A virtual VIP Deal ?

[#1]

Got an email from Plusnet yesterday offering me a VIP deal on a Google Nest Hub for £39.  Offer available until Dec 6th.

Went to the BT shop website, created an account and added one of these to my basket. It said there were more than 50 in stock, Tried to pay and complete the order but it came back and said it was no longer available. But it also said there was one in stock so I tried again to get that one, and again it came back and said no longer available. Waited until after midnight, it still said one in stock but the result was the same.  Tried this morning as it says there are now 7 in stock but when I tried to pay for one it says yet again that it's no longer available. Tried to contact BT Shop - calls closed, online chat closed, sent email but expect two days for a reply.

I've now wasted a ridiculous amount of time on what should be a simple process. 

What's going on Plusnet ?

[#2]

I too got this email, like all plusnet customers presumably and I too had exactly the same issue as dwp. I contacted Plusnet customer services who denied any knowledge of the offer at all, stating that it was a "marketing error". I asked to be put through to their marketing department and he said "no, as they are not customer facing" and even if I could, it wouldn't make any difference. Absolute BS. How on earth Plusnet's own customer services would not know about a deal that was sent to all customers is beyond me. The email states that the offer is available until 6th December. I would suggest that it was probably a black friday deal and all the nests have been sold under the offer.

I cannot wait to come out of my contract with Plusnet, I really can't.

[#3]

Seems odd they would claim it was a marketing error when the link in their email took me to the BT Shop, which showed :

Google Nest Hub

Normal price  £79

Plusnet discount £40

Price £39

So BT thought it was a genuine offer, and I was under the impression that Plusnet belongs to BT.

I looked again a few minutes ago and the link now goes to a page which says "Sorry this product is no longer available". It seems to me that it never was.

I've had a reply to my email to BT, asking for more information, which I have just supplied. I'm not holding my breath !

[#4]

Hi dwp - absolutely - it was a genuine deal and the Plusnet rep either played dumb and tried to fob me off (which is my guess) or different departments within Plusnet don't talk to each other - which I suppose is plausible - but at best it's inefficient and misleading, at worst it's duplicitous.

At the end of the day, I guess the result is the same, the offer has expired (over demand). But if you do get a response back from BT, I would be very keen to hear what they say. As for Plusnet - well, what can I say?

[#5]

I have never had this email myself as a PlusNet customer.  So it might not have gone out to all PlusNet customers. But might have gone to all BT Retail and EE customers as well if was a real offer. If the BT shop are asking for more details it could be a scam.

[#6]

@wakeman I don't think it's a scam as both @dwp and myself managed to click through from the email itself, where it lead both of us to the BT shop and allowed us to add to the basket at the PlusNet advertised discounted rate. It was only when trying to finalise the sale that a message appeared to say that the item was no longer available (my PayPal amount was refunded accordingly). As @dwp  explained further, if either of us click on the link from that same email now, a message pops up stating "Sorry this product is no longer available". So, rather than a scam, I think it's more likely that BT are simply not allowing sales of the discounted Google Nest's, whether it be via a PlusNet offer or otherwise.

I myself am neither a BT retail nor a EE customer, only a PlusNet one (unfortunately).

It would be advantageous if a PlusNet representative could comment further via this thread.

[#7]

@vincal88 

If it was a real offer then its often a limited number available at that offer price, once they have gone, they are gone at that price (might even be selling off an old model - I don't know)

The reason I mentioned BT Retail and EE is because they are Plusnet are all part of the BT group, so share a lot of things.

[#8]

Someone post it here https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/google-nest-hub-chalk-7inch-now-ps59-free-pp-at-btshop-plusnet-cust... and as there was actually no restriction on who could buy it they all got snapped up pretty quickly.

Bit of an ill thought out idea.

[#9]

Added to which it was from hotukdeals, it appears not Plusnet, and open to anyone. 

[#10]

If you read the deal a Plusnet customer shared the link at hud - but there was no validation that someone was a PN customer.

[#11]

If there were only a limited number available at that offer price, as @wakeman suggests, and they had all gone by the time I tried to buy, I could accept that I had just been too slow. But not until 5pm today did the Plusnet-supplied link give a message saying "Sorry this product is no longer available". All yesterday evening, and this morning, the offer was still there with varying stock levels, but never none. And it let me go through the payment process every time, before failing. Why it would fail if there really was stock available I don't know, unless their website is total rubbish.

Or as @vincal88 suggests, maybe BT simply didn't want to allow sales of the discounted Google Nest Hubs, so it never was possible to complete a purchase. I'd be happy to be corrected if someone out there did actually manage to buy one.  In the meantime I've been conned into creating an account with them, but I doubt I'll be using it.

If I get a further email back from BT Shop I will post the details here.

[#12]

Well, I promised an update so here are details of my exchanges with BT this morning (BT... exchange... gotta be a joke in there somewhere).

First I got an email from BT saying there was in fact stock and if I supplied my account details they would order it for me. I did this, hoping I'd get it for the Plusnet price, and I also looked online to confirm there was stock - 47 in fact. But the price was now ...guess what... £79 !

Then I got a reply saying the order had been placed, with an order number, then another with a tracking number, and yet another with a copy of the invoice, which said the price paid was £39. And I checked online again and the stock was now 46 - very promising.  But I won't be totally convinced until the package arrives at my door, and the credit card shows £39.

I have to say I can't fault the customer assistant at BT, they have been prompt, polite and very helpful.  But I'm not sure about Plusnet's part in all this.

[#13]

@dwp, thanks for getting in touch with us. 

We're not aware of any marketing emails that have been sent out currently, but from what you and other have described it sounds like it may have been a first come first served type of deal. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. 

[#14]

PN should be aware - it's got their brand plastered all over it. 

t&c's

Terms and Conditions

Offers end 6th December 2020.

Google Nest Hub offer price £39. Google Mini offer price £20 when purchased at the same time as a Google Nest Hub.

You’ve received this email because you’re a Plusnet customer. If you don’t want to receive emails like this from us, please click here. Please note that by changing your preferences, you won’t receive promotional emails from Plusnet, including free gifts, competitions and information about new services. Please don’t reply to this email, as this is an unmonitored address.

nothing about being subject to limited number

[#15]

@dwp Interesting. How did you get in contact with BT with regard to this, which route? Also, with the order that you've just raised, was it via the actual link in the PlusNet email? Did the BT adviser definitely confirm that you would get the Nest for £39?

If so, then I'll order it now (I pay by Paypal, so I can tell straight away if I've paid £39 or not).

Cheers!