Being charged for phone calls despite free evening & weekend package

[#1]

Hi,
I contacted plusnet a few days ago and was sent an automatic response and ticket number but so far no reply.
I have a package which includes free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines but I have been charged £5.94 for a phone call made to a UK landline on 02/02/15 at 20.13.43 in the evening. My bill says payment will be taken on 09/03/15 but I would like to resolve this befotre payment is taken.
Can someone please respond to my query?
Thank you.

[#2]

Hi Kati,
I'm responding now, the charge is correct but I'll explain more on the ticket.

[#3]

Thanks Chris,
I have received your message explaining the charge. As I said in my response, the information that free evening and weekend calls are limited to 60 minutes and anything over that will be charged is very well hidden on the PN website and this is the first I knew about it. I do think that £5.94 for 62 minutes to a UK landline is excessive, however.
I would suggest that it should be made easier for customers to find the info that anything over 60 minutes will be charged. The term "Free Evening & Weekend Calls" is deceptive and misleading unless this limitation of 60 minutes for a call is made clear.
Thanks

[#4]

I'd have thought the 60 minute limit was common knowledge by now, most, if not all, landline suppliers have that in their contracts for calls, so unless you didn't read the contract supplied when you signed up, then it's not really Plusnet's fault...
As for finding the information, google is your friend:
http://www.plus.net/support/phone/home-phone-faq.shtml#callPlans

[#5]

It would be much fairer if calls over 60 mins were charged for the overtime, not for the entire duration.

[#6]

They are which is why a call on my account lasting 1 hour and 2 minutes cost 17p

[#7]

Assuming They are was a response to It would be much fairer if calls over 60 mins were charged for the overtime, not for the entire duration.
In that case £5.94 for 62 minutes to a UK landline is very excessive, at just under £3 per charged minute.

[#8]

You have made an assumption - that the total call length was 62 minutes rather than 62 minutes over the 60 minute limit at 9.58p per minute

[#9]

Yes, the £5.94 was for the 62 minutes over and above the first 60 minutes.[

Quote from: twocvbloke

I'd have thought the 60 minute limit was common knowledge by now, most, if not all, landline suppliers have that in their contracts for calls, so unless you didn't read the contract supplied when you signed up, then it's not really Plusnet's fault... As for finding the information, google is your friend: http://www.plus.net/support/phone/home-phone-faq.shtml#callPlans

You have to dig quite deep to find the charge information for calls lasting more than 60 minutes. I was suggesting that this info is made more apparent as I was not aware of it. I have had this package for years and have not had extra charges before so I guess I haven't made long calls previously. Seeing the package listed as "Free Evening & Weekend Calls" should at least have the extra charging info at the same place, not somewhere else on the website. Just a suggestion as not all of us go digging around for more information that might contradict what has been stated.
jim:green quote fixed mod:end

[#10]

I agree - it could be a lot more obvious

[#11]

Good afternoon, just to reiterate the calls after the 60 minuets are charged at 9.58p if joined before 10th June 2014 and 9p per minuet after.
I apologise that you find it difficult to locate this, I will flag this internally to see if there is anything further we can do.
I hope this helps
Jo

[#12]

How much clearer does it need to be?
On the package descriptions is a link to tariffs which goes to here - https://portal.plus.net/home-broadband/tariffs/weekends
In there is a very clear section called "Call Charging Rules" which states...

Quote

Inclusive call length •Inclusive calls to UK numbers become chargeable after 60 minutes •Inclusive calls to international numbers become chargeable after 30 minutes •Calls to Plusnet Support are free for the duration of the call, regardless of length Inclusive calls that become chargeable are charged at the relevant rate until the end of the call. The call set up fee is not applied.

Ergo the right information is available up front from the product description page.
Unfortunately the majority of us never bother to read the details of what we sign up for, presuming on our own expectations and not the published details of service.

[#13]

I was looking for the related details about times (7pm to 7am for the evening and weekend period), and have just found them in the page posted by townman after one failed attempt to search. I even found the page he links to first time around - but clicking Evenings & Weekends doesn't give you the times, they're hidden further down in a minimised panel.
My suggestion would be to put them visible at the top under Call Plan Details - the actual time periods are central to what Evenings & Weekends are about.
It's harsh to suggest the info is obvious. I first looked in my account (because I added it as an extra), no luck there. Then it was hidden on the page where I eventually found it after searching this forum.
Oh and assuming that 'all landline suppliers do things the same way', is a good way of being caught out, as I've already found out.