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Ticket #167635277

FIXED
rmburnley
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Ticket #167635277

Hi there,

I signed up for the FTTP trial a couple of weeks ago and at first was delighted with how informed I was being kept as to progress and updates etc.

Since then, things have gotten a little more confusing and unclear. I was first told that my first appointment (mine looks to be a 2 stage install) would be friday 23rd Feb, when engineers would visit to carry out external works for the install. I was then told that engineers needed to visit prior to that to carry out a visual assessment for the works and to confirm where the external connection would be placed, and was told this would be Friday 16th Feb, but that I wouldn't need to be present for it. In actual fact, two workmen turned up at my house on Friday 9th Feb, completely unannounced, and carried out some checks to try and identify where the copper line runs into the property. Luckily I was at home, as their plans were quite badly out of date and showed an incorrect location for the wiring. They then asked me to sign an Openreach consent form for external works to be carried out to detect and trace the copper cable, dig it up, and then lay the fibre alongside it, reinstating afterwards. They said someone would then be in touch following this.
I posted all this on my ticket, and asked whether this was to be expected since no one had mentioned anyone coming on the 9th, only on the 16th, and was told "yes, the engineers will be coming to carry out the first stage on the 16th" ?Huh

I was in all day on the 16th and no one came to the property, nor have I had any further updates as to what happens next. The ticket status then changed to show as 'active' again this morning implying further updates expected today, but again nothing has happened and no further info has been provided.

Please can someone check and let me know what is going on? I was under the impression that at the very least my garden and possibly my path would need to be dug up, which is fine, but I could do with knowing when, and to what degree. Many thanks, Rich
29 REPLIES 29
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Sorry to hear that.

I'll get your ticket updated shortly.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Hi there,

 

Sorry to chase, but any update on this? I'm conscious that tomorrow is another one of the dates that was mentioned previously as an 'install' date, and I could really do with knowing whether anyone is coming or not, and if so, what they'll be working on / need access to.

 

 

Many thanks,

Rich

bmc
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Re: Ticket #167635277

If you are on a 2 stage install then the first visit is to run fibre from the distribution point to your house which is left if a box fitted to an external wall. No need for anyone to be in unless you want to chat to the engineer.

 

The second visit then brings the fibre indoors and connects it to the ONT installed in your house. This visit is at least 7 days after the first and you do need to be present.

 

Brian

rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Thanks Brian, but the confusion is around whether tomorrow actually is a confirmed date or not, and what works they will need to do.

 

So far, I've had two dates mentioned, and a surprise visit on a date that wasn't mentioned at all. The engineers that came unannounced said that they would need to get authorisation to dig up my garden and potentially my drive to lay the fibre (which is fine, I was expecting some disruption), but I don't know for sure whether they got this authorisation or not (I've signed my part of the authorisation, but they had to refer it back to Openreach). 

 

More than happy for this to take place without me being present, but given that there was confusion when the engineers came out to survey the location (they had an old, outdated plan for the house that showed an incorrect location for the copper wire), I'm conscious that they may also have further questions.

 

All slightly complicated by the fact that I'm laid up with two broken ankles at the moment, so not very mobile!

 

Would just be good to get confirmation of exactly what is happening when, that's all, so I can plan accordingly.

 

All the best,

Rich

bmc
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Re: Ticket #167635277

If there's been no update to your ticket on your Members page then either PlusNet have not been told anything new or they've failed to pass it on.

 

Assuming the former, then you're due a visit from OR tomorrow

 

Brian

RobPN
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Re: Ticket #167635277


@bmc wrote:

If you are on a 2 stage install then the first visit is to run fibre from the distribution point to your house which is left if a box fitted to an external wall. No need for anyone to be in unless you want to chat to the engineer.

 

The second visit then brings the fibre indoors and connects it to the ONT installed in your house. This visit is at least 7 days after the first and you do need to be present.

 

Brian


Aside from wanting to chat to the engineer it would also be necessary to be home if an internally fitted CSP was required.  Wink

In my case I had the CSP fitted to an indoor wall in a downstairs utility cupboard, approximately 17m-18m cable length from the entry point under the eaves adjacent to an upstairs window.  The fibre tubing was pulled through a flexible metallic conduit I had already fitted and roped in readiness (through the loft, down a chased out wall and under a wooden floor), so I definitely needed to be present for the first visit.  Wink

rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Well, no-one showed up today and I've still had no further updates from Plusnet on this, so really unclear on what's happening now.

 

If there are any Plusnet support staff monitoring these boards, please could you look into this for me and let me know what's going on?

 

Many thanks,

Rich

bmc
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Re: Ticket #167635277

@rmburnley

Login to your PlusNet Members page and update your support Ticket with your question to see if that helps.

 

Brian

 

 

 

 

rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Hi support,

 

Just a gentle nudge - I updated my ticket on Friday asking to see if there was an update or any further news on my order, but haven't heard anything back as yet. Any support admins monitoring this forum able to take a quick look into this for me please?

 

All the best,

Rich

rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Getting a bit nervous now, as still not heard back from Plusnet at all in over a week, either on here or on the ticket in my account.

 

Is there a problem?

 

Rich

MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Sorry to hear that.

I'll get you a update shortly.

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 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Ok, I'm getting a bit fed up with this now I'm afraid.

 

Not so much on the Plusnet side (though a little more clarity on what's currently happening would be helpful at times), mostly BT / Openreach / Lord Lucan / whoever it is that's handling the external works side of things.

 

Another no-show today, this is now the third time (23rd Feb, 2nd March and now 20th March) that I've been given a date for the external works and no-one has arrived, nor have there been any calls (from BT / engineers) to let me know it wasn't going ahead. There was actually a visit from engineers on 14th March, but they then said they couldn't carry out the work as it would require digging up the pavement which they weren't allowed to do, and this would need to be escalated. I wouldn't mind, but a site survey was carried out on the 9th Feb by Openreach engineers, so why on earth didn't they pick up on the pavement then, and book the relevant team for the install?

 

Although it was originally explained that I probably wouldn't need to be present for these external works, it soon became apparent that it was a good idea to be around, as both times engineers did actually turn up, they had a number of questions for me which needed answering. In addition, it's still unclear exactly where they will need to dig to lay the fibre - if it needs to cross the driveway I'll have to make sure that cars and things are moved out of the way, but I don't want to have to abandon cars out on the road unless a) I know for certain an engineer is coming out to carry out the work and b) they do actually need to dig up the driveway to lay the trunking. Getting a clear answer out of BT / Openreach on either of those points is seemingly impossible.

 

Plusnet support - I'm sorry to put more pressure on you as I fully appreciate you're stuck in the middle on this too, but is there any chance you could lean on BT / Openreach and try to find out what has been going on, and why it seems to be so problematic to get a clear answer from them, or a confirmed external install date that they actually attend AND manage to complete?

 

In any other situation with this level of customer service, a customer would be looking elsewhere by now, but unfortunately BT have completely sewn up the monopoly on fibre infrastructure at this level. If I want fibre, it's BT or nothing at my location. Again, to be clear, I'm not knocking Plusnet here, just frustrated with the services and infrastructure providers that they in turn are reliant upon.

 

Many thanks,

Rich

rmburnley
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Right, this is getting beyond ridiculous now.

 

Another engineer was booked for 20th March, and again failed to arrived. When this was investigated, BT said that it was because the engineer that had been booked to the job wasn't FTTP qualified. An engineer that had been booked to an FTTP install job wasn't FTTP qualified. Great.

 

The next date given was today - 29th March. The engineer has just been, asked all the same questions that the very first engineer asked me way back on 9th February (where does the copper line run into the building - I don't know, I can only show them where the master socket is and extrapolate from that, and has the junction work been done on the pavement - which is what I though they were there to do, and again had signed the paperwork for back on 9th Feb). They then said that they couldn't do the install until the junction work had been done, requiring the pavement to be dug up, which again is what I though they were there to do. They were just as annoyed and frustrated as me, as it turns out it's another team that does this, and it should have been carried out first.

 

I know this is pretty much all down to the BT side of things, but why on earth is it so difficult for them to talk to one another internally and co-ordinate this? Why do I keep being told that I'm not needed for any of the external works when every time an engineer has been, they've had loads of questions for me, many of which I can't answer, and would have assumed BT themselves should have the answer to? Why do they keep wasting my time, and that of the engineers, booking them to appointments that they then either a) fail to make, b) aren't qualified to carry out or c) arrive to tell me that they're not able to carry out the work because it needs something from someone else?

 

It shouldn't be my responsibility to have to try and make sense of all this and reiterate feedback from previous engineers, nor try to constantly chase and co-ordinate multiple failed attempts at installation - I should be able to just order a service and then receive it. Again - this isn't aimed at Plusnet, as I'm well aware that it's predominantly BT letting things down here, but even so I can't help but be frustrated / disappointed.

Gandalf
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Re: Ticket #167635277

Hi Rich.

I'm sorry to hear about the experience you're having.

I've checked the latest updates on your order and I can see that the external work is with contractors, scheduled in for tomorrow. We'll update you when we know more.

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Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet