topic End of contract in My Account/Billing

End of contract

nickspence — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:55:13 GMT

Why is it so hard to let a contract lapse.

I do not want to renew I just want it to lapse.

I am forced to phone which I do not want to do.

There is no email

and there is no live chat - you cannot call a "bot" live chat

I will just stop my direct debit after the last payment as there isnt any other option - in theory I shouldnt have to do anything as the contract ends - but i am sure it will auto renew against my wishes

Not happy at all

Re: End of contract

jab1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:11:42 GMT

@nickspence Is this for a Broadband supply? If so, are going totally 'ff-grid', or moving to a new ISP.

If you wish to cancel the contract, you ca write to:

Plusnet PLC

The Balance

2 Pinfold Street

Sheffield

S1 2GU

Re: End of contract

nickspence — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:17:15 GMT

thank you for your reply

thing is John I dont want to cancel, my contract comes to an end and do not want to renew, in should just lapse but I have a feeling they will auto renew even though there is nothing in the contract to say it wil renew. Also the price will double to nearly £60

Re: End of contract

jab1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:25:21 GMT

If you do not want to renew, are you going to another provider? If you want to continue with Plusnet, then contact COTs (the retention team) and negotiate a new contract (at a favourable rate), or you will move to out-of-contract on a 30-day rolling contract.

There are no other options.

Re: End of contract

Longliner — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:38:17 GMT

I haven't time to check but I think there is provision to auto-renew at out of contract rates. You need to inform Plusnet or they will auto-renew. The alternative for them would be to cut off contract-expiring customers at the end of the term which can cause great inconvenience. As John says, either way it's up to you to inform them one way or t'other, the staff do their best but they aren't mind-readers!

Mike

Re: End of contract

jab1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:47:04 GMT

It would be useful to know what the OP expects to happen at the end of a contract - it is obvious that once a contract finishes, either the service is terminated, or you move to an out-of-contract situation, which is naturally at a higher price.

Re: End of contract

MisterW — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:56:59 GMT

The 'contract' is to supply the services until cancelled. In addition, where a discounted rate has been negotiated, there is a 'minimum term' for which those services must be subscribed. After that period , the services revert to a rolling 30 day term, unless a new discounted rate and term are agreed.

Re: End of contract

Baldrick1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:56:55 GMT

@nickspence wrote:

Why is it so hard to let a contract lapse.

My understanding, you may wish to check through the terms and conditions to confirm, is that what you sign up for is an open ended service with a discounted minimum term, at the end of the minimum term the contract continues at the full price, charged monthly, unless you take another fixed term deal. Consequently the contract does not lapse, it has to be cancelled .

I will just stop my direct debit after the last payment as there isnt any other option

This will result in the debt simply accruing and being passed on to a Debt Collection Agency, causing considerable hassle that is unlikely to be resolvable without using the telephone.

Unless you are, as previously stated, going 'off grid' or say, leaving the country, it is unwise to simply cancel a contract without careful consideration. In many instances it is far wiser to transfer the service to a different ISP.

Re: End of contract

nickspence — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:58:31 GMT

Hi, thanks for the reply, as stated i just expect my contract to end, finito,nothing more.

But no, my contract wont end - they will auto renew against my wishes and against the contract terms (that i can see)

And I have to phone, then go through 20 minutes of queues then 20 minutes of them trying to persuade me to sign up again.

well in reality my contract ends.

I just want to send a email but you cant, its entrapment

Re: End of contract

nickspence — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:59:08 GMT

My contract has a end date, I expect it to end on that date

Re: End of contract

jab1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:03:50 GMT

As stated previously, Broadband contracts are minimum term open-ended, otherwise once they finished you would lose any phone and/or broadband service, which I am sure you wouldn't want to do.

What exactly do you expect to happen when the minimum term completes?

Re: End of contract

Baldrick1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:04:36 GMT

@nickspence

You will need to explain why sending an email is OK but ringing or writing a letter is entrapment?

If you ring the Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 then in my experience the phone is answered very quickly.

Re: End of contract

corringham — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:56:46 GMT

@jab1 wrote:

It would be useful to know what the OP expects to happen at the end of a contract - it is obvious that once a contract finishes, either the service is terminated, or you move to an out-of-contract situation, which is naturally at a higher price.

Why is it "naturally at a higher price"?

Not every ISP charges higher out-of-contract prices when a fixed term contract ends, and of those that do not all increase the price as much as Plusnet do. Why do they need to charge more? It's not as if it costs Plusnet more is a customer is out of contract.

Re: End of contract

jab1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:05:07 GMT

@corringham I know 'Not every ISP charges higher out-of-contract prices when a fixed term contract ends,' - mine doesn't, for interest, but the vast majority do - rather like gas and electricity suppliers.

As to the rest of your questions, I don't know, probably commercial decisions.

Re: End of contract

adamwalker — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:10:01 GMT

@nickspence Cheers for taking my call just now, sorry it wasn't the best time. As agreed I'll call back after 10am tomorrow and pop you through to the customer options team.

Re: End of contract

corringham — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:34:13 GMT

@jab1 , Ok so there is in fact nothing "natural" about raising prices. It is purely a commercial marketing decision to attempt to force customers to enter another fixed term contract.

Worse, the fixed term contracts aren't fixed price for the term of the contract, so the contract is very one-sided.

Re: End of contract

Baldrick1 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 17:37:57 GMT

Force? Is that force as in the gatekeepers response: “I tried to keep them our but they forced their way past me by putting money in my hand”?

Persuade perhaps, but force?

Re: End of contract

corringham — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:02:06 GMT

@Baldrick1 wrote:

Force? Is that force as in the gatekeepers response: “I tried to keep them our but they forced their way past me by putting money in my hand”?

Persuade perhaps, but force?

Force as in "make (someone) do something against their will".

I'm not sure I'd call "take out a new long term contract with annual above inflation rises built in, or else we'll double your monthly payments" persuasion. It certainly doesn't persuade me - especially when the new contract is above the current price even after the recent 14.4% rise.

Re: End of contract

adamwalker — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 10:36:47 GMT

Cheers for taking my call @nickspence the guys in customer options I put you through to will get you sorted, please shout up if there's any issues.