck.
dvorak
Moderator
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Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

Quote from: bj
OK so I gave the wrong numbers. 0800 are excluded too. But that is not the point. Y0u have got sidetracked away from the main issue.

no they aren't as I use these daily from my Plusnet VoIP phone line and have never been charged for them.
[Moderator's note by Jim (Oldjim):  Full quote of preceding post removed, as per Forum Rules ]
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pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

my credit on normal phone does show a decrease until the next bill, but the amount is added to my normal monthly bill
cost of call - Mobile phones also charge for 0800 and 0500 calls
bj
Grafter
Posts: 68
Registered: ‎08-08-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

Quote from: poppy
bj - I know that rules are rules but I too would be a tad annoyed at this. I do hope that  someone from the digital care team picks this up and as a gesture of goodwill to a loyal customer
cancels this charge.  Good luck.

Thanks Poppy.
Just checked my records and in April I will have been with PN for 8 years. We've have some rough times with PN over the years but I'm still here. How about a 10p credit PN ?
Folks this is Broadband Phone (VOIP) not Home Phone. It's cahrged and billed differently.
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

Put your hand in your pocket and pay the fiver. How much money have you saved using VoIP?
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 965
Fixes: 10
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

OK, so PN waive the 10p. The next person along wants 20p waived, and the next 50p. Before you know it someone wants £3 waived.
Next question, in two months time you do the same thing again - would you expect them to waive another 10p? How often would you expect them to do the goodwill gesture?
The line has to be drawn somewhere - no flexibility (if you go over you have to put £5 back in to the pot) is clear and no room for discussion.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
bj
Grafter
Posts: 68
Registered: ‎08-08-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

I'm stunned by the last two posts. With attitudes like that services don't get improved and costs go up.
Vip3r
Grafter
Posts: 142
Registered: ‎22-10-2009

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

The easy solution to sop this issue in future would be for plusnet to put an option on the Viop setup page that allows you to block non free calls, so those of us that only want to use voip for the free service don't accidental spend our initial 50p. In a similar way that you can ask your phone provider to block premium rate numbers etc.
bj
Grafter
Posts: 68
Registered: ‎08-08-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

Yes something like that. Or simply don't let the credit go negative.
Remember folks. With BB Pro you pay for 4 hours VOIP up front each month whether you use it or not. Mostl months I don't use it al all. That's why I forget the illogical exclusions.
jim:quote
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
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Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Is it worth losing a customer over 10p?

@bj, heads up that I've just replied to your open support tickets.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
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