WIBU to ask for the connection fee to be waived?

[EduCated]

I'll try and make this quick...

Just over 2 weeks ago I set up a broadband/phone account with PlusNet for the flat I've just moved into. I knew the previous tenant was with Virgin, so rather than sign up online, I phoned to make sure that they would be able to swap the line and whether they would be any fee for this. They assured me that they were able to do it and that I wouldn't need to pay anything. Sorted.

On Friday, I signed into the online account to check the progress and noticed a message saying something about a problem with the phone line. I didn't really understand it so phoned them to ask what was going on. Apparently my address doesn't appear on the database, there are two potential ones on there that it could be but I don't know which one it is. They told me that I didn't need to do anything and that they were checking with the registry or something but the man on the phone said it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I get a phone call today saying that they can't find the phone line to my flat, so I'll need to pay a £49.99 connection fee for an engineer to fit one.

I don't want to cancel cos it's already taken two weeks and cost me time and money to get to this point. However, I don't want to pay the connection fee when I only took the contract out having specifically been assured that there would be no connection fee. All in all, I'm pretty pissed off. WIBU to ask them to waive the connection fee seeing as a) I wouldn't have taken out the contract if they'd told me and b) I don't actually have 50 quid to just hand over?

Not at all - I managed to get BT to waive a £60 exit fee by the same argument - we'd been assured there wouldn't be a fee etc. If you can remember when you made the call 2 weeks ago they can check your conversation (calls are usually recorded) then surely they won't have a leg to stand on if they've explicitly told you there's no connection charge! Good luck! :)

Thanks. It's just so pissing annoying that the whole point of me phoning them in the first place was stop this happening. Didn't help when they kept telling me today that I wouldn't be penalised for cancelling the contract I should bloody hope not!

No, YANBU - but that won't make them any more inclined to waive the connection fee, as their promises were all verbal. They'll be expecting you to cave in & cough up - if you are prepared to walk away & tell them they've lost your business because you don't do business with companies whose sales staff tell lies, then you might just get the promised free connection.

Eh, why's PlusNet hyperlinked itself??

Good point re recorded calls, monkeys - worth pursuing!

Eek. Not a huge fan of that. Looks like I'm being a nob and linking to them whilst moaning about them

Anyone good at complaining constructively? I don't want to end up just caving in when they try and put me off.

I think you should tell them that you are cancelling your order, because you were told, before you placed it, that there would not be a connection charge.

This may make them change their mind. If not, cancel it anyway and ask Virgin what they would charge. If necessary you can go back to the first company after a decent interval and insist on a written quote before you commit yourself.

If the original line to the flat was BT, another supplier can take it over. However if the original line was a Cable company, either Virgin or one they have absorbed, I don't think they can.

Cable company wires are usually "8" shaped where they enter the property, as they have a phone and a TV cable moulded together (in the trade it is called "shotgun cable")

Thanks. Pretty sure it was cable previously, hence ringing and double checking in the first place

I'm a bit loathe to walk away unless I have to as I'm without Internet and don't want to go through the rigmarole of getting set up with someone else plus I'm trying to avoid Virgin, never mind what it's costing me phoning from my mobile. And I've nearly used my mobile Internet allowance waiting for this to be set up.

They told me what it would cost to set up the account and I paid it. Now they're insisting I pay another £50 or I can't have the service they agreed to provide. They surely can't expect to get away with that?