topic Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet' in Plusnet Feedback

Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

alanf — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 17:46:14 GMT

I just had a call from someone saying that they were from Plusnet and that may well have been the case. As a long-standing customer they wanted to save me money but first for data protection I would have to confirm some security details.
1) If Plusnet rings me I don't see why it should expect that I should take it on trust when it won't take me on trust.
2) I felt disinclined to play along as to my suspicious mind it had all the hallmarks of being invited by my bank for an account review.
3) Since when has a company called to arrange to take less money from you? The last time that happened BT rang to say that it would take a few pounds a month off my monthly payments. I said thank you very much before the penny dropped. a) To make the saving I would have to commit for an extended period. Somehow the caller failed to mention that until I asked a direct question. b) The discounted price that I was being offered was in fact more than the discounted price that I was already receiving. This deceit was one of the reasons that I left BT for Plusnet.
4) If Plusnet has a genuine bargain to offer me please put it in an email and I'll contact it if I'm interested.
5) On checking I see that my account options permitted contact by email, phone, SMS and post. I am always careful to opt out of marketing except I know that I made an exception to permit email as Plusnet were failing to send important account information to people who had only wished not to receive marketing. I am wondering if my marketing opt-outs got reset at the time of my last product change at the same time that the Plusnet Firewall options were lost as I certainly would not have knowingly opted into receiving marketing phone calls.

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:24:22 GMT

I would be happier if Plusnet used a recognizable caller ID, rather than number withheld - which it has been for as long as I remember.
If my phone rang and the ID said it was "Plusnet", then I would be MUCH more inclined to listen to what was offered.
As it is, I have had so much trouble with anonymous callers, that my phone is now configured to not ring on any call without valid caller ID, so it is unlikely that I would ever know whether Plusnet called.

@'alanf' have you tried "Product Change" in the Member Centre, to see whether there are any upgrades that would be of benefit to you ?.

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

HairyMcbiker — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:30:15 GMT

Mine is the same, UNKNOWN callers get the elbow. (& INTERNATIONAL spammers!)
Never had PN phone me offering me any discounts maybe this is why

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

alanf — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 00:37:33 GMT

Quote from: purleigh
@'alanf' have you tried "Product Change" in the Member Centre, to see whether there are any upgrades that would be of benefit to you ?.

A ticket was created and immediately closed soon after confirming that it was Plusnet that called. No indication of what they really rang to discuss.
I am on the correct products for my requirements.

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

bobpullen — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 09:45:14 GMT

Quote from: alanf
I just had a call from someone saying that they were from Plusnet and that may well have been the case.

It was the case.

Quote from: alanf
If Plusnet has a genuine bargain to offer me please put it in an email and I'll contact it if I'm interested.

Sounds like you're already aware however you can opt out of telephone marketing via the Member Centre.

Quote from: alanf
On checking I see that my account options permitted contact by email, phone, SMS and post. I am always careful to opt out of marketing except I know that I made an exception to permit email as Plusnet were failing to send important account information to people who had only wished not to receive marketing. I am wondering if my marketing opt-outs got reset at the time of my last product change at the same time that the Plusnet Firewall options were lost as I certainly would not have knowingly opted into receiving marketing phone calls.

As part of the recent pricing changes we expanded the marketing options available to you. Prior to the change you either opted in or opted out. Now that things are more granular there are more options. If you were originally opted in then we opted you in to everything post-change. If you were originally opted out then we opted you out of everything post-change. These changes formed part of the communication we sent out about the price changes etc.

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

alanf — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 15:50:48 GMT

Quote from: Bob
As part of the recent pricing changes we expanded the marketing options available to you. Prior to the change you either opted in or opted out. Now that things are more granular there are more options. If you were originally opted in then we opted you in to everything post-change. If you were originally opted out then we opted you out of everything post-change. These changes formed part of the communication we sent out about the price changes etc.

Thanks for that explanation.
I must admit that the changes that were being made had been so extensively discussed in the forum before the email actually arrived that I only gave it a brief scan when it did arrive and missed the significance of this change.
I think that the way that you have just explained it is far clearer than what was expressed in the email. If I had seen such an explanation at the time I would have noticed and acted.

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

janitor — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 21:15:49 GMT

Have had the same type of calls from, my bank, sky tv, TalkTalk and 3 mobile, they all got the same answer I don't do passing security checks if someone phones me, I tell them I will call back on a number I have for them, as the bank and TalkTalk tried giving me a number to call them on, but I wasn't having that. All these calls were actually from who they said but I still refuse to divulge any information from someone who calls me.

Re: Unsolicited Call From 'Plusnet'

HPsauce — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 21:19:06 GMT

I just ask them to identify who they are and for the security code.
When they get difficult I point out that they called me and I'm trying to confirm their identity; if they can't do so satisfactorily I tell them I'm going to call the Police as it's clearly attempted fraud.
Genuine callers do sometimes splutter a bit at that point. Call centre sales people just hang up.