Have Marketing failed? (change of all contract lengths to 10 days)

[#1]

have done  
I flagged this up 3 weeks ago and it still isn't fixed http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/index.html

Quote

Terms and Conditions Your Terms and Conditions for: Plusnet Residential Services These Terms and Conditions come into effect from 17th February 2009

[#2]

Hi guys,
We did email all customers saying that the terms had changed. It's also published in an FAQ here.
@jelv, I've asked the web team to clarify that page, it is correct for some products (namely Essential and Business), but the question about notice doesn't fit with the others. We'll get that sorted, but it's certainly not deliberate deception.

[#3]

Quote from: Mand

We did email all customers saying that the terms had changed. It's also published in an FAQ here.

Mand, like the email the first few paragraphs are all about home phone. People will stop reading if they haven't got home phone.
Only 16% of the people responding to this poll think you gave adequate notice.
Nearly 30% didn't know until they read this topic.
Of those who have voted that they knew, a lot have posted to say that they only found out through these forums.

[#4]

"the first few paragraphs are all about home phone. People will stop reading if they haven't got home phone."
Forgive me being an out and out cynic...but do you think that was the intention?

[#5]

No.
The e-mail contained 3 relatively short paragraphs. The first two paragraphs varied slightly depending which phone package you were on.
Jim posted the content of the e-mail sent to those on Anytime. Below is the one sent to those on Evening & Weekends (my bold) -

Quote

Dear Back in April we revamped our Home Phone products, packing in more features such as 300 minutes of international calls to 20 top destinations, inclusive voicemail, and even inclusive calls to Plusnet support. We’ve now made some further changes that we wanted to share with you. We’re pleased to announce that as of 22nd October 2009 you’ll be able to make FREE calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers within the inclusive call time of your Evening & Weekends Talk Plan*. In addition, if you make calls to these numbers outside of your inclusive call time we’re also simplifying the way they’re billed so that they’ll match our standard landline rates**. In addition, Ofcom (the industry regulator), has recently issued some new guidance to broadband and phone providers and we’ve incorporated their recommendations into the terms and conditions for your products. Some terms and conditions and charges relating to broadband cessation have also changed and these have been included as well. If you’d like to find out more, and for more information on the changes to your Home Phone service, we’ve put together an FAQ on our website: http://www.plus.net/go.html/faq_talk Kind regards, Anthony Vollmer CEO, Plusnet *Inclusive UK Landline calls of up to 60 minutes are to numbers beginning with 01, 02 and 03, 0870 and 0845 (excluding Channel Islands) and at any time to Plusnet Home Phone customers. Inclusive international calls of up to 30 minutes are to our top 20 destinations (to a maximum of 300 minutes per month). Calls to indirect access numbers and dial up internet access are excluded. See website for details. **Standard landline rate is the pence per minute charge for calls made to numbers starting 01, 02 or 03. This email has been sent as it contains important information about your service from Plusnet. Please do not reply to this email, as this is an unmonitored address. Plusnet PLC Registered Office: Internet House, 2 Tenter Street, Sheffield, S1 4BY Registered in England no: 3279013

Whilst I can appreciate someone not interested in home phone.speed reading (or skipping) the first two paragraphs, the third contains the word Ofcom in the first 3 words and mentions broadband twice, and towards the end of the e-mail it points out it contains important information about your service.
For anyone that is too stupid  to not read those bits, then that is their problem.
Whilst my english grammar is not perfect, I will still be critical of information (usually pushed out by overpaid executives only interested in sales) that relates to Ts&Cs having significant parts buried away in the small print, especially if it is to an extent, or done in a manner, as to virtually conceal it. This technique has been dealt with rather vigorously by the OFT, Trading Standards & the likes in recent years.
The above e-mail however, does not fall into that category.
Failing to read one's Ts&Cs properly is one's own problem (with the exception just mentioned above), the same as ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Edit: to correct grammar after criticism in reply #36

[#6]

and in that expanded version was a small bit that has caught out some people recently

Quote

At Plusnet, we're going one step further and we'll be adding 0845 as well as 0870 calls to your inclusive call time. For Talk Anytime customers this means you’ll get 0845 and 0870 calls included at no extra charge (subject to a maximum call duration of 60 minutes, just like your other inclusive local and national calls, exclusions apply). For Talk Evenings & Weekends customers you'll get 0845 and 0870 calls included after 6pm on weekdays and all weekend. For customers on older phone products we'll be including 0870 calls, but 0845 calls will continue to be chargeable.

I think the correct term for the new phone product is talk anytime plus,  I am on talk anytime and dont get the 0845

[#7]

Quote from: Anotherone

If you are too stupid  to not read those bits, then that is your problem.

Thank you for those few kind words!
It looks as if there are at least another 12 who are stupid! and may not appreciate your concern for them.
adie:green fixed quote / changed author]

[#8]

Excuse me, I did not specifically refer to you or anyone else in particular, that was a generalised comment. If the cap fits, wear it!
Edit: You see, that's my imperfect grammar! I've edited the post to correct that.

[#9]

Chris @Anotherone - I think you are absolutely right. The information WAS provided quite clearly as you show, but then people don't seem to read things I agree.
I edit a couple of websites , newsletters, and handouts etc., and regularly put news in them - but many people still don't read or inwardly digest - it gets quite frustrating.
even fellow members of organising commitees etc etc 
As I said - my referal managed to read it and told me about it - albeit after I knew .
But what do PN marketing do about it - do they highlight it in big red bold type on the home page - probably not - maybe positive and constructive ideas on how they could make it clearly for established customers ???.

[#10]

Chris, you are absolutely right in what you say. If you read what you have been sent carefully, if you follow up the links, even though at first glance they may not appear relevant to non-phone account holders, if you then wade through all the phone stuff, you can deduce that 12, 18 & 24 month contracts are scrapped for existing customers who signed up to them. Of course that's the case - Plusnet would fall foul of Ofcom if they didn't fulfill their requirements in that respect.
But that misses the point of the original question - Have Marketing failed? Marketing is about making allowances for the fact that people don't read things properly & making sure that the message gets across regardless of any reluctance to read the small print.
But that original question also made an assumption. It assumed that Marketing would have wanted to shout about this piece of good news for existing customers. If it had wanted to shout about it, then certainly it failed. Even the most particular of small print readers would have to look twice to take in the full implication of what they were reading.
My contention is that Marketing had no such objective, so cannot be held to have failed. Marketing will have been instructed to make the minimum announcement necessary to fulfill Plusnet's obligations. Management will have decreed that it was not in Plusnet's interest to shout from the rooftops that existing customers were hereby released from their former contract obligations. From Plusnet's point of view, that is a perfectly rational commercial decision that they are free to make. They run the risk that it may be interpreted by some as a bit of a sneaky trick, but will have considered that an acceptable risk to take.

[#11]

[Moderator's note by Adie (Adiewoo) fixed quote / changed author]

Thank you Adiewoo for your cleaning up of my post...
I think perhaps someone is right to suggest I am stupid  ;

But we all have some faults ...

[#12]

Including me
You're not wrong Simon  That's why to answer Yes or No depends on the point of view you wish to look at this from. I could answer Yes & No!!
As a matter of interest, has anybody seen a similar thing from BT themselves or are they still pushing 12 month "rolling" contracts.

[#13]

@Simon M
Your above post is to be applauded..not just for its content but also for your clear suggestions.
Perhaps now I might just have a couple more people on my side 

[#14]

Count me in.

[#15]

Quote from: Anotherone

That's why to answer Yes or No depends on the point of view you wish to look at this from. I could answer Yes & No!!

That's why I haven't voted.