topic Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call? in Plusnet Feedback

cant pay for my bill unless i call?

warbleeder — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:49:32 GMT

so just gone online to pay my bill.... but yet there no payment button (im guessing as im not in failed billing)?
i even went into my bill and only option i get is to print it?
im not adding card details for reason that happened in the past .... and i aint calling you to be on hold for 15-30minutes just to make a payment

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

HPsauce — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:53:46 GMT

Or set up a direct debit? That has very good protection, though with the antique PN accounting system setting it up is a lottery, and a slow one too!
Most utility service companies allow you to pay by direct bank transfer giving an account number (or similar) as a reference.
You would think that would be an option...............

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

warbleeder — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:57:21 GMT

nope i wont leave my card details on plusnets system as last time i did that someone from plusnet took a manual payment from my bank without my permission first... not name anyone or going into details...
and in all fairness at end of day when you click a bill to view it ... if that bill states pending or due it should have the option to make payment

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

AndyH — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 14:59:04 GMT

Can you add a card, make a payment then remove it?

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

warbleeder — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:00:54 GMT

P.S if someone from plusnet wants to call me and take payment go ahead but im sorry im not sitting on the phone for atleast 15-30minutes before someone picks up
last time i did that i could not remove it..... but again you should not have to wait untill you are in failed billing to have the option to make payment

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

AndyH — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:23:48 GMT

What if you go here http://www.plus.net/pay ? Does it not allow you to make a one off payment online?

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

Oldjim — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:27:34 GMT

I get - is this because nothing is due or because I have a direct debit set up
Error
Sorry, An error occurred whilst processing your request.

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

HPsauce — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:54:52 GMT

Quote from: warbleeder
nope i wont leave my card details

You don't give card details for a direct debit.

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

AndyH — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:59:25 GMT

If a bill has already been generated though, doesn't that mean the OP's only option is to pay via card?

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

TORPC — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:39:03 GMT

There is most likely a problem with the system or a discontinued service
All I am seeing (with a NON DD account)

Edit:

I wonder how long it will take for the"website team will investigate" & fix this now known issue ?
Answers on a postcard please (NOT)

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

rongtw — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:14:27 GMT

I have the same problem , i dont have a Direct debit set up for personal reasons , but i pay with my debit card .
But the only way you can pay with a debit card is when your bill is over due , you cant even see what your bill is on the day its due , untill PN send you "sorry we cant take a payment" but when you log on member center all you can see is total payment , so you cant check your bill untill you pay.
i know i get £1.50 charge but it works for me paying this way .
when you get overdue payment message you then get the pay now option

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

TORPC — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 17:57:40 GMT

I suspect that £1.50 charge has made PN's Bank Manager(s) happy & it currently looks like (NOT for one moment I am saying it actually is) but it looks like fraudulent behaviour, from an outsiders point of view
Ok some may blame it on age old machines / software
That said
If they (PN) can & have brought their website up to speed with the current HTML5 / CSS3 coding, then surely they can bring their billing procedures up to date ?
However I am guessing that as the forum software is outdated by @Least 6 years (& members have reported many a issue (that was incorrectly diagnosed as looking in the wrong place @ the load balancers), & was alleged to be prioritised (as of a couple months ago (to date)) (It would be anyone's guess) if PN will fix this anomaly in a timely manner

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

adamwalker — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 18:25:16 GMT

@warbleeder,
Are you aware that we don't give an option to pay if there's no active payment details on the account?
If this is what's happened in your case you'd just need to add some payment details and then you'd be able to pay.

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

TORPC — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 18:33:42 GMT

@_Adam_Walker_
To clarify
One would need to store their active card details on your server, in order to & prior to getting a <Pay Now Button> / option

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

rongtw — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 18:39:49 GMT

Torpc , you still don't get the" pay now "option until after PN has tried to take payment from bank that they dont have a DD mandate for ??

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

TORPC — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 19:09:40 GMT

What I do not understand, that where the option, to NOT store the active card details on PN's server for DD, they still try to take a payment (although no payment can be made) in the 1^st instance
If they do not want to present you the pay now button until after said payment could not be made,(which is clearly after the Bill has been generated, then they could send one an email or other agreed correspondence to say that your bill is now ready & can you please pay @ your earliest convenience / Failure to pay within 5 working days will cause restrictions on your account & any further failures to pay after 3 weeks could cause suspension of all services,
If you have trouble paying your bill, please get in touch & let us know, so we can work with you to help you make suitable arrangements for you to pay your bill
As the would look much better than the current state of play
(We couldn't take a payment for your plusnet a/c (username xxxxxxxxxxxx). To pay go to http://my.plus.net (which will redirect you to more secure https://portal.plus.net/my.html as we have not updated our system to provide you the correct https link in the 1^st instance) or call 08451400104) Text or Email
& in the meantime on the day yes the day the bill is generated some services like visiting the forum is automatically restricted (for NO FAULT of your own, due to our Neanderthal computer system(s))
(which we have to wait for before we can pay our bill)
If it were like a week after the bill was generated I could understand the restrictions being in place (but not the same day as the bill is generated)
As that show mis-trust towards your customers & desperation for their money
I know we have the option to remove the restrictions on the same day the bill is generated & it is designed to have a follow up (I think 4 - 5 days later / IIRC) & for no fault of our own it is a real nuisance to say the least
& considering that some pay the extra to NOT PAY by DD
It actually feels like PN are punishing those that (DO NOT) want to set up a DD
Which puts the whole "Good old Honest Broadband" statement under dispute

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

rongtw — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 21:29:00 GMT

For me the worst is on the due date if you dont pay you dont have access to member center
my bill is generated 11th each month, but being disabled my money gets payed every 2 weeks so its no always in sync , so hence DD is not best option , if my disability is payed 2 days after 11th i get bank charge £30 .
it may be easy for some to say leave it in bank until due date , YOU dont know Bill amount untill Due date ! and is hard on a tight budget to have cash in account that could be used for food , waiting until you find out what bill is.
So if my bill is 2 or 3 days over i click " accept and continue browsing " until i pay the bill .
It may be a daft system but it works
but my 02 phone is great because they text me a week before due date to tell me what the bill is , so i budget for that because i have prior knowledge , pity PN cant do same

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

warbleeder — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 22:20:20 GMT

im offline for afew hours and boom
im sorry adam but you your self know full well what happened with my account.... as you where the person who changed my billing date... then sorted the issue out when money was taken from my bank without my approval.... (but i still stayed with plusnet after that) as you sorted it and that was end of,,,,
there is no reason what so ever why plusnet can not have a option to click pay when we veiw a pending bill... i host afew websites for people i have payment options on most and it is not that hard to implement
and when momney was taken from my account im pretty sure DD was set up at the time...... and i cancled due to the issue
and as above comments good honest broadband.... im about to take business broadband out and i was all set for plusnet (as ive been here 5 year) but im not too sure atmo
and the £1.50 charge (unless you use DD) dose seem to me that PN are trying to force people to pay DD... if you dont set up DD we will penalise you`(although ive had this argument with PN before) and you tell me its a card processing fee....
can i ask how?
as far as im aware i enter my bank detail your computer talks to my banks computer you get the money? no one from plusnet has to do a thing
(i know you are prolly gonna be anoyed with me adam... i know you done alot for me in past but i have my opinion and im going to put it forward
p.s i should not have to have active payment details... i should be able to make one off payment my bill was due on 17th its now 23rd and your system wont allow me to pay

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

glyndev — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 23:08:18 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
@warbleeder,
Are you aware that we don't give an option to pay if there's no active payment details on the account?

Adam.
I have regularly gone into failed billing over the last several months.
I DO NOT have any active payment details on my account, in fact when I just checked my payment details it says "You are currently paying your subscription by cheque."
But each and every month when I have visited the members centre I have always been prevented from accessing the members centre but have instead been presented with a failed billing page which always contained a link giving me the option to "make a payment". If what you say is correct then this can only be a recent alteration to your systems.
And as for the £1.50p card processing fee. How do they justify that amount when my local corner shop only charges £0.50p for using a credit/debit card, many other retail outlets only charge if below a certain amount, maybe £10.00p, and the supermarkets dont charge at all.

Re: cant pay for my bill unless i call?

MattyC — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 09:36:16 GMT

Hi guys,
@warbleeder - If you want to add a card and make payment, I'll make sure it's removed for you. Alternatively, if you want to pop me a PM we can try and arrange a time for me to call.
A lot of people have raised points here. Our billing system is tailored to suit Direct Debit a lot more than any other payment methods, and IMHO I think this is the brunt of the problem. I think it's because the system is ancient, above preferred payment method or anything else.
Ideally, I think that for card payers there should be a middle ground in between the stage of before the bill being due, and the stage of "failed payment". This would make life easier for people like rongtw and Devonports.
All customers who opt to pay their monthly invoice by one off debit and credit card payments, instead of Direct Debit, are subject to a £1.50 surcharge on each invoice. This is partially a processing fee sent to us by the bank. I can't attest to how much of it goes to the bank in all honesty.
I was pretty intrigued by this, so I did a bit of digging and I found this that told me that pretty much every provider charges for card payment. I don't really intend on this being an excuse, but it does seem industry standard.
Matty