Let me tell you a story....
I was in rural America recently and without internet access for long periods of time. When returning home I checked my emails at the airport before boarding. One of the emails was from Plusnet, advising me that another provider is taking over my line as I had asked them to, and to get in touch with them if I had not asked. At the time I assumed it was a scam but resolved to check when I got home. However, chronic jetlag before and after the supposed deadline meant I forgot all about it. When I was disconnected I remembered the email and realised it might have been genuine after all.
When I then contacted Plusnet I was told I might have been 'slammed' either intentionally or by mistake by EE. Either way I was told I would have to take out a new 18 month contract, admittedly at a reduced rate, pay a £49.95 connection charge and wait until after Christmas for Openreach to reconnect me. The Plusnet operative took all the details, read me my rights, took the payment and I was left to stew in my own juice over the weekend. When, after four days of frustration (my wife and I are retired and my wife runs a small cat charity that depends on the internet) I rang again and asked if there was any way of speeding up the reconnection, I was told there was no mention of a new contract, but that the person I spoke to first tried to put it through, only to find there was no number registered at my address. So he just left it at that and didn't contact me. If that was supposed to placate me, my description of their so-called award-winning customer service told them otherwise!
I had been let down and would go somewhere else. I then contacted EE in an attempt to get an explanation and an apology. The person I spoke to was very helpful and I learned a lot about slamming and how the business of connection worked - Openreach were given the address requesting connection and a code was given which triggered the automated process of back and forth emails. The thing is, although I was on the same exchange, my address was different to their customer and when they checked the line at my address it said there was showing no connection, despite (this'll make you laugh) the fact that I had subsequently discovered we still had a phone line but with a different number! Surprise surprise it was the number they had been given for their new customer. In short, Openreach had used the wrong code. I was then told about having an expedited reconnection (72 hours) due to an error on the part of Openreach. I was advised to go back to Plusnet and ask about the possibility of an expedite.
The short answer is that it was not Plusnet's fault and the only way they'd get the expedite is if I 'ponied-up' (honestly, that was the term used) the money - in excess of £125. I wasn't surprised, seeing as they wouldn't waive the £49.95. But why wasn't I told about the possibility of an earlier connection when I first rang up? I was out of contract so I didn't need to stay with PN. Because the person I spoke to was more concerned about signing up another contract, that's why!
I have since signed up with someone else and registered a complaint against Openreach with Ofcom, who, after I told them of the extra measures I have had to take to get any internet signal at all from home, told me I should also make a complaint to Plusnet via their complaints procedure, which is my next step.
One last thing. I had a call on Friday night - two actually as he hung up as soon as I answered before checking he'd dialled the right number. It was the EE customer asking what I was doing answering the phone in his, as yet unopened for business, barber's shop!
