I've been with Plusnet for more than 20 years; and the fact that I have only rarely posted on the community forums reflects the fact that the service has been reliable and I have had few problems or reasons to complain and seek help.
But all good things, it seems, have to come to an end. And this is a "more in sorrow than in anger" post.
My current Plusnet contract ends in a fortnight's time, and having set the wheels in motion to transfer to another provider I have just had a conversation with the Plusnet "retention" team. As a longstanding and loyal customer I had secretly hoped that they might have come up with persuasive reasons for me to stay. Sadly, they didn't, so it's divorce time....
I thought I might share my thinking and my experience with the community, just to see if others have a similar perspective.
My contract with Plusnet has been for [standard] broadband via ADSL, and - for the last few years - also home phone using the traditional landline. That landline phone option is of course being phased out, even though the deadlines have slipped a bit. And as for broadband, I live in an area which does not yet have full-fibre (FTTP). So my options are somewhat limited.
I can - and want to - shift to part-fibre (FTTC) broadband, which Plusnet and all other providers do offer. And the time has come to move from the landline phone to Digital Voice (VOIP), but I want to keep and port my existing number. We do not yet want to rely only on mobiles for phone contacts.
Plusnet disappointed me on two particular aspects. First, on price. Their current broadband offers, most of which are for 24-month contracts, all have a built-in annual inflation increase every March. Some (not all) other providers guarantee a fixed price and no increases throughout a contract period. Plusnet's policy, which is shared by BT and EE, makes their prices less appealing. If I sign up for a fixed term, I want a fixed - and competitive - price.
Second, there is no Digital Voice (VOIP) option on offer. End of story. No ifs, no buts. If I stay with Plusnet, then I will now or before long have to make alternative arrangements for the phone, and with some other provider. So if I'm going to make changes, I reckoned it was as well to bite the bullet and review both the broadband and the phone service.
With Plusnet ruled out (even the offer of a £50 voucher isn't enough to overcome those two dealbreaking issues), the retention team unsurprisingly tried to steer me to a new package (broadband plus digital phone) with either BT or EE. But both still only offer long-ish contracts (24 months) with the pesky annual inflation increase on a starting price that isn't particularly competitive, and with a digital voice deal that offers no call allowance and a PAYG tariff that isn't cheap.
So I had to look at and compare a range of other providers, either for a combined broadband plus VOIP package, or for separate broadband and phone deals with different providers. This latter route led me to ISPs like IDNet and Aquiss (for broadband) and Voipfone (for digital phone). But for simplicity and convenience, my preference was for a combined package.
To cut to the chase - I've opted for Zen. Marginally more costly for broadband, but with no in-contract increases. They can include VOIP as well, with a generous call-allowance (1000 mins per month). All handled through a single piece of hardware, a new router provided free of charge. And (fingers crossed) Zen has a fairly decent reputation for reliability and customer service.
So we'll see how it goes. In another year or two, when - with luck - we'll finally get full fibre (FTTP) to the house, the situation will be different and we'll have a lot more choice.
Meanwhile, I bid farewell to Plusnet: it's been a long and pretty good innings, but things do have to move on.... My best wishes to all who remain part of the Plusnet community.
