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Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

kstar01
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎08-07-2018

Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

This would appear to be BT's fault but it would be appreciated if someone here could advise me on this as I've had no help from BT.

 

I was due to switch from BT to Plusnet on 21 May 2018, with email confirmation from both companies of the switchover date. However, the swichover didn't actually happen until 21 June, apparently because of Openreach messing up, yet BT want me to pay them for this month, despite me already paying Plusnet a year in advance for their service to start from the 21 May. I have complained to BT yet they say there is nothing they can do because Openreach is a separate company, so who do I complain to to get this dreadful service sorted out? Would it be best to go straight to Ofcom?

 

ps - obviously these are all BT Group companies so I don't know why they can't sort it out.

8 REPLIES 8
Townman
Superuser
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Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

Hi,

A warm welcome to the forums.  First the companies - though they are all within the BT Group, they are all distinct, separate corporate entities and as such are not connected.

Though you have paid for Plusnet services "In advance" they do not come "into effect" until the service has been migrated.  Your next broadband bill will not be until one month after service commencement.  The 12 month LRS will similarly not commence until the phone line has been transferred.

In the meantime, BT Retail is still providing your services.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

kstar01
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎08-07-2018

Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

Unfortunately nothing you've said helps me in the slightest. 

My contract is with BT. Regardless of who they use, If a third party contractor messes up, BT are responsible. 

My monthly rate with Plusnet works out at just over £10 per month. BT want over £80 for the extra month. Why should I be out of pocket because someone else messes up?

 

Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

My response clarifies this...

BT want me to pay them for this month, despite me already paying Plusnet a year in advance for their service to start from the 21 May

Which seemed to suggest that you thought you were paying twice.

Your subsequent comment on you being £70 out of pocket due to BTOR failures (I do wonder what they were and exactly what you were advised) is indeed an interesting matter and it is difficult to know how you make that stick in the circumstances, for there are a multitude of reasons why BTOR do not always deliver to plan - some caused by the losing supplier (BT Retail) others caused by the gaining supplier (Plusnet in this case) and many more caused by the fragility of their own internal workings.

Where it might be shown that one of the CPs/ISPs is culpable, you might have a viable case against them, however if it is down to BTOR's internal issues, it is difficult to know which of the providers you can act against.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Baldrick1
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Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake


@kstar01 wrote:
My monthly rate with Plusnet works out at just over £10 per month. BT want over £80 for the extra month.

 This sounds very dramatic but I suspect that you are not comparing like with like. Changeover dates are always dependent on engineer availability, which is subject to change due to local circumstances.

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Jonpe
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Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

Both providers gave the customer a date (the same date), and no-one thought of telling him/her that the work would be delayed for a month.  We are talking about communications companies here!

Baldrick1
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Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake


@Jonpe wrote:

 no-one thought of telling him/her that the work would be delayed for a month. 

Sorry i've read the post again and missed this statement, that's not of course to say it's incorrect.


 

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Jonpe
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Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

The OP says he was given a date, but the migration didn't happen until a month later.  Maybe I'm being legalistic and assuming that no mention of updates, regular or otherwise, means they didn't happen.  It would at least be fair to assume that had he been informed of a new date, he would have understood that he would be paying his old provider for the extra month that provider was supplying the service, or at least have queried the money-side of things with whoever updated him.

MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Broadband switchover from BT to Plusnet a month late - BT still want money for their mistake

Sorry to hear this.

I can see you've called in regarding this and we've given you more info.

Let us know if there's anything else we can help with?

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 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team