You are robbing us

[#1]

I am 88 and have a very poor link Burrowbridge exchange with your fees and line rental all too much I need to keep my e mail, and wired phone how can Plusnet help

[#2]

@stathe 

Do you use PN e-mail?

Are you registered with PN as a Vunerable Person?

Can you post a screen image of the results (including the narrative) from the following, hiding your details of course.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

To post "in line" click on the reply box icon that looks like a rectangle with a mountain in it.

Forum members might be able to advise once they see the results.

Brian

[#3]

It may be quicker/easier to ring the Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 selecting option 1 then option 2 (If you are thinking of leaving).

They may be able to offer a lower price but would probably involve taking out a new contract.

[#4]

@Mav 

If the OP uses PN e-mail then they would lose their PN e-mail addresses.

If not, then moving to BT for their Social tarriff becomes an option. However, that would put them onto BT Digital Voice (VOIP) and not a wired landline.

Without seeing the Checker details it's likely that moving to anyone else would result in the loss of the wired lnadline.

Brian

[#5]

@stathe , are you in receipt of any benefits? If you are you may be eligible for a social tariff which can be much cheaper than normal ISP charges - for example BT charge £15pm for 40Mbps FTTC and DigitalVoice with 700 minutes of calls included.

The downside is that Plusnet don't offer a social tariff, so you would have to change ISP. That would replace your land line phone with VoIP (most people don't notice the difference), and lose your current e-mail address.

Unfortunately to keep your Plusnet e-mail address you will have to continue to pay whatever Plusnet charge. I would suggest you look at moving it to a free e-mail provider, then you won't be held hostage by any ISP.

[#6]

Assumming @stathe lives in Stathe...
I looked at a couple of addresses in Stathe, the typical BT openreach internet speed was 1.5 mbits 😞
Looking at https://bidb.uk/ shows that Gigaclear have plans to install full fibre in Stathe.
As a BT company PN only provide internet over Openreach infrastructure and not via Gigaclear.
If fear @stathe will be out of luck re Openreach improving their infrastucture in the short term.
As others have stated perhaps @stathe should 'bite the bullet' and start moving to a new email address.

[#7]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Broadband to My Account / Billing

[#8]

I knpw all this so no help from Plusnet WE need to keep e mail and wired phone  As very little works here save a mobile connection   Definitely being robbed (not on benefits )

[#9]

@stathe 

Do you use PN email address???

If you don't then potentially you could move to BT on their Social Tarriff (don't know the eligibility requirements).

Brian

Edit : This forum is mainly PN users who can only offer advice plus the occasional staff member.

[#10]

I need to keep email as am 88 and unable to change for various reasons  We have been here long term

[#11]

@stathe 

You're not answering the basic question.

If you use PN email then you cannot move as you would lose your PN email.

Note that you will lose your wired landline before 31st December 2025 unless exceptional circumstances apply (you might get a 3 month extension). If not registered with PN as a Vunerable person then they won't know about your circumstances.

Brian

[#12]

@stathe , you don't have many options I'm afraid - and none of them are satisfactory.

If you have to keep your Plusnet e-mail address then you have to keep paying Plusnet for a broadband connection.

Your land-line will go away by the end of 2025 (or very shortly after in special cases). You could keep the same number using VoIP (most people don't notice the difference between a PSTN land line and VoIP) - However, Plusnet don't offer VoIP, so if you stay with Plusnet for broadband you will need to use a 3rd party VoIP provider.

If you are in a long term contract with Plusnet, then the removal of telephone service does not allow you to end the broadband contract according to the T&Cs - unless Plusnet make a concession.

[#13]

@stathe 

If you are getting over your contracted minimum speed then you may be getting poor value for money, but you are not being 'robbed'.. If there are no alternatives to using the Openreach infrastructure then no other ISP will be able to offer you any faster speeds.

With the switch off  of the PSTN 'landline' service sometime within the next 18 months I'm afraid that you will be feeling even more aggrieved as you will need to either transfer to another ISP and lose your email address, lose your landline or pay an additional fee to a thrird party VoIP provider.

Another option is for your community to take steps to get funding to bring Full Fibre to your area, such as this: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fibre-community-partnership/connect-my-community.

[#14]

@Baldrick1 you are correct if you are using the meaning of robbed as illegally taken someone's property, but using the meaning of robbed as overcharged then the OP probably has a point.

It may not be the low speed that is the main issue, but the amount charged for it. In my area a new customer can get 200Mbps symetrical FTTP from Gigaclear for £17pm - less than any Plusnet deal. Plusnet used to offer sub-USO ADSL2+ here for £29.99, but they now can't offer anything at all.

BTW I know the Gigabit Voucher scheme has been extended, but I don't actually know of any builds taking place under that scheme any more - does anyone know of one? All the builds and in-fills I'm aware of are purely commercial.

[#15]

This is what you get for being an old and loyal customer Particularly as Plusnet is owned by BT