Plusnet is completely unprofessional

[#1]

I have ordered full fibre 20 days ago. I had already three engineer visits to my property and had three phone calls with customer services.

Each time I am told there is no full fibre on the pole near my house. Last time I spoke to customer service I told them that and they said they are aware and today some will come to install it. Of course engineer arrives and tells me what I know. Day before I asked openreach if they are aware that there is no fibre on the pole and they said yes and that someone will install it today.

So it is a second survey done (creating a job for the fibre to be installed on my street)… how much more patience can I have? How long will it take for them to sort this out and please do not tell me it is nobody’s fault, I have went into contract with plusnet based on what they told me this is why we enter home address when searching for fibre and this is what plusnet told me. I only purchased this because of what plusnet told me. 

[#2]

@Uh7665uh Plusnet can only use the information provided by Openreach. If the Openreach system says Full fibre is available then they can proceed to order it. The Openreach engineer then discovers that fibre isnt actually available but the Openreach database still says that fibre is available🙄

If there really is no fibre on the pole, then its unlikely to be a quick job.

What does the BT wholesale availability checker say for your address https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL/AddressHome post the results with your actual address redacted

[#3]

With all due respect, I am paying Plusnet based on what Plusnet told me before getting into contract. I had no idea Plusnet even is part of BT. I’ve emailed CEO asking her to look into this. 

[#4]

@Uh7665uh @MisterW It doesn't actually matter that PlusNet is part of BT. The contract, as a consumer, is with PlusNet.

They, like many businesses, rely on suppliers, in this case it seems BT Openreach, who can of course sometimes fail to deliver.

That is very much the contracting businesses (i.e. PlusNet) problem to deal with, supporting them as appropriate and meeting (and hopefully exceeding) their contractual obligations. Though as ever you'll probably find consequential losses are excluded. 🙄

This can't be a situation PlusNet have never met before so you would hope and expect they have a good process for dealing with it. Including, for example, expediting rectification from their suppliers. So far it seems that @Uh7665uh isn't satisfied with whatever they are doing. 🤐

[#5]

@Uh7665uh As MisterW says, your problem (and it's all too common) is Openreach, not Plusnet or any other ISP. They can only place an order with OR and hope for the best. Plusnet's connection responsibilty is only as far as the box on the wall. The wire or fibre from this box is the responsibility of OR so no point in lambasting PN.

OR mixups over work done or not done are all too common when one doesn't know what the other is doing. In fairness the technician may be delayed on jobs that hit unexpected snags but we all agree that sometimes the service is wanting.

[#6]

@HPsauce 

That is very much the contracting businesses (i.e. PlusNet) problem to deal with, supporting them as appropriate and meeting (and hopefully exceeding) their contractual obligations.

I absolutely agree, its Plusnet that the customer must deal with but they can only work with the information provided by Openreach (their suppliers!). The availability checker clearly states that Fibre is available! , if Openreach know its not as @Uh7665uh says , then why don't they update the database ?

I suspect the problem is that Plusnet placed the order, the OR engineer discovered the it wasnt actually installed on the pole (maybe) , so the order gets changed to require survey. The Openreach ordering system then checks its database which says its now available with no anticipated problems and so the order is reinstated , rinse and repeat!. No one in Openreach bothers to take any notice of what the engineer says, the computer says its available , so it must be!

The main problem in these situations is that Plusnet seem reluctant to escalate these situations to higher levels in BTw/OR. Whether that is because they are part of the BT group and dont wish to complain to other parts of the group I don't know ?

It shouldnt be necessary, but often in these situations a customer complaint directly to the Openreach CEO often unlocks the situation and gets some 'heads knocked together'..

[#7]

What you say is making logical sense I may have to contact Openreach directly 

[#8]

@Gvu6dotcom 

You cannot contact OR direct - you are not their customer.

PN use a slightly enchanced version of the Checker (I believe) you posted the results from - if it says yes, they place the order. If it say no, then PN say no.

There is much evidence of OR systems / people not talking to one another. There is little PN or any other ISP can do about it.

Out of interest, can you use the Address version of hte Checker to review anyone other property you think uses the same pole as you.

Brian

[#9]

“With due respect” reads as “I’m not interested in understanding the detail of the real world”.

If your post title read “BT Openreach is completely unprofessional” then that would be a more accurate and fair sentiment in the circumstances.

All ISPs using the BT Openreach / BT Wholesale services in your area would be facing the EXACT same issues.  BT’s database as made available to all ISPs reports FTTP is available to order.  That should mean that all of the infrastructure (except the CBT to premises fibre) is installed and lit. All that should be required is the u/g or o/h fibre cable to complete installation.

Your point would be well made if directed at BTOR, why does BTOR send an engineer to commission a service which cannot be commissioned, not just once, but twice?

However, your approach here is akin to sounding off at a Ford dealer who cannot deliver the car you want because though Ford manufacturing say it’s available to order, they are not delivering to that location.

We have seen multiple reports of pockets of not able to order where near neighbours can … seems logical in a complex world that there’s a similar chance of the opposite - an area is reported to have availability, whereas on the ground there is none.

if you really want to make a meaningful difference take your issue to the CEO of BT Openreach who provide the service availability information for all ISPs to sell against.

[#10]

@MisterW @Townman @Uh7665uh The explanations above are "interesting" but basically do not excuse PlusNet in any way.

As suggested by @MisterW  "The main problem in these situations is that Plusnet seem reluctant to escalate these situations to higher levels in BTw/OR. Whether that is because they are part of the BT group and don't wish to complain to other parts of the group I don't know ?"

I'm retired now, but as a sometime/longtime IT/Telecoms manager I had to deal with various arms of BT over decades, when they were even more of an unchallengeable monopoly than now. A BIG part of my job was understanding and "managing" BT as they were regularly incapable of managing themselves through to a successful delivery. 🤐

PlusNet need to be "managing" this situation proactively on behalf of their customer. 

[#11]

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@HPsauce wrote:

PlusNet need to be "managing" this situation proactively on behalf of their customer. 

---

This is exactly right. Unfortunately a lot of companies that resell services expect to run the business with staff who answer the phone and read from scripts, and have no ability to "manage" anything.

That said, better service tends to cost more, and Plusnet are branded as a cheap(ish) no-frills ISP. 

[#12]

@Uh7665uh  Only 20 days since your order, that's nothing. I ordered Full Fibre on the 26th of March over 8 weeks ago, I do have an installation date in June which in the present circumstances is not going to happen. Again Openreach are the reason for the ridiculous delay, they have failed to repair a blocked duct which they have known about since the 9th of April. I may have to try for help from the forum staff as I do not get any responses on my open ticket.

[#13]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Full Fibre to My Order

[#14]

Thank you for taking the time to contact us on our Community Forum and for anyone that has added their valuable comments, I hope you are all well.

@Uh7665uh I'm sorry to hear that your order has been delayed and you are not receiving the support required by the situation. I have tried searching for your account, unfortunately I couldn't locate one, at your earliest convenience, please DM me the username so that we can look into this further for you - I have also PM'd you to trigger the reply. 

@RealAleMadrid I'm sorry to hear that the delay is still ongoing and that civils didn't take place as planned, I have reviewed the account and I can see that the case has been escalated to our Customer Assist Team (CAT), the reason for placing the escalation both within Plusnet and Openreach is because no information was being provided by the supplier, you should expect contact from the CAT team within the next 48 working hours. 

For completeness, (apologies if most of this has already been touch on in the comments) we do take our information from the BT Openreach database and we place orders based on that, there are many occasions where the installation goes smoothly with just the one visit, however, as Full Fibre isn't fitted in certain areas, there may be a requirement to get additional equipment, have permissions to carry out work on either private or public soil. 

In rare cases, there is a need for multiple engineers to come out, carry out multiple surveys as the initial survey carried may be found not viable. Either way, the expectation is that our front line staff support all customers regardless of how complex the case is, where there have been several attempts without a positive outcome, the case should be escalated to our CAT team.

[#15]

@Tina11192  Thanks for your comments regarding my delayed order, I did call support earlier today and the escalations raised within Plusnet and Openreach should get things moving. I was frustrated by the fact that I had received no response to comments I added to the question over the last couple of days stating that the civils work had not yet taken place. 

My installation is not complex, with ducting from the house which is blocked where it meets the ducting in the pavement.

On the 25th April an Openreach investigation team located and marked the blockage but were not able to repair it on the day but said they would return after the weekend as there was permission for roadworks in place, however they did not show up.