Leaving Plusnet because of price rise in June

Got email from plusnet below:

We need to let you know about some upcoming changes to your prices.
On 30 June 2021, as set out in your terms and conditions, the price for some of your Plusnet services will be increasing in line with the 0.7% Consumer Price index (CPI) rate of inflation published in April this year, plus 3.9%.

Been phoning up Plusnet if I am allow to leave because of price rise without early termination fee and they told me no they will apply early termination fee if you wish to leave because it already stated in T&C's when you sign up agreed to price increase around in June 2021 and again in March 2022.

I thought Ofcom not allow any ISP to charged early termination fee if any price increase in contract?

Updated: found it in T&C's stated: ° The price for broadband, line rental, call plans and call charges will increase each year by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation plus 3.9%. The first rise will be in June 2021 (using the CPI rate published in April 2021) and the rise will then take place in each March from 2022 (using the CPI rate published each January). Other prices, content and terms may also change during your contract. See our CPI Plus 3.9% Guide for details.

Edited by adslmax (Fri 14-May-21 12:02:39)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

I thought Ofcom not allow any ISP to charged early termination fee if any price increase in contract?

They changed the rules a while ago as you've seen in the t&c's.

The ISP can raise prices by CPI + 3.9% without having to let you leave your contract.

Very sneaty crafty by ISP to stop peoples leaving when price has increase in mid-contract! This shouldn't be allowed!

What has happen to FIXED PRICED DURING CONTRACT?

I don't think you have ever had that with Plusnet. (And please, shouting is not necessary).

I still with Plusnet ISP.

Exactly. But you have never had "no price rise within contract" T & Cs with them. So your question was meaningless.

Existing customers were given advanced warning of the CPI+ Ts&Cs changes on or around 22nd July 2020 and these would become applicable from 7th October 2020. The usual 'option' to agree a new contract with appropriate Ts&Cs or accept revised standard Ts&Cs or leave without penalty applied.

However, I'm just wondering if anyone else has received the advanced warning of an imminent CPI+ price increase ... to their FIXED PRICE FIXED TERM CONTRACT or whether it's just me !

My contract (retentions agreement) was taken out immediately prior to CPI+ Ts&Cs changes, I have irrefutable documentary evidence to prove it and as also clearly stated in the PN confirmation e-mail received at the time:

" Great news, you're on a fixed price contract, That means the cost of
your broadband and line rental won't go up while you're in contract.
We'll send you an end of contract reminder, and offer an account
review too, to make sure you're still on the right package for you. "

However, needless to say, the CPI+ price update email has just landed with a dull thud in my inbox :rolleyes:



... I somehow suspect that this is going to result in much heated arguments for a dog's age because the new DD charges were totally wrong from the very start and it took several months for that problem to be put right and for subsequent charges to be made in accordance with what had been contractually agreed


[edited to add details of Ts&Cs update warning etc.]

Edited by ambrougham (Fri 14-May-21 16:00:49)

It's hardly a big increase. After your minimum term you can always renegotiate.

I would argue that it is about time Ofcom stopped this practice. A fixed term contract should be just that. If the rate of inflation is above 5% p.a. ISPs should be able to apply to Ofcom for approval for a price increase and even then their customers should be allowed to leave without penalty.

It went over 5% anyway twice increase in 12 months (first one June 2021 and 2nd one in March 2022) disgraceful

I have cancelled renewal contract within 14 days cooling off don't agree with twice increase price. Totally unacceptable!

Edited by adslmax (Fri 14-May-21 20:26:14)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

It went over 5% anyway twice increase in 12 months (first one June 2021 and 2nd one in March 2022) disgraceful

I have cancelled renewal contract within 14 days cooling off don't agree with twice increase price. Totally unacceptable!

What a load of rubbish - how can you say inflation has gone over 5% a year into the future.

You whinge and moan when Plusnet stick to the contract that YOU signed and a clause that has been widely publicised.

Didn't think you paid for your internet access.

In reply to a post by ambrougham:

However, needless to say, the CPI+ price update email has just landed with a dull thud in my inbox :rolleyes:

They'd better not try that with me, I am on a fixed-price contract taken out in August 2020 and have had no such email.

There are contracts out there that don't increase in price EVER... so you're back to rubbishing Plusnet again when you should have read the conditions and you won't find cheaper so a pointless whine. You get what you pay for.

Edited by professor973 (Sun 16-May-21 21:03:51)

I'm sure they'll give you loss making discounts again to retain your business as they do annually.

I'm not clear why companies are fixated with retaining customers year after year they make no money from but I'm not a financial guy.

Wouldn't panic. I think they'd pay you to stay with them. They nearly were last year

Any contract can be altered with both parties accepting. If no acceptance, bye bye.

In reply to a post by kasg:

They'd better not try that with me, I am on a fixed-price contract taken out in August 2020 and have had no such email.

If you are on a fixed priced contract then they can't rise the price, I am on fixed price as well until January.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

In reply to a post by kasg:

They'd better not try that with me, I am on a fixed-price contract taken out in August 2020 and have had no such email.

If you are on a fixed priced contract then they can't rise the price, I am on fixed price as well until January.

My post was in response to someone who was on a fixed-price contract and had received the price increase email.

I had similar, but with the change to T&Cs and price coming in on 15th of June 2021 instead.

My current T&Cs and price schedule document don't allow a change in price, so I find it disappointing they introduce a change to the Terms and Conditions which they say in the notification email that charges "will be increased on or after 1st March every year from March 2022", yet are actually introducing the first rise on the day of the T&C changes this month. That doesn't seem, to me, to actually be following the new T&Cs, but whatever, I've already decided I'm going to migrate out ("penalty free" during the notice period before 15 June in my case), as when I went to try and find out how to contact Plusnet online to discuss this, it turns out I can no longer raise a ticket on the portal, nor can I use chat for my specific (business) package, and the phone number quoted in the notification email isn't one that Plusnet's own CS team recognise, which originally made me wonder if it was actually a spam/phishing email.

note: When I looked a few weeks ago, I couldn't find a full set of my future T&Cs on the site, only ones that applied to different packages/signup dates, and information that eventually said the price is what I'm already paying and have been for years... That's what I was going to contact them about, but decided it really wasn't worth the time/effort and I'd rather just shop around for an alternative

Depending on where I go, and I've not decided yet, I can possibly save around £200 per year for what appears to be a very similar package (non-business, but I only signed up for the business package for a static IP, and the ISPs I'm looking at offer that as standard) by migrating away, so can't see why I'd want a hefty price bump in June and each and every March just to stay at Plusnet - which I've really got no reason to stay with.

Edited by fenlandbroadband (Mon 17-May-21 22:22:48)

In reply to a post by kasg:

My post was in response to someone who was on a fixed-price contract and had received the price increase email.

Fair enough, I presume Plusnet have made a mistake, it does happen,
I as yet have had no email about a price rise.

plusnet are mistaken send email to me as I am on fixed price contracted.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

plusnet are mistaken send email to me as I am on fixed price contracted.

Not being funny here, but you seem to have problems with every single ISP you have been with, you have been with more ISPs than most people including myself.
Does it say fixed price when you log into your account?

Plusnet is the only ISP I have been with for FTTC and have been with them now for over 5 years, yep, 08/02/2015 is when I started with them, the last ISP I was with for over 2 years and only moved because they could not offer the service I was paying for, a wireless service that could not cope.

I will see what Plusnet can offer me at the end of this contract, bearing in mind that a couple of months or so after we should be getting full fibre here, so Plusnet will have to offer me a good deal to stay. Not bothered about the extra speed of full fibre, but if the cost is only a little more than I may as well.

i am happy with the service Plusnet provides, even if it does belong to Bloated Toad, when I did have a problem, they got Open reach out 3 times, the problem was an open reach problem and they had no idea what the problem was, so I had to keep a Huawei modem connected, Plusnet even sent me a Zyxel router to see if that helped, it did for a few weeks.
Everything is fine now, so Open reach must have sorted out the problem at some point

I still with plusnet since 2012 never left them

When was the last time you took a deal from them for a reduced price service compared to their standard pricing? How long you have been with them isn't relevant, it is the last time you took a minimum term deal and exactly what was in the Ts&Cs on that specific package.

I think PNet pay adslmax to stay with them.

Edited by broadband66 (Wed 19-May-21 19:32:51)

No, I am leaving PN next week. Joined new ISP.

(For others) https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/which_isp/t/468396...

So what was the panic, as you are/were on fixed price here. Or are you in fact out of contract?

Edited by RobertoS (Thu 20-May-21 00:56:06)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

I still with plusnet since 2012 never left them

Wow, I did not realise, I remember when you were forever changing providers, oh fair enough, you have stuck with them for a while

Good luck

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

(For others) https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/which_isp/t/468396...

So what was the panic, as you are/were on fixed price here. Or are you in fact out of contract?

I presume he must be out of contract to leave next week unless Plusnet let him go,

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I presume he must be out of contract to leave next week unless Plusnet let him go,

I am out of contract

In reply to a post by adslmax:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I presume he must be out of contract to leave next week unless Plusnet let him go,

I am out of contract

Story after story after story ... on day you claim to be in contract,

In reply to a post by adslmax:

plusnet are mistaken send email to me as I am on fixed price contracted.

Then you are not ...


Pinocchio is much better at it

I am out of contract say PN email
https://i.ibb.co/nBcfjBg/index.jpg - this new offer deal are much worsen than my old deal

Edited by adslmax (Thu 20-May-21 13:33:17)

Another LIE - even that letter says you are still in contract.

whatever! PN agree to written off my contract because they can't provided me G fast so they written off my contract let me go! https://i.ibb.co/MD71T8n/Untitled.jpg

Edited by adslmax (Thu 20-May-21 14:17:06)

In reply to a post by MHC:

Another LIE - even that letter says you are still in contract.

Did I read that letter right, and he is paying 96p a month, or was my eyes playing up?

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Did I read that letter right, and he is paying 96p a month, or was my eyes playing up?

Yes that right I was paying 96p in the last 12 months! (didn't pay it) cos of referral scheme minus £5 always in credit!

I was disappointed as PN can't match 96p again for another 12 months! Time to move to other ISP. Their offer £25.99 a month is massive increase from 96p to £25.99 is quite large one! I rejected the offer!

Edited by adslmax (Thu 20-May-21 22:39:19)

I'm out of contract and got the price rise notification today.

The CPI rise is 0.7% and the 3.9% is on top of that, rather than on the existing rate, as far as I can make out, so the increase for me is less than £2 a month.

I don't want to negotiate a new contract just now, as City Fibre are building here, although I have yet to see any evidence of that in this quiet cul-de-sac...

And instead moved to paying £50/month

You didn't seriously expect them to re-contract you for under £1 a year did you, on a product that costs them £250 before they've had to move any traffic over it?

No I am paying £25 a month for gfast as my daughter will pay the rest of £25 as well.

Have they scrapped the referral scheme then? Or did all yours leave?

Today's fibre is great compared to ADSL, never mind the Toucan dial-up on which I started, but I think this site is rather less interesting as a result. Bob and his knowledgeable friends sorting slow-ADSL problems have been replaced by worried folk complaining that their 78MB connection is giving only 76.5MB.

So let's hear it for Max, who continues to supply us with steady and reliable entertainment as he has done for years

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Have they scrapped the referral scheme then? Or did all yours leave?

All my referral scheme will be gone once I left plusnet next week. But, I don't care to be honest.

What I meant was, with Plusnet you still had them. So you could have negotiated another low net price.

I ain't bother. Cos they will put up price twice one in June 2021 and again March 2022. Not staying with PN afterall. I do feel very sad to leave PN next week. My last farewell since 2012.

PN ADSL2+ 2012-2014
PN FTTC 2014-2021
NEW ISP G.FAST 2021 next week

Edited by adslmax (Fri 21-May-21 13:53:29)

I think I'd have gone to Pulse8Broadband. £48, no contract. (Monthly contract). Plus a landline phone if your mobiles are out. Though you might have had to buy a G.Fast modem or modem/router.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 21-May-21 14:17:25)

Pulse8 is extra fee for Static IP Address £2 a month. Plus told me the phone line need migrate over first with FTTC in 2 weeks then regraded to G.fast in another 2 weeks later but warned me both are charged upgrade cost plus activation fee for service nearly £128. No thanks. Plus no gfast modem supplied either. No point! but I know Pulse8 are no contract and using TalkTalk Business but the regrade, activation fee and no gfast modem put me off.

Edited by adslmax (Fri 21-May-21 18:06:08)

In reply to a post by adslmax:

Yes that right I was paying 96p in the last 12 months! (didn't pay it) cos of referral scheme minus £5 always in credit!

I was disappointed as PN can't match 96p again for another 12 months! Time to move to other ISP. Their offer £25.99 a month is massive increase from 96p to £25.99 is quite large one! I rejected the offer!

So you expect them to make a loss just so you can get cheap broadband, and why should other people subsidise your cheap broadband?

I am all for getting things at a lower price, but come on a business have to make money.
But now you have gone with an ISP that is almost twice as much, sorry, but you don't't make sense.

In reply to a post by Malwaremike:

Today's fibre is great compared to ADSL, never mind the Toucan dial-up on which I started, but I think this site is rather less interesting as a result. Bob and his knowledgeable friends sorting slow-ADSL problems have been replaced by worried folk complaining that their 78MB connection is giving only 76.5MB.

So let's hear it for Max, who continues to supply us with steady and reliable entertainment as he has done for years

I have not done a speed test for over a month and that was only because Prime video kept buffering, so I thought I would check to see if it was my broadband, which it was not. I get around 34Mb/s and to be honest that does me, but I know of people who check their speed every day.
Sure if you are paying for 80Mb/s and you are only getting 30Mb/s then that is a problem.

We are getting fibre here by spring next year, but I am not that bothered about it, I may change depending on the price Plusnet offers me at the end of my contract, after all if plusnet price is only a couple of quid below 100Mb/s Fibre I may as well change, the other thing is getting off Open reach network. But we will see what happen at the time, still a long way to go, saying that this year is flying by, again.

In reply to a post by adslmax:

I ain't bother. Cos they will put up price twice one in June 2021 and again March 2022. Not staying with PN afterall. I do feel very sad to leave PN next week. My last farewell since 2012.

PN ADSL2+ 2012-2014
PN FTTC 2014-2021
NEW ISP G.FAST 2021 next week

Hang on, so where is the Virgin Media line that you had, as you insist on every VM post saying how poor they are? Are you telling us that you haven't had Virgin Media for at least 10 years! If so, maybe you should shut up commenting and putting people off when you have no experience of their network. Maybe at some point you could stop all the [censored] stirring.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

So you expect them to make a loss just so you can get cheap broadband, and why should other people subsidise your cheap broadband?

Yes, they should.

Many customers lost their referrals during Plusnets migration to their new billing system.
Until recently Plusnet were manually honouring previous referrals that were lost during the changes.
As people are coming up to the end of their contract they are finding Plusnet are suddenly not honouring their referrals.

There are Plusnet customers who literally get paid every month because they have that many referrals.

For each and every referral Plusnet give a discount.
You only get a referral discount if the person you referred is still a Plusnet customer.

So although Plusnet make a loss on Max, that loss is offset by the profits from the customers he has referred.
Why isn't that fair?

They shouldn't have a referral scheme if they aren't going to honour it.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

Yes, they should.

Many customers lost their referrals during Plusnets migration to their new billing system.
Until recently Plusnet were manually honouring previous referrals that were lost during the changes.
As people are coming up to the end of their contract they are finding Plusnet are suddenly not honouring their referrals.

There are Plusnet customers who literally get paid every month because they have that many referrals.

For each and every referral Plusnet give a discount.
You only get a referral discount if the person you referred is still a Plusnet customer.

So although Plusnet make a loss on Max, that loss is offset by the profits from the customers he has referred.
Why isn't that fair?

They shouldn't have a referral scheme if they aren't going to honour it.

Now that is a different thing, if he gets it from referrals, I forgot about them, I did wonder how on earth he got it so cheap.
I only used referrals twice and both of the household left plusnet after their contract.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

In reply to a post by adslmax:

I thought Ofcom not allow any ISP to charged early termination fee if any price increase in contract?

They changed the rules a while ago as you've seen in the t&c's.

The ISP can raise prices by CPI + 3.9% without having to let you leave your contract.

Didnt it used to be restricted to CPI?