OK I was just warning to be careful; better safe than sorry

Different ISPs have different strategies. Orange requires you to connect via dial-up or reactivate on website every 9 months; Tiscali never removes dial-up a/c's.

One can only go by what is written in the T&Cs which is what I found; anything else is non-binding.

In reply to a post by jelv:

Edit: Nearly a year ago I created a PAYG dialup account to do some specific testing. I've never connected via dialup to that account but I do poll the mailbox daily. It's still active.

I did much the same but my email account died. Although that was probably 2 - 3 years ago so things may have changed. I didn't do anything about it at the time as the need for it was passed.

In reply to a post by Wheel_Nut:

The £70 "Buy-out" is probably comprised of:

Return of 9x£3 discount already received for having signed up to stay for 12 Months

Plus 3 months charges for balance of 12 month contract. I don't know which product he is on.

Hmmm. That would be a nice case of double-counting, though I am quite prepared to accept what you say.

I would agree but remember that this has been calculated by a script jockey in a call-centre so is unlikely to have been given a sanity check.

No, it makes sense; he only got the 9 x £3 discount because he committed to 12 months. By leaving at 9 months he is repudiating the contract.

Yes, but if you void the £3 discount contract then there is no 12 month contract and therefore only a 30 day notice period.

If he waits until after 22 October, he only has to give 10 days notice and there is no further liability.

Yes, but you can't turn the clock back unilaterally! A contract is an agreement that, once made, can only be voided by both parties consenting.

Yes. That is why the Script works it out to £70 odd.

The conundrum exists because the OFFER to terminate the 12 month contract ihas been made by PlusNet. Now, paying the discounted 3 month charge would complete the contractual obligation without the need to pay back the £3 discount given. Alternatively, PlusNet could offer to waive the 12 month contract if the customer pays the discounts given. Either of these would be more reasonable than charging BOTH.

I believe that this is Bob's point.

Yes, I see your point. I concede that buying out the remaining 3 months at the discounted rate would be more reasonable. I would expect the discounted contract to permit that, because once you agree a price, discounted or not, that should be the price for the whole term

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

No, it makes sense; he only got the 9 x £3 discount because he committed to 12 months. By leaving at 9 months he is repudiating the contract.

Edit - rest of this now redundant as I read your later reply to Wheel_Nut afterwards.

If he pays to the end of the 12 months then he has not repudiated the contract. Therefore to charge him a penalty is invalid, as not only has he paid in full for that which he contracted for, he has done so in advance so helped Plusnet cash flow.

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 30-Sep-09 08:18:02)