Migration to EE - My Plusnet service switched off before EE SIM arrives. Where does that leave me?

[#1]

As my username suggests- Beware! I started my unwanted move to EE last week and earlier today I find my Plusnet Mobile service has been switched off!

I have been a long time happy user (many years) of Plusnet mobile and recommended the service to friends and family.

Then I read on MoneySavingExpert website that my service is being discontinued without any communication from Plusnet.

Given that Plusnet has been a part of EE/BT for some considerable time now why haven't EE/BT just left Plusnet SIMs switched on and quietly migrated users 'in the background'

Instead, I have had to go through some stupid process of acquiring a code (from Plusnet) that allowed me to see the "offers" that EE (in effect the same company I'm already with) are offering. Okay, I jumped through that hoop. Then having decided on a plan I was forced to sign up all over again to what is effect the same company I have been with all these years! How barmy is that? Also while we're about it let's carry out a credit check on someone who has been paying for their service without issues for years! What an insult to us, your customers EE. 

Okay, so now my understanding is that a new SIM will arrive from EE, I will replace my Plusnet SIM with said SIM and maybe after a short delay (I'm thinking a few minutes) my Plusnet mobile number will be available. Why do I think that? Well when I phone Plusnet support I'm informed by a recorded message "Please be re-assured you won't lose your number and your services will continue as they do today". So what can possibly go wrong?

Well, having jumped through the 'we have an offer for you which will involve stupid codes blah blah' and signing up last Thursday. On Friday I receive a text from EE thanking me for upgrading to EE and that my delivery address has been changed as requested. It went on to say that if I hadn't requested a change to delivery address then to contact them on 150 immediately.

Well as far as I was concerned I had given EE my personal details plus delivery details at sign-up. I hadn't requested that delivery address to be changed so I called 150 as instructed. 

Stupid me! 150 is not available from my mobile as I am on the Plusnet service. So I checked on EE's Website and call EE on their non-EE number to query the delivery address change. 

I was told by a very friendly EE advisor that the text had probably been triggered by EE's migration process and I needn't worry as my delivery address hadn't really been changed - so a waste of my time and effort, but at least I'd confirmed that my SIM would not be going to some random person who would potentially have access to my number which I use for my 2 factor authentication services! Obviously a huge security risk.

The weekend passes and this morning I noticed that my Plusnet service had ceased. I restarted my phone but still no service. Nothing, nada!

I called Plusnet at 8am earlier (lines open at 8am) on a borrowed phone to report my loss of service to be told the usual 'we are experiencing high volumes' blah blah (you know the script).

Eventually I get through to an advisor who didn't really seem interested in my issue. Maybe she's heard it all before or had a rough weekend? Anyhow she spoke to her manager who suggested I either wait for two days for them to send out an EE SIM or I visit an EE shop with ID to request a SIM. A refund (no mention of how much) was also offered. Would I be happy with that? I'm guessing that maybe if I'm lucky, the EE SIM ordered last week may arrive by post today. Or I can wait 2 days (realistically longer) for a SIM to be sent out later today. Or drive a round trip of 22 miles to my nearest store, park up somewhere (at my expense) and request a SIM plus lose half a day from my life (and my business) fixing a problem not of my making

Great, thanks EE!  So the promise of "Please be re-assured you won't loose your number and your services will continue as they do today" is worthless. I am unable to make and receive calls. I am unable to carry out any process that requires 2 factor text based authentication. But I can waste effectively half a day fixing EEs problem or wait until an EE SIM does or doesn't turn up.

So in conclusion - Beware. Plusnet's discontinuation of their mobile service (which I had to learn about from MSE Website) may no be the seamless (my word but inferred from their promise) process you may hope for. I would like to think I am not being unreasonable here, but maybe that's for others to decide?

[#2]

@Beware 

I might have missed it in your post, but your experience seems to have been completely different to mine - I moved to EE in early May.

I had not previously been contacted by Plusnet about the closure of their mobile service - I too saw it on the MoneySavingExpert website and contacted PN based on that.

The person at Plusnet mobile advised me of the "special" EE offers available and I selected the one closet to what I already had with PN. The PN person then generated the PAC code and arranged the transfer, (I don't even think that I was aware of what the actual PAC code was?), including the new Direct Debit. They then advised me of the next steps in the process and what I had to do to ensure a smooth transfer.

My EE SIM arrived a few days later, and as advised I put it in to my phone. Once the SIM had registered on the EE network, I removed it and re-inserted the PN SIM, which I continued to use until it stopped working a few days later. I then put the EE SIM in my phone again and it was working straight away, (I can't remember if I then had my original number immediately or if that took a few hours to change?).

My final PN bill was generated on the usual day of the month, and the small credit owing was in my bank about a week later. I then cancelled the PN Direct Debit.

At no point did I contact EE directly myself.

I might be reading your post wrong, but did you obtain the PAC code from PN and then contact EE to make the new arrangements?

[#3]

Your experience certainly sounds better than mine! 

At no point did Plusnet contact me. I read about the Plusnet mobile service's demise on the MSE Website, then checked my Plusnet Android App.

The app led me to the special codes nonsense described to allow me to check out EE deals for Plusnet customers. Maybe a better approach might have been for Plusnet to email (or even send a letter) me to 1) Let me know the service was be discontinued and 2) Informing me of the tariffs available, rather than let me find out about the demise via a third party web site, then messing about with special codes that would allow me to see the 'special' deals?

 IMHO the difference between your experience and mine is you spoke to Plusnet who appear to have managed your migration well. I followed a different 'online' route that is not going well. I'm still hoping Royal Mail deliver the EE SIM today and that it works without issue. 

I guess my main gripe (apart from having no service which includes having no SMS text service that means I cannot carry out 2FA) is that the seamless transition from a service owned by EE/BT to a service owned by EE/BT has not occurred.

With regard to contacting EE - Maybe I wasn't clear, but the reason I got in touch with EE on Saturday was because they informed me (by SMS) of a SIM delivery address change which made no sense. The SMS message asked me to contact them if I hadn't changed my delivery address which I did. My concern was that my new EE SIM may be delivered to a different address with all the problems that may involve.

Comparing our two experiences it would appear that phoning Plusnet to arrange everything is the better migration option.

However if an 'online' option is available, then it should be seamless in my view and not involve significant time spent chasing problems, being advised to drive to another town and considerable inconvenience and loss of service.

Also with regard to obtaining a PAC code. I applied for that (by SMS) while completing the online sign-up to EE after I had chosen one of the packages on offer to Plusnet customers.

Anyhow, thanks for taking time to read my experience so far and taking time to add your comments.

[#4]

Hiya @Beware, 

I'm really sorry for the experience you have had between us and EE, this is not the level of service we want to provide to any of our customers.  I can appreciate the frustration you are feel as I would feel this way if I was in your shoes. 

I would like to look into this and see why this has happened, therefore I will be sending you a PM to obtain some information. 

[#5]

@SammyM 

Thanks. I have replied to your PM with the details you requested.

Also, for anyone else following this, I can confirm that my EE SIM arrived earlier and appeared to be pre-activated with my ported number. 

I therefore have access again to my number and all the services that are reliant on that number. ie Two factor authentication services.

All I can add is that it would have been a better experience if my old Plusnet SIM had been deactivated once I had placed the new EE SIM into my phone.

[#6]

Ta @Beware, 

I have sent you a message back, I will look into the points you raised as well as what happened on our end

[#7]

Thanks @SammyM and have responded to your PM. 

[#8]

Hey there @Beware

Sammy has had to take a day off today due to personal reasons. I don't have access to the email she will have sent and received from the back end team so am I alright to pop it on hold until she gets back?

[#9]

Yes, that's fine.I completely understand

[#10]

Just to add some closure to this thread...

Thanks you very much @SammyM  for talking to the Plusnet and EE teams regarding the early switch off of my PN SIM before the EE replacement arrived/activated. 

Thanks also for phoning me today to discuss your findings so far and acknowledging that my service should not have terminated early. As I explained during our call, I followed EE's online sign-up procedure during which I requested my PAC code via SMS and supplied it as part of the whole process. Hopefully your EE colleagues will discover where/when my PN service was switched off before I attempted to use the replacement SIM. That would be the logical time to switch off my PN SIM.

I just hope that moving forward the EE customer service/support folk can offer the great level of service I have come to expect from the support staff at Plusnet!

[#11]

Honestly it was my pleasure, you are an absolute diamond @Beware and if you ever need anything else, just give me a nudge

[#12]

Exactly the same is happening to me. We are will PN broadband and I and my husband have PN mobile too. We got the email about the EE offers, so both applied a few days ago. We got texts about the change of delivery addresses, which after contacting the EE helpline were found to be nothing to worry about. Yesterday my PN sim no longer worked. However my husband's was OK and he got his new sim, but not mine! He is waiting until after the weekend to put in his new sim, I am waiting for the post person, and if it does not arrive today, Saturday, will have been off line for more than 3 days. Not impressed. Also for the same money we are getting less data than we were with PN, although we do not usually use that much. If I do not get my old number I will be furious.

[#13]

Hi @barbhw 

Thanks for taking time to read and comment. 

@SammyM  has been most supportive with my issue and has been talking with colleagues at EE regarding the loss of service I experienced. The fact that you and your husband's experiences have been different indicates that the PN to EE changeover is not very robust. As you say, the text regarding change of delivery address is disconcerting resulting in time wasted by customers and support staff over something that EE should sort out in my view. 

My SIM, when it arrived, activated immediately with my old PN number ported over. So hopefully you too will retain your old number.

This however raised another concern for me as my SIM may have ended up in the hands of a third party who would have been able to just insert my SIM and then effectively own my number/service. That is a big issue these days with so many every-day functions reliant on receiving security texts (2 factor authentication). I think EE should confirm the identity of a customer before switching a SIM on thus ensuring it is in the hands (thus phone) of the account holder. I raised this particular point with PN as a big concern.

Yesterday, I received an email from PN informing me that my latest bill is available to view and that I am in credit with this being carried over to my bill. But as far as I know, my service is with EE since I was switched over so why would I get further bills from Plusnet? Surely I should have received an email informing me that my switchover had completed and any credit refunded to my direct debit account?

I'm really sorry Plusnet. My experience with PN until now has been great. Responsive friendly staff and a reliable service. However this changeover to EE appears in my case to have been poorly thought through.  I just get the feeling that with this move from small friendly responsive Plusnet to big EE is not going to work well for me. Time will tell.

Hopefully @barbhw  your SIM will turn up with your number and all will be well. Good luck!

[#14]

At last after nearly 4 days I have mobile phone connected. My sim still had not arrived by post, so I went in to the local EE shop, who sorted it out. The system for moving from plusnet to EE definitely needs some adjustments. So glad I live fairly near an EE shop and they were so nice and helpful.

[#15]

I transferred to EE because Plusnet Mobile discontinuing?  Gave EE my PAC Code and Plusnet discontinued my Mobile 1 day later.  I have no mobile service and have no idea what to do.  Have no landline - who do you contact on the web? Norman Orchison