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Emailed VAT invoices

cjags
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 508
Thanks: 24
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Emailed VAT invoices

Following on from the business broadband installation (see http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,122333.0.html ) a small problem has been discovered with regards to the monthly invoices.  Each month, the direct debit reminder email goes out, but the accounts department want an actual invoice each month (showing VAT etc.).  I can see the invoices via the Plusnet portal but there is no facility to email them.  I don't really want to give the accounts department the password to log in via the portal because they will be able to do so much more than just print invoices (not safe!).
I did raise ticket 86610767 to ask about emailed invoices and got 3 different answers (and an emailed invoice). So I am a bit confused.
My question is:
For business users, is it possible to email a copy of the VAT invoice each month?
Automatically at the same time as the direct debit reminder would be great.
If not, a facilty for me to email invoices from the portal would be OK.
20 REPLIES 20
dvorak
Moderator
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Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

It's covered in this thread, but it's not good news Sad
https://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,126714.0.html
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cjags
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 508
Thanks: 24
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Drat and double drat.
Plusnet can email the invoice. The customer support guy did just that.
All they need to do is automate it.
ITWorks
Superuser
Superuser
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Registered: ‎05-11-2008

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Plusnet email invoices to customers on their Madasafish ISP brand, and have done for a number of years,  I can only assume the system can not cope with sending the majority of customers invoices in this manner.
Kind Regards
Mike

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

MauriceC
Resting Legend
Posts: 4,085
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

First recorded as a requirement with Plusnet in July 2006.  Many stalled attempts at getting it delivered - even got onto a 'priority list' for development in 2008.  But like many other non business critical issues just got dumped later in the year.
It ain't exactly rocket science as a piece of code, but for VAT registered businesses it is (I believe) essential.
There is one way to get around the issue - become a PN reseller, then you should be able to use the supplied tools to do the job.
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Maurice

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Jake
Grafter
Posts: 37
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Registered: ‎05-06-2008

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Hi,
We are building a new billing platform within Plusnet and recognise the feedback you've given. So can't offer this today but we are looking into it.
As an interim Plusnet Partner, our reseller platform may indeed work and give you what you need as an alternate solution. Please send me a PM if you'd like to know more.
AlaricAdair
Champion
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Registered: ‎21-03-2011

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Hi Jake, Good news, but the downside of the partner approach is the changing of IP addresses arising from the change of business relationship. It's not always convenient to change static addresses.
Now Zen, but a +Net residue.
cjags
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 508
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Quote from: AlaricAdair
... is the changing of IP addresses arising from the change of business relationship.

Thanks for the warning.
tangey
Grafter
Posts: 145
Registered: ‎29-08-2007

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Quote from: Jake
Hi,
We are building a new billing platform within Plusnet and recognise the feedback you've given. So can't offer this today but we are looking into it.
As an interim Plusnet Partner, our reseller platform may indeed work and give you what you need as an alternate solution. Please send me a PM if you'd like to know more.

So how's that new billing platform look now, some 6 months after the above post ?
I asked this exact question in the accounts forum, which was moved to this forum, where I see this question has been on-going for just about forever.
Come on plusnet, you are a tech company, how difficult is it to send invoices to your business customers, you are about the only online provider I deal with that doesn't email invoices. Forcing me to go get the invoice every month, or provide non tech staff with the login password to do it themselves, just isn't good enough.
Chris
Legend
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Implementing a new billing platform is not going to happen in the short term. Sorry, but I really don't have any more information on this at the moment.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
pwatson
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎26-11-2012

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

Interesting choice to use 'a' rather than 'the' in Chris' reply Wink
Does this mean that the new billing (and provisioning) system that's been talked of for several months has been shelved?
Chris
Legend
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Re: Emailed VAT invoices

I think you're reading too much into what I've written there.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
tangey
Grafter
Posts: 145
Registered: ‎29-08-2007

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

HMRC states that all vat registered business must
"issue and keep valid invoices - these can be paper or electronic"
One wonders does HMRC consider a VAT invoice as issued, if it is never delivered to the customer, but rather the customer has to request it from a website each time.
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
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Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

A lot of telecoms companies are like this nowadays - they make the copies of the invoices available online and it's up to the customer to download them.
I've had the same with EE and O2 business mobile contracts. Both charge for paper copies, but send you an email each month telling you that your bill is available to view online.
Ronski
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎22-02-2012

Re: Emailed VAT invoices

I've complained about this many a time, frankly it's ridiculous! It certainly doesn't inspire confidence, especially with all the years that have past!
In my job I deal with companies from one man bands all the way up to international companies, and a large proportion of them now email invoices or allow me to login and download a PDF copy, with the majority emailing invoices. I've written our billing system here, and I've been emailing invoices for years.
Plus Net doesn't even make the invoices available to download, I have to print a webpage, how backwards is that!
And to say they need to write a new billing system, this implies they have written the billing system in the first place, so why not modify it?
Come on Plust Net get your act together, the billing systems been blamed for many things over the years, it's about time you got it right!