topic Re: EMAIL CLOSURE in Email

Email Closure

annechad — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:36:31 GMT

Hi, my email has been playing up for a few days, forever giving messages - loading, refreshing and many more. I phoned Plus Net yesterday to be told that their email section is closing down. She said that they had only known for a very short tine, and people with Plusnet for more than 10 years have been informed. I have been with them for more like 20+ years and definitely NOT been informed. But, what do I do now?

Apparently they do not even have an email team and she could not advise me.

I do have a Google email, which was given on the spur io the moment long ago and I do not like and have never used, but the main problem is that I will apparently wake up one day and not have any email, everything will have disappeared. Is there any way of transferring saved emails etc, and how easy is it to let all my email addresses know, and do need to contact Google?

I am 83, and although I can usually easily sort things out, do not know where to go. I have asked for a call back to anyone at Plusnet who can advise but don't know how long they will take and if they can't help anyway. I have looked at some of the questions here and do not know the terms - domains and all that lot!!

Anyone got any idea of when it will close please, please??? The lady did not know, I got the impression that it will gradually get worse and worse then one day give up altogether - I am very disappointed with Plusnet for the lack of information.

Thank you, anyone, who can help!!!

Moderators Note: All caps title removed as per Forum rules

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

Gel — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:22:01 GMT

Scroll down this post:
https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Email-account-after-termination-of-broadband-service/m-p/1983208#M47209

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

MisterW — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:33:34 GMT

@annechad

. I phoned Plus Net yesterday to be told that their email section is closing down. She said that they had only known for a very short tine, and people with Plusnet for more than 10 years have been informed.

First, that it complete rubbish! email for existing customers is NOT closing down! Yes, email is a legacy function and is not available to new customers, and so support is limited.

Yet another instance of customer support going 'off-piste' and inventing excuses!

Hi, my email has been playing up for a few days, forever giving messages - loading, refreshing and many more.

So we can try and help:- are you using the Plusnet webmail client to access your email OR an email client such as Thunderbird ?

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

jab1 — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:34:56 GMT

@MisterW / @Townman ?

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

dvorak — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:35:44 GMT

There has been no announced closure of email, the call centre agent was talking rubbish.

New customers don't get email, which doesn't apply to you.

Customers leaving PN can no longer keep their PN email account, which also doesn't apply to you.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

DaveC9 — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:12:07 GMT

I was also told by the call centre help that the email will sooner or later come to an end. More immediately, I was told that if I want to keep my landline phone number I will have to transfer to a BT account when my current account with plusnet ends (in a couple of weeks time), and in doing so I will lose my "free-online" email address.

This is pain, because so many people have my (and my wife's) free-online address - and our landline number. I want to keep them both!

If I do need to lose my free-online address, is there anyway I can set up an auto-reply so that any emails coming to my free-online address will get a reply telling them about my gmail address?

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

jab1 — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:19:17 GMT

When there is a plan to do something, with the email platform, then there will be a formal announcement. In the meantime any comment is (at best) pure speculation by first line support and the end of legacy email on closed Plusnet accounts.

With regard to your phone number, that is also incorrect - you have 30 days from account closure to transfer to a VoIP provider of your choice - BT are not the only one.

Unfortunately, when your account closes, so does the email address, and there is no auto-reply option.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

Champnet — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:21:36 GMT

@DaveC9 wrote:

If I do need to lose my free-online address, is there anyway I can set up an auto-reply so that any emails coming to my free-online address will get a reply telling them about my gmail address?

Thanks for any advice anyone can provide.

If it was me I'd do it now................

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

MisterW — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:33:21 GMT

@DaveC9 as @jab1 says , you can port your number to a voip supplier within 30 days of it ceasing. For the time being, it should also be possible to re-contract on your existing product and retain the landline.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

bmc — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 11:46:03 GMT

@DaveC9

Unless there's been a very recent change of policy you can renew your account on an "as is" basis by phoning PN support.

At some point in 2025 PN will withdrawn phone services given that PSTN is being switched off at the end of 2025 (apart from a few exceptional exceptions).

At that point of you wish to keep a phone service with your current number you'll need to transfer to an ISP who does both (losing e-mail in the process) or "port" your number to an independant VOIP provider.

You can port your number now if you wish but you must first get PN to move you onto a SOGEA (internet only) connection. At that point you have 30 days to do the port.

Brian

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

mystreet1 — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 12:32:22 GMT

Would suggest that you contact COTS, Their direct number is 0330 1239 123 and their opening hours are below.
Opening Times:
08:00 - 20:00 Monday to Friday
09:00 - 19:00 Saturday
09:00 - 18:00 Sundays

Explain that you wish to renew your existing plan for 12 months. That way everything stays as is.
In those 12 months you can set up new email accounts and inform everyone what it is. You can also explore what is the best option for keeping your existing 'landline' number. You may decide that you don't need it at all.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

annechad — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:11:36 GMT

Hi Dave, I don't know what is going on at Plusnet, one member of staff said that they had very recently been advised that email will close, and another that nothing had been decided yet. I have a Plusnet package, internet, email, landline and mobile phone all included. I learnt earlier this year from PNet that their mobile phone was indeed closing and pointed me to EE, which is also part of the BT family. I transferred, it was easy, and kept my mobile number no need to change. I still have the internet, email and landline phone under the same contract with Plusnet. When I put this query in it seemed to be accepted that it was the mobile section I was asking about.

It was just the emails I was having a problem with - I was getting iot opening and closing and leaving various wild and wonderful messages which I could not understand at all. It seems to have settled down a bit, so something has happened somewhere!!

I completely agree re the landline - whenever I receive a call from an unknown number I have to press 1 to accept, 2 to stop and, I think, 3 to put the number on the blocked list. Very convenient!

I did ask about the free internet address, but from what I have seen so far, think we are maybe on our own - the landline can be kept but not the mobile no and internet address -what a nightmare. When my turn for that comes hope can find someone with an easy answer. Hope you solve yours easily. Regards, C

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

MisterW — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 13:29:59 GMT

@annechad if you are concerned about maintaining an email address , then I suggest you look at getting your own domain and email package with a separate supplier. A domain and email package allowing multiple mailboxes is obtainable for less than £30/yr. I note that both the .me.uk & .uk options for your forum name are both available to register as domains.

Once you have your domain and email package available, you can start to inform your existing email contacts of your new address whilst you still have the Plusnet email. Once everything is moved over you are now independent of any ISP's email provision.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

DaveC9 — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 09:37:56 GMT

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. Much appreciated. There are clearly more options available than I was told about, so I'll get back to them - armed with more knowledge!

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

NickBS — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:45:36 GMT

Just to clarify - we have not announced any changes at this time. If any changes are made, Plusnet email customers will be the first to know, along with our contact centre teams.

We will however address any incorrect information that is being given out by our contact centre teams.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

annechad — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:06:16 GMT

Hi Nick BS - thanks for your reply. I rang last Friday and spoke to a lady at a Plusnet contact centre to say that my emails were playing up, taking ages to do anything and giving me all sorts of odd messages. She told me that it was probably been because the email section was being closed down and I was most likely losing the email facility slowly, and that they no longer had an email team - I assume that means a team to give advice on faults? She also said that members who had been with PlusNet for 10 years or longer had already been told of the Email closure and the contact centre had only just been told of that? She also could not help with my emails problem but thankfully it is getting nearer normal, although still running slower than usual.

I am an OA P, but usually good enough to work things out, but spent a bad weekend wondering how to let lots of friends, companies etc. know what my new email was, and, firstly, how to keep emails referring to upcoming flights, shop receipts - these days companies want you to save things on computers etc. rather than to waste paper giving receipts.

So, I am feeling re-assured that it is not happening, at least in the near future. I do hope that PlusNet (not you personally) do advise all their customer service staff NOT to tell customers that email is closing down. It is quite upsetting as it appeared to be on the point of closing. If and when it does happen, then I trust PlusNet to advise customers just what to do in changing their supplier. Thank you again for your reply, Catherine C

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

jab1 — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:16:15 GMT

@annechad As has been pointed out (more than once) in this topic, if and when PN decide to discontinue the email service, customers will be given adequate notice, and there are a number of Community members, never mind PN staff, who are willing and able to help in that situation.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

annechad — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:26:56 GMT

Legend John - Thanks for your help. I only brought it up as when I looked on the Community Posts after speaking to the staff member to report a fault , what she said made me check on the Forum and the email "closure" seemed to come up often last year but I could not find any further comments in 2024. I found it difficult to think that Plusnet would do anything suddenly, I was warned of the mobile phones and changed without problem to EE as recommended by PlusNet staff.

I just can't understand why the lady I phoned for help gave me the completely wrong information, saying she had been told recently and that the email staff had been closed down etc. etc. - was she new or just having a bad day I wonder?

So - I will just wait and hope it does not happen for a long time yet.

Regards, Catherine

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

jab1 — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:41:39 GMT

@annechad I suspect - and it is only my suspicious appraisal of BT - that there have been 'suggestions' put out to certain frontline agents to give out this damaging misinformation - to what end I do not know, but it is a bad approach. As I have said elsewhere, the BT Group as a whole appears to have higher management who work to the practices of the old GPO Telephones principle of treating their customers (and paymasters) as an annoyance. It is about time they dragged their business practices into the 21st century.

Re: EMAIL CLOSURE

DaveC9 — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 09:41:26 GMT

Thanks for the clarification. This is pretty bizarre, isn't it? When I spoke to customer support because my current contract was coming to an end, I finished by thanking him for his very clear and helpful advice - even though it was the bad news that I should abandon my free-online email address leaving me three weeks to tell my hundreds of contacts and change all the sites that I've used the address to register with. It never crossed my mind that the advice he was giving me might be just plain wrong.

Thank you again to everyone in this thread for explaining the real situation.