Shout Crisis Text Line not usable

[#1]

Due to the lack of support for short code texts, Plusnet users can't contact Shout, the new crisis text line launched in the UK yesterday. As this is an important service for supporting people through difficult times and will be a major support for people suffering from mental health issues. It's another incredibly important reason why Plusnet need to change their status when it comes to allowing short code texts.

[#2]

Just playing devil's advocate for a moment -

Plusnet have made a commercial decision to be a budget ISP with a restricted mobile offering. I would never have their mobile service for the very reason of not being able to use short codes on occasion. There are plenty of alternatives.

Since Plusnet mobile started, there have been innumerable posts complaining about the lack of short codes, from customers apparently unaware until they tried to use one.

Whether it is made obvious on sign up I don't know.

[#3]

Whether it is made obvious on sign up I don't know.

It isn't.

[#4]

I've just rung to cancel and was told that support for short codes and wifi calling is due to be implemented "around August time". Guess the message may be getting through?

[#5]

@aesmith

It is very clearly documented in the T&Cs...

“Premium texts

Plusnet Mobile does not support premium or short code text services.


The problem is you cannot make people read what is written with distance selling.

[#6]

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@KevH wrote:

I've just rung to cancel and was told that support for short codes and wifi calling is due to be implemented "around August time". 

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I'm really sorry, but it sounds like you've been misadvised. We have no plans to implement blanket support for shortcode messages or to add Wifi calling to the proposition. 

[#7]

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@JonoH wrote:

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@KevH wrote:

I've just rung to cancel and was told that support for short codes and wifi calling is due to be implemented "around August time". 

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I'm really sorry, but it sounds like you've been misadvised. We have no plans to implement blanket support for shortcode messages or to add Wifi calling to the proposition. 

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Left whole quote is due to its seriousness.

That phone staff are stating this needs to be addressed urgently @JonoH 

That a customer is told that to prevent cancellation seems to be a SEVERE breach of your license terms among other things..

A few recordings evidencing that to the regulator would cause severe issues to PN as a company.

[#8]

Hi @RobC, I share your frustration, as someone that worked for a number of years on our retentions lines, managing our retentions teams & managing the team of people who quality check the calls. I can with confidence tell you that we have robust procedures in place to spot agents who deliberately misinform customers in order to get new business or retain existing customers.

[#9]

Thanks for the response@JonoH 

@KevH have you had contact from plusnet to address the 'misinformation you were supplied with to 'persuade him to stay with plusnet?

.. Other than @JonoH 's notification that it was false

@JonoH

Do plusnet contact customers where those 'robust procedures' identify that such misinformation has been supplied to a customer? I've seen no evidence that occurs.

Have plusnet EVER directly contacted a customer to correct false information given in such circumstances?

Particularly any who have not posted on these forums?

It seems to me that if plusnet have NOT corrected the 'misinformation supplied to a customer affecting their buying/retention choice,then plusnet could be seen as a party to the 'deception those customers suffered.

In such circumstances plusnet could easily be considered as NOT treating those customers reasonably, fairly or honestly, let alone any more specific infringements.

eg

Complaints and customer requests must be handled appropriately

• All communications providers must ensure that customer concerns are dealt with promptly and effectively.
• Customers must be kept informed about the progress of their complaint and be allowed faster access to dispute resolution services in cases where the matter cannot be resolved by their provider.
• Communications providers must consider new Ofcom guidance when handling customer requests to cancel their contracts. This should include allowing customers to cancel by phone, email or webchat, and ensuring incentive schemes for customer service agents do not encourage poor behaviour.

I recall a significant raft of these sort of issues with VM TV and BB 'retentions some years ago.

Steering clear of more recent issues and the PN fine already mentioned in these threads:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2017/01/ofcom-fines-ee-uk-2-7m-overcharging-40000-mobile-custo...

[#10]

@RobC Apologies my quote fynctionality is broken at the moment, but in answer Rob C wrote: "Do plusnet contact customers where those 'robust procedures' identify that such misinformation has been supplied to a customer? I've seen no evidence that occurs." We do, it happens much less than you think, and as I'm sure you understand that as we don't listen to every call we clearly don't come across every mistake. Rob C wrote: "Have plusnet EVER directly contacted a customer to correct false information given in such circumstances?" Yes, I've done it myself on a number of occasions, and have been part of the agent's formal review after the customer has been given the correct information. If any customer ever believes they've been misadvised, especially if it has impacted your purchasing decision I'd be happy to arrange for the call to be listened to and we can take it from there.

[#11]

@JonoH 

Hopefully @KevH will update us on his situation.

[#12]

Before I rang to cancel I'd had a conversation with EE where I already have 3 lines on my account. They offered me a very good deal for a 12m sim only contract. Aside from offering wifi calling and short code support, I can gift data to the new account if data runs low. Also, I've noticed when we are our with my EE sim and my wife's Plusnet sim we do see occasions when one phone will be online and not the other which may be down to PN not using all of EE's bands.

Either way I'd signed up with EE before calling to get my PAC. I was surprised to be told support for short codes was coming, but given the number of challenges with PN systems at the moment I didn't have any confidence on what I was being told and proceeded with the PAC.

Now, if I had decided to stay on the basis of what I'd been told and then subsequently seen in this thread a formal contradiction to what I'd been told I would have been very annoyed and I may have considered a formal complaint. However, I'm not going to take it further and will rely on staff such as JonoH to make sure the right thing is done. 

I've had no contact since my call to get my PAC in order to re-consider or to take up another offer.

[#13]

thanks for the update @KevH

Doesn't seem reasonable to expect them to have contacted you as you didn't take up the 'miss-selling

Would have been a good confirmation that we aren't simply being spun one though.

No offense intended to @JonoH - its just I've seen so many times claims here that xx will happen, but it seemingly never does.

... especially the perennial claim that PN will notify affected customers ... Errr Yeah right - Not

Interestingly the credit that was on my account - which should have been closed and the money refunded - has now simply vanished and the account shows zero

Tut Tut

Wonder how many that has occurred to - dozens? hundreds? thousands?

Wonder what the fine will be this time....