Seems you Don't want to keep customers?

[#1]

Given the posts by Plusnet staff on the forum, and also a recent hotukdeals topic
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/plusnet-save-240-270-free-broadband-for-two-years-existing-customers...
I telephoned today about the new price rises to kind of see if there was anything that could be done to match your competitors given both Sky and SSE are now cheaper than you. Waited 20mins on hold to get through to the cancellations team.
Said I was thinking of leaving due to the prices rises. Was told ok, where are you thinking of going.
Told the guy on the phone Sky as they are £10 per month for unlimited Fibre and only £8 per month for unlimited phone and mobile. I currently pay £12.50 for unlimited fibre broadband and will be next month £9 per month for Unlimited phone and mobile.
Guy on the phone responded, "ok if you want to do that I will leave a note on your account saying you are going to leave so you don't get charged". The guy then abruptly puts me on hold for a further 5 mins and comes back saying I was just checking to see if we can possibly do anything to match sky's prices but we cannot. So will leave this note on your account to say you are leaving us now to go to them.
Kind of taken aback by this as usually customer service reps should come up with something, anything to try and say you are worth sticking with and are better than your competitors
So I then ask for my MAC code, knowing in the past this is usually when providers take you seriously and pass you to retention's, but the guy says since 22nd June 2015 MAC codes are not needed no more so see you later. I say ok then, bye and end the call.
I then check my emails and see this brand new email from you in my inbox

Quote

We’re sorry you’ve decided to leave us because of the changes we’ve made to our home phone pricing and call rates. As agreed, because you’ve told us within 30 days of receiving the email we won’t be applying any early termination charges.  Please contact our Customer Options Team on 0800 432 0200 if you decide to remain with us.   Kind regards,   link:csa removed

Not one single attempt at keeping my custom. The tone of the person on the phone was literally like you would be glad to see the back of me.
Sky is cheaper at £8 per month when you will be £9 for the calls and mobile from September, and they are £10 for unlimited Fibre for 12 months and only a 12 month contract for this.
I am posting this as a last ditch attempt at saving some hassle and keeping my custom with you (I am not sure why now to be honest). If not will be phone Sky up on Wednesday and switch over to them for everything.
But really if your own cancellations team are kind of indirectly saying Sky are better why should I possibly stay?
adie:red removed CS name

[#2]

Slightly different but similar experience in moving to BT.
They did try fairly hard (and helpfully) to come up with some alternatives in my case, but failed to find any.
I guess they know from your tone whether you are likely to take slightly worse alternatives, and in your case sensed there was no point spending their time or yours on further discussions.
They are losing quite a few people from the forums this way, but probably very small numbers as a proportion of the whole.
I too received the We're sorry you've decided to leave us because of the changes we've made to our home phone pricing and call rates. As agreed, because you've told us within 30 days of receiving the email we won't be applying any early termination charges. email.
Followed an hour and a bit later by and email containing As you're moving your service before the end of your minimum term, you'll need to pay a charge for the remaining months. Based on your transfer date, we've calculated this to be £92.40.
I'm not too worried by the second one; I just hope they don't charge it and so I have to waste time chasing to get it removed again.

[#3]

Well if they can't match the price, they can't match the price.  No company is going to keep an unprofitable customer.  Sky's costs are different in part because they have their own fibre optic network.  Plusnet's packages are entirely at the mercy of BT Wholesale prices.
Also, cheaper isn't the same as better so I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that Plusnet customer service are saying Sky is 'better'.  If you want to work out which is the better out of Sky and Plusnet, I suggest Googling, trawling the ThinkBroadband forums, etc.

[#4]

Quote from: Den

Also, cheaper isn't the same as better so I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that Plusnet customer service are saying Sky is 'better'.

By the fact that the guy on the phone never said anything over why Plusnet are worth sticking with.
Even a desperate, "you do know out lines are statistically 99% reliable when Skys are only 92%" or whatever blurb would have been something. [thats just a made up fact by the way, as likely most are]
But it was literally "cheerio" . I had no tone in my voice. You can kind of see by this topic I was not dead set on leaving Plusnet.

[#5]

@anthgood
Oops!
You almost certainly aren't aware of something :).
I assume the email about the price rises was sent to you before you rang Plusnet, even though you hadn't read it because you hadn't checked your emails.
Your account gets marked when the email is sent. Once they have sent it, Ofcom specifically forbid the losing ISP to offer any incentive at all to persuade you to stay.
Although the response you got felt bad, the agent had no choice whatsoever. He would quite reasonably assume you had read the email.
EDIT!
I think if you ring them and unprompted by them ask if they can offer you a deal, they can reply with an offer. They are not allowed to initiate that conversation, that's the point :).

[#6]

Don't believe you. Read the Hotukdeals topic, nobody has commented on that.
Like I say, it looks like I will be a Sky customer again by the end of Wednesday.
Seems Plusnet are giving Retiontions the month off for the summer holidays.
adie:quote

[#7]

Estragon - That's not correct.
If/when PN receive notification from another provider that you're moving service they are only allowed to contact you to let you know of the request so you can query it if it seems to be erroneous.  They cannot contact you to make a counter offer.
There's nothing to stop the customer contacting PN however and volunteering to discuss a deal, indeed in this case te migration hasn't even been initiated so PN are free to try and retain custom if they wish.

[#8]

Ofcom General Condition 9.6 is what allows people to leave without penalty due to mid-contract price rises. My bold.
Ofcom Guidance re GC 9.6, specifically

Quote

A1.25 CPs should also keep in mind the need to comply with all their obligations under the General Conditions, including as to switching processes. This is particularly relevant where the rules provide for a gaining provider-led process under which a subscriber is able to switch providers by contacting a new provider and without needing to contact their existing one. A1.26 Neither GC9.6 itself nor this guidance requires that a subscriber must exercise their rights under that condition by contacting their existing provider. One way the CP making contract modifications could meet its obligations in a relevant case is by telling the subscriber that the GC9.6 termination rights may be exercised by contacting a new provider.

General Condition 22, starting at Page 78, is the new "Gaining Provider Led" migration process that you clearly were not aware of, as you asked for a MAC.
See page 80, paragraphs 22.11, 12, 13, 15, 18.

[#9]

Quote from: pwatson

If/when PN receive notification from another provider that you're moving service they are only allowed to contact you to let you know of the request so you can query it if it seems to be erroneous.  They cannot contact you to make a counter offer.

I agree. But that is just GC22.

Quote

There's nothing to stop the customer contacting PN however and volunteering to discuss a deal, indeed in this case te migration hasn't even been initiated so PN are free to try and retain custom if they wish.

There you are wrong. Once the price rise email has been sent GC9.6 and the guidance to it apply :). In fact, the email is because of GC9.6.

[#10]

I've read the guidance and can't see anywhere in it that prevents a customer asking for a deal and PlusNet discussing it with them

[#11]

That too I agree.
It also looks as though I have misread a couple of things in the opening post.
The problem is the combination of events, and also exactly what was said, in what order. That's the problem with phone calls.
First, somehow I missed the opening "Said I was thinking of leaving due to the prices rises". Reading it without the "thinking of" :(.
The email seems to have been sent during or immediately after the phone call so the GC9.6 guidance didn't apply either.
Certainly the request for a MAC, apparently at the end, would result in the GC22 prohibition coming into play as far as the agent was concerned. As could prior sending of the email have done.
I can only think the agent was misunderstanding his briefing notes and/or the OP at the start of the call. There has been at least one post since the whole price rise saga started of someone who hadn't yet received the email but qualified for one being told (incorrectly) by the agent that they weren't allowed to offer retention deals due to the price rise.
My apologies to all. Let's hope a CRT member can come in and try to help the OP. That being what the opening post was asking for.

[#12]

Hi anthgood,
Apologies for the experience you have had over the phone.
I reckon the agent just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I'll try and get someone to call you if possible. I'll also listen to the call myself to see how it was handled.
I'm pretty sure that we can still offer a retention, even when leaving due to price rises. In fact, this is the first I have heard otherwise. Whilst many genuinely intend to leave, many people like the OP actively use the email as a means to receive a new deal.
Hopefully we can get this sorted for you.
Matty

[#13]

I understand that this should by sorted now anthgood?

[#14]

Yep, just came off the phone. Am very pleased.
Not sure if I can say what I was offered but will and if I cannot say it on the forum it can be deleted.
But the person price matched Sky Fibre so am getting 38 meg unlimited for £10 per month.
The person could not price match Sky's £5 per month anytime phone but he offered 3 months free so it works out as £15 saving from that. (Or £18 saving if you take it as £6 per month)
So basically paying £6 for Anytime, £3 for mobile extra, £10 for Fibre on 18 months contract. It means I am only paying £3 more in total over the 18months that I would be with sky for the exact same thing.
But I also Paid for another years line rental on the phone too just now for the £13/month so overall very happy indeed as it works out I am saving as Sky don't do the in advance deal and theirs is £3.40 more per month.
Overall like I say I am really pleased and feel this is a massive result for me.
Thanks Matty for doing whatever it was you did to help resolve this.
dick:quote

[#15]

No worries, really happy we've sorted it out.
Will pass on good feedback to Malik for being a good sport and giving you a call