Why I have left Plusnet

[#1]

I'm also considering leaving PN, and I've been with them for over 13 years.   I'm on an ECI cab which is full and they've just installed a nice big Huawei cab. When I'm sure that's live I'm going to get a new line and fttc connection. 

I haven't had any recent problems myself, but have had to sort things out in the past which was a nightmare then let alone now, so if things don't improve that new line will be with someone else,  possibly IDnet or Zen, AA are just too expensive for me. 

Edited to add: I already have FTTC with PN, but a Huawei cab is superior to ECI

[#2]

I think I'll probably stick with them, they are so cheap and are still better than providers like Talk Talk. I guess it depends on what upgrade deal they are willing to give me when FTTC comes available for me too.

When they mistakenly told me last week that it was available, they were forcing me onto a 2 year contract, that was more expensive than their current offers. It was still one of the cheaper deal but its a bit much to sign up for 2 years! If they do that I'd be willing to pay more for 12 months, maybe Zen or something.

[#3]

hmm the last couple of weeks my connections been ok and 1 meg quicker.... maybe things are looking up .. time will tell.

[#4]

What really matters is what happens when there's a problem, that's what concerns me.

[#5]

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@jelv wrote:

Fibre Product Range

For a long time they offered the choice of 40/20 (Fibre  or 80/20. The 40/20 made no sense as they still had to pay OpenReach the same amount as 80/20. They then stopped that, but instead of offering the standard 40/10 they offer 40/2 – the reason seems to be that their rival who they want to compete with (TalkTalk) has that as their entry fibre product. Recently they’ve downgraded all the people who were on 40/20 Unlimited to 55/10.

We see numerous posts from people who have migrated in from other ISPs where they were on 40/10 and are surprised to find their upload is reduced to a fifth of what is was – the upload speed on Unlimited Fibre is well hidden! To add to this madness Plusnet will not sell Unlimited Fibre Extra to people who cannot sync above 40 – the only choice people whose download speed is limited have is to go to another ISP such as BT. Offering a choice of 40/2, 55/10 and 80/20 would offer a perfectly balanced portfolio which is why OpenReach introduced 55/10 in the first place.

Why they still haven't done anything about this defeats me, either by way of a new product or an add-on to the standard fibre product defeats me. After all they have people who were on 40/20 that they've moved to 55/10 so it must be technically possible.

I wonder how many more there have been like this?

https://community.plus.net/t5/Fibre-Broadband/Product-Upgrade/m-p/1413917#M55821

(User wanted faster than 2Mbps but is only getting 32Mbps down - migrating to Sky in 8 days time even though they'd have preferred to stay with Plusnet)).

[#6]

Lucky you, ST3. By your user name it looks as though you live near use and we are very lucky to get even 5;as low as 0.25 last week. Used to get 5 to 6.4 with Sky

[#7]

@jelv  PN most probably take some action on the packages , When they bring out the new account system 

[#8]

I think it's their back end systems that holds them back, there's been talk for what seems like a decade about changing it, so I doubt it will happen.

[#9]

I thought it was entirely deliberate - Plusnet is focussed on the low-cost end of the market. Perhaps Plusnet could stop selling 80/20 and replace it with a 55/10 offering, anyone wanting the higher speeds could go to BT.

There are probably far more people wanting cheap broadband than wanting good broadband. There are still vast numbers of people on ADSL despite FTTC being available to them. So that's a lot of people who either simply aren't interested in faster speeds, or don't want to or can't pay more for them.

[#10]

@ejs

They'll never replace 80/20 with 55/10 because that would push them down the league table showing the average speeds achieved by the users of ISPs!

[#11]

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@ejs wrote:

There are probably far more people wanting cheap broadband than wanting good broadband.

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Yes there are a lot of people who just want broadband. But in most cases you can only get it in a phone line package.

Soon I think you will not be able to buy broadband unless it includes phone, tv, and mobile.

The customer is not getting what they want they are getting what they want to sell us and it's getting worse.

[#12]

I don't get the "take our phone package or else" surcharge.

I took out a package in 2012 and stuck with it.
Every time they increase prices or attempt to add phone charges, I appear to get excluded.

I seem to have chosen a package at a roughly optimal price/performance.
£19-99 for 80/20.

[#13]

I have recently added to those who have left Plusnet.

I became fed up with their service & attitude. The final nail in the coffin was my complaint about download being throttled being responded to by a remark to the effect that the max expected speed on my line was 30Mbps when I was getting ⅔rds of that, Now with A&A (that I've used before in a previous location) & what a difference. Download speed has increased by about 30% on average to 29.3 and upload by 250%, from a ridiculously low 1.7..

I know that A&A are pricey, but you get what you pay for. Prompt responses to queries, rapid and free delivery of kit, on-line chat with almost no waiting; I could go on, but you get the idea. So far, well worth the cancellation charges levied by PN.

It seems that BT are content to offer bargain-basement service via Plusnet, masking this by making them a loss-leader & ensuring that at least one ISP gets a lower rating than them.

Shame.

[#14]

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@robinm wrote:
bargain-basement service via Plusnet

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Something plusnet don't seem to get is that they are no longer alone and are now just one of several in the basement. All swapping many of the same customers back and forth with "great" offers for new customers all subsidised by old customers.

Who's going to drop the ball first and make an honest and fair try to retain old customers.

[#15]

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@robinm wrote:
I have recently added to those who have left Plusnet.

I became fed up with their service & attitude. The final nail in the coffin was my complaint about download being throttled being responded to by a remark to the effect that the max expected speed on my line was 30Mbps when I was getting ⅔rds of that, Now with A&A (that I've used before in a previous location) & what a difference. Download speed has increased by about 30% on average to 29.3 and upload by 250%, from a ridiculously low 1.7..

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The reason you had such a big increase in upload speed is because PN insist on using the 40/2 profile, so limiting customers to a maximum of around 1.7Mbps even though most could achieve more. They don't even allow upgrading to the 80/20 profile if your line doesn't get more than 40Mbps estimate!