Mystery neighbour ordered internet using my address - landline takeover 19/06 - what to do?

[#1]

Hi all, am in a pickle. 

A mystery neighbour has placed and order for internet and landline with Vodafone mistakenly using my address, meaning my landline with Plusnet will be "ceased" without my permission on the 19th and my internet will stop. I found out via a "sorry you're leaving us" email from Plusnet.

I thought it would be a simple fix, but I cannot stop the "cease" from my end, despite assuring that I live in the flat and want to remain with Plusnet. Only the new provider, Vodafone can do that, as directed by the account holder, the mystery neighbour. Vodafone won't speak to me, because I'm not the account holder. Just the owner of the flat with the landline in it!!

I've spoken to multiple agents, and though they have tried to help, had no resolution so far. 

I've been advised so far:

1. They have tried to cancel the landline cease, but it has been rejected by openreach. They can't do anything to stop it from Plusnet side as there is an open order against my address. 

2. Contact the neighbour to ask them to cancel their order: tried via door knocking and printouts on doors, but I live in a block of 150 with multiple agencies and individual leaseholders. 

3. Put in an order for fibre - your internet will go down on the 19th and nothing can be done, but to quickly get you back up we can order fibre installation for Monday 23rd. As soon as this was done it was also paused, due to the "open order/cease" on my address with open reach. 

I'm at my wits end, I've spoken to multiple agents, knocked on doors, printed flyers to stick up... Surely something can be done to stop my phone line being ceased and my internet going down?! Am I really at the mercy of a mystery neighbour? And what will happen after the 19th, will mystery neighbour then have to chase up their presumed lack of internet to sort it out? Where on earth does this leave me? 

Sincerely, 

"Soon to be subjected to life offline" 

[#2]

I thought the OTS ( one touch switch ) system was meant to match both name and address before accepting the transfer ? So  unless your neighbour has also used your name, then the transfer should not have been accepted.

[#3]

Is OTS for an individual to switch providers? I think they may be a new person moving in opening a new account from fresh rather than going through a switching route, hence the address confusion. My contract had *just* gone into rolling monthly contract in May which I hadn't spotted, so maybe that allowed it to slide by. 

I'd have thought there might be some check in place somewhere when another provider is taking over an in use line from another provider, or at least some recourse to stop it when an incorrect address has been used if the actual resident can prove they reside at the address or something. 

Been at the  address 8 years, long term account holder with Plusnet, and it essentially means nothing as a new person somewhere in the building set up an account accidentally using my address. I'm just ranting now but it's bloody baffling! 

[#4]

 I think they may be a new person moving in opening a new account from fresh rather than going through a switching route, hence the address confusion

in that case , I would have expected Plusnet to be able to block the cease, since they currently 'own' the asset.

[#5]

I know that the 4+ agents I have spoken to have tried to cancel the cease and have told me it just won't go through for some reason, and can only be done from the other side. If there's anything else they should be doing, or another team they could be passing along to that could put a stop to it then would welcome the direction - I've mainly been speaking to folks via the regular customer service number, and occasionally provisioning for orders, so if there is a team with higher technical access I could be suggesting then who would that be? 

[#6]

I can't believe that a takeover can't be stopped under these circumstances ? If that's the case then OFCOM. needs to look at the procedures.

If you haven't already, then raise a formal complaint with Plusnet . Unfortunately that probably won't get addressed before the cease. Meanwhile I'll try escalating this to see if the Plusnet help team can do something...

[#7]

@sdefny11 

Do have (and use) a phone line and / or PN email addresses?

If your account closes you'll lose them.

Brian

[#8]

Do have (and use) a phone line and / or PN email addresses?

If your account closes you'll lose them.

Thankfully I don't have PN email addresses, and while I do have a landline I don't use it for phone. So in the grand scheme of things I'm not as impacted as some would be, but all the more reason I'm surprised this kind of thing can happen! 

[#9]

If you haven't already, then raise a formal complaint with Plusnet . Unfortunately that probably won't get addressed before the cease. Meanwhile I'll try escalating this to see if the Plusnet help team can do something...

I haven't raised a formal complaint yet - honestly I was hoping it could be sorted and was a bit worried about biting the hand that might fix my internet. But if that is the route that would most likely get it fixed! 

[#10]

I've managed to attract the attention of one of the Plusnet help team experts. They're going to have another try tomorrow  with Openreach directly to cancel the cease but they don't hold out a lot of hope. It just seems crazy that nothing can stop this sort of thing happening.

I'd also register a formal complaint with Vodafone on the basis they are 'slamming' i.e taking your connection without consent. Ofcom take a dim view of this, even though it's probably their fault for defining the processes incorrectly

Whilst raising a complaint likely won't affect the outcome, if nothing else, it gives Plusnet ammunition to complain to Openreach etc that the process is flawed in this situation.

[#11]

@sdefny11 I've had a note from my Plusnet contact. He's been in contact with Openreach again this morning and will post here when there's some news.

To try and explain the situation :-

Prior to the OTS system, there was a 'Cancel other' procedure under the GPL(Gaining provider lead) process. This allowed the losing ISP to cancel the gaining providers transfer order when placed in error. Since the introduction of the OTS system this cancel other procedure was deemed not necessary since there was now matching of both name & address. 

The problem in your case, is that Vodafone seem to have managed to place the order outside of the OTS system, how I've no idea! but that means there's no simple way for the losing ISP to cancel it.

[#12]

@MisterW. Would it be wise to ask your PN contact if they could send out a mobile dongle by the 19th so that @sdefny11 is not without broadband if/when it is cut off.

[#13]

After discussing with Openreach, they have been able to cancel the order on this occasion.

There's still a pending product change to fibre on your account - if you'd no longer like to go ahead with this, please could you just give us a quick call on 0330 123 9123? 

Although I'd recommend upgrading as the product you're currently on will be retired in the not so distant future, but if you want to retain your landline phone, there are other options available. 

[#14]

Holy moly!
@Gandalf and @MisterW I cannot thank you both enough!! This has sorted such a colossal headache that I was drowning in (at an already kinda pants time).

tbh happy to go with fibre, though I'd originally signed up as a potential rescue to get internet back, I may as well swap sooner rather than later!

I'm going to make a celebratory brew and work out what to do with myself 😅

[#15]

No problem, glad I could help!

I've let our back-office provisioning team know and they'll place the fibre order shortly.