Terrible Plusnet Mobile Attitude for un-used Random Contract

[#1]

I literally don't know where to start ?

I called Plusnet months ago to ask about their Full Fibre Broadband, and apparently it isn't available in my area.
While on the phone the chap in Liverpool told me Plusnet mobile was ceasing and he would transfer me to EE.  I was told it was £8 a month I think and would be a simple swap over...........naturally it wasn't.

My number was ported to EE eventually ( a number I've had 15 to 20 years ) and it became apparent my data package of 35 Gig with Plusnet had been dropped to 5Gig with EE - what a waste of time that is. I tried to contact EE, going round and round in circles. They would not upgrade me to one of the Plusnet packages they were offering - even when I quoted what they were and i'd pay the difference - Nope, a no go from them.

Called, and messaged Plusnet countless times about it without success. Nice friendly folks, but said they were unable to help. I left EE for Lyca Mobile after a week - tried to pay the £8 countless times using the EE app but message popping up every time they were having problems and couldn't pay it. It's still unpaid now after a couple of months and no doubt that will cause me grief in the future.

Anyway - the worst was yet to come, and come it did.
Money was still being taken from my bank for Plusnet mobile Finally managed to speak to a chap in sheffield on Facebook Messenger and he told me he'd heard of this before and it was a back office issue or something like that, and it would be sorted and he popped £20 in my account to cover it - great, thats sorted that then... - er, no.

I'm told I set up a new account with Plusnet 14 months ago and ported in a number from somewhere else
Not likely because I have only had my mobile number for 15 to 20 years as stated above.
I'm also told I called Plusnet and changed the answerphone settings after having the number for months - even though the number had never been used for making or receiving calls or used any data apart from 2mb which were apparently due to some initial phone settings.

I've called Liverpool Plusnet loads of times now and spoken to different people about it and keep getting different reasons why its happened, or they don't know how it happened and it would be cancelled - it wasn't cancelled..

Fast forward to 3rd November and after speaking to another lady at Plusnet mobile questioning this account I was put through to a chap in retentions or escalations or something like that. Went through it all again - I've never used that number to make or receive a call, or use data and have no idea where it was ported from ( he said he didn't know either - just that I did it ). Strangely the allowance of data on the account is the same 35Gig - which I think was a promotion at the time is the same as my proper account with them.

I have asked for a refund of the money and was told a resounding NO ! Point Blank NO !

I have asked for a copy of all voicecalls made with Plusnet Mobile, on my proper account and this other one, and was told to request that online. I explained I struggled to understand that process on the website and asked for the calls to be emailed to me by them - was told yes they would do that.

I was literally asking these questions when the bloke ( Lex or Alex ? ) was telling me we are going round in circles here because I have no understanding of that phone number and whilst asking when they would send the info he cut me off.
He did tell me he was going to terminate the call, and did it as I was talking mid sentence.

At NO POINT did I lose my temper, swear, be rude or aggressive ( because that doesn't get you anywhere ) - so now I have no idea if he is going to send me the voice call data  - it's been a week and nothing.

I've also cancelled my Plusnet Broadband contract and will receive a penalty for that no doubt, but thats OK, because I can honestly say - after being with Plusnet for years and years they certainly haven't Done Me Proud on this one.

Next stop Martin Lewis and the Ombudsman I guess. 

[#2]

@Not_Done_Proud  - Hiya thanks for taking my call and I've put thig into place to sort the account out. My colleague will call you on Thursday to let you know where we are with it as I'm off. he will try to help with anything in the meantime and I will review everything on Monday 20th when I'm back.

[#3]

Thanks James.

[#4]

Hi James.

Well, the nonsense continues.
I have just received another email saying my mobile ( proper mobile number ) bill is ready for another month - this is the number that I actually ported OUT of Plusnet on 13th SEPT.

Hope to hear from your colleague tomorrow as mentioned.

Thanks
Eric

[#5]

Cheers for your time on the phone Eric, here is the link to the DSAR: Privacy Web Form (onetrust.com) ! If you are unable to access it etc, please let us know and I will call you about it.

[#6]

(Long Sigh )
And so the Plusnet debacle continues:

I successfully filled in the DSAR form and have all my details verified via email and confirmed on 16th Nov 2023
Wait 30 days or so for info to be sent to me.

I received another email on 11th Dec 2023 - "Sorry its taking us so long, if you want to know why it is, then call us."
So I call Plusnet just now......

[CSA Removed] answers the phone and is very pleasant and as helpful as she can be.
She tells me I must have done the DSAR request wrong, there's nothing showing at their end.
This is the opposite to my notifications from customer service about my DSAR request being accepted, issued a number and confirmed I did it correctly.
Also the opposite of why would I receive a update saying its taking longer than expected - if they have no knowledge of my DSAR ?

The lady sending me the latest email is head of customer service [CSA Removed] - I asked if I can speak to her.
It appears not.

Can I call back in a few days when 30 days have passed to see what is happening to my request that they say both has and has not been received.

What a complete and utter farce.

In conclusion:

Plusnet say I had a phone number I never used for any calls in or out AND that I ported this number IN from another provider, even though I have never had this number EVER - and have had my current number for well over 15 years at least.
Plusnet say I have been billed for this number for about 14 months.
Plusnet say they have problems with their system somewhere that regular advisors cannot see.

Plusnet say If I attempt to reclaim that money back via the direct debit guarantee, they will get bailiffs involved to get it back from me and impact my perfect credit rating ( hence why I want those phone recordings ) as well.

What a complete farce.
I'm sure the Ombudsman will become involved, as will Martin Lewis and hopefully a spot on the Money Program on Radio 4 at this rate. I'm told I'm not the only person this has happened to.

The list of incompetency just gets longer with every call.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA name(s) removed (to an area staff can see) as per Forum rules.

[#7]

Hey there @Not_Done_Proud sorry to hear this. I know Adam has called you this morning and we are going to keep an eye on it for you. Let us know if you need anything in the meantime.

[#8]

18th / 12/ 2023

Another deep sigh.

Yet again, another email telling me the dodgy number I never had, ported in, used for calls in or out or any data used has been sent saying...
"We're just dropping you a line to let you know that your bill is now available to view. Simply head over to My Account and use your account number and password to log in to check on all your calls, texts and data used this month."

I can't be sent the data I asked for yet I still keep getting nonsense like this - I've informed Plusnet for months and Months now about this - yet I'm still told the number was mine, I can't have a refund of what I paid and I'll get no more messages about it....
and still they come.

I can't wait for all my Dsar info to eventually arrive.

Jokers

[#9]

And another plusnet mobile email telling me my bill is available to view.
Absolutely useless.

And still no sign of all the info I asked for.

[#10]

Hi, Adam is away at the moment but will help with the DSAR when he's back. A final bills of £0.00 is sent to confirm that the account is fully closed. Is the bill £0.00?

[#11]

Hi James
It's baffling.
It's for the number I have never used and didn't transfer in.
It says I am in credit of £0.00 so payment won't be taken.

This is the number that has caused all the grief as you know.
Looking forward to the DSAR info though.

Cheers

[#12]

It just takes a long time to close usually a month to 2 months but that 0.00 will be the end of the communications. I hope you get what you're after with the DSAR soon but I'll make sure Adam gets back to you.

[#13]

@James30, if I've followed the thread correctly then this isn't an account that is being closed, it is an account that was never knowingly opened.

I wouldn't be surprised if it continues a while longer...

[#14]

Well, another week passes and still no data has been sent to me.
This has been going on for absolutely months now, and my patience and good will has all but run dry.

I was assured by Lex in Liverpool a number of times during the 36 minute call that he would send me the phone correspondence I apparently had with Brian in 2022, along with all the phone chats etc. He confirmed I would get it all by email for my proper account and the one with a number I've never had, let alone ported in to Plusnet.
"He'll set that up - no worries" he said and naturally that info has never arrived, nor has the complaint been resolved I filed on 16th OCTOBER 2023, and the DSAR info not been sent that was confirmed on 16th November 2023.

"Craig" told me on 16th Oct  "He's known a lot of customers to do double accounts by mistake, the system looks like it kicks you back to the start and times out - but it doesn't - that happened to him setting his girlfriends account up"
I'm told I ported a number into Plusnet, that I've never even owned! - I've had my one phone number for decades, and the number my complaint is about has never been my number.

I have literally spent hours on the phone to Plusnet staff, whilst being given completely contradictory information by them depending on who I speak to. Liverpool office have told me outright that Sheffield staff "aren't qualified or have access to 'the system' - they are a completely separate company" yet I have had the most interactions and assistance from Sheffield Office about this - at least they haven't put the phone down on me and not sent what they promised to send - unlike Lex from Liverpool and the DSAR team etc.

It must be pretty obvious by now I'm not one to just let this drop and go away quietly.
I'd hoped Plusnet would have resolved this over the months they have had since I complained, and still hold a glimmer of hope they will do the right thing whilst I am preparing letters for the Ombudsman regarding the complaints and the ICO regarding the failure to provide the data requested ages ago.

Hope to hear from you soon.

[#15]

I'm really sorry that you still haven't received your DSAR information yet.

As we don't handle these directly we need to raise a query with a back office team to get this chased up for you. I'm raising this with them right now and will keep you in the loop.