Was it a mistake to join Plusnet?

[#1]

I joined Plusnet in early January after having a horrendous experience with Orange/EE who have been my ISP since dial up days.
First couple of weeks, great. got my fibre broadband enabled and everything was lovely (after the previous nightmare though, this wasn't ever going to be difficult).
Now, however, my fibre broadband has been down for a week, apparently my order was cancelled but nobody seems to know why and so far nobody seems to know how to switch it back on. My phone line also has an ongoing fault that was identified when the fibre was installed but nobody has done anything about and, when I asked, nobody at Plusnet knew about it. To cap it all off, Orange have now sent me a bill for next month. Allegedly they are unaware that I have moved suppliers as Plusnet have not notified them (yes I did supply Plusnet with a MAC code) so I now face the prospect of paying 2 bills this month and then trying to get one of them refunded.
Hardly an auspicious start and I can't help thinking I may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Regards, Tigertim.

[#2]

Sounds like another openreach/wholesale screw up!!

[#3]

Firstly tell Orange to get stuffed. They know darn well that you've left them for PN. Now contact PN either by phone, faults or email & get them to sort it out. If BTOR didn't report your fault back to PN, which they probably didn't, then PN wouldn't be aware of your problem. PN won't be able to sort anything until tomorrow. Stay cool. 

[#4]

NOT by email as it isn't monitored

[#5]

Quote

NOT by email

Thanks OJ.

[#6]

Thanks for the replies.
PN are aware of the issue and have been since last Monday.
What I can't get my head round is that if the order was cancelled and someone switched my fibre off, all that it needs is for someone else to switch the bloody thing back on again. I'm no telecoms engineer but if the physical equipment is still there, which it certainly must have been for it to work in the first place, then flicking a switch cant be such an immense job that it takes a week. Didn't take them that long to switch it off!!

[#7]

It's often a remote software job, unless the jumpers have been removed at the Cab. Are any lights lit up on the modem?
Do you have a Plusnet fault ticket (question) number you could quote so that someone from the DCT can easily pick this up on Monday?
PS. It's not Plusnet who tell Orange you've moved, they should be perfectly well aware as you asked them for a MAC and have used it!
Make sure you don't owe them any money, in fact check you haven't overpaid them. If you don't owe them make sure any DD is cancelled.

[#8]

Orange are sorted, not a problem. Fibre modem has no DSL light, others are on. ticket was raised last Monday, this is not a question of me raising it, I just want someone to sort it out.
A very nice man from BT came round yesterday and sorted our phone line out. According to his notes we are not listed as a fibre connection. This seems to confirm that there is an administration error somewhere. What is slightly alarming is that PN are now talking about sending an engineer round. As far as I can tell this is a complete waste of time and given that I am at work until Saturday, means that if they take that course it will be another week wasted. I also got a message this morning saying "a chaser has been sent again". Why can't they pick the phone up? If this is an administration error all it needs is someone to take hold of it, put the record straight and switch the bloody thing back on.
dick:quote

[#9]

Hi tigertim,
Sorry to see the start you've had with us, I'm currently chasing this up to see what I need to do to get this resolved and I'll update you this afternoon.
Thanks,
Chris

[#10]

Get out while you can as plusnet do not value there existing customers so you are seeing the best of them if you are a new customer.
I have recently found a better deal and contacted them to see if they could match or better the deal but I was met by total disinterest so I just asked for the transfer code when this arived in the email it also said how sorry they would be to loose me and to contact them as they would match any deal.
When I did try to call customer service I got a message stating it would be 30 minuets to be answered this same message came up each of the five times I rang over the week so I eventually rang the new customer number and was answered in only two minuets but when I asked to be transferred to customer support I was cut off this happened three times in succession so it looks like I will be bailing ship after-all as they obviously treat existing customers with total contempt.
When I rag back to the new customer number again it was answered instantly so I  asked to speak to a manager but was told one would have to ring me back within 24 hours that was five days ago some award wining customer service this is.
So in answer to your question YES it is a big mistake as a cheap price is not everything and other providers are just as competitive now.
Shane

[#11]

Well shane69 that is not my experience with their customer service 

[#12]

I've always had terrific customer service from Plusnet. Mind you, after 10 years with AOL, anything has to be better!!

[#13]

Thanks for your time on the phone, I'll be in-touch later with an update.
@shane69
Sorry to hear that your thinking of leaving, it was quite a busy week calling into our support centre last week. No call back has been logged on our systems so I will chase that up to see why that's the case.
I'd be more than happy to get one of my colleagues in the customer options team to take a look at your account and see what we can do for you?

[#14]

I think there is an important point being missed here when people talk about customer service. It is not, for me, about the people I speak to. My aim, and I assume PN's, is for me never to speak to any support staff.
The reason I left Orange is because when it went wrong, instead of being reassured that they had it all in hand it was obvious that they couldn't run a lash up in a brewery. This was compounded by the fact that their support staff were, broadly speaking, clueless. the PN staff I have spoken to have all been very nice and comforting and extremely professional (with one notable exception, a guy I spoke to the other night who didn't seem sure what day it was). I am very satisfied with the people I have spoken to. What is not so nice is that I am still without broadband over a week later because someone switched it off but apparently can't switch it back on. I would quite happily accept a rude phone call if it meant my broadband was back on within minutes.
And before anyone tells me about how terrible BT/BTw/BTOR are, I do not care. It is not my job to manage PN's suppliers or have sympathy for them if their suppliers let them down. It may be a reason but it is not an excuse. My contract is with Plusnet for the supply of telephone and broadband. if they can't keep their end of the bargain, that is for them, not me.
I am sure that PN are doing everything they can (they have told me so) but at the end of the day, regardless of however nice they are, I am still accessing the Internet through a 3 dongle at mobile phone speeds (and with a monthly limit that I have nearly used up after a week) that is costing me more than the ultra fast fibre broadband that I paid for and am not getting.

[#15]

Quote from: tigertim

And before anyone tells me about how terrible BT/BTw/BTOR are, I do not care. It is not my job to manage PN's suppliers or have sympathy for them if their suppliers let them down. It may be a reason but it is not an excuse. My contract is with Plusnet for the supply of telephone and broadband. if they can't keep their end of the bargain, that is for them, not me.

Eloquently put tigertim. I too am without broadband 3 weeks after the initial install date and no matter how charming support staff are thier constant use of the openreach/BTw get out of jail free card is extremely annoying...