Two Billing increases in one month

[#1]

Hi everyone, I moved from Virgin Broadband by cancelling Direct Debit because Virgin Billing imposed a double Bill increase, they thought an unwanted increase from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps was irresistible. I complained for nearly a year and was constantly ignored, until Direct Debit was cancelled. I now know how easy it is to change ISP. 

Having joined PlusNet unlimited fibre 36 Mbps (No Phone) on 18 month contract, this contract has now reached maturity and a monthly price increase is underway. The Wed 14/04/2021 email says "Once your fixed price contract ends on 11th June 2021, you’ll start to pay a higher price. Your standard broadband price will increase (from £17.49) to £18.77 a month." Then the Mon 10/05/2021 email arrives to say "Your broadband (Unlimited Fibre) contract is coming to an end on 11th June 2021. When your contract ends your monthly price will go from £17.49 to £20.80." 

Two Billing increases are going to be applied in one month? The incorrect billing Question #214306869 was raised to notify PlusNet Billing that they are not following the official PlusNet price increase process. Billing was asked to ensure that increase to £18.77 a month is applied.

The Mon 21/06/2021 email says "having checked with both our retentions and billing team the £20.80 a month will apply. Our Customer Options Team have also confirmed that there is no option to apply a contract on broadband only account. Therefore I am unable to apply any discounts to your account. If you would like to discuss bringing your telephone line across to PlusNet we will be be able to apply discounts for you as part of a new contract." 

Broadband packages are competitive and PlusNet Billing is trying to push their broadband + telephone package. There are better broadband + telephone deals, with a more modern Hub. 

Having been on a PlusNet 18 month, 36 Mbps package with download IP Profile set at 21.98 Mbps, only 19.83 Mbps and frequent drops to 10.49 Mbps, was actually delivered to the PlusNet Hub.

BT Broadband Availability checker says our local green cabinet can deliver 40 Mbps to the PlusNet Hub. 

PlusNet is throttling delivery of the 36 Mbps package to 19 Mbps to the PlusNet hub. Slow speed fault Question #214191008 is trying to fix the line so that it delivers 36 Mbps. There has been only been one recent occasion when BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test reported that 36 Mbps was delivered to the PlusNet Hub, but then the download speed keeps reducing and making its way back down to typically 19 Mbps. 

There is no incentive to pay for this PlusNet Unlimited Fibre 36 Mbps Broadband package, that persistently only provides 19 Mbps, when PlusNet testing of my line recently provided 37 Mbps to the PlusNet Hub. 

Thanks to PlusNet Billing, I have incentive to move to a different ISP. Thankfully, I do not use my PlusNet email account, so the move to a different ISP will be painless. 

[#2]

@crimsom 

Having read through your post 3 times I think that the salient points are:

1. Plusnet have potentially screwed up their communications regarding ongoing charges at the end of your contract.

This has probably been caused by you using a different organisation to provide your land line. This is a very expensive way to do it, to save money both services should be provided by the same organisation on a single contract. Plusnet no longer sell contracts unless both phone and broadband are provided, so you have to pay the full out of contract price for your broadband on a monthly basis. Consequently you cannot negotiate a contract discount, so it costs even more by splitting the services.

2. You have a speed problem.

Plusnet are not 'throttling delivery of the 36Mbps package'. There is an ongoing ticket looking into the fault for you. If you move to another ISP that uses the Openreach infrastructure then it is more than likely that you will take this problem with you.

[#3]

Hi @Baldrick1  thank you for sharing update. 

PlusNet Billing seem to have a different agenda, based on customer is unlikely to leave. They have intentionally ignored the official PlusNet price increase process and are seemingly not being held accountable by PlusNet Quality Assurance. 

My landline telephone is not used and the telephone's quarterly low user bill is consequently very low. PlusNet are responsible for maintaining the broadband speed. Land line provider has no broadband maintenance responsibilities. Openreach provides the land line infrastructure. 

The coronavirus pandemic has changed how we communicate, Many ISP organisations are now offering free broadband, when customer accepts online advertising. Virgin Broadband is offering free broadband. My Virgin fibre cables are still in place, so moving to free Virgin broadband is an easy option. Virgin Broadband has no problems delivering the 50 Mbps download speed and their local green cabinet is very near to my house. 

[#4]

Hi @crimsom, thanks for getting in touch and I'm sorry to hear you're having speed issues as of recent. I'm also sorry that there has been some recent confusion surrounding the incoming price increase and how it would effect your monthly bill. From the sounds of it however it looks like the price increase and how this would impact your monthly charge has been confirmed moving forwards.

In regards to the speed issue on your account and the ticket that's open regarding this. I can see this is requiring information from yourself before we can look to progress the fault further. If then, you could please reply back to the fault ticket with the required information then we'll happily look to progress this fault further for you.
The fault ticket can be seen and commented on here.
Feel free to let us know once you've replied on here and we'll happily look to pick this up for you.

As I can see you're thinking about leaving our service also, I'd recommend if you so and don't receive a notification along the lines of "We're sorry to hear you're leaving" after placing an order with the new provider to give our cancellations team a call below so they can arrange the closure of the account for when the new provider takes over. Usually the notification comes through that would close your account automatically but when there's no phone service our side and the provide isn't on the BT network then sometimes notification is needed so we can make sure the service ends when it should do for you.They are contactable directly on 0800 013 2632 and they are open between the following hours:
 

Monday - Friday: 08:00 - 20:00
Saturday: 09:00 - 19:00
Sunday: 09:00 - 18:00

[#5]

Hi @BD thank you for sharing update. 

As you have probably guessed, recent PlusNet notification emails have only served to confirm that Customers cannot trust PlusNet Billing to work within the official PlusNet price increase process. 

The PlusNet slow speed fault processing has demonstrated that my line is capable of delivering 37 Mbps to the PlusNet Hub. Consequently there is no requirement for a Broadband engineer to visit, because the fault is clearly external to my property. PlusNet say if there is a broadband line fault they will always fix it, so that it is not inherited by the new ISP. 

[#6]

During the PlusNet 18 month contract, the BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test had problems testing my Openreach line. The attached image shows Basic Speed Test with 0 Mbps upload has completed, but that the Advanced Speed Test is not available. Postulate that Openreach's Dynamic Line Management profile hardware and software in the local telephone exchange is unstable. Customers are unable to ask Openreach to investigate, the request must come from ISP (PlusNet).

PlusNet speed fault was raised in 2020 Q1, but never fixed the slow speed problem. 

The BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test capability has now been reinstated. 

[#7]

Hi @Crimson,

Thanks for providing further information. I've had a read of this thread and through your account this morning and there's a couple of things that I'd like to touch upon. Firstly, you've stated in an above post; "PlusNet say if there is a broadband line fault they will always fix it, so that it is not inherited by the new ISP.", whilst this is definitely true for the duration that we supply your services, it's important to note that we wouldn't be able to carry out any investigations on the line after you switch to another supplier. At that point, any existing fault on the network would be solely their responsibility to investigate and raise to their suppliers.

Secondly, regarding the screenshot you've posted above, I'm sorry to see the speeds are so low. When you carried out this test, was the device you were using connected to the router via an Ethernet cable or over Wi-Fi? Additionally, have you carried out any tests using any alternative speedtesting services? 

[#8]

Hi @TheMightyAJ  thank you for sharing update. 

When discussing faults on my Openreach line, I use the 'official' BT Broadband Availability checker and BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test. Have used other speed test applications for comparison only, especially when BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test could not provide its advanced test result. Alternative speed test results are in agreement with one another. 

Speed tests are always optimised = hub connected to master socket (no phone, no household extension cables), ethernet cable connected between hub and pc (no Wi-Fi connection), pc running on windows 10 x64 (no other applications). 

[#9]

Thanks for confirming this @Crimson. As this is the case, I'm afraid that the only option left available to us would be to book an engineer appointment. So we can proceed with our investigation, please respond to the open Fault ticket on your account, which can be accessed here. Just to reassure you, I feel it's important to note that whilst we are requesting an engineer visit to the property, that doesn't mean that the engineer won't investigate the external aspect of the connection.

[#10]

Hi @TheMightyAJ  thank you for sharing update. 

As already explained, there is no test evidence that requires a broadband engineer visit. The Openreach line fault is not within my property. The PlusNet diagnostics are an indication only, these do not check everything. Openreach diagnostics can reveal where the fault is physically located on my line. 

Still waiting for PlusNet Quality Assurance Director to reinstate my broadband billing to £18.77 a month. 

[#11]

Hi @crimsom,

I appreciate your stance however I'm afraid that to proceed we would require an engineer visit be booked so that an engineer can properly assess the situation and carry out any necessary work from that point onwards. I can see that you had previously been assigned a case manager in regards to the billing query and I would suggest responding to the related support ticket to discuss this matter further. Apologies for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

[#12]

Hi @TheMightyAJ  thank you for sharing an update. 

I am not taking a slow speed fault stance, both PlusNet diagnostics and BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test results show that the Dynamic Line Management keeps reducing my download IP Profile, to become less than the PlusNet Minimum Guaranteed download Speed of 24.9 Mbps. I am invariably lucky to get 19 Mbps during the BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test. My line download speed is being throttled. Sustained downloads such as the Windows Update every month drops the download speed to about 12 Mbps. As already explained, there is no test evidence that invokes a broadband engineer visit. The Openreach line fault is not within my property. 

Two PlusNet Billing increases in one month is not acceptable. PlusNet Billing should be encouraged to work within the official PlusNet price increase process. Still waiting for PlusNet Quality Assurance Director to reinstate my broadband billing to £18.77 a month. 

[#13]

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I am not taking a slow speed fault stance, both PlusNet diagnostics and BT Wholesale Broadband Performance Test results show that the Dynamic Line Management keeps reducing my download IP Profile, to become less than the PlusNet Minimum Guaranteed download Speed of 24.9 Mbps.

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This bit is a total contradiction.  Dynamic Line Management (DLM) is there to ensure that your line is stable.  It will determine the speed that your line can handle at that point of time.  If you have a fault on your line then this speed will likely be lower, which is why it is lower than the Minimum Guaranteed Download Speed.  Plusnet want to send an engineer to try and find and fix this fault.  The engineer won't be interested with any fault inside your property (after the master sockets test socket).  That is one of the reasons that you should use the test socket to determine if the fault is is on the Openreach side,

Plusnet will release you from your contract if you want if they can not meet the Minimum Guaranteed Download Speed, but they must be able to investigate the issue before they would do that.  This isn't much help though, as no one else on the Openreach network would be able to get you any faster either since this is on the Openreach side.

[#14]

My 36 Mbps PlusNet Unlimited Fibre (no phone) 18 month contract has finished. 

Plusnet <plusnet@comm.plus.net> Email dated Wed 14/04/2021 12:01 says Once your fixed price contract ends on 11th June 2021, you’ll start to pay a higher price. Your standard broadband price will increase to £18.77 a month. 

Plusnet Support <support@plus.net> Email dated Mon 10/05/2021 11:21 says Your broadband (Unlimited Fibre) contract is coming to an end on 11th June 2021. When your contract ends your monthly price will go from £17.49 to £20.80. 

Plusnet Support <support@plus.net> Email dated Mon 12/07/2021 16:11 says We'll soon be taking a payment of £22.14 for your service. 

There are now three sneaky monthly price increases in excess of CPI, £4.65 pm = £55.80 pa = 27%. 

These persistent additional price increases have not been agreed and PlusNet is still unable to deliver its minimum guaranteed download speed. Have now requested PlusNet raise a formal complaint and escalate to PlusNet Complaints Director so that the correct resolution is instigated. It seems that PlusNet billing is trying to charge for their Unlimited Fibre (with phone) service and not the Unlimited Fibre (no phone) service that is being provided. This billing fault makes the PlusNet service more expensive than its competitors. 

[#15]

Thanks for getting back to us @crimsom 

@crimsom wrote:

These persistent additional price increases have not been agreed

As you're no longer in a fixed price contract, you're subject to our price increases as explained in our terms and conditions here https://www.plus.net/help/legal/our-guide-to-price-increase-for-home-broadband/

@crimsom wrote:

PlusNet is still unable to deliver its minimum guaranteed download speed. 

We've offered on several occasions to arrange a broadband engineer visit to investigate further, but you've refused.

While I appreciate you've had a engineer from your phone provider, this wouldn't be to investigate a broadband fault.

I can see your complaint is being managed by our complaints team and your case handler will get back to you Here shortly.