Told four times I'm not under contract but am threatened with £176 early termination fee

[#1]

I've been with PN a couple of years. A couple of months ago I phoned up to see if I could cut the cost while still staying out of contract (£40 per month for non-fibre broadband was ridiculous  so I was going to leave sometime soon). Agent said I could cut out Anytime calls and save £9, which I did.

A month later I felt I needed Anytime! Again I asked if this would put me back under contract and was told "no" (but, not reassuringly "the computer might show it but you will not be under contract").

A couple of days ago I decided to switch unless I could get a decent price - the agent I called initially thought I was under contract but then said no, I wasn't, and offered me the new customer price.

I decided to switch out. The next day I got an email from PN saying I'd face a £176 early termination fee if I left. I called them, the agent said this was wrong and I should ignore the email - I wasn't under contract (he blamed the marketing department and said they'd been told to correct this issue in their emails). But - he wouldn't email me to confirm I was not under contract. 

So I'm left in limbo. All I want is something in writing from PN to confirm what 4 different agents have told me (I'm not under contract, there won't be an early termination fee), but which their computer system does not seem to understand. If I've got this email from them, at least if they take £176 from my bank account I can easily prove to the Billing Department that they should give it back!

I can't reply to the email I received, I'm not on Twitter,  so am trying the forum route.

[#2]

@roland80west  Welcome to the forums.

I am not a plusnet staffer, but have you logged into your customer portal on the plusnet website and checked what that says etc..

Do you have Plusnet line rental saver? if you do that has a 12 month contract.

[#3]

@roland80west  changing ( adding or removing ) a call plan should not start a new contract. However there is currently a bug in the system affecting some accounts which does seem to start a new contract in error.

I'm sure one of the plusnet help team will spot this thread and correct your account.

[#4]

Hi, I don’t have line rental saver, that expired over a year ago. All I did was change the call plan (removed, then added, Anytime). Hence I am paying £39.98 a month for non-fibre broadband.

[#5]

Hi, thank you so much for that, it is reassuring. But I do hope a Plusnet support team member will pick this up and confirm that to me by email, so the uncertainty and worry generated by receiving their £176 message is dissipated.

What you say mirrors what each of the four members of staff I spoke to were suggesting. I relied on their advice when deciding to alter the call plan and, later, to leave Plusnet. I’m hoping they will contact me before the switch happens as I don’t want to be stuck in some protracted dispute.

[#6 · Accepted solution]

Hi @roland80west

Thanks for getting in touch and I am sorry for this situation. I've just left voicemail on your mobile.

I can confirm that this is "ghost" contract. Confirmation of this you can view here

Early Termination Charges will be waived from your account. I will take ownership of this case and you will receive confirmation email about it shortly.

[#7]

"Charges will be waived"

That's an odd way to put as if there are no charges to pay what exactly is being  "waived"?

[#8]

Thank you Tibzor, for confirming that so quickly and in writing. It is a huge relief to me!

Great customer service on your part, but I would feed back to whoever is responsible for the cause of the problem  (“ghost contracts” and their triggering of incorrect demand letters), that they too need to take ownership and do something to correct the problem; allowing it to happen is doing you and your colleagues a disservice, and worrying customers unnecessarily.

Thank you again for your action, Tibzor.