Direct debit problems and PN threatening to cut me off

[#1]

I had some emails from PN a few days ago saying they could not collect my direct debit.  Since I had recently changed back accounts I was not overly surprised (but my new Bank had promised to transfer all my direct debits).  I telephoned PN and gave my new bank details and I thought no more about it.  I was shocked to discover today that the member centre was blocked for me today and contained threats to cut off my internet access when I thought everything was sorted.  I naturally thought this was a mistake so I telephoned PN again, only to find out it was not.  I was told this time that a new direct debit takes a long time to set up and PN would carry on assuming that I was not going to pay (& still cut off my internet access) until such time as the new direct debit is active.
This is an absolutely disgusting way of treating a loyal customer that has been with PN for over 6 years.  

[#2]

Sounds like an over active bit of 'Tick box' mentality at the CSC - hopefully one of the Comms team will be along shortly to get this sorted out amicably.  But it may be Monday now given the current prevailing conditions preventing lots of staff getting into the office.
Maurice

[#3]

From memory when I signed up, I setup my bank details for the Direct Debit, and then noticed things seemed to be taking a while to progress.
Things picked up when I added card details to my account (after querying this via a ticket) and the process got kick started.
I think it was something to do with having to submit the information to my bank that was causing the delay with the Direct Debit setup - whereas the payment from the card is dealt with like any other.

[#4]

Their Customer Service/Billing Dept. are totally inept. I have phoned them numerous times about reinstating my Direct Debit, but this simple task just seems too complicated for the Billing Monkeys, so I set my Debit Card as the primary payment source thinking this should solve the problem... No such luck, every month I still get the same email saying "Unfortunately, we've not received the regular Direct Debit payment for your Plusnet Value account". Only couple more months of this fiasco then I will be with a PROPER ISP.

[#5]

Have you tried setting up your Direct Debit details yourself on the member centre?
You can log in at http://portal.plus.net/ and then go to 'Account Details', then 'Payment Details' and click 'Update Details' underneath the 'Direct Debit' section.
This should then take affect in 5-7 days from memory.
Colin

[#6]

Why?  I had already telephoned them to give them DD details.
Anyway the member centre was disabled for me.

[#7]

@mapletree, we had received your DD details, and are still processing them (it can take from 5 to 10 days to activate a DD). Our systems won't allow a CSC agent to reactivate an account whilst there are no payment details on there at all (which was the case when your DD was cancelled).
@drewid, it looks like your DD wasn't activated correctly in the first place, hence the problems. I'd recommend cancelling and resubmitting it.

[#8]

Which is not what I was told on the phone.  My access to the member centre was deactivated after I had given new direct debit details.

[#9]

Until the card details were added you had no payment details as far as our systems were concerned (a processing DD doesn't show until it's active), which is why the account was deactivated.

[#10]

Was that explained to the user when he first rang in and was it suggested that the immediately due payment was taken from a card to avoid suspension of the account? If not, why not?

[#11]

I'd have thought access to the portal should be the last thing to be deactivated - particularly access to amend your payment details.
I've never been in that position fortunately, but assuming my details were no longer valid and I'd passed a billing period, I would expect open up Internet Explorer and be faced with a page requesting me to login and update my details so that normal service could be resumed?

[#12]

Quote

@drewid, it looks like your DD wasn't activated correctly in the first place, hence the problems. I'd recommend cancelling and resubmitting it.

It's not worth my effort, as I said before when my contract ends in March I'm off.

[#13]

@jelv - I'm not sure, unfortunately I doubt it. Re-education is in progress on that score.
@geofftswin That should be an option on the page that mapletree mentions in the first post in this thread.