BT and Plusnet

So PlusNet is wholly owned by BT (since 2007-cost £67M). Users of PlusNet should be extremely careful and read their 'tickets' on the PlusNet site. The first 'free' move of address automatically signs one up for a further 12 months contract.

I believe that has been the case for many years and has no relation to them being owned by BT. What has this to do with questions about what ISP you should go with?

I, and I imagine that many others was not be aware of the fact as stated and this may well influence their choice of ISP. Secondly facts on the PlusNet ticket may or may not be made aware of to their service users, in my case not hence the post.

Hi there,

We've had the deferred house move option for years, as mentioned above? It's only the cost of the move itself (now £65 I believe) that's payable if the account is cancelled within that 12 months, and this is - or certainly should be - made clear when the move is arranged?

Also the reason we use tickets is because by definition they are viewable both by the customer and ourselves in the office here, you can see all the tickets whether closed or open on your account at http://contactus.plus.net. Granted we can't force people to read them, but they are in no way kept secret - our intent with that is the exact opposite.

Nontheless I'm sorry you feel as you do, is there anything we could do at all to help with this situation?

In reply to a post by apensioner2:

I, and I imagine that many others was not be aware of the fact as stated and this may well influence their choice of ISP. Secondly facts on the PlusNet ticket may or may not be made aware of to their service users, in my case not hence the post.

I can understand the points that you make about the clarity (or otherwise) of some of PN's information, but I really cannot understand why you link it with PN's ownership!

As I have already stated the ownership of a company in my view can influence any person as to whether or not to deal with that company. I am entitled to my opinion!
Further to my second point herewith copy of my complaint.
'Ticket ' from PlusNet :-
3:37pm, Monday 24 Jun 2013
Dear Mr P A Gostelow,
Further to our conversation as we discuses you are still in your house move contract which is due to expire October 2013, which means if you close the account prior to this time you will have to pay the cease charge which is £90 to close the account. After October 2013 the cease charge will be £25 this is to remove the broadband from the BT Network.
If you have any more questions please contact us on 0800 4320 200
Your Response
2:43pm, Tuesday 25 Jun 2013
As discussed at length with your support staff and their Manager my address in Nottingham was a second address and not my primary residence. The line rental was paid for 12 months in advance and when the move took place I was advised I would forfeit the 6 months remaining and also have to pay £90. I was advise that I could move the account to my primary address at no charge. This was arranged totally on the telephone and NO MENTION was made at all of the deferred contract for a further twelve months from the move. I am not in the habit of accessing your website since the move except to check usage. I delayed closing my account since my contract with BT at my primary address expired in June at which point I intended to select one or the other provider. Your 'ticket' method of setting out additional terms and conditions leaves a lot to be desired since despite your staff training, of which I have been made, aware users may or may not be advised either of the new terms or where to view them. I needed to be 'talked through' (at length) how to access them. I am 73 and do not feel I am suffering from senile decay - the error has incurred because of the lack of information given by your staff on the telephone. Rather than the rather militant terms set out on the phone to me recently an apology (at least) would have been in my view more appropriate

As I said, I was not querying whether you had a query (nor questioning the validity of it), I just couldn't see why you were specifically linking the BT ownership as being the specific cause of your grief (particularly as this would appear to be a basic issue that pre-dates BT's ownership).

But as you say, you are entitled to your opinion!

That was what I couldn't understand - the fact they are owned by BT has no bearing on this (as Plusnet had this practice long before BT bought them) and I read the statement as being that the ownership and the issue were connected - it appears we both read it wrong.

Personally I would have put this in ISP Unhappiness or the Plusnet forum - this forum is generally for people asking questions about who to move to not about complaining about an ISP they are already with.

I think that like a few previous posts/posters in this forum, the intention will have been to alert people in general coming here for advice as to the existence of this sort of restart a of a 12-month term.

As such it is largely a waste of time. We rarely see anyone who has searched older threads in this particular forum. Probably because as everyone has said, it's the wrong place for it. The PlusNet forum would be better.

As for the restart itself, which from the subsequent posts is purely wrt the deferred house move charge not the main monthly broadband or phone subscription, I'm unaware of any free house move offering from any other ISP that doesn't incur a full term restart.

In reply to a post by apensioner2:

As I have already stated the ownership of a company in my view can influence any person as to whether or not to deal with that company. I am entitled to my opinion!

Moved house in 2008. Monthly contract before the move. Monthly contract after the move. They defer the potential charge (for the house move...and I kept the same phone number too) if you stay for 12 months.

No problem with a deferred charge for a little loyalty.

Your opinion is yours. The facts are as I have stated them.