topic Re: Appalling Service - New Customer in Plusnet Feedback

Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 22:31:22 GMT

25/01/14 - Signed up to PN Unlimited BB & Phone (12 months line rental paid upfront)
28/01/14 - Received e-mail saying phone would go live on 11/02 and BB 12/02
11/02/14 - Received e-mail confirming phone & BB is now live. Phone working perfectly but could not connect to the internet. Contacted PN to report issue. Was advised an engineer needed to visit. Engineer booked in for 13/02.
13/02/14 - Took unpaid half day off work to wait in for engineer. Engineer was a no show. Contacted PN to advise engineer did not attend. I was advised Openreach were closed at that time so I should expect a call the following day.
14/02/14 - Received phone call to say my BB was now showing connection (I couldn't check because I was at work but took his word until I got home). Hooray! BB now working after 3 days of no service. Was credited £1 for my troubles.
15/02/14 - 25/02/14 - Noticed i was getting frequent disconnects but put this down to the line settling.
26/02/14 - 28/02/14- Decided to contact PN about the disconnects. After lots of line tests and phone calls I was advised there were faults on the line and an engineer would have to visit again. Engineer booked for 06/03.
06/03/14 - Another unpaid half day off work but at least the engineer turned up this time. Spent 2-3 hours at my property/cabinet/exchange but could not find a fault even after fitting a new face plate. Was told to contact PN again. Contacted PN and more line tests were done. Faults were found again and another Engineer was booked. This time I was given a weekend appointment for 08/03 (Saturday).
08/03/14 - Waited in all morning but engineer failed to turn up again! Contacted PN to advise the engineer had failed to appear. Was told the booking got lost in their system and I couldn't book a new engineer until 22/03. I requested to be put through to cancellations as I was disappointed with the service received. Cancellations advised me I would have to pay over £100 to cancel and also the 12 months line rental I paid upfront would be forfeited. I tried to explain the service I have received was appalling but he didn't want to know and refused to put me through to anyone else. Requested I get put back through to tech support. Once I was back with tech he advised me he couldn't book another appointment because he was waiting for some "notes" from my no-show morning visit. I was advised I would receive a phone call back the next day.
11/03/14 - I added a note to my ticket to say I have yet to receive a call back.
12/03/14 - As of yet I have not received a call back from PN. On a good note this is the longest period without a disconnect, 26 hours and counting!
I look forward to hearing from PN and other customer reviews.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

LinnPlusnet — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:02:12 GMT

Hi andycamp87,
I'm really sorry to hear of the issues you're experiencing with the broadband service.
I have ensured that this is investigated today and a member of our Faults team will be contacting you regarding this.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience caused and I hope this is resolved for you soon.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

garry2003 — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 19:51:24 GMT

I am in agreement about poor customer service, i thought i was moving to a professional outfit who cared about customer service.
seem they spend too much on advertising and not enough on wages to get decent staff.
I ordered phone package and broadband, they managed broadband but forgot the phone package, hence i have a bill with bt which i was not expecting as i was supposed to be on plusnet inclusive calls etc.
then they still have the cheek to take out another months money after saying they wouldn't!
my 1st month and a bit is not a happy one, for 2 pins i would cancel contract and go back to BT. anyone reading thinking of changing to plusnet? think long and hard looks like better service and deals on BT.
See if their poor service breaches your contract of what is expected, then ask for compensation, they should be giveing you money not threatening to charge you for cancelling a poor service.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:33:24 GMT

Hi Linn. Thank you for escalating the issue, as promised I received a phone call from one of your colleagues the same day. Saying that I should not have to come on the forums and complain just to get my problem resolved.
Anyway my situation as of today is this:
13/03/14 - Received message to say an appointment needed to be made. I replied advising that a weekend appointment was required as I could not afford to take another day off work.
14/03/14 - Received a reply to my previous message saying a weekend appointment was not possible as there were none to book ( What? Ever?). Was offered a "gesture of goodwill" for £25 because of the missed appointments (Did you know PN get paid £45 by Openreach if they fail to attend? This means they have pocketed £90 because of my misfortune). I requested a weekend appointment again and if they could not provide me with such an appointment they are to terminate my contract at no expense to myself and refund my line rental paid upfront.
I should note that still to this day I receive frequent disconnects.
garry2003 I'm sorry to hear you made the same mistake as I have. I wish I had come on these forums before signing up because by the looks of things we are not alone!

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

amcclean — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 21:33:35 GMT

In PN defence.
They are, as all ISPs are, at the mercy of OpenReach. OpenReach will not notify PN of any missed appt. until the DAY AFTER the visit when they send notes through. Therefore PN have no advance warning of a no show and the first thing the often know is when the EU calls to complain.
PN, talk to wholesale who book the OP Engineer who may or may not visit. From 4 months of Wholesale and OP incompetence i understand your frustration but it's not always PNs fault.

podman

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

billnotben — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:12:29 GMT

Why should plusnet and other ISP's push hard for any change? They get a nice little cash earner for all the missed appointments.
I bet if the missed appointment money went direct to the end customers we would be suddenly deafened by the noise of complaints from all ISP's about OpenReach and the like.
So I think it's entirely plusnets fault.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 19:55:35 GMT

I can only point my finger at PN because it is they who I have a contract with and not Openreach. I think billnotben hit the nail on the head but not wanting to steer this thread off course I shall say no more.
Anyway it is now 16/03/14 and still no contact from PN. The disconnects still persist!

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

thesawdust — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 20:26:45 GMT

Good luck on the next ISP, if you have a fault this will follow you wherever you go

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 07:36:32 GMT

thesawdust IF PN allow me to terminate my contract then I will be moving to Virgin Media which uses a completely different infrastructure.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

picbits — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 08:03:54 GMT

Indeed - just make sure it is their own coax based "fibre" - if they use your existing copper then you *may* be back to square one. I've seen VM promise customers "fibre" in areas which don't even have their infrastructure (myself included) - one of my friends ended up taking them to court over it as they messed up his internet/phone etc and left him with no broadband or phone.
When it is running though it is a pretty good reliable system

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

Pettitto — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:39:35 GMT

I can see that your ticket is back with our Support Team who will respond as quickly as possible.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:05:31 GMT

20/03/2014 - Finally received a response on my ticket. They have re-raised the fault with Openreach.
I am still waiting for a date for an engineer to come. I've also been told they cannot promise a weekend appointment and that I should try to be available during the week. What cheek!

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

picbits — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:51:26 GMT

Wow ! That's a seriously cruddy connection !
It almost looks as if you've got some electrical interference, possibly a street light or similar that kills your connection when it gets dark.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 11:12:51 GMT

Update - Still not resolved.....
23/03/2014 - Contacted by PN. They advise that for the next few evenings I turn off the WiFi and ensure the router is away from any other electrical devices (which it never has). I do as I'm told yet the problem still persists.
26/03/2014 - Again contacted by PN to say they realise the disconnects are still happening. This time a new router is sent out.
27/03/2014 - Router received and plugged in immediately. Still received disconnects that evening.
02/04/2014 - Contacted by PN to advise that they would need to send out an engineer. No weekend slots available so I am forced to take ANOTHER half day off work unpaid.
03/04/2014 - Engineer arrives (very helpful and understanding man). Does the usual tests and finds no faults. Installs a RFI (I think thats what he called it) filter and had my SNR set higher. Was advised this would reduce my speed but help with the disconnects. Speed dropped from 9mb to 7mb (no biggy but more than I expected). That evening I didn't receive any disconnects and was beginning to be hopeful.
05/04/2014 - Disconnected! Noooooooooo!!!!!!! My hopes are dashed! Too late to contact PN so I call the next day. I decide to monitor my connection over night using pingplotter, results below.
06/04/2014 - I contact PN, explain the whole situation and the guy does a line check. He tells me I need an engineer visit. I ask if I will be reimbursed for having to take another half day to which he bluntly replied "No". I decide I'm just so fed up with all this now that I want to cancel, I ask to be put through to cancellations. The adviser explains they are closed on Sundays! I stopped the call right there before I said something I would regret.
What I really can't understand is why I only started having this issue from the day I switched to PN. Surely if there was a fault on the line or some sort of interference it would have also affected my previous connection?
http://s28.postimg.org/8etiaftm3/www_google_co_uk.png
I should note that as of 8:00AM the internet was in use so that explains the increase in ping times.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

picbits — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:03:34 GMT

Who was your previous connection with ?

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:17:02 GMT

Sky

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

HPsauce — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:19:23 GMT

Do you know if that was on an LLU connection? And was your phone with them too?
If it was LLU BT engineers have to move cables in the exchange which may have caused problems.

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:25:19 GMT

I'm 99% sure it was LLU
My exchange http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/CMRUGB
adie:quote

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

Oldjim — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:34:36 GMT

So you moved from LLU to BTw which was a change at the exchange
It looks as though something went wrong or you have been put on a duff card
Edit - I replied to a post a couple back and missed the intervening ones

Re: Appalling Service - New Customer

andycamp87 — Tue, 20 May 2014 19:21:00 GMT

07/04/2014 - Contacted by PN to say another router was being sent out (3rd in total).
10/04/2014 - New router received but still the same disconnects. Contacted PN to advise.
15/04/2014 - Contacted by PN to say I need another engineer visit (total of 5 now). Appointment reluctantly booked for 28/04.
28/04/2014 - Engineer arrives (same engineer that fitted the new face plate). He is confused as to why he has been called out to as it has now been escalated as a REIN issue and he is not able to check for REIN. Does the usual line checks, finds no faults and leaves.
30/04/2014 - PN contact me to say a lift and shift at the exchange is to be performed.
04/05/2014 - Lift and shift complete but the problem still persists.
10/05/2014 - Contacted by PN to say a REIN engineer would need to visit. I told them their is absolutely no way I can take another half day at work unpaid and by this time my employers are getting very narked off. Was advised I could check for REIN myself using an AM radio. So I went out and bought a radio, set it to the right frequency and wondered about. I could find no interference that was greater than my power surge extension cable. Decided to unplug everything that evening (apart from the router of course) and check for disconnects in the morning. As you can guess I still received the disconnects.
14/05/2014 - Contacted to say PN are "trying" to arrange a REIN engineer to go out and check for any issues (I'm guessing they mean outside of my property). So I'm sat at home thinking of all the possible variables that have changed since moving to PN and the router jumps to mind. I decided to borrow a Netgear DG834GT from a friend and try it.
15/05/2014 - Low and behold NO DISCONNECTS over night! Well there was a couple but nowhere near as many as the technicolor. Contacted PN to advise of my findings. PN advises they will monitor the connection over the next few days and take it from there.
19/05/2014 - 4 days passed, still very minimal disconnects but no contact from PN. I chase for an answer.
20/05/2014 - I receive this response:
Dear Mr Camp,
Thanks for your patience.
I tried to call you today to discuss the issue, i have tested your line and it does now look much more stable, there are still a couple of drops over the last few days but this is normal for ADSL, the drops are also very random and not at the times they were with the technicolor routers.
If the connection has been running ok for you then we would need to put this down to some sort of compatibility issue or some interference that our routers are more susceptible to.
Unfortunately these are the only routers we use and would not be able to supply any other models, if you would like to return the ones we have sent you, we can then refund the postage and packaging charge that you originally paid, i can send a returns bag for the router which is paid for already, you would then need to purchase your own router.
Please do not hesitate to get back in touch online at http://contactus.plus.net or by phone on 0800 432 0200 if we can be of further assistance.
Now to me it sounds like PN have now given up on this issue as the connection is now stable just not on their equipment. Where do I now stand? Do I have to fork out for a new router that may or may not work? PN will allow me to cancel my BB at no cost but I have paid my line rental up-front and are VERY unwilling to allow me to cancel that. I can't move to another provider in fear that their router may be susceptible to the same issues. I feel like I'm stuck with PN!