Account number needed, customer service refusing to provide..

[#1]

In fact, Plusnet is denying the incontrovertible fact that every customer of every service provider, be they supplying broadband or water and all points between, has an account number.
I realise how ridiculous this may seem, so I'm pasting a copy of the missive in which Plusnet's customer "service"   person made this most ridiculous statement:

Quote

[Removed]- CSC Analyst 3:26pm, Friday 11 Mar 2016 Dear Mr B*******, Thanks for getting in touch, I'm not sure what you mean by an account number sorry. When you call up you'll be asked to provide us with your username and 2 random characters of your password. These are the details you've used to log in to talk to us on here. Please do not hesitate to get back in touch online at http://contactus.plus.net or by phone on 0800 432 0200 if we can be of further assistance. Kind regards, [Removed]

Further assistance you say? That would suggest that they have been of some assistance already but that wouldn't be the case since Plusnet - one of the UK's best known brands in the telecoms and internet sector - has the sheer audacity to expect me to swallow this frankly ludicrous claim that my user account has no such thing as an account number to identify it!
I wouldn't mind, but Plusnet inherited me when they took over Vodafone's broadband service back in 2008, yet now that I could go back to Vodafone, it's Plusnet whose refusal to provide my account number is preventing my moving to any other provider as without that number, Vodafone are unwilling to help.
Are there any other inherited Vodafone@Home broadband customers on this forum who have found themselves in the same ridiculous situation at the hands of these people? If so, how did you get the problem solved?
TIA,
John
mav:csa

[#2]

Hi John,
I have been here since 1999, through most of the incarnations, and I don't ever recall anyone asking this question before !  
I am very familiar with all my account details, and have never been aware of having an actual "account number".
There is only your 'username' which identifies your account,  and your 'telephone CLI' which identifies your physical connection.
If there was an "account number", it would be shown either in your "Account Summary", or "View Details"

To move to a new ISP, you should only need to provide the new ISP with your phone number and postcode.
See the following guides -

• ISPreview : A Guide to Switching UK Broadband and Phone Provider After June 2015


• ThinkBroadband : How to switch your broadband supplier - A complete guide


• Ofcom : Switching broadband provider

The only other thing I could imagine that Vodafone are talking about is your "Service ID", which can be found by visiting "View Transactions", then click on one of your most recent invoice numbers, then the "Service ID" is shown on the top right of that invoice page.
Hopefully in the morning, a member of Plusnet staff can advise on how to progress this situation !    

[edit]  I have since discovered this - "Understanding your bill",  which shows the "Service ID" as being your "Account Number" !
I hope that resolves your question !,  and I learnt something new 

[#3]

Your "Account Number" is what is shown as "Service ID" on the right-hand side of your invoices.

[#4]

Quote

yet now that I could go back to Vodafone, it's Plusnet whose refusal to provide my account number is preventing my moving to any other provider as without that number, Vodafone are unwilling to help.

Your account number (service ID) with us is irrelevant to other providers, it means nothing to anyone else apart from being a unique identifier in our systems.
If you're transferring your services to Vodafone, they should be able to do this on phone number and address, which is the Ofcom define gaining provider led process.
From reading your account it seems there is some confusion and that you're trying to contact Vodafone for advice on a service that they do not provide you with? A couple of years back we took over the Vodafone at home service, so any support with that would be from us (Plusnet). Since then Vodafone have started selling broadband services again, however if you were previously with Vodafone@Home then your service is now provided by Plusnet.
The Vodafone phone system will be asking you for *their* account number, we can't give you this as we're not Vodafone and have no idea what it is.

[#5]

Problem solved back in January, thanks to my local trading standards department's help with explaining to Plusnet and Vodafone what constitutes an account number.

Also, I decided to remain with Plusnet but as a Plusnet, rather than V@H customer. Very glad I did too, the new router is incredibly stable and apart from my not seeing my Referral payments yet (a minor thing and I did send the relevant email to the postroom email a/c, but the cash saving would be welcomed as I'm as tight as a fishes eye socket..), all is well.

Downloads are rarely lower than the promised speed and uploads were already at 8Mb+ before I got the email promising an increase to around that sort of pace.

Keep up the good work, people of Plusnet, and how about we get thae referral discounts sorted at some point please?