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Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

ModelCitizen
Grafter
Posts: 46
Registered: ‎30-04-2008

Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

I'm feeling a bit conned by Plusnet. I signed up for the Plusnet phone service after comparing it my then current BT offering. When the change-over occured we lost Caller Identification. Upon examination it seems that Plusnet want to charge a monthly fee for this service as an "extra". The BT service comes with Caller Identification as standard but it appears the Plusnet one does not.
Plusnet should make anyone that wants to sign up very aware indeed that the PlusNet standard service is not the same as the BT one and that is in fact, a reduced service with chargeable hidden extras to bring it up to par with the BT service.
MC
29 REPLIES 29
alanf
Aspiring Pro
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Registered: ‎17-10-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Quote from: ModelCitizen
The BT service comes with Caller Identification as standard but it appears the Plusnet one does not.

The BT service does not come with Caller Identification as standard. BT has a free* option called BT Privacy At Home (which includes Caller Identification) which you have to sign up to. Plusnet does not have this option. The call tariffs and feature costs are listed on the Plusnet website. They are not hidden it is just that you didn't read them. A case of buyer beware.
p.s. Caller Display from BT (as opposed to BT Privacy At Home) costs £1.75 pm, 25p pm more than Plusnet!
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-CAL-FEAT-R1

* subject to a few strings
godsell4
Rising Star
Posts: 3,366
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

To the OP, can you look at the whole costs, sure CLI might be an extra but is it still less than you paid to BT per month including your call costs?
But Yep, buyer beware.
SW.
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https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed
ModelCitizen
Grafter
Posts: 46
Registered: ‎30-04-2008

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Cheers.
MC
shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

@Model Citizen.
I was considering the phone with PlusNet, but had misgivings about the "extras" that PN charge for, per month, and sent a PM to Mand asking her, if I sent her my recent BT phone bill, (total less than £40) could she give me a direct comparison so that I could make an "informed" decision on costs..... as I found it difficult, nay, impossible, to do the straight comparison myself..... This was at least 4 weeks ago, but I did not even get an acknowledgement, let alone an answer.    Sad
It is easy to compare BP petrol with Shell petrol.... you just look at the prices on the board outside the garage..... Likewise with almost 90% of products and services.....
I was also a little worried that PN seem to work on a "call credit" system too. whereby they "give" you an allowance of £50 per month.  what happens after that, I do not know, as the system is complicated by the language used...... all in all, a "minefield" for the customer.....  Sad
Buyer beware..... this one certainly is.  Sad
godsell4
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Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Quote from: shutter
whereby they "give" you an allowance of £50 per month.  what happens after that, I do not know, as the system is complicated by the language used...... all in all, a "minefield" for the customer.....  Sad

It is not an allowance, it is a limit, meaning in your call charges exceed £50 you will not be able to make more calls without contacting PN. £50 on a residential line in one month, over your call allowances on Homephone Anytime+ (free 60minute calls to 01/01 UK numbers at anytime) is quite a challenge.
SW.
--
3Mb FTTC
https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed
Not applicable

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

godsell 4 raises an important point about these 'extras' because they are really what makes BT very nearly as competitive as PN.
I know that this price comparison thread has been done recently and like Shutter, I find it difficult to compare - if not impossible.
However, this thread has prompted me to check BT  to compare it with my own (Anytime) telephone package.
I was surprised to learn that they (BT) appear to have reduced the price of their anytime product to £4.95 plus £10.50 for line rental if paying by direct debit so this comes to £15.45 and would include voicemail (this requires a 12 month contract).
Their anytime was, until recently, £7.95.  I reckon that if these figures are correct, PN are more expensive when using voicemail because this would come to £16 as it is an extra. With both voicemail and caller display PN are £17.
Of course, BT don't have the 6 months offer but they do have other features which might help reduce the bill.
The current offering from BT is for a 12 month period so it would be £5.95+line rental = £16.45  if (like PN) there was no contract. Voicemail would be free from BT so in fact BT is only 45p per month more. 
Surely this is a good reason for PN to add these features free if they want to remain competitive?
Not applicable

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Just to remind folk that there is a vote on the PUG forum for this so maybe those who are interested might go over and add their support?
shutter
Community Veteran
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Thanks poppy for that "comparison".... a small amount of information on a small part of both services. But, until PlusNet, can come up with a spreadsheet type chart to show direct comparison of ALL charges for ALL services equivalent to BT, then I will not be moving over.... I suspect that there are hundreds of "potential" customers who are like me, but it seems that PlusNet is going to be the proverbial ostrich, and ignore the consequences of doing nothing. I suspect, that someone has already done these comparisons, and found out that BT is a better option, and have smothered the results in the same way as the Zimbabwe election results.  What the eye doesn`t (can`t) see....... Sad Sad
Ianwild
Grafter
Posts: 3,835
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

We're not ignoring anything chaps, and I have a feeling there will always be specific circumstances where one supplier will end up being cheaper than another even if the headline prices aren't.
We're always looking at home phone pricing because we want it to be competitive, but the chances are that where BT Wholesale have a charge for something, we will need to pass that on.
Producing a spreadsheet showing all the comparisons and letting people plug in their own numbers sounds like a great idea to me, but I'm not sure it's something I can produce quickly myself... I can ask around for volunteers to help tomorrow though.
Ian
shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Well, it certainly seems that I have been ignored, as I have made at least two requests for PlusNet staff to give me direct comparisons, and offered my phone bill for them to use as a base, but no response.
If sites like "go compare" can set up a "comparison site" to get car insurance (a minefield if ever there was one) or any other financial product, then it shouldn`t be too hard for plusnet to get their costs/charges down onto a spreadsheet base, and then work from there, including the other "major players" as they progress across the sheet.  Never really thought about customer inputting their own, but that would certainly be an advantage over rivals, and "potential customers" could play about with the figures to get the best deal for themselves.
The offer of my BT phone bill is still on the table, and would be a good place to start laying down the base spreadsheet, as it is not large or complicated..... Plusnet "experts" could then add in other BT features, to fall into place with PlusNets own offerings.

Not applicable

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

I'm sure I saw such a spready somewhere...
Simon_M
Grafter
Posts: 685
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Don't forget that price isn't the only consideration.
Do BT (or anyone else you might put your phone with) have these nice support forums, or do they have Mand & her cricket bat to chase up any support person who might not respond instantly with a proper answer to your question? (Although it sound like she should be doing contortions to use it on herself if you're still waiting for that reply  Embarrassed )
Is there any benefit to having one billing mechanism for your landline voice & broadband. Will Plusnet get a problem fixed quicker or slower than BT themselves?
Every phone service supplier who isn't using cable is going to be re-selling what is a BT offering at heart, so there is never going to be that much price difference. Mostly it comes down to who you want to be dealing with when you have any problem.
shutter
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Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Yes, Mand could well do with a beating ! ! .....  Shocked And I have been with BT for ever and ever, and only once had a problem, which was not their fault, workmen in the road severed the cables with a digger, so never really had a problem with them....
My main concern, is that Plusnet, and indeed other suppliers, like to bleat loudly about how good/cost effective/cheaper than you are, on "some" points, but never like to give the whole picture, and this is the reason many people will not change..... because .....
You can fool some of the people, some of the time, you can fool most of the people most of the time, but you can`t fool all the people all of the time....
and another one.....
If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.....
Now where have you heard that before..... "watchdog" on cons and scams  items? ? ? Undecided
Simon_M
Grafter
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Feeling conned? PlusNet standard service is lesser than BTs!

Quote from: shutter
Yes, Mand could well do with a beating ! ! .....  Shocked

Careful... I'm sure there is something in Mand's contract about not using it on customers, but it probably says she shouldn't use it on CSC staff either. Good job it's a long time to the next open day or you would be well advised to absent yourself.  Undecided