No service - compensation required please

[#1]

I was declared by outreach as being ‘no service’ on 27 Sep and they finally fixed it on 08 Oct.  I spoke to a PN representative on 27 Sep regarding modems and the like etc…..they would get in touch with the best solution, there was no solution offered, but I advised that I could claim compensation at £9+ per day.  I would obviously now like to be compensated for my loss, but what is the process please?

Many thanks

[#2]

If your service/connection failed on 27/9/2024 and was restored on 08/10/2024, you will be entitled to 9 (or maybe 10) days compensation, which will be paid as a credit on the invoice created 30 days after the 8th (I think I've got that correct). There is no need to claim.

[#3]

@jab1 

"you will be entitled to 9 (or maybe 10) days compensation"

Have you calculated that correctly?

When I received that compensation a while ago, I was told that Plusnet/Openreach were allowed 3 full working days, starting from the day after the fault was first reported to PN, and compensation was then payable from the fourth day.

I don't know if they now count Saturday as a "working day", or if it is just Monday to Friday?

So in the OP's case, assuming that they reported the fault on Friday 27th, "day 1" might not be until Monday 30th, with day 3 being Wednesday 2nd October, with compensation being payable from Thursday 3rd.

If the fault was fixed on Tuesday 8th, then that might only be 3 working days to be compensated?

[#4]

@Mr_Paul I may have forgotten the compensation is from the day after the fault is reported, whether it includes weekends during the outage I admit I am not sure about, so I may be wrong. As the OP hasn't responded or even been back since the post, maybe we are both wasting our time.

[#5]

Ofcom Automatic Compensation Scheme

Plusnet is signed up to the Ofcom Automatic Compensation Scheme - see Automatic Compensation FAQs. Plusnet will pay automatic compensation in the following circumstances:

1. Delayed activation of your broadband and/or landline service
2. Delayed repair following a total loss of service
3. Missed appointments

For compensation to be paid (as a credit to your account), you must have a CONFIRMED date for the failed activity. Compensation is credited within 30 days following the resolution of the issue giving rise to the claim.

To see what is happening in detail, check the ticket history on your account - log into the portal in another tab, return here and click the PN TICKET link below. Look at the details of the tickets; if there appears to be no activity after the due date, contact support.

Note: Outages arising from a Major Service Outage (MSO) event need to be processed manually, so you might need to contact support.

[#6]

According to Ofcom, it is 2 full working days after the fault is reported, but is payable for the calendar days it is not fixed from that.

So by my reckoning, if it was reported on the Friday 27th September, then the 28th and 29th wouldn't count as they are non-working days, so Monday 30th and Tuesday 1st would be the non-payable days that Openreach have to fix it.  Tuesday the 8th October wouldn't count as that was the day it was fixed, so compensation is due for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th of October at £9.76 a day, so a total of £58.56. This should be automatically credit to the account within 30 days of the service being fixed.

[#7]

@pjmarsh Thanks - I'll bear that in mind when responding to any following queries of the same nature.

[#8]

Thanks to all who have responded.  I shall await my compensation to be delivered automatically….

[#9]

Just as an update for other customers reviewing this thread.  PN do indeed apply compensation automatically, well they send you an email confirming your confirmation of the compensation, which was pleasing although no financial transaction took place. 

I have now received another email, one of those ‘questions raised’ scenarios, where they have reviewed the situation and have decided to reject the compensation.  This despite Outreach declaring there was no service. 

Pretty incompetent if you ask me.  I’m done, good luck.

[#10]

@RobinTinternet Was there a reason given for the rejection?

[#11]

Detail of the reasons for the rejection would be appropriate here, otherwise the post intended to suggest dishonesty is more than a tad unfair.

Payment is not made simply because there was a break in service. The relevant period starts on the day after the fault is REPORTED which might not be the same day it STARTED.

Compensation becomes a consideration if the fault is not fixed by the end of the second WORKING day after it was REPORTED.

Compensation is not paid for the day it was FIXED.

So as an example, a fault reported on a Friday and fixed by the following Wednesday will not be eligible for compensation payments. Clearly users will at times have different views connected with delayed reporting after a failure, not accepting the first available appointment and there being weekend days between reporting and restitution of the service.

[#12]

On the contrary, I think you have been a tad unfair by using the inference of dishonesty, when I clearly used the word incompetency; fundamentally different.

The term incompetency was used in the aspect of applying a compensation figure due to be credited and subsequently reviewing it and then retrospectively removing it.  Logic would suggest a competent organisation would review a compensation claim and approve it prior to contacting the customer with a declaration.

This isn’t about whether the day it was reported or the day it was made better is included. The inference from PN is that compensation has been withdrawn, which I am not happy about.

Your recently applied compensation credit has been rejected in accordance with Automatic Compensation guidelines for no observable total loss of service. The credit was therefore applied in error and has now been removed.

No observable loss of service despite  open reach declaring no service (logged by PN) and subsequently digging up my driveway to install a new cable on the 8th Oct. Quite clearly a fault was present as they don’t commit to ground works on a whim.  I/ we work from home so went to another address for a week, to maintain reliable operations.

[#13]

Given the above, I would be tempted to query the latest decision.Presumably, you have kept any written communications with regard to this, and PN should be able to retrieve phone records.

[#14]

Appreciate the support, thank you.

Any Plusnet Staff available to PM me, as I am really not happy.

[#15]

It is the weekend - I doubt the Help Team will be around much.