Can anyone help me with a stupid question about renewal and billing please?

[#1]

Hi all,

Firstly I am autistic and so just want to confirm I am understanding correctly.

My contract with Plusnet comes to an end soon and I have received an email saying that it will be going up to almost £60 as from the end date. I have broadband which needs a phone line.

When I login it gives me a renewal price of £28.99 for an 18 months contract.

I am presuming the almost £60 quoted in the initial email is an out of contract price and the £28.99 renewal price is a like for like including the line rental again and is cheaper because it ties us in to another 18 months contract (i have included a picture of what I mean below!) but I just want to double check I have understood correctly!

I did try and check with plusnet online but did not get much help!

[#2]

@Shellk Your interpretation is entirely correct.

[#3]

Thank you John, massively appreciated!

[#4]

No problem - that's what some of us are here for, @Shellk . Just to help you a bit further, it may be an idea to give the Customer Options Team a call on 0800 013 2632 and see if they will better the offer price. No guarantees, but it is worth a try. 😀

[#5]

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@jab1 wrote:

@Shellk Your interpretation is entirely correct.

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I would advise caution here.

We are in a transition period and special rules apply.

Online renewals are more than likely to be a swap to SOGEA - that is the same as FTTC without telephone.

Previously FTTC was provisioned as 40/10 or 80/20, whereas SOGEA is provisioned as 80/20.

Under the stop sell rules, retention of WLR (the voice service) has a number of restrictions, such as NO CHANGE to the broadband service.  IIRC contract renewals requiring the retention of WLR need to be processed manually.  Therefore it would be wise to seek assistance / confirmation from COTS.

Contact Customer Options Team (aka COTS)

COTs is the place to go to if you want to find out anything to do with your contract in respect of leaving, renewing or simply enquiring about early termination charges (ETCs). They have their own number and tend to answer quicker than the general customer service number.

Direct dial numbers

• 0800 013 2632 or 0800 079 1133(from within the UK)
• +44 330 123 9197 (from abroad)
• Available...
  • 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 9am - 7pm Saturday
  • 9am - 6pm Sunday

I might be wrong here, but as we have seen earlier today, some of the wording on the product details pages incorrectly infer that Plusnet can provide voice services, where in fact they cannot.

[#6]

Thanks for your clarifications,  @Townman - I admit all these nuances have a habit of passing me by. 😀

[#7]

Thank you

I did have to google some of that to understand it but think I do.

We do not actually use the phone line at all for phone calls, there is not even a phone plugged in. We were going to upgrade to full fibre to be honest for that reason but I assumed there were engineer costs for the upgrade and I believe you need landlords permission for the installation and ours is a nightmare.

I am going to have to give them a call thanks 

[#8]

Hi @Shellk,

A migration to FTTP (full fibre) is a different affair to a renewal.  If you have no need for the existing telephone number a migration to FTTP brings no complications.  I have just revisited your opening post and seen the FTTC renewal page.  I am now going to seek clarification from the business on what that page conveys.

There has been active discussions around the matter of existing phone line services and upgrades earlier today, so adding your case is somewhat timely.

Note that talking to COTS might offer other options than those on the website.

[#9]

@Shellk 

Further to @Townman if you don't need a landline then there is no problem with a move to either SOGEA (FTTC) or Full Fibre (FTTP). You only need a landline (I think) if you have care or house alarms.

With regards to an FTTP install it's up to OpenReach to get the necessary permissions though it may well be worth speaking to your landlord first.

If you like the idea of a landline then you could "port" your number to a VOIP provider within 30 days of your phone service ceasing. There are many providers out there but A&A tend to get good reviews on this Forum.

https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobile/voip-information/

They also have a good FAQ section if you're looking for information. One thing to be aware of is VOIP (or internet) doesn't work during power cuts unless you have power backup up

Brian

[#10]

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@bmc wrote:

With regards to an FTTP install it's up to OpenReach to get the necessary permissions though it may well be worth speaking to your landlord first.

See Broadband for landlords | Openreach

"We'll need your Landlord's permission to install fibre in their property. You can help us by providing their contact details so we can request their permission and work with them to bring fibre to the building."

Also see Apartment wayleave form | Openreach - though that seems to be more relevant to multiple occupancy buildings.

And as a note of caution, the internal cable could be a nightmare with landlords demanding things they really do not understand - see Tenant installed additional BT Fibre line without permission - Landlord Discussion - OpenRent Commun...