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How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

breakinpig
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Do we have contact details for the Data Integrity Manager? Can we not call them and insist they fix it right away, explaining that it’s now almost 3 weeks since my broadband was cut off?
Surely it’s just updating a database?
Gandalf
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Thanks for getting back to me @breakinpig 

Unfortunately we can't contact them directly, they'd be contacted by Wholesale who I believe would escalate this to them through their portal or by email. Although I'm unsure of their exact internal processes to be honest.

I understand the frustration but everybody's doing what they can to escalate this with Openreach. 

I'm about to leave the office now and I'll follow things up with you on Monday. Happy to give you another call if it's easier.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
breakinpig
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Have Openreach at least committed to process the order (once the records issue is resolved) in less than the standard 4 days? I can’t remember what we said
breakinpig
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Hi Anoush,

A few more questions...

Who are wholesale? How are they different from Openreach?

I’ve complained to Openreach on Twitter and they’ve said that ORDI is an automated email system, not a person? Is this right? If so, who is actioning the update?
Townman
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Openreach provide the wires and phone voice service (POTS)

Wholesale provides the broadband services.

Yes it’s a shambles that they cannot talk to each other without the assistance of their customer.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

breakinpig
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Thanks @Townman . Any suggestions on what I can do? I can see that @Gandalf is trying his hardest but, realistically, we've made no progress and, once the records thing is done, we're looking at least another 4 working days, assuming OR hit their SLA, which they haven't done once to date.

I work from home due to the pandemic and my employer is becoming increasingly skeptical about me being unable to work for 3 weeks due to no internet. I can't sleep with the stress of it.

Would switching to another provider help? Should I just bite the bullet and pay to switch to Virgin Media? 

Feeling utterly powerless in this whole situation

breakinpig
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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Does anyone have experience of using the ADR process for a deadlocked complaint?

I switched on 7 Sep and still have no internet on 10 Oct. Plusnet have told me they've automatically created a complaint for me but won't review it until my internet actually starts working.

I've spoken to other providers but they say they can't switch me until Plusnet fix the mess they've created with Openreach and Wholesale. I suspect that once I do finally get broadband, Plusnet will point to my contract length and refuse to let me leave without paying fees (which would be reasonable, if they'd actually been providing the service and not causing me sleepless nights as I work from home so can't do my job). 

I'll be amazed if Plusnet manage to resolve the complaint to my satisfaction so it looks like ADR is my only option?

Anyone got experience / tips of using this service?

Marksfish
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Re: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Like most ADR schemes, you would have to wait 8 weeks from making the complaint for a resolution, letter of deadlock or lack or response whatsoever.

Strat
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Re: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Moderators Note
This topic has been moved from ADSL Broadband to Accounts / Billing.
Windows 10 Firefox 109.0 (64-bit)
To argue with someone who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine
Townman
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

You have my every sympathy. BT Networks have a U.K. monopoly except where Virgin Media or another cable provider has co-located infrastructure. Given that this is an administrative foul-up within BT over their infrastructure records, changing to a different ISP using the same network is not going to move this along any faster. Indeed a change on this line might slow things down.

As I said before you making a direct complaint to BT’s CEO and reporting the matter of Ofcom might help. All ISPs have an escalation route to Ofcom however any Plusnet employee reporting their parent group to Ofcom will be on a fast track to a P45.

The splitting up of BT is king over due. There is a marked conflict of interest in the group being both the industry supplier and end user retailer. As such the retail divisions have no recourse to the industry supplier regulator.

A direct complaint to the BT CEO sighting incompetence within Openreach and Wholesale obstructing the delivery of an ISP’s business is bad PR and can oil wheels.

Other alternatives are to explore to comparative speed of getting a new line installed from either VM or indeed Plusnet (BT). In the case of the latter there seems to be grounds to request that be done FOC on an expedited order.

At this juncture it’s a difficult call as to which approach is going to be the quickest - a resolution to the problem Plusnet have chased diligently or a new strategy.

This case certainly deserves a letter of complaint to the CEO of BT. There is zero excuse for this level of incompetence and buck passing via their customer. BT needs to start owning responsibility fir the failures within their end to end organisation.

Note that I have raised this specific case with the SU contacts, as illustration of the endemic issues in the supply chain which arise out of the failure to own issues through to resolution inside the BT supply infrastructure.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Mustrum
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Re: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

You say "the mess Plusnet created", but did they?

Why did Sky cut you off? Did you cancel with them?

Are you taking the same phone number with you? Where were you before Sky

breakinpig
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Re: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

I used the switching service or whatever it’s called. I didn’t cancel with Sky as you’re not required to OR to OR but they did cut me off, indicating that Plusnet got as far as doing something but stopped short of actually supplying internet
Mads
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Re: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Hello @breakinpig, thanks for reaching out to us here. 

I can see that my colleague @Gandalf has this in hand for you and is working on resolving the immediate issue and will discuss a resolution to the complaint once the issue is resolved to yours and our satisfaction. We discuss the resolution at the end of the complaint so we can take into account the longevity, complexity and issues faced. 

 

Thanks.  

breakinpig
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Hi Anoush,

I’ve been tweeting Openreach in an effort to shame them into doing something and they’ve just sent me this:

You suspected an addressing issue but I have confirmed there is no need for an ORDI to be submitted. I can't comment on what services might be showing to your address due to the fact that I can't validate who you are unlike your provider. This is why we advice you to contact them as you are their customer and they must manage this with us direct. I am sorry but I cant give you more information but if your communication provider contacts our SMC team they will be able to help with this issue. Thanks. ^David

Where does this leave us?

breakinpig
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Re: How to get Plusnet to activate your broadband - any tips???

Thanks @Townman

The relationship between ISP, OR and Wholesale appears so complex that I’m concerned that I wouldn’t be able to articulate what had gone wrong!