topic Taking candy from a baby in Plusnet Feedback

Taking candy from a baby

Babygirl — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 02:10:08 GMT

Hi there, I'm new in this forum so please bare with me.
Plusnet admitted to making a mistake with my billing in early March, looks like they marked Feb payment as paid but didn't take the payment from my bank, so of course they contacted me, they wanted to take a direct debit from me for £35.64 which is what they should have taken for Feb DD.
I contacted them and asked if I can pay in installments, they agreed to let me pay half then which I paid on or around the 24th of March and contact me for the other half on the 24th of April this was logged on the ticket system, which I was ok about, it even said on one ticket to stop direct debit for payment of £35.64 in early April, I thought ok cool.
On the 7th April 2010 a direct debit left my account for £35.64, my billing date is the 3rd of every month I've had my email by this time saying my account will be debited £36.81 for March subscription and it will be taken on or after the 8th April 2010.
Well they took it they took every thing 35.64 on the 7th and 36.81 on the 8th, geeze i wouldn't mind if I had a pot of gold but I don't, I'm actually unemployed and a single parent of a small baby and a special needs child what they took from me is my kids money leaving me with £15 till Monday, Cheers plusnet and some guy on the phone tonight telling me the money will go back in my account the middle of next week. I can't wait shouldn't have to wait that long, it's ridiculous I don't know what to do i'm on a tight budget as it is and plusnet just seem to think it's ok, it's not you guys have really messed me up. It's not just me it's my children.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

pierre_pierre — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:26:31 GMT

Welcome to the helpful forum
threaten them with the direct debit mandate (go to the bank and ask for the money back), but be careful, as they illegally say that if you do use the mandate they will cut you off

Re: Taking candy from a baby

ctech500 — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:11:15 GMT

This is getting absolutely ridiculous the billing system is not fit for purpose the whole idea of a Direct debit mandate is ensure that people can organise their budget and make sure bills on the due date are paid without causing undue stress.
I understand that things can sometime go wrong however in this instance arrangements were made between the users and Plusnet and then totally ignored.
This is inexcusable. Plusnet also need to look at customer care as well as billing. this topic is very similar to an earlier post (check link)
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,84204.0.html

Re: Taking candy from a baby

HPsauce — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:14:12 GMT

Quote from: ctech500
the whole idea of a Direct debit mandate is

....
....actually to make life easier for people who you have to pay (and the banks).
It's NOT for your benefit.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

ctech500 — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:49:56 GMT

That's beside the point and it will not cut ANY Ice with the people who have hand funds taken from their accounts unexpectedly or am I missing the point.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

HPsauce — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:18:44 GMT

Quote from: ctech500
am I missing the point.

Possibly, I was merely clarifying what DD's are really for. I think our unfortunate OP maybe has some expectations of the system that are not that close to reality.
Whether it "cuts ice" or not isn't really the point. A better understanding of the realities can often help you resolve a problem more effectively.
It's a bit like (dare I say it) the political debate about NI contributions. Certain business leaders appear to be implying that the primary role of their business is to create jobs whereas in reality it's to make profits for shareholders. If they create jobs that may be good but it's not what they are there for.
Equally if DD's make your budgeting or whatever easier and less stressful that is also good, but it's not what DD's are for. Thet are really to make it more difficult for you to not pay on time (if you see what I mean).

Re: Taking candy from a baby

ctech500 — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:19:31 GMT

This is not about what DD's are for or NI contributions. I don't need clarification about DD's either, its about a breakdown in a system that causes people to have money taken from their accounts unexpectedly I AM NOT missing the point you are. The OP was given certain assurances over the issue. I almost certain that customers who haven fallen foul of the system will not agree with your stance.
BTW I am fully aware of the facts in this case. You might find this site useful http://www.thesmartwaytopay.co.uk/
as for NI contributions go to another room with that one... its (off topic)

Re: Taking candy from a baby

torbayguy — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:34:18 GMT

Sky took money from me via DD without my permission.
I cancelled the DD and asked the bank to recall the money, which they did in around 7 days.
I now pay sky by debit card, when I am good and ready, and only when Im sure the bill is correct.
They keep trying to add £4 per bill because I dont pay by DD, but I remind them every single month that it is an unfair penalty, as ruled by the OFT and they drop the charge.
Dont let these companies push you around.
If I get a single incorrect bill from any company, thats it, my DD is cancelled for good.
If they dont like it, tough!
Theres plenty of other companies happy to take my money!

Re: Taking candy from a baby

Moominfish — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:57:07 GMT

@ Torbayguy,
So when B.T say if you don't pay by Direct Debit you have to pay a £1.50 monthly payment processing fee, is that also classed as an unfair penalty or not?

Re: Taking candy from a baby

torbayguy — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:07:35 GMT

It depends what the fee is actually for.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

mikko — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:08:56 GMT

You could say that BT reward you for paying by DD and that's not the same as penalising you if you don't.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

Mav — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:19:45 GMT

Quote from: Babygirl
Cheers plusnet and some guy on the phone tonight telling me the money will go back in my account the middle of next week.

You should contact your bank requesting a refund of the amount(s) taken in error. They have to refund that immediately and your bank will then recoup that from PN. It's the Direct Debit Guarantee.
From the bacs website:

Quote
If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society
* If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when the organisation asks you to

Re: Taking candy from a baby

pierre_pierre — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:28:30 GMT

agreed that is what it says, but from recent evidence PN will then cut you off and argue later. Its that incorrectly programmed computer that AV referred to.
Much as I feel sorry for Babygirl, should you not budget for known payments and put the money to one side?, after all the incorrect payment would have been taken in April, she was lucky that PN agreed to split in half for one month

Re: Taking candy from a baby

HPsauce — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:34:50 GMT

Quote from: ctech500
will not agree with your stance.

Now I'm really confused, what "stance" are you talking about? I don't have one and haven't taken one, maybe you need to rephrase what look alarmingly like an unwarranted comment.
I was merely "politely debating" a technical side point about the DD system and trying to clarify it to help the OP.
I have every sympathy with the OP, PN have "screwed up" and should correct it ASAP.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

Mav — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:54:42 GMT

Quote from: pierre_pierre
agreed that is what it says, but from recent evidence PN will then cut you off and argue later.

I thought that only happened if you actually cancelled the DD.
If any company has taken the wrong amount and you obtain the refund from your bank without cancelling the DD then. as far as I am aware, the company would be in breach of contract for terminating or suspending and service it supplied to you. It is up to the company to liaise with the customer to collect the correct amount or re-send the DD instruction for the correct amount.

Re: Taking candy from a baby

ctech500 — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:36:35 GMT

Quote from: HPsauce
Now I'm really confused, what "stance" are you talking about? I don't have one and haven't taken one, maybe you need to rephrase what look alarmingly like an unwarranted comment.

There is no need for confusion or alarm, my comments are not unwarranted. It seemed to me that you would take "titbits" of my views and attempt to use them to weaken the debate like a politician using sound bites to undermine their opponent.

Quote from: HPsauce
I was merely "politely debating" a technical side point about the DD system and trying to clarify it to help the OP.

With respect do you honestly think that people who have had monies taken from their accounts in error would be remotely interested in the technicalities of the DD system.
This is hardly an isolated issue; this forum is full of customers who have suffered in this way.There was a case of a pensioner who had they pension money taken unexpectedly, another case that caught my eye was the chap who had £150 taken "by mistake", and now this poor mother and her children getting dipped. So it’s the practical implications of the payment system and not the technicalities that concern me and probably them.

Quote from: HPsauce
I have every sympathy with the OP, PN have "screwed up" and should correct it ASAP.

On that point we concur,I am glad the confusion was cleared up

Re: Taking candy from a baby

Mand — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:56:45 GMT

Hi there,
I'm really really sorry about this.
This problem has been caused by manual error (your account wasn't removed from the submission file when it should have been).
The refund has been issued, and should be with you tomorrow.
The Direct Debit guarantee *does* mean that you would have been able to claim a refund from your bank immediately. I'd advise against doing that now though, as that would mean we've refunded the money twice, and could complicate things further.