topic Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected in Plusnet Feedback

Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:21:41 GMT

I am very sorry I ever heard of Plusnet. I registered for the phone and broadband services in January. I eventually cancelled it all today when I was informed that it would be another week before I would be connected. It's not like there was anything difficult to arrange. I had a former BT phone line in place that had had broadband on it.
Plusnet offered no reason or explanation as to why my service was taking so long to connect.
The promised e-mails and text messages telling me where the order was up to were never sent (until after I had cancelled the account today when I was bombarded with messages to add insult to injury).
If you are reading this and thinking of having Plusnet as your service provider I urge you to think again. My experience has been terrible throughout and I have wasted weeks waiting for a service that never materialised.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Mand — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:40:06 GMT

Hi there,
I'm really sorry about the service you've had so far.
I've tried to call you today but unfortunately you were unavailable. If you'd like to let me know a good time to call today I'd be happy to call and discuss.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:05:10 GMT

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me but I'm afraid its going to be too late to do anything about the situation. I asked for the whole service to be cancelled last Friday and I (finally) got an answer this morning to a ticket raised on Friday saying that the telephone cancellation was taking place ref:PLP142424, and that the matter was being "escalated for further investigation".
I must say its a real shame that this level of attention to detail wasn't applied when I got an e-mail on 3rd Feb saying that my broadband order had been placed and that I would be connected in 5 - 7 days. The reply this morning didn't address the issue that I raised about you (Plusnet) still sending me texts telling me how well things were progressing after I contacted you to cancel the order. The text messages received on Friday 12th after I cancelled said that:
1. The broadband order was being processed
2. The order had been submitted
I don't think the broadband order was ever placed to be honest, despite my Order Tracker fluctuating between "First Payment" and "Activating Your Line" for the last 10 days or so.
I had heard a lot of good things about Plusnet so I find it really surprising that this whole situation has arisen. I've spoken to another ISP this morning who has told me that it could take me weeks to sort this out and get back on line with them so not only have I waited weeks for Plusnet not to connect me, but I may now have to wait even longer to untangle all this mess.
I'm just waiting to see how much Plusnet will try and charge me for all this.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Mand — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:05:31 GMT

Hi,
I can see you've spoken to one of our cancellation agents today, and he's explained the current situation.
From looking at the orders placed it appears we placed a broadband order on the 3rd, but this was rejected as the phone details weren't correct. The phone order then completed and the details updated, and a second broadband order was placed on the 11th, to complete on the 18th. The texts were sent in relation to the second broadband order.
We've now placed a cease on the line, which will cancel both orders. This will take a little while to propagate through the various supplier systems, which is why it may take a little longer for your new supplier to get things going.
It's clear we've let you down, and for that I'm sorry. If you'd be willing to give us another shot, I'd happily manage this for you and get things sorted as soon as possible.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:56:12 GMT

Hi, and once again thanks for your personal efforts in this matter.
With regard to the conversation with the cancellation agent, I called Plusnet on the advice of another ISP to obtain a MAC Key. After a 35 minute sales pitch trying to convince me that staying with Plusnet was actually going to be in my interests and being offered 3 months free broadband if I agreed there and then to stay with Plusnet, the agent put me on hold again and then came back saying it was too late and it would be March by the time you could connect me. I was then given some cock & bull story about "phone details not being correct" despite the phone working fine on the new number since the 3rd Feb (though nobody at Plusnet thought to tell me this at the time). Next up I was informed that I wouldn't get a full refund because of postage & packing. When I informed the agent that nothing was being posted to me the story changed to I wouldn't get a full refund because of calls that had been made on the line. When I explained that no calls had been made the story changed again to the refund would be limited because of the difference in time since the landline service had been provided (the 11th Feb despite it being done on the 3rd) and the first date I mentioned cancellation, this also being 11th Feb. When I'd stopped laughing I pointed out that these dates were infact the same. At this point I asked the agent if he was making it up as he went along. I was then told that I would probably get a full refund. When pressed further I managed to get the agent to agree that I would get a full refund for the £57.24 joining fee etc that as yet hasn't been deducted from my account.
I was then told that I couldn't have a MAC Key, this being the original purpose of the call.
I appreciate your offer of personal management, but honestly - if you were in my shoes would you really chance it?

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Mand — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:11:03 GMT

Hi,
Is there a good time to call you today to discuss this?

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:17:08 GMT

I admire Plusnet's persistance if nothing else!
I'm sorry but I've wasted enough time on this matter as it is. I've been on to OTELO this morning about it. They helped me resolve a previous issue with BT via the Director of Retail Customer Sales. I'm to get back in touch with them if I have any problems with my refund, so I expect that to go back into my account in full the same day as you take it out. The landline service has been terminated, funny how this can be done within a few hours yet it takes up to 2 weeks to activate!
They did tell me that in exceptional circumstances it is possible to connect a landline and broadband from scratch in less than 24 hours, so unless that is what you were going to offer me I'll take my custom elsewhere.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Mand — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:13:45 GMT

I've *never* known a telephone and broadband order to complete in less than 24 hours, so I wouldn't have been able to promise that I'm afraid.
I will however ensure your refund gets sorted. We can't provide a MAC though as the broadband service never went live.
I'd just like to apologise once again, and I'm sorry I couldn't sort this one for you.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:37:14 GMT

"The next action on your Help Assistant Question is due on Saturday 20th February at 9:00am."
It really doesn't get any better does it...? An ill-advised statement to say the least ...

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Mand — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:34:38 GMT

Hi there,
That ticket is on hold until the payment is processed (our systems won't allow us to refund a payment that hasn't been confirmed as taken). I'll make sure you get a full refund as soon as I can.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

markoos — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:37:40 GMT

The penny finally drops.
dick:quote

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

dustymil59 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:14:24 GMT

This looks very familar, I sign up 31-01-10 and yet a phone a few minutes ago to Customer Support has not enlighted me at all as to when I will be connected. The silence is deafening, and the "track your order" link is next to useless, it hasn't moved in 3 weeks.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Mand — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:55:56 GMT

Dustymil59,
We're waiting for the order to be approved, as soon as that's done we'll be able to confirm an install date for you.
Because your line is not a BT one the process for transfer is slightly different, and does take longer than a standard install.
The order tracker as it is currently is for broadband only, so it doesn't have any information about the phone order (this is something we're planning to update soon).

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

moira — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:00:43 GMT

I wish Id read your post before signing up for plusnet David H. Now ive got another year of them. Im really worried that they are charging me more than they should cos Ive had e-mails stating that theyve billed me incorrectly. It gives me no confidence in them.
Also ive repeatedly asked for proof that they installed a line and they wont give me it. BT say i have to contact plusnet. The BT inginner said he didnt install a line just switched it on.The property agent said also there was a line there it just needed switching on. Ive paid £105 for this

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

paulby — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:57:04 GMT

@moira
BT would have charged you £124.99 for the same thing - see here under "Residential". Also this from the same page: "If the premises has had telephone service from BT in the recent past, and the wiring and socket is undamaged and the line still has dialling tone, a connection charge may not be payable." (My bold.)
As far as I can see the only time you don't have to pay the charge is if there's still a dial tone on the line - everything else counts as a "new line installation".
I could be wrong though as the Openreach price list is different and not very clear (about what constitutes a transfer) although the £88+VAT is what they charge to both Plusnet and BT Retail (=£103.40 inc vat so BT Retail taking a bigger cut than PN).

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

Steevio — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:27:32 GMT

David - would you be able to provide me more details on the OTELO details as PlusNet are currently after £70 from me which is heavily in dispute. I've even offered to compromise at £30 even though i really dont feel they should get a penny after the service i received.
Many thanks
Steve

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:43:38 GMT

Mand,
Whilst your at it with the refund is there any chance of the £6.60 I've been charged by 02 for the 32 minute 43 second phone call referred to as above (MAC Key call 14:04 15/2 20p per min to an 0845 number).

Surely the Cancellation Operative should have recognised I was calling from my mobile and offered to call me back instead of putting me on hold all that time ...?

I only called about getting a MAC Key and I was treated to a full-blown sales pitch telling me how much better Plusnet were than everyone else and why I should stay with them (even though I'd asked to cancel everything 3 days before). I interupted the sales pitch after about half an hour and reminded the chap that I'd already cancelled and I wanted a MAC Key. It was only then that he told me that I couldn't have one.

(Hmmm, whilst I'm at it I might put a claim in with OTELO for all the time I've spent trying to sort this out)

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:24:05 GMT

... oh and by the way Plusnet took my money on the 17th ... two seperate debits of £11.25 and £45.99. Could I have that back now as well please?

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

flodden — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:41:35 GMT

I was told if I wanted to re-negotiate my previous package I had to call the Cancellation team, even though the previous year i negotiated it via the Help team.
I did so and after waiting for 30mins for an answer I gave up. Im sure there must be some regulation that you cant keep customers on hold for that long if they want to cancel their service. You get penalised for cancelling broadband unless you switch to another provider so you have to phone to get the MAC key. They must know what they are up to.

Re: Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

DavidH — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:24:53 GMT

I wasn't on hold for the full 30+ mins. I'd already cancelled before the service was activated (thank god!). I just had to suffer the full "you're better off with us ... we'll give you two months ... no, wait three months free if you stay (I've already cancelled) ... but we can connect you quicker than anyone else, I'll just check ... ooops,no we can't ... but stay with us anyway (I've already cancelled) ... we can get you back on in a couple of weeks if you sign up again now (no, please can I just have the code that I asked you for 30 mins ago) ... oh sorry, no .. you can't have one of those ... bye" ...