Change account contact name

[#1]

Hi,

Today my broadband service was activated.

When I signed up, I used another family member's name as the contact name but used my own email address for electronic contact. After receiving a few paper letters through the post I realised I made a mistake of not using my own name on the account.

I have contacted online chat support for advice but told that the contact name cannot be changed. I am not changing my account username, broadband username, home address or any phone numbers. It is totally unreasonable to not be able to simply change the forename and the surname of the account!

Please advise how I can change the main contact name - just the contact name nothing else!

Thank you.

[#2]

HI Duck999

If I remember correctly there are regulatory restrictions preventing this from happening.  I'm sure someone will be able to confirm that though.

[#3]

But you can get the account holder to nominate you as a user so they will talk to you over the phone

[#4]

@Duck999

You gave false information in order to open the account in someone else's name but you think Plusnet are being 'totally unreasonable'?

[#5]

@Anonymous I wouldn't call the name nominated as the main contact as "false information". That person does exist in this world believe or not. Plusnet delivers a service to the entire household so why shouldn't it be possible to change the contact name to any person in the household? What if that main contact person is dead tomorrow? Would correspondence between the company and our family still be the same person who no longer exist? I would still call this unreasonable unless the service was delivered to a single individual like a personal banking service!

[#6]

When somebody signs up with Plusnet (just like any other ISP) they enter into a legal contract with them. You appear to have given somebody else's name (albeit someone in your family) and I assume that person was agreeable for you to act on their behalf and they were fully aware of the contract they were entering into with Plusnet. The contract is between that person (not your household) and Plusnet.  After all it is that person that will be chased by Plusnet (or their debt collectors) if payment is not received as per the Terms & Conditions.

I am only a customer, like you, but feel that it is you that is being unreasonable in this case. If the contract had been with your entire household then all of them would have had to agree to the Terms & Conditions and all of them would be liable for payments not received under the contract.

[#7]

@acr As you rightly put it, if there are bills unpaid etc. I would like Plusnet to chase me! Money comes from me - I'm only helping Plusnet to get the information right early in the contract. My line was only activated yesterday and I haven't even received my first invoice yet. If Plusnet still believes it is unreasonable for me to correct the information less than 24 hours into the contract then so be it. No more questions asked just close the thread. Thank you.

[#8]

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@Duck999 wrote:

If Plusnet still believes it is unreasonable for me to correct the information less than 24 hours into the contract then so be it. No more questions asked just close the thread. Thank you.

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I think they are more likely to think it unreasonable for you to have not used your own details when applying for the service. 

[#9]

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@Duck999 wrote:

 When I signed up, I used another family member's name as the contact name but used my own email address for electronic contact.

In whose name is the credit card and/or the direct debit?

If Plusnet still believes it is unreasonable for me to correct the information less than 24 hours into the contract then so be it. No more questions asked just close the thread.

No answers have appeared in this thread thus far from PN staff, but one of them will probably pick it up today.

[#10]

Welcome to the community forums @Duck999.

I'm afraid if an account is in someone else's name, there are only very few circumstances in which we are allowed to change the account holders name (Such as the account holder passing away and an immediate family member taking the service over, or if someone has changed their name via deed poll and provides the relevant documentation so we can get that updated)

Part of the reason we're unable to change the account holder name at any time it is requested is due to the account holder details being used as the emergency contact detail that are submitted to Openreach on the asset for the phone line.

It may be worth giving our Customer Options Team a call on 0800 013 2632 (Selecting the option for thinking of leaving) while the account holder is present and seeing if they're able to arrange the closure of this account without any early termination fees, in exchange for a new account in your name.

[#11]

@198kHz Thanks 198khz, I no longer wish to correct the account information any more as it has proven to be so difficult.  

[#12]

@HarryB Thanks. As long as all future correspondence is done via email (my email!) then it shouldn't matter too much.

[#13 · Accepted solution]

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@Duck999 wrote:

as all future correspondence is done via email (my email!) then it shouldn't matter too much.

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Any comms sent out on the account would go to the contact email address the account holder has provided us.

However the main problems that could occur moving forward are things that only an account holder can do/request/authorise, such as making contractual changes (Changing packages/re-contracting on a new offer) adding/removing authorised users, and accepting the possibility of an engineer charge when reporting a fault if an engineer needs to visit the premises (Without accepting this charge, we wouldn't be able to raise a fault with an engineer visit if/when required)