Dreadful experience with PlusNet since day one.

[#1]

For those who are interested,
You will see this forum is filled with information about people having issues with PlusNet, most of these problems are indeed installation issues due to OpenReach being understaffed. However I would like to inform you from my experience;
I moved from BT Business to PlusNet as I was paying a crazy amount of money for just the broadband, I was on Infinity 1 which is the 38Mbps down and 10Mbps upload speeds, as  my contract was due to end I looked on comparison sites and found PlusNet the most attractive for what they offered and the price. After multiple chats with their Sales team I was assured I should not encounter any real difficulties as I was already FTTC product and that I only required a new router and for the lines to be transferred over.
I signed up on the 3rd of July with the date set for the 22nd as this was when my contract ended with BT, I thought I was pretty well organised. So on the Friday before I noticed I had not still received the router so I decided to call PlusNet, whom kindly told me that it was being dispatched that day. (In other words it was forgotten) This is where it started going wrong.
I have a detailed thread about it; http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,116759.msg1009173.html#msg1009173
But the simple version, for "some" reason the system did not put my order through so nothing that was agreed with on the purchase day was met.
Now for the interesting part which I am still in discussion with via their support system where response times are way beyond promised (more that 48h), when I signed up I was told I can get up to 51Mbps, obviously we can expect some variation on this, but when I was switched over only upload speed changed; http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,116985.msg1011584.html#msg1011584
Now 38Mbps and 51 Mbps has a difference of 13Mbps which is quite considerable. Now I have had 2 Engineers our (apparently a 3rd but according to PlusNet I was not home which is ********) and they all said, the line is simply not capable of more which I am fine with, but I chose PlusNet because I could get a good deal on the 80/20 package and unlimited download instead of the cheaper 40/10 the competitors were providing, and I went with this because of the 51Mbps.
Now I have requested on a few occasions to PlusNet to provide me with a reasonable solution but yet again they are failing to respond.
From my recommendation I highly recommend you steer clear from this ISP as they are clearly not fit for providing the service which they claim they provide. Truly a huge disappointed.

[#2]

Hi there,
Sorry to see that you're not satisfied with your service overall. I can see some of the points have been addressed in the other threads you've linked too.
I can see our faults team have been working tirelessly in an attempt to resolve this for you and currently have an escalation raised with our suppliers and are continuing to chase this daily.
I'll going to chase this up and get it progressed.

[#3]

Hi Chris,
Its not the overall experience as that would just be harsh, you, Adam and other forum staff have been great and I cannot say a bad thing about you guys. It is just becoming cumbersome with speaking to a different representative to just hear, we apologise for the inconvenience.
The line I have is great and I understand the cabling in my area is poor and old Plus I am far from the cabinet, however but what PN (not you personally) do not understand is that I went to PN because I was informed I could get 51, so I opted for the higher package, which I have not gained any benefit of apart from upload which I don't use. Otherwise I would have gone TalkTalk or stayed with BT on the 40/10.
So yeah, I am incredibly sorry I have got you dragged into it but I just don't seem to be getting anywhere.
Regards,
Rick

[#4]

I completely appreciate that, the estimates we provide are taken from line tests and information available from the lines measurement. Estimates on a whole are normally very accurate but they are only estimates and many factors contribute towards this.
This is currently being chased by our faults team to see if/how we can get your speed around the estimate.

[#5]

Quote from: RickK

You will see this forum is filled with information about people having issues with PlusNet, most of these problems are indeed installation issues due to OpenReach being understaffed.

I have to take issue with this RickK.  Whether or not OpenReach are understaffed or not has nothing at all to do with the response we expect from the people we DO have a contract with. i.e. Plusnet.
OpenReach are suppliers to Plusnet (as well as many other ISPs) but NOT direct suppliers to me, so it is Plusnet's problem, and Plusnet's alone, when there are installation issues because they choose to use a substandard or understaffed supplier.
If a plane you are due to fly out on does not take off due to there not being enough groundstaff to fuel it up, do you go to the groundstaff for compensation, or the Airline?

[#6]

Quote from: syates

...so it is Plusnet's problem, and Plusnet's alone, when there are installation issues because they choose to use a substandard or understaffed supplier.

Wake up and get real!  PlusNet do not choose to use Openreach as you suggest, there is no other national supplier of wires to premises to choose to use other than BTOR - there is no choice to be made here.  This is not to suggest that managing and owning the problems is not PN's responsibility, however given that there is no choice, the only alternative is to work with what we've got and do the best achievable.
Going back to the OP's issues, if his local lines are poor, no ISP is likely to be able to deliver a better service, unless they can get BTOR to go the extra mile on improving HIS local circuit as PN did for me, albeit taking 6 months and 18 BTOR visits.  I do not believe any other ISP would try this hard.

[#7]

Quote from: townman

Wake up and get real!  PlusNet do not choose to use Openreach as you suggest, there is no other national supplier of wires to premises to choose to use other than BTOR - there is no choice to be made here.

Maybe it is you that should open your eyes.
We have a contract with Plusnet to provide broadband.  If a problem with the provision of that broadband is due to the outfit they use to keep the lines in a fit state or not is entirely irrelevant.
If Plusnet are not happy with the service Openreach provide, then they should be taking this up with Openreach, not using it as an excuse to Plusnet customers for poor service.
It can't be that difficult... after all they are both owned by the same company.

[#8]

Hi syates,
I'm sorry that the line's not working, we'll make sure to get the requested engineer visit booked in for as soon as possible for you.
With regard to your comments though, I'm afraid that while we are owned by BT Retail the equivalence laws mean that no ISP, including ourselves and indeed BT Retail, can get preferential service from either BT Openreach or BT Wholesale. We have to follow the same process as all other ISPs in the UK that resell BT Wholesale services.
I hope this is sorted for you soon.

[#9]

Quote from: Matt

I'm sorry that the line's not working, we'll make sure to get the requested engineer visit booked in for as soon as possible for you.

Thank you.

Quote from: Matt

With regard to your comments though, I'm afraid that while we are owned by BT Retail the equivalence laws mean that no ISP, including ourselves and indeed BT Retail, can get preferential service from either BT Openreach or BT Wholesale. We have to follow the same process as all other ISPs in the UK that resell BT Wholesale services.

I never suggested that you get preferential treatment or that you should be treated in any way different to the other ISPs that have to make use of BT Openreach,  just that you should be able to put pressure on Openreach to improve through your shared parent company.  After all, improvement in customer service is what you are about, so if the performance of BT Openreach is holding you back, this reflects badly on you.

Quote from: Matt

I hope this is sorted for you soon.

So do I.. 13 months worth of problems is a long time.

[#10]

I heard a story today on the radio today where an old gentleman had signed up with PN after the O2 sale, all had not got well with the changeover and now his telephone line has gone out of action,      PN support did not impress him and it was eventually established that the fault was a bt one (ie, out side his house) and they Openreach didnt show a lot of interest repairing saying they would look at it in probably 3 days - not good as he has one of these Lifeline Services connected.

[#11]

Customers who rely on their telephone line for emergency services, are registered disabled*, live without a carer and have no access to a mobile can receive preferential service for any repair work that is necessary. If this applies to you, please inform Support when you contact them for provisions to be made.
*The actual rules are a touch more complicated than this and telephone faults aren't my specialty so I don't have access to the exact documentation but in principle it's correct.