Do not join Plusnet

[#1]

@adamwalker, (I think it was you I raised this with elsewhere)

Is this a good case to add to the ex-Sky provisioning issues analysis I suggested elsewhere (not responded to)?

If one accepts all of the statements on this topic...

• user did not tell Sky they were leaving
• this was entirely a gaining ISP led migration
• the process was delayed because of a line cease order supposedly placed by Sky

Then one has to conclude that...

• Upon receiving notification of the intent to transfer, Sky are placing cease notices on lines as part of their 'notify their own customer' process, thereby inhibiting the migration, causing cutomer frustration and dissatisfaction whilst damaging the reputation of their competitor
• Or there's something screw-ball in PlusNet's or BTw's processes which gives rise to a phantom cease notice on the line presently 'owned' by Sky

Something in this case does not add up.

[#2]

I am in exactly the same position as the OP, same days, same lack of contact.

I'm still waiting on a service

[#3]

Quick update. If you're thinking of joining read this as it may contain useful information plusnet won't communicate to you otherwise.

From the 5th of May Plusnet "guaranteed" me I would have been connected on the 8th of May.

As of today 10th of May no connection. Got in touch again with the customer service and apparently they found a fault somewhere. Now, they have to send someone to check the line and I was basically forced to accept to be charged £65 if the fault is in my premises (forced as the other option is to cancel). Apparently calling their own fault team will take up to 3 days and the engineer will be assigned in 2 days. That sums up to another 5 days of delay + fixing the actual fault which can take "from 48 hours to a few weeks". A few weeks, how sad is that? I ordered plusnet broadband first week of April, if I'm lucky I'd get my first byte in June. What a regret.

I was connected with Sky like a month ago and there were no faults or glitches of any sort. This whole situation sounds like a joke to me. Again I strongly advise not to join this provider.

[#4]

Readers also need to be aware of a few important points here...

1. Apparently Sky placed a service cease notice on the line - how or why is not clear, the OP states they did not tell Sky of their plan to migrate away - whilst the cease order remains unfulfilled no ISP can place an order for the provision of an alternative service.  In this respect the user's experience would have been little different with any ISP ... Other than possibly a more proactive communication of the Sky instigated bad news.
2. Moving from Sky to BTw's WBC service (as used by the majority of ISPs) requires a physical change to the line termination within the exchange, hence the assertion that all was well with Sky before the swap is no assurance that BTOR (who do the same work for all ISPs) get it right every time or might have done it better for a different ISP
3. The £65 user fault charge acceptance is a standard general condition for calling out an engineer.  The fact that the risk has been accepted needs to be balanced against the risk that the fault is in the user's premises / equipment - the pre-call out checks generally eliminate that risk

The bulk of the issues here arise from the user's previous suppliers and issues internal to BT Wholesale ... It is very debatable if their experience would have been different with another ISP.  This forum is rife with "departure from Sky" related issues - either blocking cease orders or BTw / BTOR switch away from LLU difficulties - both physical and database records.  PlusNet's main failings have been a lack of communication on why things have failed ... at the time they failed ... it is hoped that internally behind the scenes they are actually squeezing the throat of BTw for their shambolic performance.

[#5]

Thanks for the explanation and thanks for confirming that their lack of communication here is the real issue. If moving from Sky (or any other provider) appears to create issues or delays of any sort the user should be informed beforehand.

This also confirms my suspect that Plusnet's agent deliberately lied to me at the moment of ordering the service as they stated that the movement would have been smooth and it would have taken 15 minutes to be completed.

Then again, as a user I don't think I should be bothered/concerned with what goes on behind the scenes, their glitches or their internal faults. I should pay for the service and receive the service, end of the story.

[#6]

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@nic32 wrote:

This also confirms my suspect that Plusnet's agent deliberately lied to me at the moment of ordering the service as they stated that the movement would have been smooth and it would have taken 15 minutes to be completed.

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I suggest that this is a bit unfair.  Normally - when nothing goes wrong - service migrations do take around 15 minutes.  However, when they go wrong, well they go wrong and all bets are off.  Sadly migration away from LLU can turn ugly.  I guess equally migration to LLU can go wrong too, however I suspect because of industry rules Sky & Talk Talk get preferential service from BTw / BTOR in such situations, less they be percieved as being anti-competitive.

As I have commented before, there is something very odd about this experience ... if you did not advise Sky of your intent to migrate ... then (a question management need to be thinking about) what event caused Sky to place a service cease order on the line which then instigated the consequential delays?  Yours is not the only example of a challenging "escape from Sky" migration reported herein.  Without a lot of digging, I guess one will never know when (in relation to the migration order being placed with / by PlusNet) the service cease order was raised by Sky.

[#7]

Exactly the same from me too. Sky put a cease order on the line (which I called to cancel), then the day sky cut off the line, I had an email from plusnet to say they'd cancelled my order! That was 27th April and today is meant to be the day my phone and internet gets activated! No news yet but I'm not holding my breath!

[#8]

Hi @Skeeper43,

A warm welcome to the forums.

In your case telling Sky you were leaving instigated the issues.  Once a cease order is placed on a line no other orders will be accepted by BTw for that line.  Orders need to be re-raised (possibly manually).  In your case I'm left wondering if the order was re-raised on the cease day ... albeit a little before the cease had been applied?

Think I will go and ask some questions on the process...!

[#9]

Thanks @Townman. If I'd realised Sky do that, then I wouldn't have cancelled with them. To be honest I phoned to see if they could do me a cheaper price and when they couldn't I said I would sort out a new supplier. I've switched a few times in the last 10 years and always had a smooth transition. I had no idea plusnet had cancelled until the 27th (after ordering on the 4th April) and the people I've called have been very cheery and apologetic, but that doesn't help. I emailed a complaint and my question is now 'on hold' until tomorrow so it can be chased up if it hasn't completed by then. Normally missing a phone line and the internet would just be a bit inconvenient, but the last 4 days I've been off my feet with a chest infection and normally would enjoy a Netflix binge!

[#10]

I suggest that this is a bit unfair.

How is that unfair? You just explained me that those type of issues are common hence plusnet should have been fully aware of the potential delays therefore informing me beforehand. Doesn't that sound like a deliberate lie? or is that a white lie? either cases the point is the lack of transparency/communication. And I'm paying for that.

if you did not advise Sky of your intent to migrate ... then [...] what event caused Sky to place a service cease order on the line which then instigated the consequential delays?

Good question. I definitely haven't told Sky about ceasing the order as I've specifically asked the (lying) plusnet agent if I had to do so and I've been told they would have managed the whole thing; in fact I was charged by Sky for the month of May (which I'm now disputing).

My best guess here is that plusnet has simply messed up. Is that a fair assumption?

[#11]

Assumptions can be dangerous -  cockerel-up is a possibility - but so is a deliberate obstruction of the migration by the loosing supplier.  I see far too many order delays reported around here all involving Sky, all involving a cease order placed by them which causes difficulty for the customer and the gaining supplier.  It's difficult to see such patterns and dismiss the possibility of loosing supplier interference.

Extrapolation of my comment to imply "common" is stretching the point.  Yes it is a reoccurring theme within the forum, but it's people with difficulties who post here.  The 100's or 1000's which do migrate in 15 or so minutes rarely come here to say "it all went well for me".  An agent accepting an order would therefore not expect failure to be the norm / common.  In your specific case the agent provided the right advice - do not inform Sky ... the process will do that for you.

Some thing odd (exceptional) happened here - as I said, I've asked questions, but sadly your split milk cannot be put back into the bottle.  I hope it gets sorted soon.

[#12]

I wish some of the agents (I believe I talked with over 10 different agents so far) had spoken to me as you're doing here.

That said, I know I can't break the second law of thermodynamics, but I wish plusnet could appreciate mine is an exceptionally bad case and speed things up to fix whatever the issue I'm facing now instead of dogmatically follow the protocol