Automatic Compensation not yet received

[#1]

Just a reminder to staff that no credit is showing in my account for my delayed Full Fibre activation, it is now 40 calendar days since activation and my next bill is about to be generated so would like this to be covered by the credit (and several more as well 😀) For details see .... Service Notice #681838867

edit: Maybe it will show up when the new bill is generated.

[#2]

I'm not sure it ever shows as a credit amount on the account ? unlike Referral credits

It seems to be in a separate credit account which is then applied when the next bill is generated.

My guess is that this is because the credit can only be applied to subsequent bills, unlike referral credits which (if they exceed the monthly billing amount) can build up and be taken as a cash refund. 

[#3]

AIUI all adjustments are applied to accounts in the billing cycle.

Thus if a compensation adjustment credit falls in the first week of the billing cycle, it will not be visible on the account until the next billing event, three weeks later.

IIRC from past discussions, the compensation from a protracted issue could result in a large credit, which will sit on an account for future bills.  That credit balance CANNOT be cashed ... except in the circumstances of a final bill following service cessation.

[#4]

@MisterW  Having not received this type of credit before I don't really know how it works but on the account billing page there is prominent box saying  "Your balance is  £0"  so I was expecting something to show up there. If it's in some hidden account I will have to keep a watchful eye on the payments.🤔

edit: Looking at previous bills they show an outstanding balance so any remaining credit should show up there.

[#5]

It will when it is applied to a billing event.

[#6]

ICBW but I don't think the outstanding credit will ever appear as a balance on the account.

Think of the credit as a separate 'savings' account, whilst there is any left in that account , its applied as a credit to the next bill up to the bill amount. Problem is you can't see what's in the savings account ...

[#7]

@MisterW  Well it all sounds rather [-Censored-] eyed, I'll see what happens with my next bill.🙄

Forum staff thin on the ground today, apparently none online, not that you can trust the forum much.

[#8]

Its just my theory at the moment. I'd be interested to see what actually happens when your next bill is generated. I would guess from your first post that the automatic credit is be larger than a single months bill ?

Unless , of course, the 'billing wizard' steps in and explains how it its supposed to work... 

[#9]

It is a looong time ago, but I once had quite a big 'compensation' payment - think it covered nearly a years invoices for me back then, all I ever saw was a zero balance invoice each month, with nothing showing in my account.

[#10 · Accepted solution]

@jab1 @MisterW @Townman  Having now seen my latest bill I can confirm that the member centre billing page now states "Your balance is in credit" with a negative amount equal to the compensation less this month's pending payment.

Rather confusingly the bill amount also shows this negative balance figure but we know the billing system has its quirks.

The actual bill makes perfect sense, the monthly charge is the correct amount, the Other Items shows the compensation payment and last month's bill paid off, finally the Outstanding balance is the credit amount as above.

So thanks to Openreach making a total mess of fixing a blocked pavement duct I will not have to pay for Broadband until early next year.😀

https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Order/Full-Fibre-connection-live-after-100-days-well-done-Openreach... 

[#11]

@RealAleMadrid thanks for that information.

So it would seem that it takes the generation of just one bill for the total credit to be applied and visible in the account balance, that's useful to know.

Rather confusingly the bill amount also shows this negative balance figure but we know the billing system has its quirks.

That's how it works. My referrals exceed the monthly subscription and each bill shows an increasing negative balance.