account closed, but still keep getting disturbing emails from plusnet mobile

[#1]

My partner and I took out mobile accounts with Plusnet almost three months back, unfortunately the signal wasn't strong enough and we couldn't use the phones at all indoors. After discussing it with PlusNet they agreed to close the accounts and we had the money paid , which I think was £6.00 each refunded. We then switched to Vodaphone who we have been with since.

We cancelled our standing orders with the bank, so no payments went out at all. Lately my partner has been getting emails re the account from PlusNet Billing, now I have had nothing, but today she got a email telling her that she is very near her allowance cap, I'm sure its an error but she is quite concerned. As I have said to her they have never tried to take payments form her account, the sim cards were destroyed and never used, its been three months since we closed the account. I do find it strange though that they keep contacting her, it seems a bit of a mess up to me. I haven't the time to phone them on her behalf, she's not to well up with the phones or the old account, and just panics when they start asking he passwords or other details.  Is the a complaints procedure you can go through on line, I would use the chat but they would only accept her discussing it as it was in her name. Or do I just have to use normal post and send a letter

[#2]

Hi denwyn,

Thanks for taking the time out to get in touch with us, it's much appreciated. 

I completely understand your frustrations during this time, but due to Data Protection, we would need to speak with the account holder directly in order to look into the account.

If the account holder can contact us, I can assure you that we'll look into this. 

You can contact us on 0800 079 1133, by our Live Chat feature, or by emailing into us at mobile-help@plus.net. I must advise, that if you do choose to contact us via email, there is a 24 hour response timescale for the Team to reply. 

- Rebeka 

[#3]

Thanks for getting back to me, I did try and phone twice today, but just got fed up waiting to speak with anyone. Things have taken another turn today, with my partner getting yet another email informing her PlusNet will be taking a payment of £12.00 from her account on 16.07.18, which is not possible as there is no direct debit set up, it was closed on 03.5.18.

I also received an email today telling me my account was £5.81 in credit and no payment would be taken this month, this is absolutely amazing as I have no mobile account with Plusnet, it was closed on 01.05.18, again there is no direct debit, it was closed on 03.05.18.

Something is wrong here, I know its not us, as we closed the accounts in a phone call with PlusNet on 01.05.18, and our initial payment of £6.00 each was refunded on 03.15.18. I am not going to waste anymore time trying to speak with someone and have written a letter explain it all, and hopefully someone will sort it out. Its really very annoying, if the account was really open surley we  would have been contacted when the direct debits were stopped and you could not take the first months payment.

I just hope this is sorted and not left to drag on and on. I must say we have been plusnet broadband users for years with rarely a problem, the mobile side seems to be a complete shambles.

Dennis Evanson

[#4]

Hi Dennis, 

I am sorry to hear about this but as advised, we must speak with the account holder to access the account and look into this. If the account is still open and we've tried to take a payment, you would have been notified of this via email; I would advise to check your spam/junk folders also. 

We do want to help with this Dennis, so If the account holder can give us call, once security is passed, you can speak on their behalf.

- Rebeka 

[#5]

I have never received any email from PlusNet re closing the standing order which was closed on 03.05.18, and I am 99% certain my partner Linda hasn't either, she closed her standing order on 03.05.18 as well. Last night we both checked our bank accounts and there is definitely no direct debit set up on either. She is away most of the day today and wont be able to call you. I posted a letter this morning explaining all of this quite clearly to your PlusNet Mobile Services Sheffield address, hopefully they will sort it. The only PlusNet direct debit we have is for our Broadband and Landline, this is from a joint bank account and has nothing to do with the mobiles., This does sound like an error at the PlusNet end, its been thee months since the accounts were closed, and I'm sure we would have heard a lot more from you re no payments being made and direct debits cancelled. I will leave it for the letter to arrive now and let them sort it out, I really haven't the time or patience to be kept waiting on the phone in queue. This isn't a complaint against yourself as you have been prompt in getting back to us and really quite helpful.

Regards

Dennis

[#6]

We are getting really angry re this problem now, despite writing to your mobile phone office in Sheffield almost two weeks back, they have still not had the decency to respond, which is truly awful, considering all the rubbish they say about responding quickly. I know you wont discuss my partners with me, but we wrote a jointly signed letter over this. She has now had threatening emails re her account. I just don't know how to CONVEY this to PLUSNT MOBILE. We had both our accounts closed  a day after opening them as the signal wasn't good enough for were we lived, they were CLOSED by PlusNet and our money refunded into our bank accounts. Can you check what is going on at your Mobile main office and WHY they have not responded to our letter. I am totally disgusted with the mobile side of PlusNet and would never recommend it to anyone, your accounts department seem a complete and utter shambles.

Dennis Evanson

[#7]

I'm very sorry to hear this hasn't been addressed yet, denwyn.

I'd like to take this on and get everything cleared up for you. We would need to pass account security with the account holder but perhaps it would be best for the account holder to add you as a nominee, this way we only need to speak to the account holder once and then the rest of the correspondence could be via yourself. You could even add a nominee by using our Live Chat feature!

I understand your position regarding the letter to Sheffield, but we can't chase this up without first passing security for data protection reasons. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Do let me know if you have any further questions.

[#8]

After talking with my partner she has point blank refused to phone to explain this, neither of us has a PlusNet mobile account, we are both with Vodaphone. We have done nothing wrong,the account was closed by PlusNet after discussing it, the day after it was opened due to poor signal were we lived. PlusNet refunded both mine and my partners money. We have no direct debit set up either. I cannot see why it cant be sorted without all the hassle waiting to get through on the phone and being passed around. I get emails telling me my account is in credit and you wont be taking any payment this month, my gets threatening emails saying about non payment. Your Mobile head office ignores a letter sent with all the details, despite all the hype about how quick they respond to complaints. I may resend the letter by registered mail, along with another asking why the delay.

We cannot log in to check the accounts etc, have tried and it wont sign in, so that to me is saying neither of us have accounts for the mobiles. I realise its not your fault, but PlusNet should have a complaints procedure you can go through online. Something is seriously wrong in your accounts department for mobiles, its like they don't give a stuff for there customers. Or we may just ignore the emails and see what occurs then, we have no intention of paying for something we don't have. I just wonder why we haven't had any threatening letters through the post, as we closed the accounts 3 months back, and no money was ever paid for the 3 months since the accounts were closed which again points to a PlusNet accounts issue, as surely we would have had had contact saying you were stopping the mobile accounts as we were behind with payments. 

.

[#9]

I empathise completely with your position, denwyn, and I'd really like to get this resolved for you. I'd recommend against ignoring any emails as this could cause problems down the line. If we could speak with the account holder there would be no need to call, we'd be able to discuss things either here via Private Message or over another one of our channels (Live Chat, Social Media, Email etc.) You'd be assigned a personal agent to take ownership of the case and see that this gets sorted.

However, we're in a difficult position here ourselves: without being able to pass security with the account holder, we're categorically unable to discuss anything to do with the matter at hand. I wouldn't even be able to confirm if any letters have been received, or if any accounts even existed on our system.

You are, of course, entitled to get in touch via registered mail, but we'd still then be unable to chase this up and discuss anything to do with the matter here without first passing security with the account holder.

[#10]

Thanks for the reply, I am going to contact your Mobile headquarters again, they do promise to get in touch within 10 days for any complaint, this they have not done. I have asked Linda to contact you but she will not, I can understand her, as you keep calling her an account holder, she has no account, it was closed by you, Its ok to say phone you, but whenever I have tried I've just been waiting to be connected. Again if I contact through live chat, its in my name and they would not want to discuss it with me. We have had enough of it, I understand you say its wrong to ignore emails, but there is nothing to pay, we have no accounts, have never used the sim cards to make any calls, in fact we destroyed them after PlusNet closed the accounts. I don't understand my problem either, I get told I am in credit, again no calls were ever made, no payments have ever been made, so surely if you deem my account still to be live I would also be getting demands for payments , which I am not. It all points to a big error at your accounts dept. So we will ignore the emails, and I will write a letter of complaint to your headquarters again, and send it by registered mail. There is nothing more I can do. I may look into taking action through an ombudsman if we still keep getting these ridicules' email threats .

[#11]

Just for the avoidance of doubt, when I refer to the 'account holder' I'm talking about the person who opened the account with us, regardless of whether or not the account is actually still open

[#12]

Well I never thought this would go on so long, I did manage to log into my account, which I was told was closed down, anyway it says I owe nothing, and in the 4 months since I was told it was closed PlusNet have not taken any payments and it all shows as Zero, so im just going to forget about it.

Now I know you wont discuss my partners account with me but after yet another email telling her they would be taking another payment which they cant as there is no direct debit set up, I managed to log in and it shows no calls made but they still keep trying to take payments each month. We took your advice and she phoned the cancellation centre yesterday, spoke with David, then Ben who agreed to close the account and refund her the original £6.00 payment, plus she did not have to pay the missing payments. The assured her the account would be shut down in 2 hours. Well Surprise, Surprise on checking tonight the account is still open, and the payment requests are still there. She was on the phone talking to the cancellation dept. for 25 minutes, not counting the time in a queue. She is at a loss to know what to do now, for sure she wont be phoning again, and writing a letter of complaint to the head office doesn't do anything they have never replied to the others despite the promise they make of replying to any complaint within 10 days.

Only course of action I can think of is her getting the ombudsman involved, I seem to recall reading something recently about Plusnet  being fined for something to do with customers accounts, unless you have any more ideas. As I have said now im leaving my account alone, its showing no use and no attempts at taking any payments, but my partners account is now getting ridicules', and she has no faith in anything said to her over the phone now. 

[#13]

I'm very sorry to hear this is still ongoing, denwyn.

I feel there's some confusion around account states - you would still be able to log in to the online account after it had been closed down for the purposes of record-keeping and suchlike. The fact you can still log in to the account doesn't have any relation to whether the account is live or closed.

The offer is still there for your wife to get in touch with us - if you'd like to correspond in writing, but don't want to do this on the forum, we can also be reached at mobile-help@plus.net, or via the Live Chat feature on our website.

[#14]

You may be right, she has just checked her bank statement and PlusNet have refunded the initial £6.00 payment, I don't understand why they ned to keep the account page active though, its also still saying she needs to pay £28..00, which was cancelled by PlusNet yesterday. Could be knowing now how speedy your accounts department it may take a while to show this removed..In view of all these issues we have decided we will probably move our broadband and phone away from PlusNet, had a good offer in the post from our mobile provider Vodaphone the other day so think we may just go there, its £6 a month cheaper, ok we will have a cancellation fee to pay but its stil going to be a little cheaper in the long run, this decision hasn't been taken lightly as we have always been happy with the broadband side, but the mobile issues have really annoyed us a great deal.

Appreciate your help though.