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Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienced

JShepp
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎16-08-2017

Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienced

TL; DR: Nobody in Plusnet knows what anybody else is doing. After intially being missold fibre optic, I have been in touch with Plusnet multiple times to try to get a start date from them (they initially said the 11th, that has been delayed several times already); every single person I speak just contradicts the previous one, to the point where I flat-out do not believe any assurances I am given any more. Still no go-live date even though an engineer is not required.

 

I really don't know where to begin here.

 

It all starts with a straightforward house move: I had a fibre contract which I was perfectly happy with, and was forced to move flat. I called up Plusnet and informed them of my impending move, they checked and told me that yes, they could easily move my fibre connection to the new property. Fantastic. They initially requested a go-live date of August 11 - no engineer was required at any point.

 

Of course I get no further updates, so I contact Plusnet and find out there is apparently a cease on the line while works are carried out, and this will remain until Monday August 14. Note that I had to proactively contact them at my own expense, and no attempt was made to inform me - this is a common theme. They did assure me that I would be contacted with an update as soon as this was completed.

 

So Monday comes and, of course, nothing from Plusnet. I have to contact them, and find that now my go-live date is supposed to be Tuesday the 15th. Great! Of course, I'm a little sceptical, so naturally I contact Plusnet on the 15th just to check. And they tell me my order has been cancelled. Cancelled! Only now, at the go-live date, do they learn that actually they can't give me fibre at my new address at all. It didn't seem to matter one iota to them that they'd promised it earlier; they just told me they thought it was at the time, but there's nothing they can do now. The idea that they, as a business, should be held accountable for their promises seems entirely alien to them. I also have to wonder what would have happened if I hadn't contacted them to check - would they have just left me in the dark?

 

 

Anyway, I eventually get to speak to someone who assures me that, although a new cease has been placed on the line for reasons unknown, my order has been changed to regular broadband and will be expedited, to go live within 24 hours. OK then, I begrudingly accept. They assure me they will text me as soon as they've gotten the cease removed with an update on my new go-live time. Of course, this text never comes, so I chase them up and get another advisor on chat. They give me a new date...August 30.

 

August 30! With no engineer appointment required! I decide enough is enough, and demand to cancel without fees due to the failure of plusnet to provide the service they originally promised. I am put through to the cancellation department and they agree to arrange this, although they tell me I cannot cancel until the house move is complete! In the meantime, I shop around and find Virgin offering me fibre, at a decent price, with a guaranteed go live date of Saturday August 19. I'll take it. It at this point that I finally get a text back, telling me that my order has been placed. I text back telling them about the Virgin order and asking if they can beat their projection. Yes, they tell me, they can confirm that my broadband will be up and running by Saturday.

 

OK, I think, I'll hold off on cancellation for now. I speak with someone - [CSA Removed], his name was - in the customer options team, who tells me that it won't go through automatically anyway, and gives me my broadband for free. He again guarantees that my internet will be online by Saturday. Alright, no leaving for now - I had also stressed to him that I should pay no cancellation fee as this entire situation is a failure, of Plusnet's own making, to deliver what they have promised as per our contract. He stubbornly refused to acknowledge this, telling me that I should not have been promised anything but failing to acknowledge that Plusnet should bear the consequences of their own failures.

 

This morning, I have an email from someone in the cancellation team. They confirm that my account WILL be automatically closed after my house move is complete, and a termination fee of £291 - please note that, even on the phone and in all emails, my termination fee is lsited as £194 - is still showing on my account page. I also have an email confirming my broadband order, with no discount applied. Again, the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing; one department says one thing, one more says another.

 

So of course, I go on online chat again, to set all this right and ask for an update. I was told there should be an update ready by 7AM on the 16th, but nothing comes (surprise surprise). When I eventually get through to somebody, they tell me that my phone line has not been activated(!) and my broadband order has not been processed(!!!). They tell me they can place an order which hopefully will be online by Friday, but I'm done at this point. I give Plusnet one final chance by demanding a guarantee, in writing, but they decline to provide this.

 

I've been told so many things which just haven't transpired, £194 to be rid of this pathetic excuse for a shambles is starting to look like a good deal. After being let down so many times, I don't trust Plusnet to deliver anything any more, and I trust them with access to my bank account even less. It is now my intention to formally request a deadlock letter and go back to Virgin for my fibre, as I'm not willing to tolerate this treatment any longer. I do not expect to pay any cancellation fees, although I know Plusnet will stubbonly ignore their own contractual obligations and charge me anyway. Therefore, I am requesting that no payment is taken - for anything - until the deadlock matter is resolved and the communications ombudsman has made a ruling. If they rule in Plusnet's favour, I'm willing to pay the fee at this point, though I very much doubt they will. I know my rights as a consumer; you have made promises in writing regarding my product and connection speeds which you have not kept and cannot keep.

 

Expect my formal request for a deadlock letter to appear here within the next few days, as well as being posted to you by recorded delivery. I would raise a formal complaint, but I have four questions open and cannot close any.

 

Needless to say, should Plusnet pursue me for early termination fees, I will make my defence as loudly and publicly as possible.

 

What went wrong, Plusnet? All your branding is based around customer service, but the incompetence I've had to suffer is truly beyond belief. If anyone is considering switching to Plusnet, I really hope they read this, because it's just not worth it. I've reached the point where I'm willing to pay £200 just to be rid of them, and I'm not a wealthy man; £200 is a significant sum to me.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA name removed as per Forum rules.

10 REPLIES 10
Gel
Aspiring Champion
Posts: 2,332
Thanks: 299
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Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Do you really expect people to plough through this diatribe?
Far too long; be succinct/ summarise if you want other forum users to post back with suggestions.
JShepp
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎16-08-2017

Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

I'm sorry if I've somehow offended you. I shouldn't have to go through a diabtribe, because none of the above should have happened in the first place. The length of the post is testament to how awful Plusnet have been. But if you want a summary, that's what the bolded section at the top is. "TL; DR" stands for "Too long; didn't read".

Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Hi,

A warm welcome to the forums. That's a really sad experience, however user perceptions and real world facts are not always the same. Another of the Superusers has flagged this topic for attention by the staff team; I suspect though the facts behind your experience - largely outside of PlusNET's control will be something like...

1. There was someone already at the property you are moving to.
2. They told their supplier to cease their service, who placed a cease order on the line.
3. Whilst there is a cease order on a line BTw / BTOR will (eventually) reject (cancel) any order placed against that line, by any CP/ISP serking to take it over albeit not at the time the order is raised.
4. At the time of accepting your FIBRE order BTw system showed FTTC port availability at the cabinet.
5. By the time BTw finished jacking around the orders and the line cease completed so that Plusnet could place new orders, there were no spare ports left in the cabinet.
6. VM were able to offer you greater assurance because their wires to your house are not screwed around with by BTw / BTOR

If the above are the real facts here, I suspect there's a fair chance you'd have encountered similar challenges which ever ISP you'd gone to who is reliant on BT circuits. When they screw-up they do it royally.

Hope you are soon sorted!!

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.

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
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Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Hi there,

 

I am very sorry to hear of the poor experience you've had.

 

From reviewing your account and the orders we've placed with our suppliers, it looks like they initially failed because of a pending cease on the line. This is where the current provider of your property is in the process of stopping the active services. Whilst this was pending completion, no provide order will progress on the Openreach systems.

 

Once the cease had completed, we replaced your orders. Unfortunately, these failed because the phone number we requested on the order is not available at the exchange that provides your new address.

 

I can see that things have moved forward as of today; the order we placed yesterday to reactivate your phone line has completed and I've now been able to get your broadband order in place.

 

As soon as it's confirmed by our suppliers [I'd expect that to happen within a few hours] we will process an expedite to fast track it through for the earliest completion date possible.

 

I have also listened to your call in regards to your offer of free broadband and I am sorry to see this was not logged on to your account. If you'd like to stay with Plusnet I'll be happy to honour that for you and from this point on we'll be taking personal ownership of this until your house move completes.

 

Anoush

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
Gandalf
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Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

I'm just following up here. Your broadband order has been confirmed by our suppliers and the expedite accepted.

We've provided more info over here

I hope this helps


Anoush

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
Gandalf
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Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Just to echo over here. This should be sorted now. Your house move has completed and I've provided you with the agreed offer of free broadband for the length of your contract.

I'd recommend checking www.dslchecker.bt.com every so often and when VDSL shows as available we'll be able to place your fibre order if you contact us.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
emmamarina
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎22-08-2017

Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Can't help but agree. Had nothing but bad experiences since joining PlusNet.
Gandalf
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Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Sorry to hear that @emmamarina

 

I understand you've spoken to one of my colleagues over Twitter and your new services are due to activate today. Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
emmamarina
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎22-08-2017

Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

Over a month in and nothing has improved.

Yes, the service has been activated but they may as well not have bothered. It's so slow it's unusable.
Gandalf
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Re: Don't believe the marketing - Plusnet's customer service is easily the worst I've ever experienc

@emmamarina

 

Sorry to hear that. Our tests aren't detecting any problems.

Are you using a wired or wireless connection?

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet