Price creep (leap!)

[#1]

Quote from: PLan2015

I left TalkTalk penalty free because they increased the broadband cost slightly, I had signed up for a broadband/phone package - I did not later pay early termination for the phone. I signed up with Plusnet for a broadband/phone package, they are increasing the phone charges and changing the early termination fees - if TalkTalk would let me leave I see no reason why Plusnet shouldn't.

OK, I was talking more about whether the increase would apply to your package, not whether you would be able to leave penalty-free.

[#2]

Quote from: alexgray

I've just seen notice of PlusNet increasing line rental charges again, just a year after the previous increase. How can two successive increases of over 6% each year be justified when inflation is close to zero, and telecoms equipment gets cheaper and cheaper. They say they have recruited more support staff, but presumably this is in proportion to more customers, and the cost per customer ought to fall with an increasing user base, not increase. On top of the increased line rental, Talk Anytime is going up a cool 20%, having already gone up 11% last year.

Sorry Alex! But that is not a logical argument. The inflation figures are an average of the rises (and also falls) in the prices of many components. Even if the inflation discussed here were to be at the current average, the new average would still be below that of our subject.
I am not getting at you or anyone else, but just as we adjust our economic decisions on what we foresee, so any buiness will adjust its prices and % rise mix to give them the best returns looking forward.
Simples!

[#3]

Ah ok, I think I understand now. So because the early termination charges are changing, it is that which allows the whole package (fibre AND phone) to be cancelled without penalty?

[#4]

With all of the customers ringing to cancel their contracts, the call waiting times are going to be even worse & we will no longer able to cancel 24 hours a day!! Is this a cunning plan to make it impossible to cancel????

[#5]

It's all to do with material detriment jafreer.
You can cancel by post too, it would seem.

[#6]

Quote

You can cancel by post too, it would seem.

Forget the stamp, make them pay for the postage!!

[#7]

Pointless, they wouldn't accept it.

[#8]

I do get the material detriment bit, but the bit that I wasn't sure about is the...
"Only the services that are directly affected by the changes we make can be ended without paying an early termination charge for that service and this agreement will continue to apply to any other services that are not affected by those changes."
Since fibre prices are not changing, and fibre is a different service from the telephone (where prices are increasing), could PN argue that you can't end the fibre contract without early termination charges because it is a service not affected by the changes?
I can't see anything in the T+C that shows what the new early termination charges are.
So is there a definitive answer as to whether we can get out of a combined phone and fibre contract without penalty?
Thanks.

[#9]

It's as clear as mud isn't it!  I would suggest that an increase in line rental does make a material difference to the broadband component as the latter is reliant on the former.  Increasing call charges wouldn't be a reason to cancel broadband without penalty and I guess that increasing the cost of broadband wouldn't be a out to cancel the phone service. 

[#10]

If you have a fibre+phone package, then Plusnet's terms confirm they are one contract. "A package is where 2 or more services from Plusnet are provided under one contract...Packages include: a phone package and a broadband service from Plusnet"
Ofcom's published guidance says in the case of bundled services under one contract, a subscriber should be able to withdraw from the whole contract without penalty if just one element has a price increase beyond what was agreed.
(The same guidance also indicates a customer should be able to exercise their right to end the agreement penalty-free without having to contact Plusnet if they use a gaining-provider led migration, and this is why Plusnet's terms specifically incorporate this saying notice from the gaining provider will count)

[#11]

Thanks g1000

[#12]

@jafreer
Just to confuse things for you. If you are an FTTP customer, then Plusnet do not require you to have a phone line at all. Look at the topic https://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,136825.0.html
I cancelled my phone line in March with the aid of MattyC and although you have to pay Plusnet an extra £2.50 a month, my replacement ( an Obi200 VOIP adaptor and PAYG VOIP) has already paid for itself.
This means that an unlimited 80/20 FTTP line is only £22.49 per month in low cost market.

[#13]

Thanks georgelnx. Unfortunately I am in a high cost area (Market 1) and also there is no FTTP availability here.

[#14]

Is it really necessary to have a landline any more?  I have a Three PAYG mobile BB which works out cheaper than Plusnet for the amount I use it and even if I take into consideration the new line rental and cost of BB I am better off using the mobile BB plus the PAYG phone.  At present I pay on average about £14 plus a month for any time calls plus a slow BB connection excluding line rental as that is paid a year in advance.  Add the £185 plus to the former and we are looking at nearly £400 annually.  Using my mobile phone and Mifi would cost me about £200 a year.

[#15]

That works well for you Surfer but it depends on a couple of things.
1) I am in a rural location where the 3G signal is very weak.
2) With most of the mobile broadband packages, you pay based on usage. So depending on your internet habits, it may be cheap or may be expensive. For example, I use Netflix streaming, Live TV channel streaming, uploading of large files, downloading of large files, have many internet connected devices in the house.
I can easily blast through a couple of hundred Gb per month. That would cost a fortune on most mobile plans.