New customer - Never been able to connect

[#1]

Hi - I'm posting on behalf of my Gran who's recently moved from BT to Plusnet. She uses Skype a lot to speak to relatives abroad so it's upsetting that her connection hasn't worked since it went live on the 17th.

This fault is now with BT Openreach but I'm not sure if what I'm being advised is correct?

- Tried to connect on go-live day - didn't work. Logged into router manually and entered credentials manually - that didn't work either. Tried varying different cables and ADSL filters and that didn't work either.

- Phoned up on 17th, and the first tech hung up on us. Good start.

- Got through for a 2nd time and the person didn't really know what the issue was and thought it may be the router itself (having successfully run a few line tests). The router seemed like an unlikely candidate to me but had no option but to follow their advise as would have been charged for an engineer.

- Managed to test 2 alternative routers today (her old BT one and another Plusnet one) and neither worked. Phoned up, explained the issue to a new advisor, who then took the account details, and then asked how he could help - bit of a strange thing to ask after I've just spent 5 minutes explaining the issue to him. I got through to a manager eventually who assured me this issue had now been referred, and that I would be called back. I was phoned back by someone who in fairness did seem to know what he was talking about and advised there was an initialisation fault on the line - I'm not sure why this wouldn't have picked up on the line tests the other staff done earlier in the week? It's disappointing given it's a 70-mile round trip each time I have to go down her house to try and sort it out - I just get the distinct impression Plusnet first line support diagnose issues by guessing rather than making logical diagnostic methods. Today was a bit of a wasted trip given it didn't connect again.

Has anyone else has similar issues? Does it sounds like this could be an 'initialisation fault' - not sure what this is? Is this something that can be fixed remotely? I've tried using the BT/plusnet test credentials too and these don't connect. I don't really have faith at this stage at having this issue resolved.

[#2]

Hi

Firstly I have to say that I've found PN's CS folk to be pretty good and they generally seem to know what's going on and do what they say they're going to do and as you've already found out if they say they're going to ring you they do - a rarity these days.

One thing you might not be aware of is that if you log into the account area there will be a record of 'your question' in which they list all the information and progress on your problem. In my experience this dialogue is quickly and accurately updated - worth a look if you haven't seen it already.

Your problem might be similar to one I'm experiencing; is the Plusnet router connected to the exchange? i.e. Do you have a solid orange broadband light, the lower case 'b' below the illuminated bar?

Andy

[#3]

BTW Are you talking about an ADSL or a Fibre connection. My problem is with a fibre connection.

[#4]

If I remember correctly, it would go to static orange with a solid red B. This is a fibre connection - her old working connection with BT was just ADSL. The area is rural but Plusnet advised fibre was/is available.

[#5]

Hi. If it's red it's a different problem to mine. No doubt one of the PN forum help team will be along to look at your problem this morning.

Hope you get sorted soon. - Andy

[#6]

A Plusnet staffer may well come along but will not be able to help as the OP is acting on behalf of his Gran, so there will be no direct link to the problematic account.

@stephensjm

If you haven't done so already you need to get your Gran to contact Plusnet and get your name added to her account as a person who is authorised to discuss her account with them else you will be stonewalled if you try to sort this for her. Having done that I would contact Plusnet either by phone or live chat. It's possible that fibre has not yet been activated.

Hopefully you/your Gran have left the transfer to Plusnet and neither of you have told BT that she is leaving on a specific date? This can be a killer as BT will close the account and if there is no Enginner available that day to complete the switch then you are stuffed.

[#7]

Yeh I’m named on her account now so should be no issues. We just out in a transfer request with Plusnet so BT haven’t heard from us about this