Apologies for the complexity of this...
The line into my house has a PlusNet Business Broadband package/contract. It's in my name, although it wasn't initially set up/paid for by me - it was provided by someone I was doing some work for. That company is in the process of closing, so I volunteered to take over paying the account if the package could be changed to a cheaper (and better it seems) Residential package. So, the guy who was paying raised a ticket with PlusNet requesting the change, and got the response (I have it in writing) that this would be fine and it would take place on 5/9/2012. Great.
At this point he gave me the username/login details and I changed all the details to point to me - phone numbers, email addresses, bank details for direct debit etc. 5/9 came & went and I noticed my account had been debited for the Business package. So I raised another ticket and was told that because the original ticket had been closed this cancelled the change request (not at all obvious to say the least). Did I still want to go ahead with the change? Yes please.
A day or so later I get another message saying "... it was not noticed ir addressed previously that you are still in contract, this means to move to a residential broadband package you would have to pay the remaining contractual fee of £234.00 for your business broadband package." I've complained that this is reneging on a written agreement that was made, and that frankly it's a poor way to treat a customer, but they're refusing to budge an inch or offer any other resolution. I've asked the customer services contact to escalate the issue up the chain, but 48 hours later have had no response. I guess they're just hoping I'll go away and forget it.
Needless to say I'm seriously unimpressed that (a) the change was agreed to some time ago with no charge being mentioned and now they are trying to wriggle out of it, and (b) the only way to change package is to pay ALL of the outstanding payments in total to the end of the contract on the existing package AND immediately start making payments for the new package - so effectively paying for two packages in parallel until the contract on the defunct package expires. What a way to treat customers.
Needless to say unless I get some satisfactory resolution I will leave PlusNet at the first opportunity and never return.
