I placed an order for fibre optic broadband with your company on the 11th June 2013. The sales representative that I dealt with was named
[removed] I initially called Plusnet simply to enquire about your services, as I already had an order placed for ADSL broadband with Sky Media, but as a result of speaking to Plusnet I cancelled this order. I had been told by three other services providers (Virgin Media, BT Openreach, Sky Media) that fibre optic broadband was not available in the area that I live, so was surprised when
[removed] informed me that fibre optic broadband was available through Plusnet. Considering that three other service providers had told me that they could not provide me with a fibre optic service, I was understandably sceptical about this claim and questioned it.
[removed] told me that he was one-million per cent sure that Plusnet could provide me with this service, and even went as far as to say that he would bet his next year’s salary on it. As
[removed] was sure about this, I went ahead and placed an order for the fibre optic service, along with line rental as
[removed] told me that I had to pay line rental even for the fibre optic service, which was something I’d never encountered before. I was told that a router would be sent out to me in the post, and that the service would be installed on either the 26th, 27th, or 28th of June 2013. I was told that I would be contacted closer to the date to confirm which of these days would be the actual date of the installation.
I received a text message on the 12/06/13 informing me that my home phone service should be ready on 13/06/13. I then received another text message on the 13/06/13 informing me that my home phone service was now ready. I then heard nothing else from Plusnet until I was forced to phone the company on the 25/06/13 to enquire about the whereabouts of my router, which I had not yet received, and about the installation date, which I had not yet had confirmed. I initially spoke to a female representative who I explained the issues to. I was shocked to be told that in fact fibre optic broadband is not currently available in the area that I live, and won’t be made available until the 17/07/13. After the way
[removed] had sold the service to me, I was extremely angry to be told this. The female representative told me that Plusnet had in fact e-mailed me about the issue previously. Now forgive me for having to point out the obvious paradox here, but I’ve been waiting for your company to install an Internet service, so why has your company changed from communicating with me via text message to attempting to contact me by e-mail, a service that I must be connected to the Internet to use? This is absolutely ridiculous! The representative eventually put me through to
[removed] in the Customer Options Team.
After explaining everything to
[removed], I stated that after this blunder by your company, you would have to do a lot to rectify this mistake in an attempt to keep me as a customer. I told
[removed] that I believed that the company should refund me the fibre optic installation fee, as well as the first month’s fibre optic broadband bill, as I had not even been receiving this service.
[removed] told me that he would consult his manager/another department in order to find out what he could do for me, and would phone me back.
[removed] did indeed phone me back about twenty minutes later. He informed me that Plusnet were going to refund me for the fibre optic broadband installation, and for the broadband service bill. He then said that he would organise for me to receive ADSL broadband in the interim period while I’m waiting for my area to receive fibre optic broadband. I would then have fibre optic broadband installed on the 17/07/13. He told me that he would send out a router as soon as possible and that the ADSL broadband would go live on 02/07/13.
I received a text message on the 29/06/13 informing me that my broadband service is due to become active by midnight on 06/07/13. This is four days after the date I was told by
[removed] on the 25/06/13. I phoned the Customer Options Team on the 01/07/13. I explained this entire sorry story once again to a male representative. He informed me that there was no record of me being told that the broadband service was scheduled to go live on the 02/07/13. I was absolutely astounded that as a new Plusnet customer I have now either been lied to, or given misinformation to on two separate occasions. The representative expressed his regrets to hear this, and told me that he was not able to bring the ‘go live’ date forward. All he could do is send me out a router, as I still hadn’t received one.
I received the router yesterday, the 02/07/13. I opened the box to discover that the router is in fact a fibre optic router. I will not be able to use this router without having the correct port installed in my home first, so even when the ADSL broadband service goes live on 06/07/13 I will not be able to connect to it. I phoned the Customer Options Team once again and spoke to
[removed]. I found
[removed] to be rude and belligerent. She seemed disinterested in what I had to say, and the tone her voice was most disagreeable.
[removed] told me that she could send out an ADSL router, but that I’d have to wait for 3-5 working days for it to arrive. So again I have to wait even longer, for a service that isn’t even the one I signed up for! I asked
[removed] why she couldn’t get the router to me by tomorrow, as I am surely now a high-priority customer. She told me that she had no way of doing that, and that Plusnet don’t offer that sort of service even for their business customers. [mremoved]then put me on hold for ten minutes. When she returned, she told me that she could offer me two moths of free broadband as compensation. I asked whether she meant two free months of ADSL or fibre optic broadband.
[removed] said that it would be the ADSL broadband, so £9.99 a month. I asked why I was being offered two months of free ADSL instead of two free months of fibre optic, as the ADSL was only to cover the period while I’m waiting for fibre to be made available, which has been specified as 17/07/13. I expressed that I was not satisfied with this as compensation. She then had the audacity to tell me that she would send out a returns envelope for the fibre optic router, as though she expected me to put in the time and effort to go to the post office to rectify your company’s mistake! I told
[removed] that this was pointless anyway as
[removed] had told me that my service would be upgraded to fibre optic on the 17/07/13, when the service becomes available in my area.
[removed] then told me that despite what
[removed] had told me, it is highly unlikely that I would be able to receive fibre optic broadband on the 17/07/13 anyway as this is simply the date that BT are installing the cabinets in the area. She explained that Plusnet would have to wait for confirmation from BT that this had taken place, then the order for my installation would be processed. She even added that BT might take more than one day to make fibre available in my area.
Quite frankly I’M OUTRAGED!!! This has gone far beyond a joke. Why has your company made this process so difficult? I’ve been waiting for the best part of a month. My flat mate works as a freelance web administrator. He’s had to pay nearly £100 in BT Openzone costs just to do his work. I want this resolved immediately. Right now I couldn’t have a worse impression of your company. If this is not dealt with quickly and to a level that I find satisfactory, I will be forced to take the matter to the Trading Standards department.
[Moderator's note by Jim (Oldjim): CSA name removed as per the forum rules but names noted for staff.]
