Should Moving to PlusNet be this difficult - issue with BT

[#1]

I have just transferred over to PlusNet from BT.  I had assumed that this process would be well practiced by the parties concerned and no great issue for me.  I seem to have been wrong on this assumption.  Has anyone else had similar experiences?
1.  I have ended up paying both BT and Plusnet for the same period of time.  How is that correct or fair ?  For some reason my broadband service was set up on 2nd of the month, but the phone service not until 16th (a 14 day delay).  This seems to have given both BT and Plusnet the right to charge me for that 14 day period.  Is that right?  It certainly isn't fair.
2.  For reasons no one can explain, BT have also taken it upon themselves to continue charging me (even after the 14 day double charge period I mentioned above) for the package I used to have with them, PLUS another package (Broadband Option 3) that they have arbitrarily chosen to charge me for.  As a result, I am now paying for 3 broadband/phone packages on the same line - 1 to Plusnet (the one I was expecting) and 2 to BT (neither of which I was expecting).
Of course, the onus appears to now be on me to try and sort this out and recover the money unrightfully taken (by direct debit - no wonder suppliers push this option).
How is the transfer process supposed to work?
AB

[#2]

We migrated your broadband in using the MAC you provided, this gives notice that we're going to take over the ownership of broadband on the line. Once this had transferred in we sent the order for the phone service, we have to provide 10 working days notice on this due to regulations, again BT will have received what's known as a KCI informing them that we'd placed an order to take over the line.
As both of your services activated at different times on our side you'll notice that your next bill may look a little odd as there will only be a pro-rata charge for the phone service for the partial month.
BT should have received notice that we were taking over both services, unfortunately we aren't allowed to contact them directly on your behalf, but I'm happy to provide you with any details, activation dates or similar that you need for them to close your service down.

[#3]

Hi Andy,
Welcome to PlusNet and the forums.
Sadly your experience in exiting BT is not uncommon, there have been a number of threads around here on this subject before.  One guy went months before BT desisted in billing him, even after PlusNet confirmed that they had taken over the line at a given date.  Hopefully someone from PlusNet support will be able to pass on to you the technical information required to enable you to sort out BT.  Things could have been worse though - BT have in such situations been known to put a cease on the line - which until activated no other provider can place orders on the line.
As for the gap between BB switch and phone switch, sometimes it is easier to split the migration and there is a industry mandated 10 day delay on phone line switching to prevent slamming.
HTH,
Kevin
Edit: Chris types faster than me

[#4]

Quote

For some reason my broadband service was set up on 2nd of the month, but the phone service not until 16th (a 14 day delay)

That's due to OfCom rules that there must be a 10 working day notice period fro phone transfers to avoid 'slamming'.
TBH I suspect your double billing is down to BT's incompetence. I've just transferred my phone from BT to PN and had to correct BT twice. They emailed me at 01:30 on the day the phone transferred to confirm it, then they charged me for a call the following day ( ok that was probably Openreach sending the call records to them rather than PN ! ) and then they tried to charge me for a days rental on the day of transfer. Both times they sorted it out after an online chat, actually that reminds me I haven't checked that I got the 24p refund for the call!.
Edit: both Kevin & Chris type faster than me 

[#5]

Thanks for your comments.
I note the comments on the 10 day notice period, but why does this not run from the time the order is placed?  I placed the order about 3 weeks before the broadband migration date and hence 5 weeks before the phone migration date.

[#6]

It's from the point we place the order in the wholesale system. We can technically do a sim provide, which means both services go active at once, however generally for a migration at the moment we order the broadband and then place the phone order once that's completed.

[#7]

Chris
That's OK, but is this 2 stage migration supposed to cost the customer more?  It has meant that I have been charged double (ie by 2 different providers) for a period of 14 days - that includes line rental and the cost of a combined broadband and phone package - approx £16.50 at a guess.  I can obviously only use the service once, so there is absolutely no benefit to me as a result of the 2 staged process.
Andy

[#8]

Chris
By the way I haven't seen anything of the pro-rata-ing of charges that you mention on my PlusNet bill.
Andy

[#9]

Hi again,
No, it shouldn't cost you more as your previous provider should close the services down as they've moved. Any billing from them isn't something we can advise much on I'm afraid.
The pro-rata adjustment should happen on your second bill, as this is when our system works out the dates of activation for both services.

[#10]

Quote

It has meant that I have been charged double (ie by 2 different providers) for a period of 14 days - that includes line rental and the cost of a combined broadband and phone package - approx £16.50 at a guess

BT should not have charged you for the broadband for that period , only the line rental. Get on to them about it, as Chris said, he will provide details of when the transfer completed if you need it. I find the online chat the best way to talk to BT, and you can print a transcript when you've finished, which is useful.
BTW They did refund my 0.24p , they just did it differently than they said!! 

[#11]

As others have mentioned BT's billing system is not the most dynamic. BT claim it takes up to 30 days to compile the final bill. In my case it was exactly 30 days (funny that) and it was still wrong. It does not help that BT bills are so complex even their own staff do not understand them.
I used the online complaint procedure that resulted in a courtesy call back within 24hrs.

[#12]

Mister W
I have tried contacting BT.  
First by phone - and they said that this is what the system does by default, don't worry about it, it will all be corrected in a few days - complete lie
Then by online Chat - this time they replied to say they needed to phone me, they phoned and said they couldn't help and I needed to speak to someone else, I was transferred - waited - got connected and asked to repeat my query again - and then cut off.
I will be VERY happy to leave BT well behind.  If anyone is thinking of setting up a company with the sole aim of angering its customers, don't bother - BT have the market cornered, by using all sorts of technology, global resources, fancy dept names, and big budgets.  I am glad they dropped using British Telecom as their title, as it brings the whole country into disrepute!  (I know BT own PlusNet, but PLEASE PlusNet dont ever adopt their way of treating customers).

[#13]

My experience with transferring my parents from BT to PN:
Broadband goes over, fine, then phone 2 weeks later phone goes over.
After broadband transferred, they received details of being charged another month of line rental which should only be two weeks.
So they got charged but once phone line was over with PN, they got details about a refund being processed for time without the service etc.
Second bill with PN did indeed have a discount due to difference between broadband and phone line activation.

[#14]

Thanks for all your responses.
What I now think should have happened is:
1.  Broadband transferred to Plusnet on 2nd.  I pay broadband charges to BT up to 2nd (or maybe 1st, but I wont quibble about 1 day), and Plusnet from 2nd onwards.
2.  Phone line transferred 16th.  I pay BT line rental and call charges element up to 16th, and plusnet from 16th onwards. 
3.  Plusnet will apportion their charges to account for the combination above, and this will be reflected in the 2nd month's bill (due shortly, so I can check).
4.  As I paid BT for the month in advance, BT should therefore refund me for line rental and phone charges from 16th to end of month, and for broadband from 2nd to end of month.  (This is clearly NOT what has happened, but I am now clear what I am aiming at).
5.  In my case, BT also need to refund me for the 2 broadband packages they have charged me for for the complete month after the migration, plus the backdated charge for the second broadband package, which they have added going back to the 16th of the previous month!
I am on BT's case.
Thanks again for your help.
Andy   

[#15]

I had similar experience.  Finally all sorted: I hope.
I had the extra complication that I didn't pay the bill requesting 1 month broadband in advance (instead of a small refund for end of the previous month); rather rang BT and they said a new bill would correct the error.
New bill arrived (eventually), with added £7.50 for late payment of the first incorrect bill.  To be fair, it was easy to get BT to remove that