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Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Wheel_nut
Grafter
Posts: 893
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Registered: ‎03-08-2007

Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

One of my referrals has her Line Rental from BT and her Broadband on BBYW Option 1 from Plusnet. Calls are on CPS with Primus Planet Talk.
BT Charge £10-50 per month for Line Rental net of a 50p discount for Paper-Free Billing and including FREE Caller Display under the BT Privacy package.
What would be the equivalent monthly charge from PlusNet for Line Rental and Caller Display? Are there any Gotchas that I should know about?
16 REPLIES 16
Wheel_nut
Grafter
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Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Hi PJ, thanks for that analysis.
CLI on BT is only free if you make 2 BT calls per month if BT Calls per Quarter  you are on Monthly Biling or 6 BT Calls per Quarter if you are on Quarterly Billing.
1571 is not required so not an issue.
However, three issues with BT remain unresolved despite my spending a total of > 10 hours on hold to their CS 150 line:
1) They seem incapable of changing Billing to Quarterly
2) Despite setting up DD payment plan, they are still demanding payment for monthly bills issued in error. Also, if you don't pay by DD, they slap a hefty £5 payment collection fee on the bill.
3) The BT calls you need to make to avoid the CLI charge are charged at (6p connection charge+3.5p/min) In contrast, Primus Planet Talk charge 2.5p/ min and no connection charge. Also, PPT Option 2 gives you free evening and weekend calls for free!
The costs are not really the issue here. The problem is that the CS line is so clogged up as are the brains of the CS agents that I can't get the account set up properly. I have persevered for 3 and a half months and would take any reasonable option to get away from BT. I have already given them notice that they are in default of contract and that I intend to terminate the contract despite it having another 8 months to run.
All I need is a Line Rental and CLI service.
puddy
Grafter
Posts: 1,571
Registered: ‎10-06-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

While you are on hold for BT customer/faults line the call free, also they offer to call you back for free.
Anything goes wrong with your line and you have transferred it to Plusnet, BT will not help you at all.  So you have to call plusnet (which is not free) who then call BT who then call Plusnet who then call you.
Go overdrawn at the bank and your plusnet direct debit gets bounced you will end up losing your broadband and telephone service as well
I found it easier to stay with BT and joined www.1899.com who give you free calls in the UK and discounted calls worldwide USA for 1p minute for landline and mobile calls
puddy
For those expensive 0870 & 0845 numbers check out http://www.saynoto0870.co.uk/search.php saved me £5.69 last month
paulby
Grafter
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Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote
Anything goes wrong with your line and you have transferred it to Plusnet, BT will not help you at all.  So you have to call plusnet (which is not free) who then call BT who then call Plusnet who then call you.

If you have a PN phone line and have a problem with your line you need to call PlusNet, as stated.  PN will then liaise with BT Openreach to get your line fixed. PN will keep you updated as to progress.
If you have a BT Retail phoneline, you call BT Retail faults, who then liaise with BT Openreach to get your line fixed. BT Retail will keep you updated as to progress
BT Retail and BT Openreach are two separate companies and, under Ofcom's equivalence regulations, BT Retail have to deal with Openreach in the same way as any other telephone provider, be it PlusNet or some other.
So, if anything goes wrong with your phone BT Retail will not help you if it's a PN line (just as PN will not help you if you have a BT Retail phoneline), as you don't take their phone service, but BT Openreach still maintain your line and liaise with the providers in exactly the same way.
See also this document (pdf) about Wholesale Line Rental (WLR3) which is the means by which both PN and BT Retail interact with Openreach.

VileReynard
Hero
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Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

I've never had any need to call BT customer services - so why change?
However, I'm willing to bet that bad service = outsourced customer services.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Wheel_nut
Grafter
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Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote from: axisofevil
I've never had any need to call BT customer services - so why change?
However, I'm willing to bet that bad service = outsourced customer services.

If you have never needed to use BT CS then you are blessed.
BT cut ove a new BT.com system in August 07 and all new accounts having an account number beginning GB are on the new system. The new system is fraught with bugs and performance problems such that the call centres cannot cope with the incoming volume of calls. Some problems I have had:
1) Hold times averaging 90 mins but I have clocked 135 mins.
2) Spurious entries on e-bills like "Brought Forward £3467.67" on a new account.
3) Inability to view bills or download PDF's of bills
4) Spurious switching of account from Quarterly Billing to Monthly Billing .... and CS staff not knowing the difference.
4) Spurious charges of £5 for Patment Collection Charge when the account id paid by Direct Debit.
5) Refunds of spurious charges applied then promptly re-debited to the DD Account
6) Indian Call Centre cutting off calls when unable to understand the issue.
7) Promising Call-Back and s soon as I answer, put into the 90 minute queue.
I could go on but I think you will get the picture.
If you are on the old system with the account number prefixed by the two letters of your exchange name, you can do most of these things on-line so many users will not recognise these issues. The new system really sucks and it is on this system that BT seem to be losing orders and thus forgetting to schedule installations and activations.
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
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Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote from: Wheel_nut
Quote from: axisofevil
I've never had any need to call BT customer services - so why change?
However, I'm willing to bet that bad service = outsourced customer services.


6) Indian Call Centre cutting off calls when unable to understand the issue.

The new system really sucks and it is on this system that BT seem to be losing orders and thus forgetting to schedule installations and activations.

The fundamental problem is the outsourced Indian call centre. These people are not trained - just given scripts to follow; if you go off-script then they don't have a clue. Unfortunately it's the only way they can save money for BT and make money for themselves.
Luckily I have a non-GB prefix. If this changes, or I get trouble, I would obviously reconsider my options.
Since leaving and returning would incur some massive fee (about £120+ and a long contract and losing my phone number) I am loathe to move. However, if I did this PlusNet would certainly be my preference (principally because of the UK call centre).

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

paulby
Grafter
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Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

The problem isn't just with Indian call centres.  I had the misfortune to have a GB account number (after being slammed to BT but that's another story) and can concur with the apalling customer service offered by BT.  The minimum time I was on hold was over an hour.  I landed up with call centres in Belfast, Newcastle and Glasgow.  None of them appeared to know what they were doing (every month I had to call to get text messages and calls refunded that were part of my service plan).  It also took them six weeks to get caller display and 1571 on the line. I eventually complained using an on-line form but that resulted in BT trying to cease my phone service.
I then decided to move to PlusNet and take any hit that disconnecting would cost but also e-mailed Ben Verwaayen (whose e-mail address can be readily found).  It took someone in his (the Chairman's)office to sort things out and credit my account (they also made sure that the termination fee wouldn't cost me by crediting my account).
I'm well rid of BT now - the four months I was with them was nothing but call centre hell which resulted in nothing being sorted.
Also - just in case you thaought you'd be spared the misery by not having a GB account number - BT Retail are migrating everone over to the new system see here.
@axisofevil
Laeving and returning to BT wouldn't cost you a huge fee as you're on a BT line.  The £124.99 kicks in when you need a new line or, in some cases, you are moved back from a fully unbundled (LLU) line.  Even this is now the subject of new processes and, if you have a working BT Openreach line be it LLU'd or not, you won't have to pay the line installation costs.
godsell4
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet


If there is a fault with the landline, so stopping incoming calls, will PN divert calls to a mobile number free of charge the same as BT ?
SW.
--
3Mb FTTC
https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed
puddy
Grafter
Posts: 1,571
Registered: ‎10-06-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

I have never in the last 10 years had any problem with BT and I have moved home 3 times
I cannot see why you had been on hold for over 5min when I have needed to call them, they ask for your number and call you back when they can and always have done within 30 min.
The calls free anyway.
if as you said had trouble calling them why do you think plusnet can get in touch with them quicker than you can if you change? Plusnet are not allowed to get a better service than say a BT customer.
One BT engineer friend told me other operators like plusnet get pushed to the back of the queue over direct BT customers for faults thats why we pay more.
puddy
Assos
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Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote from: puddy
One BT engineer friend told me other operators like plusnet get pushed to the back of the queue over direct BT customers for faults thats why we pay more.

I don't suppose the BT engineer friend would be able to provide evidence to this would they? If so, BT would be in very deep and very smelly stuff.
Wheel_nut
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Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote from: puddy
I have never in the last 10 years had any problem with BT and I have moved home 3 times
I cannot see why you had been on hold for over 5min when I have needed to call them, they ask for your number and call you back when they can and always have done within 30 min. .........
puddy

Puddy, It used to be like that until July of this year when BT started the migration to WLR3. Since then, my experience is typical of the service you get when callinf 150 or 151.
I have a line with a non-GB Account number and the website allows me to do most of what I need to do. The line with the GB Accoun number is on WLR3 and is utterly useless for even the simplest of functions.
paulby
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Registered: ‎26-07-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote
if as you said had trouble calling them why do you think plusnet can get in touch with them quicker than you can if you change?

Because you are contacting BT retail Customer Service (and it's their queue you are in) who then contact Openreach on your behalf.  If you phone PN it's their CS you queue for and then they contact Openreach for you.
The problem isn't in contacting Openreach (this is the bit where sevice has to be the same) - it's getting through to the people who do that for you as you can't contact Openreach directly. 
Basically, PN don't take your call and then dial 150 and talk to BT Retail - they talk directly to Openreach.  Every other WLR operator does the same - there is no interaction with BT retail (they are treated like every other supplier by Openreach - that's the point of the equivalence regulations).
James
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Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote from: puddy
if as you said had trouble calling them why do you think plusnet can get in touch with them quicker than you can if you change? Plusnet are not allowed to get a better service than say a BT customer.

We do not speak to BT Retail.  We speak to BT Openreach.  There's a massive difference.
puddy
Grafter
Posts: 1,571
Registered: ‎10-06-2007

Re: Transferring Line Rental to PlusNet

Quote from: Wheel_nut
Quote from: puddy
I have never in the last 10 years had any problem with BT and I have moved home 3 times
I cannot see why you had been on hold for over 5min when I have needed to call them, they ask for your number and call you back when they can and always have done within 30 min. .........
puddy

Puddy, It used to be like that until July of this year when BT started the migration to WLR3. Since then, my experience is typical of the service you get when callinf 150 or 151.
I have a line with a non-GB Account number and the website allows me to do most of what I need to do. The line with the GB Accoun number is on WLR3 and is utterly useless for even the simplest of functions.

sorry if i am being thick what does WLR3 stand for?
Puddy