No longer a PlusNet Customer but keep getting emails about a monthly bill

[#1]

Hello,

Because it seems the only other way to speak to anyone to get this sorted out is to hold on the phone for up to 30 minutes, (and I have tried on more than several occasions), I have had to resort to raising this topic.

I used to be a very unhappy PlusNet customer. The PlusNet contract started on the 13 July 2017 and I paid one year upfront. After so much anguish with the Customer Services not sorting out my slow speeds and continual drop-out in connection, I changed providers and since 13 December, I have been a Sky customer.

I had a recently invoiced bill from PlusNet, but when I checked the PlusNet web site, it wouldn't let me see the invoice details until it was paid. So, believing it must be an overdue amount up to the 13 December 2017, I paid it. However it transpired the invoice was for an advance payment for the period 26 December 2017 to 25 Jan 2018 which I should not have paid and PlusNet should not have invoiced.

Recently I have been getting emails asking to update my Direct Debit details, which I will not do, and I'm getting a bit worried that my account has not been closed properly and the invoicing problem will snowball out of control.

Can you please sort it out?

Thanks.

Regards,

Mike Oliver

[#2]

Hi Mike. I'm sorry to hear of the problems you've had when you were with us and that your account wasn't closed when your service had left us. I've raised this to our billing team to issue the appropriate refunds and work out your final bill.

We should be in touch next week. Apologies for the inconvenience caused and all the best with your new provider.

[#3]

@micoli

“Plusnet, the BT-owned broadband and landline company, has been fined almost £900,000 by Ofcom for continuing to charge more than 1,000 customers even though they had cancelled their accounts.

The telecoms regulator fined Plusnet £880,000 after an investigation found that the BT subsidiary broke a “fundamental billing rule”. An error in the company’s billing system meant cancelled lines were still recognised as “live”.

...

Plusnet, which is based in Yorkshire, apologised, saying it was an “isolated historical issue”.“

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/22/plusnet-fined-charging-customers-ofcom-bt-broadband...

[#4]

Just had another bill and email:

We couldn't take a payment for your Plusnet broadband account
-------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, we've not received the regular payment for your service. This was due on 26-01-2018.

- Bank account name: 
- Direct Debit reference: 
- Amount owed: £3.50

To avoid restrictions to your service please make a payment in the next 14 days.

How to pay
-----------
You can pay online by logging into http://www.plus.net and following the on-screen instructions.

If you've got any problems with making a payment just call us on 0800 432 0200.

Need help?
----------
For more information about paying check our Billing Guide:

https://www.plus.net/help/my-account/paying-your-bill/

Plusnet Customer Support
http://www.plus.net/

Any chance of getting this sorted out? It was supposed to have been forwarded to the relevany department over a week ago.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Two identical posts released from Spam Filter and duplicate removed.

[#5]

Apologies that the ticket hasn't been picked up yet and final bill not produced.

I've given the relevant people a nudge now.

[#6]

Just received this email:

As it says 'still applicable' is this the final bill and the result of your action or is this a continuation of them not knowing I have left PlusNet? I hope it isn't the final bill as, not only did I pay one year in advance, if it was a tangible product it would have been returned to the retailer for a refund as it would not be 'fit for use'.

Dear Mr Oliver, Checking the account today I can see that the final balance of £13.99 is still applicable (Breakdown below). Broadband Migration Date 13/12/2017 Home Phone Migration Date 13/12/2017 Contract End Date 25/07/2018   Subscription Charges Between: 26-11-2017 to 25-12-2017    Monthly Charge No. Days Refund   Broadband Subscription     £0.00 Home Phone Line Rental     £0.00 Calling Plan      £0.00 Calling Features £0.99 13 £0.43 Anti-virus     £0.00 BT Sport     £0.00 TV     £0.00 Historic Invoice Refund   £3.50 Previous System Refund   £0.00 Refund Due Back to the Customer     £3.93       Additional Usage Charges   £0.00 Home Phone Call Charges   £0.00 Home Phone Call Barring Charges   £0.00 BT Sport   £0.00 TV       £0.00 Router   £0.00 Cease Fee   £0.00 Cease Fee Paid   £0.00 House Move    £0.00 Outstanding Invoice Balance   £0.00 Contract Fees Fee Per Day Days Left         £0.08 224 £17.92 Outstanding Charges £17.92 Total Outstanding Balance £13.99 We will now start recovery on the balance and the account will be passed to a third party debt recovery in the next 21 days. To avoid this, please contact us on 0800 077 8488 to make a payment

[#7]

As you were in contract when your service migrated from us there are early termination charges I'm afraid.

You can only pay for line rental up front so the fees would be in relation to your broadband service.

In addition I can see we wanted to arrange an engineer visit to investigate the problem with your service, but sadly we didn't hear back so we're not in a position to waive the fees.

[#8]

reading  about how they still expect you to pay if you have all the details of the issues you have encountered I would be contacting the regulator over this,if the service was as bad as you say and you have kept records you can leave with no penalty under the hand back legislation that was introduced,and possibly you may be entitled to compensation for the tie the service was below what is now deemed acceptable,the days of ISPs bullying customers into paying for a service which isn't up to scratch is over,some ISPs appear not to realise this or some of their staff haven't been informed of the current state of play:-a contract works both ways,the customer pays and the isp provides the service,if either fails then the contract is broken!

[#9]

OK. 

I can't find any link to pay the bill on the website and I'm not going to hold on for 30 minutes to pay over the phone. Is there a link I'm missing?

BTW I couldn't book an engineer as I was sent ambiguous time slots and it wasn't clear how to book them. I finally got an explanatory reply from CS after I was being transferred to Sky.

[#10]

Hi there. The telephone number we've provided on the e-mail will route straight to our billing team where there's generally very little wait time. Hope that helps.

[#11]

I just re-registered my debit card so maybe it will be taken out there.

I was on the on-line chat and they gave a link to pay but that was a 404.

[#12]

I'm afraid that you can't make a payment for a final bill online.

I'll be happy to call you back if you want?

[#13]

You were right about the phone number being a direct number. I have now paid the final amount so there is no need to call me.

So thanks for your help. It is a shame I could not get as much sense from the Customer Services when I was a customer. Speaking to them was like being on a merry-go-round.

Mike

[#14]

No problems Mike. Sorry again for the experience you’ve had when you were with us.