topic Re: Thanks but I'm off. in Plusnet Feedback

Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 22:09:21 GMT

After years of mostly good service I've suffered a month of prolonged outages and, when able to connect, regular line drops.
While my suspicion, after dealing with both PN and BT (and being batted backwards & forwards between the two!) over this period, is that this is a fault with the line and probably not plusnet's failing, I cannot tolerate the uncertainty. Both myself and my partner rely on connection for work (me) and business (her).
With regret, therefore, I'm off to a provider who doesn't have to rely on another provider to um, provide the connection.
So, thanks for the good periods & see ya.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

Gel — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 22:46:17 GMT

But all ISP's have to deal with BT's Openrach surely?
The local access network – the wires and fibres that connect tens of millions of homes and businesses to local telephone exchanges is one of the UK’s most important assets, and Openreach was created to give communications providers equal access to it.
Our customers are Communications Providers - the companies end users choose to provide telephone, internet, and more recently television services to their home or business.
We supply Communications Providers with products and services that are linked to the nationwide local access network. We also work on their behalf to ensure that the tens of millions of people across the UK have reliable local access to the telephony and internet services they offer.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

Peter_Vaughan — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 01:20:29 GMT

If it is a line fault then all other (non LLU) ISPs will have to go through exactly the same process PlusNet do in reporting and getting the line fixed via BT Wholesale & thus BT Openreach. So all you are doing is making an uncertain situation even more uncertain by moving to a new ISP.
Also I believe if there is a fault raised on a line you can't move until that fault flag is removed anyway. As PN are currently involved in the fault, they will have the most knowledge of it anyway and are more likely to get it fixed faster than moving to a new ISP.
Is this a residential or business product? Business products have a much faster fix time.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sabayon — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 07:21:01 GMT

Quote from: Gel
But all ISP's have to deal with BT's Openrach surely?

Not with a cable supplier such as Virgin.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 08:26:45 GMT

Precisely.
jim:quote

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 08:30:44 GMT

Quote from: Peter
... all you are doing is making an uncertain situation even more uncertain by moving to a new ISP.

Nope.
The intention is to move to a situation where the ISP are responsible for the whole kit, in order to never again be in the ridiculous position I've been in during the past month - backwards & forwards between plusnet & BT... Largely due to BT's lamentable attitude to intermittent faults - ie "Ah, it seems to be working today so it must be fixed".

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

pierre_pierre — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 08:47:19 GMT

But LLU, i.e O2/Orange/tt still have to use Openreach to get from the exchange to the home, the only exception is Virgin

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

glloyd — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 10:40:28 GMT

The problem is very few Openreach engineers have had proper training. I had twelve weeks of dealing with Openreach engineers last year involving about ten engineers and only one had any idea what he was doing.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:04:03 GMT

Quote from: glloyd
The problem is very few Openreach engineers have had proper training.

It's worse than that!.
The second time the fault occured (total line loss after a snow storm - same as the first time). I reported it, only to be told it had been fixed (the previous occurrence had resulted in a visit from an engineer who found nothing wrong). When I asked why, therefore, was I unable to make calls or connect to the internet they relented and logged it as a fault. This was around 9 in the evening. The following morning on the website it was shown as fixed. I didn't believe this and contacted them to ask what had been done to fix it and, within the next two days received calss from 5 (five!) different people in different departments all telling me they didn't know what work, if any, had been carried out. Madness.
Plusnet seem to have tried their best (although there is a lot of "please monitor the connection for us") but they would appear to be at the mercy of a bunch of buffoons.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

jojopillo — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:36:45 GMT

Hi sunwheel,
I think one think I can take from your posts is the fact that you appreciate plusnet will do all they can for you. With this in mind, why don't you transfer your phone service to us? We can then take ownership of any phone fault for you and make sure it's rectified for you. Any issues you were to suffer would be able to be dealt with in just one call to us.
Jojo

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:22:55 GMT

Hmmm ... Does this mean I would NEVER need to deal with BT and their scripts again ... even if it was a physical fault with the line? .... even when the current unresolved fault manifests itself again next time it snows? Would I still pay line rental to BT?
Adie:quote

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

spraxyt — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 23:59:36 GMT

It does indeed mean that you never have to deal with BT again. Line rental (£11.99 per month from 4th January 2011) is paid to Plusnet, and both phone and broadband faults are reported to and dealt with by the same Plusnet people at their Sheffield headquarters. One doesn't have to be careful not to mention broadband problems when reporting phone faults, and if testing shows a broadband fault is really a phone service related one Plusnet see to it without the customer having to get involved.
Bundled package details can be found here.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

jelv — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:15:04 GMT

Do you have BT's free caller ID on your line? It's not free on Plusnet.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:56:56 GMT

Quote from: spraxyt

Bundled package details can be found here.

Hilarious!
I decided to give it a go ... I can always move later if it doesn't improve things. Tried to upgrade to 'phone + broadband:
"Error
Sorry, An error occured whilst processing your request.
The error has been recorded and our website team will investigate. Please try again later."

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

jojopillo — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 09:21:52 GMT

Hi Sunwheel,
You should just be able to click on the 'buy' button here.
Jojo

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 09:33:00 GMT

Cheers, Joanne.
I did; and:
"Error
Sorry, An error occured whilst processing your request.
The error has been recorded and our website team will investigate. Please try again later."
No worries. I'm not going to be put off by a minor website issue ... As you've gathered, I didn't want to leave plusnet but was desperate to wash my hands of any future dealings with BT.
Adie:quote
It's just rather amusing, that's all.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

jojopillo — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:08:00 GMT

Ok, sorry, I'll get that sorted.

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sabayon — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:19:01 GMT

Quote from: sunwheel

No worries. I'm not going to be put off by a minor website issue ... As you've gathered, I didn't want to leave plusnet but was desperate to wash my hands of any future dealings with BT.

That saves me from the moral dilemma of "Should I tell you why I left Virgin for Plusnet?"

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:06:48 GMT

Quote from: Joanne
Ok, sorry, I'll get that sorted.

Cheers.
Turns out I'm not off after all. Let's hear it for internet forums!

Re: Thanks but I'm off.

sunwheel — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:07:26 GMT

Quote from: sabayon
Quote from: sunwheel

No worries. I'm not going to be put off by a minor website issue ... As you've gathered, I didn't want to leave plusnet but was desperate to wash my hands of any future dealings with BT.

That saves me from the moral dilemma of "Should I tell you why I left Virgin for Plusnet?"

Tell! It might come in useful at a later date...