Plusnet Broadband Cashback offers not honoured

I took up the Black Friday offer and the service went live on 4/12/14 however 25 days have now passed and I still have not received the email which was promised within 10 days of go live giving details of how to get the cashback. I am not alone. I have raised tickets, spoken to customer services on 3 occasions and used the chat line, I have got nowhere. This is not how I imagined award winning customer services to be. Loads of other customers on the Plusnet forum are struggling to get their cashback from deals over the last several months. Does anyone know how this can be escalated? Every time I contact CS they just say it�s being referred to someone else or another department and they never get back to me. This is really very bad.

Oh God - another one
You should pop over to the Plusnet Forums where there are several threads running
Basically the whole thing is a total shambles but they will get there in the end

Edited by deleted (Tue 30-Dec-14 11:28:12)

Can you PM me your username and I'll make sure we get the email sent to you asap.

Still the shambles I left a few years ago. Even a new 'Customer Service' centre seems to have no effect.

But we haven't had to leave because our super-duper Enta-based service became not fit for purpose . The broadband here is mainly fine, though the new bgn series gateways have problems.

IIRC the Enta super-duper reseller CS wasn't much help at all. Zilch I believe.

Edited by RobertoS (Tue 30-Dec-14 12:43:30)

If it is any consolation, I received the '10 day' email and a ('delayed due Xmas stuff') cheque today (P-Day + 40). I have found their 'Customer Service' a distinct improvement on others who choose to employ 'furriners in furrin places'.

Well that's some comfort I suppose. It is just extremely frustrating that Plusnet CS can't or won't give me an answer. All I want is a bit of honesty instead of delaying tactics.

In reply to a post by professor973:

Still the shambles I left a few years ago. Even a new 'Customer Service' centre seems to have no effect.

are you taking the wee wee with those prices! Dear God the Fibres got to be the most expensive in the country and its capped as well pff

Presumably you're taking about the link in his sig? Your post doesn't seem to bear any relation to the quote .

I'm also awaiting cashback, what should I do?

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,1120...

I see you've already posted in a thread over there anyway.

The ADSL is just as bad! The equivalent of Plusnet's Unlimited must be XL Pro as the cheaper products are contended and therefore presumably can slow down at peak times. That's £36! Even on a Market 1 exchange Plusnet is only £19.99 for the same product.

Well I am not taking fibre at the moment. BUT, if I was and you are talking about my ISP, considering line rental is INCLUDED AND I am on a market 1 exchange, it would be cheaper than BT or Minusnet. It would also be cheaper than the Enta ADSL2+ / Zen combination I had. As it is, I am saving £10 per month with better customer service on Business product and service level, but don't let facts get in the way of playing the man instead of the ball.

Edited by professor973 (Wed 31-Dec-14 17:43:02)

Rubbish, I was paying Plusnet more than that for line, calls and Broadband on my Market 1 exchange years ago. But they would have to pay me to tempt me back, or vastly improve their service.

As it happened Bob, I did not have to leave because Enta was a bad service. I had a line problem that is still not completely sorted. As you have said, Freeola came up with some [censored] customer service. At the same time, I suffered rubbish customer service with Zen, on top op which, they also switched me to another product at twice the price without it being requested. It was corrected after a struggle and I got not even a sorry. Zen & Freeola were costing me £39.98 a month, a figure MORE than Business fibre would cost me with Pulse8 with NO contract. So now I am being ridiculed for switching to BETTER customer service with a £10 per month saving. I really am getting fed up to the back teeth with every word I post here being rubbished. All this started for pointing a poster to the cheap Broadband he was seeking, but I realise this site is totally in love with the big boys and Plusnet, specifically hiding or ridiculing decent deals from the likes of Fuel. Can only be referral fees.

Edited by professor973 (Wed 31-Dec-14 19:34:19)

Don't get ratty . It's supposed to be the season of goodwill.

The fact remains that for a considerable period you have gone on about your "superior to Plusnet" services from Zen + Freeola but both ended up unsatisfactorily.

My point was that there are many of us here who do not find Plusnet remotely as unsatisfactory as you did, or as you have just done with Zen + Freeola.

The fact you have now found an even better deal with Pulse8 is good news for you and I wish you well. However, you only found them because your previously much-vaunted suppliers proved not as good as you believed.

With regard to myself, and I'm sure the others, I find "Can only be referral fees" deeply offensive and insulting .

Amazing how some people just can't let facts get in the way of taking every opportunity to have a go at Plusnet!

I will get ratty if I wish. Take a good look back Bob. You will see I only ever compared customer service ticket response times with the likes of Plusnet. Ten minutes against a couple of days. I never had a problem with my Enta Broadband prior to my line fault. Even then, it was not an Enta fault, though many here have complained about poor Enta service of late. Usually routers falling over, but I could hardly have praised or faulted a service before I had a problem. When I got bad service, I moved, but it seems the view here is that I should have continued paying just on £40 a month for rubbish service. I could do that anywhere, such as PN or BT. Talking of rubbish Freeola customer service, only this week I got notice of a cease on my line from them two months after moving away. So it seems even a MAC baulks them, so why am I foolish paying another provider exactly the same money for 250% more download, with a no contract Business service, with line rental thrown in for £6?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The fact you have now found an even better deal with Pulse8 is good news for you and I wish you well. However, you only found them because your previously much-vaunted suppliers proved not as good as you believed.

And you are not the only one entitled to take offence. I don't recall any such scurrilous statements about you as in the quote below - something you often say:-

With regard to myself, and I'm sure the others, I find "Can only be referral fees" deeply offensive and insulting .

I feel strongly you should withdraw that and refrain from such or similar in future. What the heck attitude to you do you expect when you throw such disgusting accusations around?

I am not the only visitor here that sees a Plusnet bias and I am as entitled to my opinion as you. I certainly won't be told to withdraw a statement by you or anyone. Who do you think you are, do you own the place? We see weekly here cases of cocked up Plusnet connections, tickets unanswered and staff embarrassed by by the poor performance of their PN fellow staff. I think I am therefore justified in my opinion that the never ending Plusnet 'Awards' are a joke, and my reasoning for this site siding with Plusnet like no other. ALL of this spite, JUST because I pointed the OP to cheap Broadband that did not suit some. I take it this "Season of goodwill" is a one way thing! - Pathetic.

Edited by professor973 (Wed 31-Dec-14 21:04:54)

How dare you accuse me, and others, of only supporting Plusnet because of referrals? I am perfectly within my rights to desire an apology. You refusal even to acknowledge your fault in this respect is despicable.

I can hardly type with my hands shaking so much.

At times you are reasonable and we get on well. At the moment you are being simply disgusting and totally self-unaware.

Hands shaking? What a wimp you are. Show me where " I accuses you" of bias, or are you THE SITE?. yt leastou have cheered me up to the point that tears are running down my leg Lol - You really do think yourself above others and for the record. i am entitled my opinion. I am "Reasonable sometimes" when I am not being talked down to by an anorak. I have stated nothing here about PN poor service that is not fact, so you really need to get over yourself. Anyway, I am off to celebrate Hogmanay. There is a life outside TBB ... And a happy new year to you.

Edited by professor973 (Wed 31-Dec-14 21:14:46)

In reply to a post by professor973:

Can only be referral fees.

I'd missed this until drawn to my attention by the last few posts. Is that comment also directed at me?

Edited by jelv (Wed 31-Dec-14 21:23:39)

In reply to a post by jelv:

In reply to a post by professor973:

Can only be referral fees.

I'd missed this until drawn to my attention by the last few posts. Is that comment also directed at me?

NO - Read the posts and you will see I am referring to TBB in general. But fear not, I would 'Direct' it your way if I felt the cap fitted.

In reply to a post by professor973:

In reply to a post by jelv:

In reply to a post by professor973:

Can only be referral fees.

I'd missed this until drawn to my attention by the last few posts. Is that comment also directed at me?

NO - Read the posts and you will see I am referring to TBB in general. But fear not, I would 'Direct' it your way if I felt the cap fitted.

Don't be pathetic. Since when does tbb get referrals from Plusnet due to posters' support of that ISP?

You are getting worse, you libellous worm. It is Plusnet customers that get referrals, as you well know. So on top of libel you are now lieing in your teeth.

Hmmm.

You are getting worse, you libellous worm.

I'd suggest you ignore the pathetic, ill-mannered and rude troll. Personally I feel the TBB forum would benefit from him being given a long holiday or at least readers given the ability to filter out his posts, few of which add anything of substance to a thread.

Indeed, I do not reply to the troll any more, regardless of the content of the post, I have made that mistake too many times.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by professor973:

In reply to a post by jelv:

... nested quotes trimmed ...

I'd missed this until drawn to my attention by the last few posts. Is that comment also directed at me?

NO - Read the posts and you will see I am referring to TBB in general. But fear not, I would 'Direct' it your way if I felt the cap fitted.

Don't be pathetic. Since when does tbb get referrals from Plusnet due to posters' support of that ISP?

You are getting worse, you libellous worm. It is Plusnet customers that get referrals, as you well know. So on top of libel you are now lieing in your teeth.

Hmmm.

DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT YOU [censored] [censored]

In reply to a post by MCM:

You are getting worse, you libellous worm.

I'd suggest you ignore the pathetic, ill-mannered and rude troll. Personally I feel the TBB forum would benefit from him being given a long holiday or at least readers given the ability to filter out his posts, few of which add anything of substance to a thread.

[censored]

In reply to a post by kasg:

Indeed, I do not reply to the troll any more, regardless of the content of the post, I have made that mistake too many times.

[censored]

In reply to a post by professor973:

I really am getting fed up to the back teeth with every word I post here being rubbished.

There's a simple solution to that and it's in your own hands - stop posting rubbish!

In reply to a post by jelv:

In reply to a post by professor973:

I really am getting fed up to the back teeth with every word I post here being rubbished.

There's a simple solution to that and it's in your own hands - stop posting rubbish!

I don't post rubbish, just a few home truths about a few beloved ISPs. That is no reason for the ignorance of personal name calling and attacks I suffer here. All of which go unpunished in this biased pond, though a different story if I were to adopt such ignorance. Please point to a statement that is proven rubbish.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

[[I]"Can only be referral fees" deeply offensive and insulting .

I feel strongly you should withdraw that and refrain from such or similar in future. What the heck attitude to you do you expect when you throw such disgusting accusations around?


Suggest you look at your post dated 11th May 2014

So yes. Out of probably well over 100 recommendations I have half a dozen referrals. Nice, but no banana. Certainly not a reason to lie to people in my own interest.

Nice of you to introduce that topic however. Maybe the OP will ask for my username. In general, I do not initiate referrals, though admit to having done so occasionally - when I have given considerable help.

Edited by flippery (Thu 01-Jan-15 22:19:02)

If you remove the first [ as in [[I]"Can only ....
then the quotes nesting comes out right .


(Edit - preferably delete the whole thing and repost as a reply to the prof. I found it all quite confusing as a reply to me ).
(Edit 2 - 11th of May 2014, what post?)

Edited by RobertoS (Thu 01-Jan-15 22:38:42)

Most of you are a joke with your faux 'Outrage' over imaginary accusations. My feelings are well known with regard to the regular 'Awards' to Plusnet for this and that, when they are at best a middle of the road ISP usually in a muddle.
This spat kicked off when a user asked for suggestions for cheaper Broadband. Trying to help, as I usually do, I suggested the Free Fuel Broadband. As usual, when I mention a supplier that does not suit here, the nitpicking starts, ending in personal insults toward me. I am merely pointing out bias by the TBB site itself, displayed by the way they favor certain suppliers. Note, that prior to this, when this site was pushing offers for TT & PN a couple of weeks ago, I got slapped down by Andrew the Almighty for mentioning that Fuel was a FAR better deal. NO other site sides with the likes of flaky Plusnet like TBB - Look around! - I feel perfectly justified in considering TBB just like any other site that takes revenue from advertisers, and as I said, would not be surprised if TBB was taking a backhander for good publicity. I NEVER stated in this thread this applied to ANY user, though will happily admit I have stated in the past that the PN referral fee buys loyalty. Something I am happy to stand by. I am entitled to my opinion, which I should be able to air without personal abuse that I get here. Look above where I am called "libellous worm." Watch it happily left by biased admin. We know the result if I used such insults. Any kickback is well deserved.

Edited by professor973 (Thu 01-Jan-15 23:54:02)

Post deleted by MrSaffron

Post deleted by MrSaffron

Seen as there is a wave of name calling going on rather than any attempt at sensible debate then closed.

I HAVE LOST ALL TRUST WITH PLUSNET THIS £50 CASH BACK DEAL THEY HAVE NOT HOUNORED .. I HAVE BEEN PASSED TO DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT HAD 3 OPEN QUESTIONS AND PLUSNET STILL HAVE NOT ISSUED A EMAIL OR A THE £50 CASH BACK.. I HAVE PHONE AROUND TEN TIMES ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE AND STILL NO RESALOTION.. IN MY OPINON THEY HAVE MISS SOLD THE CONTRACT AND THEY HAVE FAILED TO HOUNER THE CASH BACK DEAL

Yeah you're not alone, I was discussing this very issue this morning with someone - on a business deal where PlusNet "declined" it - despite the service being installed, active and paid for.

It's kind of funny because I was about to complain about another issue - but this reminded me of that issue too.

It's rare that we would decline a cashback, this sounds more like a Quidco or TCB deal - has it been raised with them?

If anyone is getting problems when having ordered via one of our links, am happy to look back and see if we can help too and add to the pester power.

In reply to a post by chrisparr:

It's rare that we would decline a cashback, this sounds more like a Quidco or TCB deal - has it been raised with them?

It was Quidco - came back as a Plusnet declined it - I have instructed to have it appealed and challenged... so hopefully someone will use some common sense - it was a specific reason you were chosen.

Were they really offering Quidco Cashback on the business product? Sounds unusual.

A quick check and it seems like they do:- http://www.quidco.com/plusnet-business-broadband/

Thanks, I should have checked.

In reply to a post by therioman:

It was Quidco - came back as a Plusnet declined it - I have instructed to have it appealed and challenged... so hopefully someone will use some common sense - it was a specific reason you were chosen.

I trust you followed the advice on Quidco's site, (I assume it is still there), to clear cookies or use a dedicated browser before going in to buy.

It is standard with all companies that the purchase has to be genuinely through referral from the cashback site. Not just a transaction routed through them.

If there is a cookie on your system from the selling company pre-dating the first visit via the cashback site they are very likely to decline the reference on the grounds of pre-decision.

Edit - Also there are several recommendations here from Quidco.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 06-Mar-15 11:38:20)

I'll pretend for a second that this is my first day on the internet... otherwise I might be a little miffed at the diatribe.

Let me be clear. The transaction tracked. It wasn't undetected. It was just declined.

There is a difference.

No diatribe at all intended. I was offering what could be a simple explanation for it being declined.

There are huge numbers using cashback sites who don't realise the things I drew your attention to. I have no way of knowing whether or not you were aware of these things.

I didn't suggest it didn't track. I didn't suggest it wasn't recognised.

If you look at the tracking records on Quidco the next step is Acceptance or not by the vendor. That is where the vendor system does the check, and it is always some time after the deal itself goes through. Particularly on broadband where there can be a minimum term involved.

In reply to a post by therioman:

I'll pretend for a second that this is my first day on the internet... otherwise I might be a little miffed at the diatribe.

Let me be clear. The transaction tracked. It wasn't undetected. It was just declined.

There is a difference.

same happened to me, keep pushing both companies hard.

I ordered via quidco.

It was tracked status right up to the day FTTC migrated over.

Then it suddenly said declined, conveniently at the point I could no longer cancel the order.

A few months later after moaning on the plusnet forums I got my money.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

No diatribe at all intended. I was offering what could be a simple explanation for it being declined.

...and today, after appealing, it was accepted. I suspect given how widespread this is, there is either something wrong in how PN are checking this, or a semi-intentional effort to try and avoid paying it where the deal is a bit too generous.

The whole concept of cashback sites stinks in my opinion.

Because?

Given PM would absolutely not have gained a customer without it, I'd say it works for the seller and buyer in this case.

Hard to say. I suppose they are more honest than many of the comparison ones.

My main objection is perhaps on the basis that no-one with any sense really goes to them until they've already decided. Maybe that's only because my experience in a fairly savvy area - people who are smart enough to come here for advice on a new ISP in the first place. So all they do is syphon off money that would be better retained and used better.

I think I found this site (the Main Site) after googling "ISP comparisons" LOL. My choice was hugely, in fact entirely, based on the Compare Tool here. That was in the days when there were over twenty ISPs on the page. I don't think ISPs needed to make introductory offers on their websites then.

So I probably agree with you, but somehow I don't. If it works tonthe benefit of both, how are any trackbacks ever in doubt? From either failed tracking or being declined? Cheaper and easier just to let everthing through.

its obvious

the business model depends on claims not been paid out to a certian % of people.

They probably get some % for people who forget or dont bother, and another % for those who dont push hard enough after they are mysteriously told the tracking broken after the product is live.

If they paid out to everyone then surely PN would give cash rebates to new customers directly, cutting out the cashback middle man. The cashback middle man serves as removing the seller from the responsibility of unpaid cashbacks.

Edited by Chrysalis (Sat 14-Mar-15 23:03:42)

My main objection is perhaps on the basis that no-one with any sense really goes to them until they've already decided

And then they complain when it doesn't track - despite the fact that by finding it outside of the site they have broken the Ts&Cs for getting the cash back. I would never use a cashback site to make the decision around something and therefore would consider myself deceitful to go to the cashback site after I have found the product I want. So, I don't use them...

In reply to a post by ian72:

despite the fact that by finding it outside of the site they have broken the Ts&Cs for getting the cash back.

Which Ts&Cs are those, do you have a link?

TopCashBack

If the merchant decides your transaction wasn't genuine for any reason, or if the merchant decides that your custom, (whether tracked or not), was deemed to have been provided by another website (such as but not limited to a comparison site or a search engine) then your transaction will not be applicable.

I understand fully about not using other comparison sites and that is easy enough to detect and enforce, but it is impossible to tell whether someone went to a cashback site after already having made the decision to buy. I do it whenever I remember and can't see what the problem is. Quidco even provides a browser add-on to alert you when cashback is available (although I don't use it). Sometimes I forget to check and kick myself when I find that I could have had cashback but, seriously, how many people actually use the cashback sites to decide where to buy? For example, I regularly buy from dabs.com. I know I can get a small amount of cashback through Quidco by going through that route, so I do. Is that unethical in some way?

Edited by kasg (Mon 16-Mar-15 09:35:31)

I fail to see the benefit to the supplier if people only use the cashback site AFTER they have found what they want to buy. The supplier is paying money out for absolutely no reason - it isn't a way to get advertising or more custom because the person has already made the decision.

Therefore the supplier is perfectly in their right to deny a cashback if they believe the person did not find them via the cashback site.

The problem I see with the sites is how suppliers can prove that someone didn't find them via the cashback site. Because of this I wonder how long they can maintain a model where people are effectively just using it to get discounts - and why then shouldn't everyone get discounts rather than having to go through the cashback sites? I really can't see the benefit of them to the industry with the way they are now used.

my legal perspective remains as it was when I signed up.

If someone signs up via the cashback site (even with your post in mind, that is all thats needed) and then gets told their transaction isnt legitimate then that is a broken sales contract which in turn makes the service contract invalid as well. So if plusnet were e.g. exercising their right as you call it to deny a payment, then the customer can likewise cancel without any penalty whatsoever and have a full refund of 'all' costs.

Only if the law agrees that you hadn't already broken that part of the contract by finding the "product" by another means, such as a search engine. Quite how this would work in court I have no idea and quite possible the judge would come down on the customers side but they may not.

It is the continuing reason why I don't use them as I would always be breaking that term.

where does it state in the sales contract that one must have discovered the product on the cashback site?

Conversely, where does it state in the sales contract that the cashback from Quidco or TopCashBack is anything whatsoever to do with the contract between the customer and Plusnet?

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

where does it state in the sales contract that one must have discovered the product on the cashback site?

I'm sure it doesn't. As I pointed out earlier, Quidco (and maybe other cashback sites) even has a toolbar to alert you when you are on a retailer's site that cashback is available if you go through Quidco.
http://www.quidco.com/cashback-reminder/

TCB has this:-

http://www.topcashback.co.uk/Help/178

I'm not sure I like either of those plugins. The user is setting up yet one or two more sites that can track every web-site visited..

Not for me, thank you .

In reply to a post by Chrysalis:

where does it state in the sales contract that one must have discovered the product on the cashback site?

I already posted the details I found on TCBs website. Are you saying that they are wrong? They seem to be quite clear that cashback may not be paid and that the supplier can refuse it if they believe you used a different route to find them.