BAD SERVICE! What a start! Really upset with the Service

[#1]

Hi,
I had a phone line + broadband install scheduled for today between 8-1pm, which did not happen! Waited whole morning!!
Got an email from plusnet that engineer (!) could not get access to my property, while i was at home!
Talked to THREE different person, they are saying same story, and keep moving me from department to department!! Though it's not my fault, I am now charged £49.99, and new installation date on 20 JUNE!!!!!!!!
Is this fair? I was fined money, energy, time and on top of that 18 days WITHOUT INTERNET AND PHONE!!!!!!
What can I do? It seems that once you signed for a contract, PLUSNET CARES NOTHING!!! WHAT IS COMING IN NEAR FUTURE FROM THEM, THAT'S ANOTHER SCARY?
???IF THIS FORUM HAS REALLY ANY MEANING, PLEASE SOMEONE FROM PLUSNET LOOK INTO THIS MATTER.
<deleted>

Thanks.
jim:green personal details removed mod:end

[#2]

It's not wise to post your email address in a forum open to the world! Plusnet reps can get your details from your user name.

[#3]

or your address....

[#4]

HI syedatique,
I'll take a look into that now for you.
Jojo

[#5]

I wouldn't worry about them saying they couldn't get access, i've had it with a major energy supplier years ago saying the same thing. They came to change a meter but couldn't gain access so charged me £50 for wasted time. Unfortunately for them i know full well they could gain access as the communal door wasn't locked and the meters were all in the communal hall way. Despite this they still continued to try it on until i offered to send them photos and CCTV from my webcam of the front door showing no-one arriving all day along with a court summons for harassment. Oddly they didn't persist but instead tidied up the bill.
Moral of the story? Stick to your guns when you're in the right.
Mr Bailey or JoJo are the best two to sort this out with, the PN customer call centre are pretty bad and have frequently wrongly advised us we'll have to pay extra etc. Not had much to do with Jojo though she's very friendly but Mr Bailey is PNs finest problem sorter.

[#6]

HI syedatique,
I've looked into this now for you and have sent a reply to your ticket.
Jojo

[#7]

Hi JoJo, thanks for your enquiry, and disappointed with your reply. Not only in these forum, but also in so many places we can get the story of installation team's unfair excuse/failure. I was home all morning, my 2 years 8 months old baby boy was at home all day. I am sorry that you accepted their comments, but ignored mine. Also, you completely ignored my suffereing here.
I cancelled my old contract with Virgin, after taking Plusnet. NOW i am without phone and internet. I am writing this in SUNDAY from my University net. And still i have to pay £49.99. For a student like me it's HUGE, but for a company like you it's drop in the ocean; still you don't care.
I took Plusnet because I heard that you are very good at service, YOU managed to win AWARD for excellent service to customer! After all these incidents, how could I refer you to my friends? How I say that you care?
Please, at least refund my £49.99 as a goodwill gesture. That's all I am asking. I accept sufferings for these next 18 days without net and phone, it's my bad luck. Just give mem some hope that I will be with a good service company.
Cheers
dick:quote

[#8]

Saw the attached here http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,96127.0.html
probably explains what happened in your case. Same thing happened to me once with a UPS parcel delivery (except nobody tried to fine me!) - van just drove past.
Hope you get your refund (like halster65 did, but then he could prove his case by luckily having a recorded delivery same morning)

[#9]

Dear Jojo,
I was expecting a kind reconsideration after my reply to your response on 5 June 2011. I was really hoping that you would exempt me from installation fee. It would be so nice of you and highlight the EXCELLENT customer service of Plusnet, if you reconsider the charge/fee considering the suffering I've been through due to this incident.
Kind regards,

[#10]

Oh come on, be fair!
What have you suffered? 
You had a missed appointment with OpenReach, a contract company completely outside the control of PlusNet!!
Maybe you were in the loo and didn't hear OpenReach knock, maybe OpenReach didn't turn up (doubt full) either way PlusNet have to pay OpenReach, so its upto you to prove you were in all day.
I make home deliveries as my job, and you would be surprised how many people complain i 'didnt bother' to turn up, even though I was banging on the door for 15minutes because | could hear their tv, but they couldn't hear me!!!!

I have had 6 weeks of awful service, all related to BT/OpenReach, I completely understand and accept that there is nothing PlusNet could have done to rectify the situation any quicker.
I have not asked/demanded compensation, because PlusNet has done everything possible to have my service connected, even though I didn't ask, PlusNet have said compensation will be paid.

You come accross to me as a person that seems to think the world owes them everything right now, and for free!
Stop whinning about how bad PlusNet are, when the situation is out of thier control, and work with them.

[#11]

Openreach aren't the best at keeping appointments.  In the past I had another ISP who arranged a visit, I was home all day and they then tried to fine me.  I got out of paying the fine when I proved to them that the engineer had gone to the wrong house (or just not bothered).  He said he rang the doorbell but there was no answer, but I had a big sign on the door at the time saying doorbell not working, please knock.  He also said that it was obvious I was out as there was no car in my driveway.  My car had in fact failed it's MOT the day before on brakes and was up on jacks while I was underneath it so I would have seen the van pull up.  I don't know if the engineer admitted going to the wrong house or just not bothering to turn up but there was no more mention of a fine.

[#12]

Quote from: tony8436

Openreach aren't the best at keeping appointments.

Whether they are or are not it is not appropriate to charge someone for not answering a door when there's no proof anyone tried to gain access or how hard.
Surely Openreach need to provide some proof?
Also they should allow a reasonable time window, go back several times over say 15 minutes to allow for people in the toilet etc.
And if there's no answer leave a card like the Royal Mail do.
And what about using a phone to contact people even if it's an alternative such as a mobile number.
Many service organisations call you to say the engineer is on his way when finishing the previous call, with an ETA.
And traffic wardens take time-stamped photographs.

What's more when "they" decide that access isn't required the awaiting customer often isn't told, so sits around waiting for someone who isn't ever going to arrive!
All-in-all it's a very sloppy process.

[#13]

OpenReach and Plusnet are all part of the BT group of companies though effectively separate organisations at the direction of the regulators. However there must be the opportunity for the message about examples such as these of OpenReach antagonising the public customers to be passed back up the management chain to the group board. I personally believe there should be compensation of £100 to the client if an engineer fails to turn up for a scheduled visit. At present the service contract is very one sided; OpenReach claim a fee if the customer is not available why not the reverse?

[#14]

Excellent idea, though it needs to be a higher penalty, larger than the charge the other way.
And with the same level of evidence required. 
(Not that I'm suggesting it, but a customer could then go to work, claim the engineer didn't arrive and receive compensation. Of course BT never do the converse.....)

[#15]

syedatique,
Jojo has updated your ticket with what the engineer reported back to us with.
Whether charges apply or not depends on what happened. Whilst I cannot openly mention on here what has been mentioned on the ticket can you confirm if that did happen or not?
Adam.