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Where can I view my actual contract?

TLM
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-06-2017

Where can I view my actual contract?

I was recently "forced" to take a new 18-month ADSL contract with Plusnet, after an attempt to migrate to fibre with another provider failed when it transpired there was no capacity on the cabinet (with any provider, including Plusnet).

As the provider I was trying to migrate TO had already initiated a cease with Plusnet before finding out the problem, Plusnet told me the only way to retain my existing service was to take out a new 18-month contract, which I was very unhappy about, albeit that it was a lot cheaper than the out-of-contract price I'd been paying.

I just didn't like the excessive lock-in, and thought it was certainly morally questionable, and possibly legally as well, considering it all stemmed from a mix-up that was not my fault. Why should you have to take a new contract simply to avert cancellation of something that's been cancelled in error?

Anyway, that's the background. It now appears, just a month later, that there's capacity on the cabinet again, and I could get fibre if I wanted to - with Plusnet or A.N. Other.

In practice, it looks like I won't be able to go with anyone but Plusnet, even though I'd like to, because of still having 17 months left on an 18 month contract.

But when I read the contract as presented to me at the time, via some sort of third party digital signature service, I thought the exit charges seemed quite modest, and not worth worrying about!

However, I have not been provided with any copy for reference, and PN's standard Ts & Cs make it look as if I'd be charged my full monthly charge x 17 - less a bit for paying early and the savings of no longer providing me the service - but this might still run into several hundred pounds.

Is there anywhere I can view what I actually signed, please?

Or can I get a quotation for what my exit fee would be without actually having to initiate it?

Tina

 

 

6 REPLIES 6
Baldrick1
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Re: Where can I view my actual contract?

@TLM 

I don’t see why you feel hard done to by Plusnet when it was your ‘new’ ISP that had screwed up. Presumably you could have taken ADSL with them?

Why not ring Plusnet customer services and see what sort of deal you can negotiate if you upgrade to fibre? It helps if you quote a competitor’s price for the same service.

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jab1
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Re: Where can I view my actual contract?

In answer to the topic header - your 'welcome' email gives you the basic details, and if I remember correctly, also links to all the terms and conditions, all of which apply to any contract.

John
TLM
Grafter
Posts: 38
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Registered: ‎13-06-2017

Re: Where can I view my actual contract?

To be honest, I feel ill-served by both of them! Through absolutely no fault of my own, I ended up not being able to keep the setup I already had, even though I couldn't upgrade to fibre either.

One thing that especially annoyed me with PN was that although they promptly and automatically put a block on the phone cessation when the migration fell through, they either could not or would not do exactly the same for the broadband.

The first I knew that my migration could not proceed was in fact an email from Plusnet saying they were delighted I'd "changed my mind" about leaving, and they'd stopped the phone cessation. So as they'd clearly picked up that there was some issue (albeit not a change of mind on my part) I didn't understand why they couldn't leave everything as it was.

My bargaining position when it comes to negotiating any "deal" is now very weak, as with 17 months left on an 18-month contract, the exit penalty will mean it's still cheaper to stay, even at the regular non-discounted price.

RealAleMadrid
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Re: Where can I view my actual contract?

@TLM  I am not sure you have got the early termination charges correct, I thought they were a lot less than the full monthly charges, however wouldn't it be worth finding out what upgrading to FTTC would cost as it is now available and you are allowed to upgrade during a contract with no penalty so probably wouldn't be much of an increase.

TLM
Grafter
Posts: 38
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-06-2017

Re: Where can I view my actual contract?

I don't actually have a view on what the termination charge would be, hence the original post.

When I initially reviewed the terms via the third-party signature service Plusnet now use, I seem to remember being reassured that they were rather modest, but I never received a copy of that for my records, and the standard Ts and Cs are quite opaque as to the exact discount factor that is applied.

I'm currently paying just under £24 p.m. but more than £21 of that is line rental. Now it may be that line rental is not part of the equation when calculating the early termination fee, and it's only based on the broadband charge. That would result in a maximum charge of about £46, and probably a lot less once the pro-rata discounts are applied, but it's as clear as mud!

Edit: Plusnet's worked example, which is very close to what I'm actually paying, suggests that the termination charge would be of the order of £7.91 x number of months left, which in my case comes to over £134. I'm not likely to find a deal elsewhere which undercuts Plusnet by at least that much in the course of the term.

adam945
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Re: Where can I view my actual contract?

Thanks a lot for your time on the phone this afternoon Miss Mason it was a pleasure to talk to you.

 

Having looked through the account, it appears that the orders which NOW TV placed to take over the line cancelled within a few hours of them being placed, due to no spare FTTC ports at the cabinet.

 

Saying that, you were then apparently, and incorrectly advised that we have to lock you into an 18  month contract to prevent the line from being taken over.

 

I'll be listening to this call tomorrow afternoon to determine what was said, and will also ask our Customer Options Team to give you a call now that FTTC is showing as available on the line. If we are able to get you on Fibre, great! however if we aren't, due to further capacity issues, a note will be placed on the account to waive Early Termination Fees should you decide to leave your contract, if the contract is found to have been miss-sold.

 

I'll be back in touch tomorrow afternoon with a further update on this.

 Adam
 Plusnet Help Team - Leeds