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No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

sophieh
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎03-12-2020

No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

Hi,
I upgraded to fibre broadband on 20th November with a stated switchover date of 27th November. My router was not dispatched until the 27th itself and my connection was switched over at 10:30am Tuesday 1st, meaning I have now been without internet for three days. I am working from home so am unable to do my job properly, I’m spending a fortune on mobile data trying to use my phone as a hotspot to keep up with my work as best I can, and I live alone so I can also no longer keep in touch with my friends and family via video calls as I’m in a Tier 3 area.

Why on earth is Plusnet sending out routers, which are expensive pieces of equipment with time-sensitive delivery requirements, via non-trackable standard post, especially given that it’s just been Black Friday and lockdown so Royal Mail is already overwhelmed? I have no way of knowing when my router is going to arrive or whether it has been lost in the post and meanwhile I am unable to use the internet I am paying for. To cap it all off, I was charged £6.99 for this postage - for that amount I would expect a 48-hour trackable service at least.

A cursory glance at these forums shows me I am by no means the only person experiencing this issue. I’ve also been unable to get in touch via the phone line or live chat. I’ve been with Plusnet for years and never had any complaints but this is getting ridiculous.
10 REPLIES 10
Longliner
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 586
Thanks: 294
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎22-10-2014

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

@sophieh 

My sympathies, Sophie, but the post is chaotic as the Christmas rush has started on top of Covid staffing problems. Our central heating is down for want of a thermostatic valve smaller than a PN router. It was despatched on Tuesday using Royal Mail 48 at cost of £17 and tracking says it will be delivered on Saturday. And I thought 48 hours meant two days not four.

Quick way to solve your problem? There is a superb guide to using the BT HH6 on this forum, it's much better than the Hub One anyway. Quite a few on Gumtree as I write, prices £10 to £30 including one in Southampton for £20 still in the box. Some on eBay too, if you can find one near you it's well worth the trip, keep the Hub One as a spare. Good luck.

 

sophieh
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎03-12-2020

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

I still have no internet, still can’t get through to Plusnet’s call centres or live chat.

@Longliner thanks for the recommendation, but I fail to see why I should spend more money to solve Plusnet’s problems for them. You and I are both aware that there are issues with the post, so as I said in my original post - why are Plusnet sending out routers using a non-tracked, non-guaranteed delivery service? I’ve had plenty of Royal Mail deliveries for 48 and 24 hour tracked parcels during the past week, it’s the general first/second class post deliveries that are taking forever. Anyway, I hope your heating is fixed!
Longliner
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 586
Thanks: 294
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎22-10-2014

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

You're lucky with parcels, mine arrived today after six days in transit, Royal Mail 48 should be renamed Royal Mail 144! I take your point re paying for PN, depends on whether you want your BB badly enough to go collect a HH6 if there's one near you, and whether you want much better performance than the Hub One which is buried under sacks of mail somewhere ...

MusK
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎10-12-2020

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

I am in the same situation I'm a new broadband fibre customer went live yesterday. Still haven't received a router. I was told I would only have 30 min of possible outage due to transitioning between providers. I am not impressed.
Longliner
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 586
Thanks: 294
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎22-10-2014

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

@MusK 

I offer same reply as to sophieH above: go find a HH6 or even a Hub One if you're desperate. Many PN staff are doing their best from home using VOIP and have no way to chase router parcels. Nor has Royal Mail itself, if it takes six days rather than two to deliver my central heating valve a router hasn't much chance in these chaotic times.

@sophieh Yes thanks, our CH was fired up within the hour, I hope your router turns up equally quickly or that you've found a HH6 somewhere near you.

MusK
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎10-12-2020

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

Mate I am desperate been searching eBay, Facebook marketplace and gumtree for someone local to me. No luck so far !
Unbelievable!

I told my neighbor about my experience with Plusnet he had pity on me and let me use his luckily.

Defo going to get a hub 6. From reviews the router plus net provide is dated with lots of issues.

Glad your heating is back it's been freezing last few days.
Longliner
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 586
Thanks: 294
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎22-10-2014

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

@sophieh @MusK 

Bad luck folks ... this morning's papers (Fri 11th) all carry stories about Royal Mail being swamped by the vast volumes of online shopping deliveries. Ian our postie delivered our mail about midday and his van was still half full of parcels, he said some of them were posted last week. As Plusnet posts routers second class the outlook isn't rosy and RM has been granted permission to treat first class as second class when necessary ...

Good luck with your hunt for HH6 in your area. I see plenty on Gumtree but mainly in the south of England.

sophieh
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: ‎03-12-2020

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

Update from me - my router finally arrived last night. Not the first one that was posted out two weeks ago, but a replacement that was posted out on Monday after I finally got through on the phone lines. Interestingly despite them telling me it would be posted via their regular first class post, it had a RM 24 sticker on it. God only knows where the other one is, presumably it’ll turn up some time in February! @MusK I hope yours turns up soon too. @Longliner thanks for all your help and advice.
MusK
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎10-12-2020

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

@sophieh @Longliner  I am so pleased my router arrived a few hours ago and is working perfectly. Although I understand Royal mail is swamped. Sending the Router out on the 8th when my go live date is the 9th Plusnet is setting themselves up to fail.

However on a positive I transferred over from Sky and my speeds and WIFI connections seem to be a lot better. All my hours spent researching and trawling the net for routers. I am going to be getting a BT HH6.

Thanks for your help. I wish you all a enjoyable time over the festive period.

Wink

Longliner
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 586
Thanks: 294
Fixes: 7
Registered: ‎22-10-2014

Re: No router after upgrade - no internet for three days

Great news, and well done PN for firing out the second router. And (hopefully) they all lived happily ever after! 😊

Happy Christmas everyone