Fed up of PlusNet before I've even gone live!!

[#1]

I posted the following earlier in the wrong forum.

"I ordered broadband and phone from PlusNet on 23/04/19 with activation due on 09/05/19. Up to today, I've been unable to access any detail on my account page, but now that I can, I've found that PlusNet haven't sent out a router, so I'll not be able to access broadband after the service is switched over. I'm told this is down to a "system error". That "system error" didn't stop over payments of over £200 being taken on 23/04/19!!
I spoke to my son, who also switched to PlusNet at the same time, and suggested he check his account. Surprise, surprise. Exactly the same status, and exactly the same story on the phone - "system error"..
Is this the sort of service we should expect from PlusNet?
At the moment, I'm tempted to cancel and go elsewhere. "

Two hours after my last call to PlusNet, I decided to check if there was any update on my account. There was. The router order had been cancelled!! So back on the phone and another protracted call trying to sort out PlusNet's incompetence. There also appear to be irregularities with billing, but I'll hold off on that till I've got the router issue resolved. Two issues at once might overload PlusNet's systems. 

[#2]

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@BadStart wrote:

At the moment, I'm tempted to cancel and go elsewhere.

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You may be interested to know that the 14 day cancellation period runs for 14 days after you signed up, not the go live date. Assuming this was the 23rd of April then your 'get out of contract free' period expired yesterday.

[#3]

Baldrick1

PlusNet's "get out of contract free" doesn't apply when PlusNet has failed to honour their side of the contract. 

[#4]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from  Fibre to My Orders

[#5]

Hi @BadStart, thanks for your post.

We're sincerely sorry to hear of your router delays but are glad to hear that one is now on its way to you.

With regards your billing - Are you able to elaborate (within reason so as not to give anything too specific away) on the irregularities you mention so that we can investigate?

[#6]

The package I bought was for an 18 month contract with 12 months line rental paid upfront then £5 monthly for fibre. On the billing page, it tells me my next bill date is 23/04/19, which is the date I placed the order. Service was due to start on 09/05/19, but that's clearly not going to happen. Nowhere can I see anything that tells me what period is covered by that bill. The View Your Bills tab goes nowhere. 

On the order tracker page, it states "We're taking a first payment of £15.99 for your account". Why? Nothing in my contract corresponds to that.

What should have been a straightforward process is a total mess, not only to my new account, but to my son's as well. Well done PlusNet!

[#7]

Hi @BadStart 

Thanks for getting back in touch with us. 

. On the billing page, it tells me my next bill date is 23/04/19, which is the date I placed the order.

I've just spoken to a Sales agent regarding account activity prior to activation and he has made me aware that the account will show the date you made the initial order and payment until activation, when the account updates itself and shows the next invoice date. 

Apologies for any confusion here.

Pleas let us know as soon as you receive the router.

Kind Regards, 

MoR

[#8]

Well that's one "explanation". I suspect there are many more as I have access (with his permission) to my son's account which was set up on the same day on the same terms, yet the details shown on his account are different.

Until our accounts are "live", whenever that may be, there's little point in me chasing specifics, as, from today's experience, I'm likely to get 10 different stories from 10 different people. Whether any are correct, only time will tell.

What amazes me is that PlusNet doesn't appear to have systems in place to ensure that orders are progressed properly. That's not helped when an advisor tells me he's ordered a router only for me to find two hours later he's actually cancelled the router order. I shouldn't be having to check my account all the time to make sure PlusNet aren't screwing up my order.

[#9]

I shouldn't be having to check my account all the time to make sure PlusNet aren't screwing up my order.

@BadStart - I couldn't agree more, and I'm very sorry that you have had to do this. 

That's not helped when an advisor tells me he's ordered a router only for me to find two hours later he's actually cancelled the router order. 

This is rookie mistake which can only be down to either tenure (even then, it's on of the first things which is learned in training/grad bay) or genuine adviser error. I will be finding out who this was and feeding back to their line manager accordingly 

 I have access (with his permission) to my son's account 

You want to check that you are added as an Autherised User on the system, as agents will be unable to provide any account specific information to you if you are not. 

Kind Regards, 

MoR

[#10]

I have his permission so that's good enough for me and him for the time being. Would I be able to set myself up as an "authorised user" at present as the accounts don't appear to be finalised. Today's the first day I've been able to access them.

Despite earlier promises, there's no sign of either router having been dispatched, so the chances of "it might even arrive tomorrow" have gone. The 3 - 5 days by first class post have less to do with Royal Mail than PlusNet getting their fingers out. Why not courier routers out when the mistake is clearly PlusNet's?

[#11]

Hi @BadStart 

 Would I be able to set myself up as an "authorised user" at present as the accounts don't appear to be finalised.

The account holder can add an autherised user at any time. 

Why not courier routers out when the mistake is clearly PlusNet's?

It's a good suggestion, and i'll raise it to the powers that be - I'll update this thread with any reply I get. 

Kind Regards, 

MoR

[#12]

I'm in exactly the same position. Ordered broadband and phone on 27/04/19. They were very quick to take my £200, but 3 weeks later they have done absolutely nothing. I am out of contract with my current provider BT and its costing me a fortune with every day that passes. I've had no router and no communication until I phoned them. Plusnet blame it on a system error. What's so unusual about setting up a new customer?

[#13]

Hi @sjb2 

I'm sorry for the issues you're experiencing with your order and for the lack of communication regarding this.

I've checked this and I can see it's not the same issue as above, it looks like the order we've placed with Openreach is sadly stuck in the supplier system in a way that we need to cancel it and replace.

We started the process of the cancellation when you got in touch with us and as the order has not yet cancelled I've got in touch with Openreach and they're raising this to the appropriate team to manually cancel it from their side.

We should know more within the next 2 working days and we'll keep you updated on the progress via ticket 190226906.

Apologies for the inconvenience caused.

[#14]

sjb2,

I think you ought to give Plusnet a chance: They've only been in existence for 19 years so they're still trying to get to grips with how to set up new customers.

Seriously, I had a similar experience to yours: I was with BT fibre broadband and signed up to Plusnet Unlimited Fibre on 8 April. My activation date was 29 April.
On 29 April, I had no broadband. I waited until 6pm and called Plusnet. I was put through to Technical Support - the chap said my Plusnet broadband service had not been activated so he activated it while I was on the phone. You would think they would activate the service without the customer having to call them but hey-ho.
I then discovered I had been switched from BT fibre to Plusnet ADSL. The Plusnet advisor claimed this was due to a "system error". Yeah, sure it was. The weakest link in any system are the people using it. So Plusnet had to place a new order with Openreach to move my broadband back to fibre. This took another two weeks so my Plusnet fibre service finally went live on 15 May.

Do not be surprised if Plusnet come back and say you have to wait another two weeks until your service gets activated. It seems that neither BT nor Plusnet have any influence over Openreach - even though all three companies are subsidiaries of BT Group. You are in a worse position I was: At least I had a service during those two weeks. Good luck - you're going to  need it!

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Post released from Spam Filter.

[#15]

2 working days have now passed since the last communication. This was an email saying my Home Phone order has now been cancelled (but my Plusnet account still says my order is "currently being processed", as it has done for nearly 4 weeks)

Where does this leave me? - are you replacing my order, or do I have to reapply (the email says "Should you wish to sign up for our Home Phone service in the future, you can do so though our website"), or should I just walk away?

Please tell me what's happening. If you are just replacing my order then please make sure the initial cancellation does not affect my Quidco cashback as I don't want to go through even more hassle.