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Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

Emer
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎09-09-2010

Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

I am new to Plusnet and was not sure of which package to choose,  Obviously I picked the cheapest because I wanted to save money.  I was on holiday for some time and only looked at my bank account in detail now, noticing a rather large payment of £39.22 and £8.34 earlier in the month.  My previous provider was £15 a month for unlimited usage,  I just thought plusnet were the same only cheaper.  Unfortunately due to the enormous lack of tolerance for newbies, I am lumbered with twice the bill I expected instead of simply upgrading me and saving £££s. 
I am very annoyed, broke and thinking of going back to Talk Talk but now spot a £25 cancellation fee.  I also had a £4.99 connection charge and find that I have not previously come across a company with so many hidden charges. 
Angry
7 REPLIES 7
Emer
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎09-09-2010

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

And after reading on here, I believe I should have a 20Gb limit.  Does anyone know?
Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
Thanks: 1,609
Fixes: 565
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

There is a 10Gb usage limit on Value.
Download speeds of up to 20Mb/s are offered on Value if your exchange supports it.
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BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

Welcome to the forums and I'm sorry about the confusing surrounding your billing.
When you signed up online you took a special offer which meant that your monthly subscription was £4.99 - this isn't a setup fee.
The majority of your usage is classed as streaming so the off-peak usage probably isn't an option for you. I can see that you have a scheduled to change to Extra, this is the option I'd recommend for you.
During the signup process we make it very clear about the charges we're taking on board - the activation of your line costs £25 and is paid by us on condition that you stay with us for 12 months. There is a cessation fee of £25 but this won't apply if you choose to change providers.
As you're on a low cost exchange, your new package will run at £11.49 per month, plus any phone or extra usage charges. Hopefully this will work out better for you.
Emer
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎09-09-2010

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

Thank you for your reply and recommendation to switch to extra.
I was unaware that most of my usage was considered downloading or streaming - I don't recall iplayer and similar devices being mentioned when I signed up,  As a result of this I changed my package as soon as I was aware, but this month I have once again been landed with another large bill of £38.79 rather than approximately £20 - my budget.
As a consequence I have spend about £90 in the last two months which I cannot afford and is so frustrating as I was just trying to save money.
Please advise.  Is a letter of complaint my best option?
zubel
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,793
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

Quote from: Emer
I was unaware that most of my usage was considered downloading or streaming -

Usage is irrespective of the type of traffic.  The point that was (trying) to be made is that the traffic was real-time streaming, so it's not necessarily possible to "schedule" this to your off-peak period, where transfer is not counted towards your monthly limit.  By virtue that it's real-time, it usually means that someone is sat in front of the computer watching the traffic being streamed live.
Quote from: Emer
As a consequence I have spend about £90 in the last two months which I cannot afford and is so frustrating as I was just trying to save money.
Please advise.  Is a letter of complaint my best option?

Whilst it may be frustrating, I'm pretty sure that last time I went through the signup journey all of the usage limits were very clearly marked.  Plusnet do provide you with the "View My Broadband Usage" (VMBU) tool, and also should have emailed you as you were approaching your monthly cap.  You can also set a limit so that when you reach your cap, your traffic is restricted to 128Kbps, instead of being charged extra.
Bandwidth is a finite resource, and for the headline prices that people expect nowadays is becoming increasingly more difficult to provide reasonable allowances.  Plusnet do have many features that *are* actually useful (like the "free" overnight download period) but it does require a shift in usage policy for the end user to take advantage of.
That being said - what exactly is your complaint? 
B.
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

On my BBYW/2 account I always receive an email telling me that I am getting close to my monthly download limit when I have used 80% of my total allowance.
I have always found that is adequate notification so the customer can investigate unexpected high usage before running up an expensive bill !.
Does that not happen on the currently offered packages ?
Emer
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎09-09-2010

Re: Not sure of usage and instead of automatic upgrade large bills

My complaint is that I was unaware of the emails as I did not check my plusnet account until I got a large bill. 
The sign up blurb suggested that the cheaper package was appropriate for my usage, as I was unaware it counted as downloading. People who I spoke to with more understanding of such things also suggested it would be sufficient.  I was unaware of my usage from my previous provider as it was unmeasured. I believe that instead of whacking me with in my case unaffordable amounts an attempt should have been made to make my package more acceptable.  Even after I changed my package, I was still being billed for extra usage because it was not upgraded quickly enough.