Problems with Webmail

[#1]

I did think that was very odd, I wonder who is supposed to ring me in 48 hours then ? It was on line chat I don't want to give her name out but not very helpful it appears. To be honest I usually get my e mails after many attempts and about 20 minutes but today there is no budging them My e mail counter is going up which is weird so they are getting through somewhere they just wont appear on my screen. its coming up to 4 hours now... I am going to try an e mail client thing and see what happens but I don't suppose I will see the 197 e mails locked in at the moment.

[#2]

I have just emailed the Chief Executive of PN as follows:

Dear Mr Baker
Do you ever read, or are you made aware of, the hundreds of complaints about the shortcomings of PlusNet's Webmail service?
It is chronically slow most of the time, or it doesn't work at all.  For months now there have reassurances that your engineers are aware of the problems and are working on a fix, but the system seems to get worse, not better.
Most non technically-savvy customers rely on their ISP for their email service and if it doesn't work it generates huge ill-will.  Getting through on the phone for technical help takes an eternity and Live Chat is only marginally better.  How on earth Which? magazine rates you so highly baffles me.
Of course you lock us into contracts with early-exit penalties, so we are imprisoned and stuck with your appalling unfit-for-purpose service.
On behalf of so many frustrated and angry PN customers I would urge you to PLEASE give some attention to this part of your operation.
Yours fathfully

[#3]

Nicely put.

Have you sent a copy to Which? magazine?

I have contacted Which? previously to complain about the PN service and the ranking applied by Which?

You'll probably get a call from PN customer service. That is what happened when I wrote to Andy Baker.

Regardless, the service hasn't improved.

[#4]

@HarryB what is the point of telling people to set up a Email client , when if you read this tread Email clients are STILL having problems !! 

[#5]

I advise people this for the same reason Bob mentioned back on this post:

@ bobpullen wrote:

@maranello wrote:

@bobpullen wrote:

if you're so heavily reliant on your email account then I'd strongly suggest you consider setting up direct access using a dedicated email application like Outlook or Thunderbird.

@bobpullen

This advice appears regularly in response to this issue, but are not the problems with Webmail also affecting performance of email clients set up using IMAP?

Yes, but to a lesser degree. In my personal experience, I have an IMAP account that's nigh on inaccessible via Webmail, but works moderately well using an email client (Thunderbird in this case).

[#6]

I'm not all sure whether email forwarding will help but who knows?

1. Create a gmail account (you can definitely use it for private emergency use)

2. Go to https://www.plus.net/my.html and select "Manage my email" and choose the redirect tab, then create a redirect to your gmail account.

I would suggest you first set up a test mailbox and make a test redirect.
You can have lots of mailboxes, aliases and redirects.
Things like replies etc made via the gmail account will probably lose your custom domain email...

[#7]

The quicker PN get this mess sorted out the quicker we can all get on with our lives instead of hanging around waiting for emails to load, if ever they do.

I'm sick to the back teeth of the same tired excuses or so called workaround solutions.

Stop putting the onus on your customers and get the damn thing sorted.

I've never encountered a more incompetent outfit in my life.

This has been ongoing for MONTHS and you're no nearer a solution. Far from it.

[#8]

For the record I have 19 emails within my Inbox and zero elsewhere and the 'service' still can't handle that.

All I get is "Loading" "Server Error" or some other [-Censored-] that effectively says it's not working.

[#9]

VileReynard -  yes the Gmail forwarding works fine. We transferred to this back when PN couldn't guarantee delivery of email for 5 day period back in Dec 16, because this statement was ridiculous to any user, and especially to a business partner of any provider of such a communication tool. It works fine and emails are delivered almost instantly, no delays, and has worked like this since Dec.

Thought I'd just pitch in cos we're too busy to repeat all the "unprofessional,without structure, poor communication, no obvious chain of command, this has been going on for over a year now, lack of accountability, no obvious business acumen, where's the proof of this statement direct from PN website - "If you do need help you'll be in the hands of someone who takes ownership of your problem.", Blah, Blah, etc, etc, repeat till fade.

[#10]

A word of advice to all my affected colleagues keep repeating

"We will do you proud, we will do you proud etc"

Will it make any difference?

No, but it will pass the time while waiting.

[#11]

Bazzer - you were correct that a chap from Customer Services phoned me in the early evening yesterday.  We had a full and frank discussion about the problems with the webmail service and he assured me that Andy Baker the new chief executive had seen my email and is determined to eradicate the problems and is very aware of the dissatisfaction.  He asked me if I had established a client account and I told him `yes, Outlook - last November when PN came to a complete halt, but it can take ages to receive messages in that also'; (although, ironically, since I complained, they have been available instantly!).  Anyway, as someone else on this forum commented recently, `why should we the customer have to set up and use these workarounds?'  Our discussion lasted about 20 minutes and I did feel reassured that we may find matters improving, but not overnight.

Here's the email I later received:

Dear Mr XXXXX,

Thank you for your time on the phone.

As per our conversation, you do have valid concerns about the webmail repair time and as you are using a client there is little more we can do to alleviate any issues you may still have.

I hope that I have reassured you somewhat that we know how much of an impact the web mail service is having, that Mr Baker and the upper management are aware and we are working to continue improving it. the alternative of taking it down for a quicker repair would be our only option and this is something we have no intention of doing, unfortunately the repair of an active platform will take longer, but no date can yet be given.

I hope you have gone away happy that we know the effect it is having on us and we wont let up on the repair, or the improvement of the service that we offer.

Kind regards

GXXX BXXXXXXXX

[#12]

the Email reply should be ¬

[#13]

@Scooterman999 I am a bit baffled by this statement within their reply "the alternative of taking it down for a quicker repair would be our only option and this is something we have no intention of doing" 

Are they saying that they can by taking the whole service offline repair this issue quickly but won't do so?

Instead we have endured months of inadequate service by allegedly dealing with this another way which, incidentally, is having no effect?

I'm sure most users if told they can have no webmail for 24 hours would jump at the chance to forego that if it meant a complete repair was undertaken and none of the rubbish we have now would ever be experienced again.

I am yet to hear of what the actual problem is and I have not seen within the reply you received any mention of it which again leads me to wonder whether they know.

[#14]

We always used to perform major changes/fixes on public holidays.

Seems they missed the Christmas period to do their quick fix.

[#15]

Hi! Folks!!

After an "normal" morning of trying to do anything useful with Webmail I got back on the keyboard now and found that the system is almost back to what it ought to be. Running up and down my Inbox was a pleasure, sending answers to correspondence no bother at all etc.,etc., I have been using the improved performance at weekends fairly well as I have reported earlier but this is a most hopeful happening. Where have emailers gone? To Cheltenham perhaps?