Plusnet Shutdown Breach of Contract.

[#1]

Hi
Read recently that Plusnet Services will closed and taken over by EE / BT. Recently renewed 2 mobile phone contracts (Nov last year) so this would put EE/BT in breach of contact, as per current contract law, if they close anyones contract that renewed based on a 12/18/24 month contract.
Anything else they say is or send anyone will be coercion. Trying to get people to accept deals / transfers to EE contracts that are detrimental to their current contract. This is covered by the T&C’s for the duration of the contract if you renewed to a 12/18/24 month deal, likely prior to Jan 2023. Be careful is accepting anything that the dress up as a “good” offer as it will be detrimental to the existing contract and beneficial to EE/BT. That is a breach of contract law.

[#2]

@Skibum01 

Are you provide any links that this is happening? 
There is an awful amount on conjecture as to what might happen in the future.

Regarding Breach of Contract you might wish to refer to para 16.1.10 of the contract Standard Terms to which you will have agreed. https://www.plus.net/help/legal/terms/

[#3]

I wish Plusnet would come forward with timescales for all this. They were still taking on new customers in March, so you'd think the service wouldn't send for at least six to twelve months after that. They'd look pretty silly shutting down a customer only a few months after signing them up, given that this appears to be a policy or commercial decision rather than forced by technical or legal issues.

By the way I think the correct term and conditions are these ..

https://www.plus.net/help/legal/mobile-terms/

[#4]

They were still taking on new customers in March

but AFAIK only on 30 day rolling contracts

[#5]

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@MisterW wrote:

They were still taking on new customers in March

but AFAIK only on 30 day rolling contracts

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That's true, but how would you feel about a provider who actually kicked you off only a month or so after signing you up.  So yes they're entitled, but it would only worsen their reputation overall. 

Before anyone says the new customer should have known better, since they only offered 30 day contracts, remember that there have been times in the past when that was all they offered. When they started for example, everything was on 30 day.

[#6]

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@aesmith wrote:

By the way I think the correct term and conditions are these ..

https://www.plus.net/help/legal/mobile-terms/

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True, for Mobile it’s clause 22.1.1

[#7]

This is Plusnet T&C’s and any clause can be challenged if the need arises.  Plusnet are being absorbed back into EE//BT due to the ongoing merger.  No customer caused or enabled the merger to happen this is purely a business decision by both companies.  If this ends up as a detriment to any customer then breach of contract would apply.   The clause you refer to is for any change by outside contacts to supply the service people paid for and took long term contracts based on that service.  What both companies are doing is self inflicted and is detrimental and costly to any customer that will have a long term contract with Plusnet. The only remedy I can see for their position would be to allow all mobile contracts to expire naturally or there will be a likelihood of compensation that will require to be paid on the duration of existing contracts.  Myself, I just renewed 2 contracts in Nov last year for 24 months, so that leaves 17 months for each contract to run or relevant compensation in having to move to another supplier which will likely incur higher costs.  This will come under Contract Law despite the T&C’s that are posted.

[#8]

@Skibum01, how did you sign up to your mobile contract for 24 months in November? Looking back at the archives I can only see 30 days contracts being offered online at that point.

[#9]

Pjmarsh, you are correct as I went back and checked both contracts. This was in Sept of last year and I called the customer support to get these changed. 1 contract was renewed for 12 months but was supposed to be an 18 month contract but looks to have been changed prior to the email being sent, so a wee fib by the customer team when sorting out this deal. The other contract was as you rightly pointed out, a 30 day rolling contract, that’s was a complete lie by the customer team as this was also supposed to be an 18 month contract.
So this whole merger has been planned well in advance of all the info coming out. Very sneaky on the part of EE/BT/Plusnet or very well planned, depending on your viewpoint.
So from this it looks likely they have planned this to allow all mobile contracts to naturally expire and thereby avoid any relevant compensation claims for breach of contract. Looking back, wish I’d recorded the phone call with customer services but didn’t know that this was being planned at that time.