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Discrimination of Existing Customers

dejjones
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Discrimination of Existing Customers

On Wed 2 Jan, I was looking online at the Plusnet broadband offers around at present when the "chat" box appeared, and I had a conversation with [CSA Removed]. Below is an exact copy of it, with names & password information removed.

Me: I would like to know if I can renew my contract to take advantage of one of the deals you currently offer
[CSA Removed]: Let me have a look into that for you

Could I take your account username please?

Account details given.

[CSA Removed]: ok, which particular deal have you seen please?

Me: you're offering £75 reward for 18 month contract fibre broadband £23.99

[CSA Removed]: thats right....did you want to renew your service with us on that basis?

Me: If so when would contract start?
[CSA Removed]: you get a 14 day cooling off period first of all, so the new contract would begin 17.01.19

Me: What happens to existing contract and yearly line rental?
[CSA Removed]: your old contract gets written off, and your most recent line rental saver is due to expire pretty soon, 18-02-2019...the balance just carries forward (so you don't loose any of it)...if you#re not looking to do a line rental saver any payments after 18-02-2019 would be £23.99 (£5 fibre broadband, £18.99 line rental)

The chat then continued with me asking a few more questions and then, when I was typing my acceptance of the offer the "chat" disconnected.

I reconnected but now spoke to [CSA Removed], who basically said the £75 was only for new customers, but he had obtained authorisation to allow him to offer the rest of the deal! So even the deal without the reward is not for existing customers.

I asked to speak to [CSA Removed] but was told he was not available.

On Thurs 3rd Jan, I managed to speak to customer services on the phone (after the usual wait) and was promised that [CSA Removed] would phone me "after 4pm" yesterday.

I have still not received a call.

 

I find this discriminatory treatment of existing customers extremely disappointing, and difficult to understand.

I would like someone from PN to explain to me:-

Why have I not received the phone call?

How do you justify treating existing customers so differently to new ones?

If I was a new customer, I'm sure the new contract would have been signed up by now involving PN with the additional expense of new equipment and admin costs, which of course doesn't apply to me.

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): CSA name(s) removed (to an area staff can see) as per Forum rules.

 

 

13 REPLIES 13
BigRedSwitch
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎18-05-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

I agree 100% with what the creator of this post says.  I seem to recall hearing about a week or so ago that this scandalous behavior has been mentioned in context with Parliament - perhaps a Private Member's Bill or somesuch.  I hope so.

abails0105
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 802
Thanks: 108
Fixes: 60
Registered: ‎02-05-2017

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Hi @dejjones, thanks for getting in touch.

 

I am really sorry for the issues you have had with renegotiating a new contract. I've been in touch with the agent who was due to give you a call and have been advised that they will be contacting you shortly. I am sorry this was not done yesterday as you had been advised it would be.

 

We do regularly change our offers, both for existing and new customers, and I hope that when you receive the call we are able to resolve this matter for you and pop you on the contract you were agreeing to from the chat you had on Wednesday.

 

Regards

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Alice Baillie
 Plusnet Help Team
billnotben
Community Veteran
Posts: 7,688
Thanks: 2,164
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎23-09-2010

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

You're not the first to be offered a contract then for it to disappear in minutes. Whether you accept or not.

Good luck getting a call back explanation. Even on this forum the plusnet help staff routinely fail to make the promised reply to a pm.

dejjones
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

It is now past 8pm when the I believe most of the CS team go home.

So no-one is going to ring me back.

No-one has replied to the "question" raised on Wednesday.

I see someone has had time to remove the name of the CS member from the post, but no-one has contacted me.

Clearly the CS system or the Question system is not capable of sorting this out.

So abails0105 can you please advise me how to proceed, or am I to conclude that my custom is no longer welcome?

I have sent you this as a PM in the hope that what billnotben predicts will not happen in this case.

BigRedSwitch
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎18-05-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

You're not the first to be offered a contract then for it to disappear in minutes. Whether you accept or not.

Good luck getting a call back explanation. Even on this forum the plusnet help staff routinely fail to make the promised reply to a pm.

 

I rather suspect that CS staff are not allowed to make external calls.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Quote fixed.

Mav
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 22,359
Thanks: 4,724
Fixes: 514
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers


@dejjones wrote:

I see someone has had time to remove the name of the CS member from the post, but no-one has contacted me

The CSA names were removed by one of the forum moderators who are not employed by Plusnet and have no access to systems or customer details.


Forum Moderator and Customer
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear - Mark Twain
He who feared he would not succeed sat still

smoothpainting
Grafter
Posts: 25
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎30-09-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Loyalty never pays. I’ve been moving between BT and Plusnet back n forth to get the new customer deals.
billnotben
Community Veteran
Posts: 7,688
Thanks: 2,164
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎23-09-2010

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Loyalty is only part of the picture. Honesty and straight talking now where's that gone.

Someone will say they're a business what do you expect. Not a lot apparently.

 

LordFoul
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 779
Fixes: 32
Registered: ‎06-08-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Hi @ dejjones,

 

Thanks for getting in touch.

 

I'm really sorry that the proposed callback was not received, it's not ideal and I appreciate you had been waiting. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that was experienced.

 

I have looked into this and sent a response here.

 

Let us know if you need anything further.

 

Thanks - LF.

dejjones
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Thanks: 13
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Just so that the community knows, this is what the PM from Tahir said:-

Thank you for contacting us via social media.
I'm sorry that you did not receive your callback as promised. I appreciate you querying this. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience you have experienced.
I have not been able to find any information about the £75 reward you have referenced as the agent you corresponded with via the Live Chat is currently out of the office. I have requested our Customer Options Team to contact you as soon as they can, this should be within the next 48 hours.

I trust this answers your query, however do let us know if you need anything further.

Clearly this does not answer my query.

I did not contact you by social media.

I sent a PM to  "abails0105".

Is this the reply to that message?

 

smoothpainting
Grafter
Posts: 25
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎30-09-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

You can get a £100-£120 reward card by switching to BT Infinity in the January sale. I doubt you’ll notice any difference so why waste your time chasing an offer you’ll never get?
Chrisvesey
Rising Star
Posts: 153
Thanks: 35
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎11-11-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Basic bt fibre is virtually £30, they are more expensive than plusnet in all ways, I would phone retentions for a deal, I've found that about 9am it's reasonably quiet as I've never had to wait much more than 5 minutes. I have had a lot of problems that seem to be sorted but advisers have always tried their best and I have had them ring me at home a couple of times. No I don't work for plusnet but they obviously have problems caused by their billing system and their call centre is manic,

Chris 

Mads
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 1,873
Fixes: 79
Registered: ‎06-08-2018

Re: Discrimination of Existing Customers

Hello @dejjones,

Thanks for getting back to us. I have updated your open ticket here with further information.