Negotiating on behalf of elderly relatives - possible or not.

[#1]

I checked with Chat recently, and was told that if I was added to the account, I could discuss discounts on behalf of my elderly Mother in law.
Here is an extract (names redacted)

Quote

Plusnet: Good afternoon, I'm Plusnet. How can I help? me: Hi - I need to help my mother in law negotiate with options team. How can we get authorisation for me to speak on her behalf? Note I don't live close to her, so calling at the same time is not possible. plusnet: She'd need to contact us to add you onto the account me: What does that mean? Can she do that via chat? plusnet: Yep me: OK - excellent Finally, I note the only way to contact options is via phone. I will not be interested in agreeing to any change to account without written confirmation of what that change is. Can the options team provide that? me: (written can include email/ticket) plusnet: Yep

However, in this thread:
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,145462.0.html
(as well as being a massive disability access fail) You (Plusnet) seem to suggest that is not possible in contradiction to your support advisor on chat (and other responses I've previously had in the forum). If that is the case, then I will have no choice but to move her to a different ISP without further discussion (AIUI MAC no longer required)
Please can you clarify

[#2]

Tony,
It seems it depends on who you ask and how honest you are.  Anyone can be authorised to act on behalf of the account holder but it seems that they cannot act where there is a commercial matter which might give rise to a charge.
I have been in the situation of managing a client's line and have get everything sortied up to the point of needing to agree to pay for something.  I've then had to put the account owner on the phone (the managing director) simply to say "Yes" to the charges.  Other than the caller being clearly of the opposite gender to the named account owner, I cannot see that PlusNet can have any assurance who they are talking to.... 
Kevin

[#3]

Quote

I checked with Chat recently, and was told that if I was added to the account, I could discuss discounts on behalf of my elderly Mother in law.

I'm sorry to say that's not correct, we can only discuss billing/discount/contractual changes with the account holder.

[#4]

But if  the account were made joint (tony and m-i-l or vice versa), that would change matters, or at least it would in other industries, like banking.
So, Chris, are you saying that PN is so inept, has such creaking primitive systems, or is so hide bound, that such a simple thing cannpt or must not be done?
You put the EU to shame!

[#5]

Quote from: Chris

..... we can only discuss billing/discount/contractual changes with the account holder.

This is utterly pathetic. As a specific example, Natwest have a system that allowed me to become a third party administrator on my mother's bank account. My mother signed a document to give me the necessary authorisation and it was not a complex document. As such I could (and did) move thousands of pounds both into and out of the account. I set up an ISA for her and moved money into and out of that account as well. Yorkshire Building Society did the something similar.
It is incredible that Plusnet cannot manage to do something along those lines when they are risking maybe tens of pounds rather than thousands. The risk was actually my mothers in any case - she signed to say she accepted the risk that I was a crook.
On the bright side, I am sure Plusnet's new billing and ordering system will solve all these problems shortly - and the Leeds call center will solve the horrendous phone queues even sooner.

[#6]

EM,
That is not quite as cynical as it first reads...
@CRT,
Will the new billing and accounts (CRM) system facilitate having an authorised person allowed to "discuss billing/discount/contractual changes" on behalf of the account holder?

[#7]

Quote from: Townman

That is not quite as cynical as it first reads...

Well I must be slipping then. 
And I would assume that the facility to allow an authorised person to discuss billing/discount/contractual charges will be part of the V2.0 upgrade to the new billing and account system that Plusnet will start to develop shortly after the V1.0 system is shown to be totally inadequate as so much time has passed since it was first specified meaning that it is out of date before it is installed.

[#8]

EM,
See what you can achieve with a little more effort ! 

[#9]

Quote from: Chris

Quote I checked with Chat recently, and was told that if I was added to the account, I could discuss discounts on behalf of my elderly Mother in law. I'm sorry to say that's not correct, we can only discuss billing/discount/contractual changes with the account holder.

So, Chris - does that mean you are happy that I simply move her to an alternative lower cost provider without further discussion. Because that is the alternative.

[#10]

I'd suggest you look at moving her to an ISP with a lower level of complaints to OFCOM such as TalkTalk: http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,146832.0.html

[#11]

Having jumped through many hoops recently dealing with different companies when I held an Enduring Power of Attorney for my Mum, I can say that even with the legal power to carry out instructions some company staff haven't a clue. Therefore I can understand completely why just setting up third party authorisation can be time consuming and frustrating.

Quote from: Chris

I'm sorry to say that's not correct, we can only discuss billing/discount/contractual changes with the account holder.

@ Chris, if you can only talk to the account holder, how do you deal with people who hold a Power of Attorney for the account holder?

[#12]

Quote from: tonyAtplus

So, Chris - does that mean you are happy that I simply move her to an alternative lower cost provider without further discussion. Because that is the alternative.

I don't want to be critical, but should your question really be formed as an ad hominem question (veiled attack) on Chris?
Whatever he may think, he has to answer according to company policy. That's just the way of the world!

[#13]

Quote from: Spider

@ Chris, if you can only talk to the account holder, how do you deal with people who hold a Power of Attorney for the account holder?

I had to close my mother's PN account some time ago. Her broadband/phone had been moved to Sky (not by me). My attempts to do this are documented in this thread.
Hope that may be of some help.

[#14]

Quote from: Mav

My attempts to do this are documented in this thread.

Interesting read Mav and that was just to close an account. It would still be interesting to hear from a PlusNet staff member how this would work if you wanted to continue operating the account.

[#15]

We've had the answer - the answer is NO. They will insist on talking to the account holder in person.