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New Invoice Changes

monnowbridge
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎20-09-2018

Re: No Vat Invoice

I just called customer services (again ) about the inability to print , or even see , bills since the change. I was told that there is no problem.....

Apparently , it's my computer that is at fault and I should use a different device !!

How's that for "customer service "

corringham
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 1,211
Thanks: 634
Fixes: 16
Registered: ‎25-09-2015

Re: No Vat Invoice

@Townman, as I've pointed out previously Plusnet advertise their fibre packages as being suitable "... for all your internet usage ...". Most people would assume that includes home working.

There is no mention in the FAQs or anywhere else apart from the T&Cs that home working is not acceptable.

Most ISPs that offer a choice of residential and business packages have business packages that provide significantly different features - that is  product differentiation.

Plusnet provide almost identical packages, and differentiate on what the user does with it - that is discrimination.

  

gone123
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-09-2018

Re: No Vat Invoice

@corringham where in the t&c's does it say that home working is not acceptable? In my t&cs it says it says home working is OK (standard terms 2.1.3).

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 157
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: No Vat Invoice

@gone123

The T&Cs state occasional home working, which not the same as unqualified use for home working.  Plusnet are somewhat suggesting that the need for a VAT invoice implies business use of the service.  Where business grade service is required, VAT invoices are provided.

@corringham

Indeed the condition is clearly stated in the T&Cs … which everyone affirms they did read when they signed up … you did read them … yes?

 

There is a challenging divide here, one between...

  • what Joe Public thinks is reasonable
  • what the law obliges a trading body to do
  • Joe Public's obligation to abide within the terms and conditions they agreed to with the supplier

The last two are very well defined, but the first is not irrelevant and for what it matters, as one of the SUs here, I have again raised the issue … but with the other known issues, it is far from likely to get any immediate priority.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

gone123
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-09-2018

Re: No Vat Invoice

@Townman  "occasional home working" is all you need in the t&c's to make a case for a VAT invoice, because that gives rise to a tax deduction; if you're VAT registered you also have the Article 13 tax legislation. Plusnet are unreasonably conflating two separate issues: its legal obligation to provide a VAT invoice and the customer's compliance with the t&c's.

 

Plusnet have also added clause 5.5 to its standard terms which states:

5.5. As our services are only for personal use in the UK, we do not provide VAT invoices.

I would suggest that attempting to enforce this term without exception would put it in breach of existing tax legislation and hence it is an unfair contract term. But this would need to be legally challenged.

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 157
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: New Invoice Changes

@gone123

The VAT rules are indeed complicated, yet flexible, as I noted in an earlier post in this topic...


@Townman wrote:

This is interesting - https://www.oneaccounting.co.uk/blog/what-proof-do-you-really-need-reclaim-vat

Purchases under £25 do not need VAT documents and (see tip 2) you only need to know the supplier is VAT registered

A VAT invoice / receipt is not required whet the cost of the services against which VAT input relief is being reclaimed what the cost is below £25.  Where a company is reimbursing an apportionment of a residential service, that is highly likely to be less than £25.

I recall that for my company's home workers, they required that such internet services were business grade, which if applied here, would mean that VAT invoices were available.


 

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

corringham
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 1,211
Thanks: 634
Fixes: 16
Registered: ‎25-09-2015

Re: New Invoice Changes

for my company's home workers, they required that such internet services were business grade

But there isn't very much difference between Plusnet's business and residential offerings. Traffic shaping, higher telephone care level, 24 hour help desk (so you can report a broadband fault sooner, but it will make no difference at all as to how quickly it is fixed). The sort of differentiation that other ISPs have between business and residential just isn't there.

So if an employer requires a "business grade" service that will rule Plusnet out.

 

corringham
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 1,211
Thanks: 634
Fixes: 16
Registered: ‎25-09-2015

Re: New Invoice Changes

 Where a company is reimbursing an apportionment of a residential service, that is highly likely to be less than £25.

I'm not sure that is true. As mentioned previously there is an exception that allows the full cost of the broadband to be reimbursed without apportionment. Lots of residential services cost more than £25 per month - for example my ADSL costs £30 per month.

Plusnet have made a deliberate decision to not provide VAT invoices. That decision is not based on tax law, or costs - it  would cost nothing to replace "This is not a VAT invoice" with their VAT number. It isn't even to make more money by forcing people to use a business account as the costs are almost the same. It is just being awkward for the sake of it. For a company that boasts of its customer service it is rather disappointing.

Andy_Hampshire
Hooked
Posts: 8
Thanks: 20
Registered: ‎14-02-2012

Re: New Invoice Changes

Broadband + line rental + call costs and you're WAY over £25 ... which is the problem.

SteveNotatechi
Newbie
Posts: 3
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-01-2011

Re: New Invoice Changes

Dear PlusNet,

The old 1 page format was a straightforward, printer friendly set-up.

All you have appeared to do is duplicate one page of Information over two pages.

But my biggest gripe is that the new PDF format is not printer friendly at all, wasting much valuable ink on large blocks of unnecessary chunks of pink.

I hope you can rectify this soon, thank you.

Steve

 

 

Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 157
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: New Invoice Changes

Might choosing the options provided in most printer drivers to use draft and B&W or Eco modes help you here?

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

SteveNotatechi
Newbie
Posts: 3
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎25-01-2011

Re: New Invoice Changes

Thank you for the reply Townman, much appreciated.

However, my printer settings (HP Envy 4527) are already set to B & W draft, using only the black cartridge only, so the large chunks of pink do actually come out as large chunks of grey.

In addition, Acrobat Reader does give you the option in the print menu to tick the 15% toner / ink saver box, which I have done.

I know there are programmes out there that can take away, various layers and boxes, to leave a bare bones format; I used to use this approach with Scottish Power bills, which were by far the worst for this type of unnecessary detail.

However, it is a cumbersome and time consuming task, for me anyway, hence the Notatechi surname.

In a nutshell, Townman, unless PN change their PDF format or enable a printer friendly version, then there is not a lot I can do, I think.

But once again thank you.

Regards

Steve

gone123
Hooked
Posts: 5
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-09-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

@Townman

Thanks for your link to the article about purchases under £25 not requiring a VAT invoice, however, whilst it is, as you say, interesting, it is not in the VAT legislation. So there is no exception, in this regard, to Plusnet’s legal obligation to provide the VAT invoice in the first place (when asked for one asked by a VAT registered person).

I’d rather have the correct documentation in the first place than be challenged by HMRC for only having documents clearly marked “This is not a VAT invoice”.

mgelder
Dabbler
Posts: 14
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎06-11-2011

Re: New Invoice Changes

Just had another email from PN Support advising that business packages may be more appropriate for any business use if I want a vat invoice. One of the key benefits being prioritised support. Just had a glance at the customer call stats currently,

Residential support - current queue 75 calls, average time to answer 33 mins

Business support - 3 calls, average time to answer 39 mins

Which looks like less support and longer waits on business packages.

Mike

JOLO
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 1,149
Fixes: 77
Registered: ‎06-08-2018

Re: New Invoice Changes

Hi @mgelder

 

Were those stats from today? At the moment it looks like this:

 

 

 

That said I'm aware that the business queues have been higher than normal lately but this should start to reduce due to a number  of new staff that have started on the department this week.