Greenby must be a PR disaster for PlusNet

[#1]

My email (Thunderbird) appears to have been transferred to Greenby, as email  restarted 3 days ago with clear inbox and all existing folders, sent messages etc, missing. Same with Plusnet webmail. There has been no welcome email from Greenby, and the log in page does not recognise my details. It's help link puts me back to Plusnet which is not accepting texts re email services any more. So i'm trapped in a circle of doom. Two providers both passing the buck to each other. Shocking service but not unexpected, as soon as I got the email advising that the migration to Greenby would be simple/seamless etc, I became worried. The last experience I had with this sort of thing was when OVO took over my electrical supply from SSE, and it took me 18 months to sort out the "seamless" changeover.

[#2]

I'm told that one can complain to Ofcom, and if Ofcom receives 'enough complaints' it says it will investigate.

Not sure what 'enough complaints' indicates though - tens?  hundreds?  thousands?.....  Still, better to get one's own complaint in than not, and just hope.

I've copied these two Links from one of the posters in this forum:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/make-a-complaint/complaints-ofcom-deals-with

https://ofcomlive.my.salesforce-sites.com/formentry/SitesFormCCTMonitoring

I couldn't find any online form with the first Link, so I tried the second 'monitoring' Link

and found a webform into which I typed my complaint.

This third Link is mine, as Ofcom seemed to have more than one way to complain? -

I'd appreciate guidance on this:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/problem-with-your-phone-provider

Although it says 'Phone provider' I couldn't find any alternative option to select 'Broadband', but I hope this

'Phone' selection should also cover broadband problems.

[#3]

@mark752 wrote:
PlusNet, you've let me down big time, and you've lost one of your key reasons why I stayed with you - the email service and continuity of an email address. You've dumped that, so why should I be loyal now? I'll shop around for the best priced deal when next renewal comes up. PR disaster.

This is an old thread that will never go away. Plusnet's reputation is sinking fast, weighed down by numerous complaints about the email migration fiasco.
The latest survey by the consumer magazine Which? of top UK broadband providers shows that Plusnet dropped from second place last year to fourth this year -- behind Zen Internet, Hyperoptic and Community Fibre.
Which? says of Plusnet: "It got strong scores in most categories, outdoing both BT and EE even though they're all owned by the same company. Customer service is key here - Plusnet customers are much happier than those of its stablemates."
Judging from comments on this forum, Plusnet customers are no longer happy.

[#4]

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@redsox9 wrote:

Judging from comments on this forum, Plusnet customers are no longer happy.

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The relatively small percentage of Plusnet customers that post here may not be happy, but the vast majority don't post and that is probably because they are happy.

[#5]

Thanks Catbart1.  I have made a complaint via one of your links.  I continue to have multiple problems with the sub-standard Greenby "service".

[#6]

I'm not happy with the migration and I continue, to this day, to battle with Greenby to sort problems out.  I find the Greenby offer to be a very poor subsitute for the former Plusnet service.

[#7]

@slowtime   

Needless to say, I've received NO acknowledgment from Ofcom regarding this complaint.   

Has anyone here received anything from them?

[#8]

I sent my message to Ofcom this morning and received an automtic acknowledgement saying tht it will be passed on to the relevant team.  I will post again should I get a response.

[#9]

Oh yes, I got an auto-response from Ofcom on 17/02/2026. Since then, nothing more.

I'd also given Ofcom the following summary:

"Brief summary of your experience/query

"My ISP Plusnet recently migrated its Email Service to Greenby. Since then I - and many people - have had issues, some of these serious. 
I have had glitches where my outgoing emails are not always reaching the recipient, and have got 'bounced back' to me. 
Plusnet will no longer help us, because it no longer does emails. Therefore Plusnet no longer cares. 
But this migration is NOT working as it should do. 
It is virtually impossible to contact Greenby, as it appears to be run entirely by AI/Chatbots. There seems to be NO human contact - or none willing to show themselves!"

Below services has been selected : Broadband

[#10]

Complaining to Ofcom is likely to be fruitless.  This is not a broadband service and is therefore not within their remit.

Q: Does ofcom's remit include email providers?

A: No, emails are generally not included in Ofcom's regulatory remit.

Ofcom does not have the authority to regulate most email, SMS, and MMS services, nor do they hold information regarding requests for email providers to block spam or unsolicited emails.

While they do not regulate email services themselves, Ofcom does oversee broadband providers. If an email address is provided as part of a broadband package, Ofcom takes an interest in issues related to switching providers (e.g., losing access to an email address).

So even if one wanted to attempt to take the “but it’s part of the service tack” given the issues are not related to switching [broadband] providers, Ofcom has neither a remit nor interest in these challenges.

[#11]

Microsoft Copilot says:
Although Ofcom does not regulate email itself, it may become relevant if:

An ISP’s broadband service is affected by email platform changes
A provider’s customer service or billing breaches telecoms rules
A mass migration (e.g., Plusnet → Greenby) affects broadband customers’ rights
But the email service itself remains unregulated.

[#12]

More from Google's Gemini on the chaotic Plusnet email migration to Greenby:

Ofcom generally does not intervene in individual customer disputes, but they do have a regulatory "stick" if a service failure becomes a systemic issue.

The Plusnet migration to Greenby has been particularly messy, with users reporting missing emails, authentication failures, and dead outgoing mail servers. If you are caught in this chaotic transition, here is the breakdown of what Ofcom can and cannot do:

1. What Ofcom Can Do
Monitor and Fine: Ofcom tracks the number of complaints against a provider. If Plusnet (owned by BT) is found to have breached "General Conditions"—specifically around providing clear information or handling complaints poorly—Ofcom can issue multi-million pound fines.

Enforce Transparency: They can force Plusnet to improve their communication if they believe customers were misled about the "seamless" nature of the migration.

Regulate Dispute Resolution: Ofcom requires Plusnet to be a member of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. If Plusnet fails to fix your email, Ofcom ensures you have a legal path to an independent adjudicator.

2. What Ofcom Cannot Do
Fix Your Inbox: They won't call Plusnet to restore your missing emails or fix your IMAP settings.

Act on Single Complaints: They don't investigate individual cases. They only look at the "big picture."

[#13]

I am so disappointed with Plusnet. Greenby are worse than useless and are going to  charge for this "service". What research did Plusnet do before making the deal - little or none, I suspect. My email is already in trouble and Greenby don't seem interested, let alone helpful. I've started looking for a new provider.

[#14]

@janeworsnop 

I would suspect that the research was predicated on Enix the 'parent' of Greenby who generally have a good reputation in the space of providing emails services ... at a price!

Once can use whatever email service provider suits personal needs, but what one CANNOT do is MOVE their  @account.plus.com email account (address) to a different provider.  That will forever remain with Greenby.