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"You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members..."

Mojopearl
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"You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members..."

I have been trying to pay my annual line rental for two days, but i keep getting the following message. 

"You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members will not be able to do this for you either.

  • Our system may be updating. Please try again later."

Can you tell me when this will be resolved, as my line rental is due by the 1st August. 

I tried via chat to get a few answers, but the just gave the phone line number, but clearly the notification states they they can do nothing. 

20 REPLIES 20
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members..."

Thanks for getting in touch @Mojopearl.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been unable to renew your line rental saver online.

I suspect this is because you currently have a change to your phone package going through.

We can try cancelling the change to see if this lets you renew your line rental saver then put it back through.

If that's okay with yourself please respond to the ticket I've created here and let us know once you've responded

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
Mojopearl
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&q

I did speak to customer services, who asked me to phone in after my bill  is due on the 2nd. However, annual line rental is due on the 1st. I have been assured that I won't have to pay more. 

Let's hope so. It's very strange that you can't fix this problem. Really, how difficult should it be for a customer to pay an upfront annual bill to stay with you. I've only been trying three days! 

jgb
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&q

 

@MatthewWheeler 

Given the number of posts on these forums where customers cannot renew their LRS because, it seems, there is another pending change on their Plusnet account, it appears that this problem highlights a shortcoming in the billing system (yet another one people cry!). Presumably there are many more such cases that never appear here.

It must be quite usual for LRS renewal to coincide with recontracting – every year in the case of 12 month contracts, every two years for 24 month contracts and every three years for 18 months contracts.

Can Plusnet advise us whether it is better to sign up to recontract before renewing LRS or vice versa? The former appears to prevent LRS renewal until the recontract takes effect thus “condemning” the customer to at least one month at full line rental cost. The latter presumably prevents recontracting thus the customer has to pay for at least one month of broadband at full uncontracted price. Only Plusnet appear to win here, unless the customer gets fed up and leaves.

Cannot Plusnet develop a protocol to be used by their customer retentions team to cope with this by including LRS renewal in the recontract, if appropriate, or by adding an additional discount to compensate if there is to be a delay in LRS renewal, or by some other means? At the very least they should advise recontracting customers with LRS due to be renewed within the lead up to the new contract that there will be a problem….but maybe that is not likely to be good for business!

Bear in mind also, unless the rules have changed, that customers can renew LRS up to three months before it expires (useful if there is a price increase in the offing) or can recontract within the last three months of their existing contract (if there is a good enough deal available). Maybe this offers a way forward…or just complicates things further?!

 

RustyBee
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

I have this problem, too. I have a new 24 month contract ready to start mid-August - same date as my line rental renewal. I got an email reminder for Line Rental Saver (LRS) in mid-June. Naturally... obviously... I'm not going to pay for another years line rental until I'm sure I know what I can get on my next BB contract.

Now, previous experience has taught me that if I phone Plusnet to enquire about a new contract, I shouldn't do that more than a month before my old one finishes, because if I do, the new contract will start from my next billing date, instead of the end date of the old contract, because "the system" can't accept start dates beyond the next billing date.

This happened in the past, and I had to arrange for a special 13 month BB contract to get it back in-sync with my LRS.

This year, after arranging a new 24 month BB contract in mid-July, I then went to renew my LRS, only to get the "system may be updating" message. I tried daily for almost 2 weeks to no avail, then raised a support request. I was advised that this could be done via phone (which contradicts the message you get when trying to renew online). I tried via the phone, but the call handler couldn't renew it either (which contradicts the answer given to my support request!). I also tried online chat - same result.

I don't normally get this way, but I'm absolutely furious about this. It's the only reason I've joined this forum. I used to be a software engineer, so I know all about functional specs and the design process that (should) be followed for system design. As @MatthewWheeler pointed out, it's probably the norm for customers to start both contracts at the same time, so why wasn't this major flaw picked-up at the design stage, and how on earth did it get all the way through to a live customer-facing system.

After a long chat session this morning trying to sort this out, the end result is I'm going to be ripped-off no matter what. There is no way I can avoid paying at least 1 month of full-price line rental. I was ready to leave Plusnet altogether - to cancel the new BB contract, and disconnect the line, but even that required 14 days notice, so once again - I would be forced to pay 1 month of full-price line rental. What a con.

jgb
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

@RustyBee said "...so why wasn't this major flaw picked-up at the design stage, and how on earth did it get all the way through to a live customer-facing system." 

I addition, I ask why on earth is it taking so long (nearly a year now) to fix this problem given the resources that Plusnet are throwing at it according to Warwick, a Plusnet Help Team member, who said --  "I assure you and @jgb that there are a number of engineers in our Incident Management Team who are working to resolve this issue. I appreciate that as you say @jgb issues such as this may cause frustration and I can advise this is actively being worked and we will contact anyone effected as soon as a resolution is put in place." -- at post #3 on another thread entitled "Wouldn't Let Me Renew Line Rental Saver" on these forums.

Come on Plusnet, sort this out or at least come up with a work around that can be implemented by Customer Services and which does not disadvantage customers.

 

Mojopearl
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

If I remember rightly three years in a row I’ve had to ask for a refund when the new renewal takes place due to over-charging. This year is no different. 

“I would be forced to pay 1 month of full-price line rental.” Rustbee Contact customer services you should not be out of pocket due to the system. 

RustyBee
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

I've also suffered from overcharging at contract renewal in the past - twice, I think. It's why I asked for a 24 month contract last time I renewed - just to reduce how often I have to sort out such shambles. I couldn't understand how I could receive multiple automated emails from "the system" saying I have signed-up for a contract that will cost me £7.49 a month, and then prior to the payment date, receive an email saying something like "we will shortly be taking £14.98 for your service". It all points to poor system design. In the last instance, I was at least able to get a credit applied on the same day as the extra money was taken, so I was never out of pocket.

With regard to my current LRS problem, the main issue I have is that - as it stands - I won't have enough cash in my account to cover the monthly line rental cost & BB cost together. Plusnet refunding me after the event won't help.

Ray385
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

Hi @RustyBee  Have a look at this thread.

https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Account-Billing/Wouldn-t-let-me-renew-Line-Rental-Saver/m-p/1661978...

If you can get hold of @Gandalf  he has resolved the same issue for me with Line Rental Saver

Gandalf
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

Hi @jgb Sorry for the delayed response.

Due to the way the system works, line rental saver renewal and a contract renewal are separate however this problem can be avoided by paying line rental saver before the a contract renewal is arranged.

 

Hi @RustyBee Thanks for reaching out to us via our community forums.

I'm sorry to see the issues you've had trying to renew your line rental saver. I've added a reply to your support ticket 192799339 with the intention of applying the same workaround/resolution as I've done with @Ray385 I've also escalated the ticket to myself so I'll reply back as soon as I can once you've responded. I hope this helps.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Typo edited at request of Gandalf.
From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
jgb
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

@Gandalf 

Thanks for that information.

Paying for LRS before arranging contract renewal might well be a way top avoid this "clash" on the system, but it removes some bargaining power from the customer and effectively commits him/her to staying with Plusnet  whether or not a good deal is on offer -- unless the customer can speak to the Customer Options Team and find out what deals are on offer, then, if acceptable, go away and renew LRS and only then go back to COT to take up the previously offered deal. That only works if the deal is still valid for a few hours or days?Huh

Or, can COT themselves renew LRS immediately before setting up the new contract? If so, that might be the way to go.

Gandalf
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

No problem @jgb The customer options adviser (Like any customer service/technical support adviser) will be able to take line rental saver over the phone before they process the contract renewal.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
RustyBee
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

Hi @Gandalf 

I've just responded to the support ticket. That's an acceptable workaround. Many thanks for sorting this out for me.

Gandalf
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

Hi @RustyBee 

Thanks, I actually picked that up before seeing your reply here.

No problem, let me know once you've paid line rental saver and I'll sort the rest out although I may not be in the office that day and I think I'd be on annual leave the week afterwards for my birthday(:D).

This shouldn't matter though as I'd have plenty of time before the following bill is due to shorten the LRS contract. Although I'm sure I can pass this to a colleague to take care of in my absence.

Feel free to let me know if you need any help with anything else.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
jgb
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Re: "You can't add Line Rental Saver for the moment. Unfortunately Customer Centre Members...&a

@Gandalf 

Can Plusnet publicise this workaround as a way of avoiding the LRS/contract renewal issue so that customers do not get caught out? Perhaps the COT could explain things to customers when they call if they see that particular customers have LRS?