My partner's broadband and phone line had to be ceased when she sold her house to her daughter. She asked to keep just the email account going and for her daughter to carry on with the same number.
She was variously informed by Plusnet staff that...
She could keep the number with no problem.
She might be able to keep the number.
She couldn't keep the number under any circumstances. Due to data protection law, a brand new number had to be issued. I can't begin to tell you how rude and uninterested this 'character' was.
Both parties had to be on the phone at the same time to carry out the swap (yes, they really said that)
The department able to do this closed at 8PM. Therefore, even though we knew this to be rubbish, time had to be taken off of work in order to satisfy the request.
When contacted (before 8PM of course), the Plusnet staff member laughed and said "as if anyone here would have told you that" (implying we were liars and also being rude about it).
The email account was then 'closed'. We discovered this when emails stopped coming in and were returned to sender as 'recipient rejected' .
When trying to log in to the portal, it said the account was closed and to call this number... The number was Plusnet, but was answered as if I was a John Lewis client. The staff member, whilst polite to begin with, soon lost patience when we asked to be referred to a senior member of staff. He refused this request and to give his name and ended up saying something sarcastic and hanging up - presumably content in the knowledge he could never be traced.
The website suggested the best way to get an issue resolved was to call (that went well) or start a web chat. The webchat lady said it was too complicated for her to help and suggested a number to call and the exact options to select to get through rapidly. The number did not offer those options.
When eventually getting through on the main line, it was confirmed the account was 'in a queue to be destroyed' (no explanation was offered as to why) and that the only option was to set up a new email address (exactly what we had tried to avoid all along). The call took 2 people over 1 hour to answer/resolve. Whilst polite, neither had the skills necessary to resolve the issue directly, one even kindly offered to send a confirmation email - having just confirmed no emails would get through and all previous emails were deleted and lost.! One managed an apology but the other just treated the whole matter as just another stepping-stone to get over before she could go home. It turned out it WAS possible to keep the email so it remains to be seen if the account makes it off the destroyed list...
I have been with Plusnet for many, many years. My recent experiences have indicated a slow but sure degrading of customer service - I have read many other people saying exactly the same on this forum.
Such a good marketing campaign to sell the 'best of British' customer service with the cuddly all-smiling mascot-man and build a brand over many years with the great idea to have a referrals scheme to encourage word of mouth... only to be thrown away like this. No reward for my loyalty. Treated (by some) in a disgustingly rude way. Incorrect information given out. Mistakes made. Seemingly no way to be listened too or taken seriously.
Hopefully, any prospective customers look here at the many similar stories of woe before making their informed decisions.
Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Labels added after move to Plusnet Feedback.
