cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

FIXED
Lmjc
Hooked
Posts: 6
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎31-05-2019

Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Hi, I'm after some guidance. I've recently had to end my FTTP trial with Plusnet and trying to migrate to BT. Really struggling to speak to someone competent at Plusnet about placing a cease on the line so BT can then connect. Plusnet are insisting an engineer visit is required at the exchange whilst BT tell me it is remote operation.

Thanks
12 REPLIES 12
abails0105
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 802
Thanks: 108
Fixes: 60
Registered: ‎02-05-2017

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Hi @Lmjc, thanks for getting in touch.

 

I am really sorry for the issues you have had. I can see you currently have a cease in place for your FTTP service with ourselves for 07/06/2019, this is the earliest day our suppliers could commit too. On some occasions an engineer is required to attended the exchange and completely stop the service.

 

Apologies for the inconvenience caused

 

 

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Alice Baillie
 Plusnet Help Team
bmc
Hero
Posts: 3,197
Thanks: 1,000
Fixes: 48
Registered: ‎28-02-2017

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

@Lmjc 

You're finding out the hard way the only place for FTTP support is on this forum. Because it was a Trial few staff are trained up on FTTP and it's not integrated into their back office systems.

 

I'm not convinced that an engineer visit is ever required for FTTP (unless there's a problem at the customer end)  - as far as I know the fibre is routed direct to the nearest Internet Head End and not via the Exchange. I think BT are right in saying it's a remote operation.

 

I also suspect that as FTTP is relatively new there is no procedure in place yet for customer migrations to a new ISP as (potentially) so few have been done.

 

Brian

Lmjc
Hooked
Posts: 6
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎31-05-2019

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Thanks Brian. I've spent hours on the phone, first trying to convince plusnet that the live was still active, I requested the cease on the 29th May.
And then that the cease should be able to be performed remotely.

I had a technical note from BT that should explain this but I was told to send it through the customer portal, problem is that I'm not a customer anymore.
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 16,869
Thanks: 4,950
Fixes: 315
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

I suspect the cease was placed with a default lead time of 5 working days or so. AFAIK it is possible to request a cease with a shorter lead time, however if we were to attempt that now, the inflight order would need cancelling and a new order placing. If anything goes wrong with either of those transactions, then you could well end up in a worse situation. I'm also not 100% certain the Wholesale ordering systems will allow for the shorter lead time.

My advise would be to wait it out.

As an aside, if your Openreach ONT has more than one port, then in theory it should be possible for BT to place a new order against one of the spare ports, therefore removing the dependency for a cease at our side. That's reliant on there being spare capacity in your area though.

As another aside, when the FTTP migration process is matured, I expect it will be subject to the minimum 10 days that Ofcom dictate is necessary for a migration between ISP's.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵

Lmjc
Hooked
Posts: 6
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎31-05-2019

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Sorry, I meant 29th April not May. It has been over a month! Originally they did not put the fiber on cease ,only the copper so I spent ages on the phone trying to convince them that the optics need cancelling as well. They only put the stip order on for the fibre last week.
bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 16,869
Thanks: 4,950
Fixes: 315
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Ah, I see the cause of the frustration now! Completely negelected to realise that you may still have had the copper up and running. Sorry it's been such a struggle, there's hopefully some light at the end of the tunnel now.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵

Lmjc
Hooked
Posts: 6
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎31-05-2019

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Cheers Bob,

 

But it goes beyond frustration to dismay.  I will give you a rundown of what I've had to deal with.

 

Rang Plusnet to renew FTTP but they were not really interested so I approached BT.  Told by BT that the switch over would take 4 days but I had to have the service stopped by Plusnet.  Rang Plusnet and cease my contract, told it would take 2 weeks after which BT could take over. 

I rang BT at the end of the 2 weeks (I have no internet at this point) and placed the order.  I was told by BT it would take 3 weeks to connect (not very happy as I was told 4 days originally).  I realised 2 weeks in, that they had set up the order to the wrong address.  Replaced the order to the correct address and then I was told by BT that Plusnet still had the line tied up and they could not connect until Plusnet put a cease on the line.  Told I had to sort this with Plusnet as BT could not act on my behalf.

 

I rang Plusnet and was told that the cease had been processed.  This went back and forth between BT and Plusnet with me in the middle each insisting that the other was wrong.  I was give some clear instructions from BT to pass to Plusnet, I rang Plusnet to try and email them the instructions from BT but told I could only do that through the customer portal.  Guess what, I not a customer anymore and my portal access is very limited and I can't send a message.

Then I get a note from Plusnet saying they have now placed the cease order, it will take another week as an engineer visit was required.  This is in direct contradiction to what BT is telling me, it is a remote operation and an engineer is not required.

 

Quote from BT email

"Following on from our conversation the usual process for ceasing off a fibre supply is to raise a cease order from the losing provider once this is completed. The receiving supplier will remotely activate the service on their systems there should be no need for an engineer unless the losing provider are looking to remove the equipment. Cease orders usually take 5 working days to complete"

 

So if Plusnet send an engineer to manually disconnect the line, how long will I then have to wait for BT to arrange another visit to reconnect.  

 

Thanks anyway for looking, there is even more to this but I have tried to keep it short

 

 

bmc
Hero
Posts: 3,197
Thanks: 1,000
Fixes: 48
Registered: ‎28-02-2017

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

@Lmjc 

Looks like you've been completely caught out by the fact that few PlusNet staff are trained on FTTP.

 

In general no deals are offered to those on the trial - you pay the standard rate for your service (38/10 or 78/20) so no contract is required. Further more, if you don't use your landline you can cancel that at an extra cost of £2.50pm for broadband only service.

 

Brian

Lmjc
Hooked
Posts: 6
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎31-05-2019

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

@bmc

After several phone calls to the call centre I have also come to the conclusion that they don't know what they are talking about.
What's worse is that they don't say they don't know and give advice anyway.

I would really like a FTTP trained and competent plusnet representative to give me a call to discuss. But I guess that is wishful thinking.

bmc
Hero
Posts: 3,197
Thanks: 1,000
Fixes: 48
Registered: ‎28-02-2017

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

 

@Lmjc 

It's not wishful thinking. I regularly see comments on forum threads where a member of staff has phoned a customer and post a follow up on the thread.

 

If you're lucky @bobpullen will give you a phone as he's one of those who know what they're doing with FTTP.

 

Call centre staff should be told that if a customer phones about the FTTP Trial they should be pointed in the direction of this forum so a trained member of staff can pick up on the query!!!

 

Brian

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
Thanks: 10,265
Fixes: 1,599
Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Sorry for the issues you've had, I agree with Bob in that we're unable to shorten the time it takes to cease an FTTP service I'm afraid. Unlike ceasing FTTC, the default lead time for a FTTP cease order is 5 working days. As far as I'm aware this normally doesn't entail an engineer going out, it's just a standard lead time for our suppliers to process the cease. 

In the past I've tried to place a cease order with a shorter lead time with little success, and our suppliers have also been unable to bring forward the completion date of an in-flight FTTP cease order. Sad

From experience whenever a FTTP service is recently ceased, I would expect BT to be able to place an order to provide FTTP using "Existing ONT" and the good news is that this should take just 1 working day. 

Hope this helps.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
Lmjc
Hooked
Posts: 6
Thanks: 1
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎31-05-2019

Re: Moving FTTP from Plusnet to BT

Fix

Hi,

 

Thanks for the guidance and help.  Finally sorted with Plusnet an BT. What a painful experience but got there in the end.