"New customer" definition? (FTTC upgrade)

[#1]

What's Plusnet's definition of a 'new customer'?

Reason I ask is because my cab has *finally* been FTTC-enabled and Plusnet's FTTC service requires a new 18-month contract.  IMO, I should be classified as a new customer and be able to take advantage of the current 9-month's offer.  But the product change tool doesn't see it that way and wants to force me to a new 18-month contract and charge me the standard price.

Is this something I could negotiate on with Customer Service, or should I just stay on my ADSL until January (when my 12-month Unlimited contract expires) and then jump ship (  )?

[#2]

Why not give the Customer Options Team a ring and see if they can offer anything?

[#3]

The main reason for the long minimum term contract for FTTC is that Plusnet are tied in to a long contract with BT Wholesale to supply the service.

[#4]

Morning StevenS987.
You will be able to receive this offer if you call and speak with our Customer service teams. They're open 24/7 on 0800 432 0200 or 03451 400 200 (Mobile).
Hope this helps.

[#5]

Called Customer Service this evening via the 'upgrade package' option, and was offered a good offer - happy customer 🙂

Just need to wait a little longer now, and for everything to go smoothly with BTOR.

[#6]

An interesting thread for sure.
All being well via the BDUK program my area is due to get FTTC by the end of the year ~ fingers crossed.
So looks like come the time I will have to call Customer Services to "request" a special arrangement.
But this does sour a bit because as per the other thread re loyalty discounts it would be great if a current ADSL customer wishing to upgrade to a more expensive (overall) product was automatically given the "new" customer offer that was running at the time.  And again for the record I am not talking about adding the phone service into the mix simply to be allowed to have a better deal, it is and will be just the BB service I want to keep with PlusNet 
Why? well just like as covered in the other thread it is all about nurturing and retaining what you have already and not alienating them!  All businesses normally work hard to retain the customers they have.....................why are ISP's apparently so different. 

[#7]

Interesting thread. My cabinet is now AO and I would like to upgrade to FTTC. I have been with Plusnet since 2004 and been very happy with the service but when I went to upgrade I saw that it required an 18 month contract. I am not sure that I am very happy about this as I would prefer to keep the option of leaving with little penalty in the unlikely event of the service not being acceptable. I understand that Plusnet enters into contracts with BT/Openreach and would like to pass risk to the customer, but I am still uneasy. A lot can happen in 18 months. Having read the earlier comment regarding Customer Services having some room for maneuver for existing customers, I rang with the idea that 9 months would be acceptable and 12 months at a pinch.
No joy there at all. Basically take it or leave it and would I like to take broadband and phone. Perhaps I was put through to sales by mistake. So I am considering AAISP with a 6 month contract - expensive but with unrivaled levels of support. Not as expensive as previously, so it is a realistic alternative. All rather disappointing really.

[#8]

Fibre does require an 18 month contract but should you want to leave early the termination charge per month is significantly less than the full price.
From the Price Guide:
[quote=https://portal.plus.net/info2/legal/price_guide.html?source=legals#fibre]
Early termination charges for packages taken on or after 18th June 2013
Table 2.10
Product                                                   Monthly early termination charge
Plusnet Essentials Fibre (with phone)         £5.25
Plusnet Essentials Fibre (without phone)     £9.30  (but I think this should be £7.30)
Plusnet Unlimited Fibre (with phone)           £5.75
Plusnet Unlimited Fibre (without phone)       £7.80

[#9]

That is a very useful information which I had missed entirely.
So we can do some comparisons between what I though was acceptable and the actual leaving penalty. On day one, the cost of leaving would be 18 x 7.80 = 140.4  rather than the 18 x 30 = 540 I was so concerned about. Since I would have been prepared to go with a nine month contract thinking is would cost 30 a month for a total of 270, there is a perceived saving to me. It would have helped if the person I spoke to in Customer Services had pointed this out. I am still not entirely happy. If one was confident in the quality and reliability of the product, a long tie in would not be necessary. I can't really believe that I am budgeting 140 in case the service is not very good and I want to leave within 18 months.
I am, however,  now more likely to stay. Unfortunately I spent last night looking for alternatives and found several of which I had not previously been aware!

[#10]

Reading these forums you might get the impression that you will be disappointed. However the majority of happy users do not tend to visit the forums to say so.
Unfortunately Plusnet are not immune from daft mistakes (and being affected by 'system/supplier' related ones), but the staff do make a strong effort to turn things round and usually succeed.
In the worst case the early termination charge applies only for remaining months, so the penalty cost would reduce by £7.80 per month (eg by £23.40 after 3 months).