topic Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths in Plusnet Feedback

Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

sga101 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:00:57 GMT

I've been a plusnet customer for over 4 years, and have generally been impressed with the service.
When I signed up, I was mostly using email and browsing the internet, so Broadband Plus was more than adequate.
More recently, I've wanted to make use of services like iPlayer, but have often found them to be unusable at peak times.
I would have liked to upgrade to a product which would allow me to do this, but can't commit to an 18 month contract.
I think it is unreasonable to require existing customers to sign a new 18 month contract just to upgrade their package.
I don't need new hardware, I don't need my line activated, and I don't need to be transferred from another provider. If there are any costs associated with making the change, I can't believe it takes 18 months of subscription charges to recoup them.
Please can you consider revising this policy. I would prefer that you had a 1 month minimum contract length for upgrades, but would be prepared to sign up for 3 months if I had to.
I want to spend more money with you, and you are making it difficult for me to do so. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this position, so you are potentially passing up on considerable extra revenue.
Also consider that some people would probably like the freedom to try out the more expensive packages without having to commit to them if they offer them no tangible benefit, and this would make it easy for them to do so.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

jelv — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:05:33 GMT

Perhaps you would like to vote in the poll I started!
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,81029.0.html

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

Mand — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:10:54 GMT

Hi there,
Product changes do not require you to agree to any new contract, since we made changes in October.
If you want to try one of the new products I'd be happy to arrange this, and agree to move you back if you find it's not suited within the first month or so?

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

jelv — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:21:00 GMT

Mand,
Why did you avoid saying that ALL residential contracts are now 10 days and that the only liability is for deferred charges?
There's a very widely held belief that marketing have deliberately tried to hide the change in case there was a surge of existing users migrating out. Posts such as yours only add strength to that view.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

Mand — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:41:12 GMT

The question was specifically related to product changes, so I answered in context.
FWIW, I don't work in Marketing.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

sga101 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:54:48 GMT

I stand corrected. I'm very pleased that this has changed since I asked about it in October.
Mand- I would like to move to plusnet pro. Your help would be much appreciated.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

Mand — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:58:17 GMT

No problem, can you raise a ticket just to cover my back please?
Standard process is to schedule for your next billing date, but I can do it earlier if required?

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

sga101 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:36:28 GMT

Mand,
Many thanks in advance.
I have raised a ticket; reference number is 31262036.
Earlier would be appreciated if at all possible.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

sga101 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:15:45 GMT

Mand,
I got this email in response to my ticket...
We are pleased to be able to inform you that a member of our Customer Support
Centre has now escalated your Question [number 31262036 ]
for further investigation.
The following comment was added to the Question
Thanks for getting in touch, can you just confirm you agree for us to change the account on your next billing date and agree to the new terms and new 12 month contract. If you have any more questions please get in touch 24/7, either by our contact number 0845 1400 200 or through our assistant on our website.
http://help.plus.net
Kind regards,
....

It would seem not everyone agrees about the minimum contract length for product changes.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

pierre_pierre — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:26:33 GMT

you should not give the agents name - but enough said

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

Mand — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:13:30 GMT

I'm really sorry about that.
I've 'educated' the agent in question, and have changed you to Pro now. You'll need to reconnect to get the new profile assigned though.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

sga101 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:15:59 GMT

Mand,

Thank you for your help. You make a great ambassador for plusnet. I hope that they recognise all the good work that you do for them.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

BRABUS — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:25:41 GMT

If you change from Value to Premium can you then another month later change to Pro?

If its all more than you want can you then select value again? I would hope hat you do. This would show your own belief in your quality fo service and openness like that would go a libg way to keep customers.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

Chris — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:38:01 GMT

Yep, you can change between them if you like month to month with each change happening on your billing date.

Re: Product Upgrades and Minimum Contract Lengths

BRABUS — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:03:26 GMT

Chris I know you can go up a level byt can you go back down again?