Migrate or not?

[#1]

Apologies if I've chosen the wrong subforum...

I'm on the 14 day cooling off period having signed up with PN last week as a BT customer of about 40 years.

Before the recent TV ads my only awareness of PN was as my email provider as they took over Madasafish a while back. I only recently discovered PN was owned by BT.

I'm not one for obsessively looking for the cheapest deal, but I think BT have been taking the [-Censored-] and their customer service is woeful. But before I discovered these boards I thought PN was all sweetness and light.

Anyhoo, I thought I had signed up with BT last December for 12 months but they are saying it was 24 and are demanding £216 to terminate (they've been guilty of dishonesty in the past tbh). So I might just keep them for another year. I'm genuinely in two minds as I would almost pay the £216 to get shot of evil BT. Also, that's just the broadband, there's also 2 SIMs to migrate later so no doubt they'll screw me for that too, starting with the loss of discount.

What would you do?

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Avoidance of swear filter edited as per Forum rules.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Post released from Spam Filter.

[#2]

Hi there.

I'm sorry to hear your current provider are thinking you're in a longer contract and charging you to cancel.

If you have any documentation from them at the time of agreeing the contract which proves you're in right, it may be worth relaying that info over to them. They should also have the ability to listen a call (assuming you recontracted over the phone).

Checking your transfer order I can see it's progressing fine for the 1st.

Let us know if there are any other second thoughts about signing up with us.

[#3]

@Mantis55  When I was with BT I always received written confirmation of every new contract.  However, if your contract started a year ago, I appreciate that you might have mislaid any such communication.

Don't be put off by the forums; have you had a look at BT's forum?  Customers who are happy with the service tend not to post messages on the forums about it; after all, they expect "award winning service".

[#4]

Thanks both. I do have the email from last December but regrettably it is 24 months in the small print. That doesn't correspond with my memory of the conversation but hey ho, it doesn't surprise me...

I did once ask for a transcript a few years back when I was verbally promised the same terms as before, which failed to materialise, but they said the conversation was unavailable...

I negotiate every year and I've had a few run-ins with them over discounts that disappear after a couple of months, broadband usage that they've had to reinstate, etc...contacting them is just hard work, and if you phone them, it costs money... I've seen it suggested that all this is a deliberate tactic by BT. Reading this back I really wonder why I've persevered with them.

Jonpe, what I'm reading from your post is that Plusnet's forum has a few moans, but BT has far more  I'm still in two minds though as £216 is a lot of money.

[#5]

Wasn't there an announcement recently about BT price increases in the new year? If BT put up your prices then you may be able to leave with no penalty; but that would probably only be once you are sent a formal notification not immediately.

[#6]

@Mantis55, I can sympathise with your dealings with BT !

I have just spent days of my time, working out the best way to migrate my landline rental & calls away from BT.

In the end BT were so impossible to deal with (without triggering a new long term contract), that I went to another comms supplier and got them to start their "gaining provider led process" so I don't have to talk to BT ever again.

I am expecting BT to slap me with a large final bill, BUT to be away from their unclear contract conditions and the fact that my monthly bill will drop to about 22% of what I'm paying BT now FOR THE SAME service, will make the migration away from BT all the sweeter.

[#7]

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Mantis55 wrote:

Jonpe, what I'm reading from your post is that Plusnet's forum has a few moans, but BT has far more 

I haven't visited the BT forum for a couple of years but when I did, there were just as many problems reported there as there are on the PN forum, and probably any other ISP's forums you might visit.  One advantage with the PN forum is that threre are staff helping out.

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[#8]

Great news 

I had decided to put up with BT for another year after consulting with the missus. I actually got as far as cancelling plusnet then next day I got a letter from BT announcing the price increases, so I was able to leave without termination fees. Quickly signed back up with plusnet so very happy