Failed switch to PlusNet and fed up....

[#1]

Just a rant really.
I decided to switch to PlusNet after being with sky for 6 years.
Reason:-  little fed up with Sky TV Pricing, and heard good things about PlusNet. The annual Line Rental deal was also a bonus.
So, why fed up..
Well I have now been without a Proper Line and Broadband for over three weeks.
Switchover day came and passed, and I came home to no phone line, or broadband.
Chasing plusnet, they chased openreach to see what happened..
They said that I can not keep my old number and I have to have a new number (No reason why).
Inconvenient, but at this point no choice, I agreed.
For two days I had someone elses line? No idea why, then I got my new line and number.
Although I was connected to some adsl provider (I was getting a down and upstream sync) using plusnets login was getting access denied.
Chased Plusnet again and was told there is no broadband provision on my line and they would order it and it would take a further 5-7 days.
A little annoying, but after this wait, Broadband came. Whilst at work, I received the nice SMS and email to say the order is complete.
Came home to check, little red light was not a good sign. Had an up and downstream line before, but no auto setup, also no luck using my plusnet credentials.
Went to call Plusnet, but hey, phone line dead again.
When I get in touch, I am told my line has an exchange fault, and a 5 day wait time for openreach to look at it.
When they do, I am sure they won't look at why my Broadband is still connected to another provider.
I am sure they will sort the line out again next week, but my BB will need yet another openreach call logging with a 5-7 day lead time.
If any experts want to take this up and investigate further please do..

[#2]

Hi ChippyDSL,
Welcome to the PlusNet forums, sad to hear of your migration tribulations, some of which will be the responsibility of all concerned in the process; Sky, BTOR, PlusNet and possibly yourself!  You will need PlusNet staff (CRT) to explain the full details particular to your situation, but I can advise of some of the common issues which arise when the end to end process is not followed correctly.
When migrating from one service provider to another, it is generally best to deal only with the new provider in respect of the migration.  Telling your existing supplier "you are off" invariably creates much confusion.

Quote from: ChippyDSL

Well I have now been without a Proper Line and Broadband for over three weeks.

Did you make the mistake of telling Sky that you were leaving on a given date?  Migrators should never tell their existing suppliers they are LEAVING as they will tend to ensure that service is terminated on that date, rather than leaving industry procedures to facilitate the migration when BTOR actually have the capacity to do it.  Further, a cease order on a line from the loosing supplier will totally inhibit the gaining provider from placing orders on the phone line.  Where a line is ceased and taken out of service there is a risk of the existing phone number being lost.

Quote from: ChippyDSL

They said that I can not keep my old number and I have to have a new number (No reason why).

All might not be lost, depending on why the number is "not available".  There are Ofcom and EU directive rules which require phone service providers to facilitate number migration when a consumer changes providers.  If this has been implemented as a migration (rather than a cease and re-provide) Sky cannot inhibit you having your existing number moved to PlusNet.
However if due to Sky being advised that you are leaving, they implemented a cease then when the service came to an end, you no longer owned the number.  If it was a Sky number they are likely to keep the number.  If it was a BT number, then it would be released back to BT.  If the latter is the case, with the right contacts, it might be possible to have the "released" number "recovered" - it will need special manual intervention.
As for the rest of the issues, this looks like pure BTOR cock-up - you've been mis-connected or cross connected to another line.  Where the wiring is old or simply an error has been made such things happen.
Sadly as you are finding, there are aspects of BTOR which are not fit for purpose, but no ISP appears to be in a position or willing to take the repeated poor performance to Ofcom.  Each step along the road of a complex problem is taken as a separate fault, which takes time / process to schedule with the end user and BTOR availability.  If there was a delay to you intended switch date, then I suspect that BTOR n your area are over stretched or understaffed, which no ISP, including PlusNet can rectify.
I hope that your issues are sorted soon.  CRT do not work Sunday, so do not expect an official "Informed" response before sometime during the working week.

[#3]

Quote from: ChippyDSL

They said that I can not keep my old number and I have to have a new number (No reason why).

Doesn't help you now, but I transferred from Sky in December and had brought my old phone number with me. It was also a Sky  provided number as when we moved they installed the line, so it can be done. We went for a simultaneous provide and I kept quiet to Sky about leaving, even though I wanted to tell them to stick it where the sun didn't shine 
Hope you get it sorted.

[#4]

Well your both cheerful aren't you as I transfer from Sky to Plusnet next week, but I'm still happy it will go ok even though Sky do know I'm leaving.
Plusnet told them not me so they know the date.  I know because Sky told me by e-mail.
I have subsequently talked to Sky regarding settling up my account with them.  Sky have changed some details of my account so that if anything were to wrong with BT/OR I will not get left high and dry.
I have been kept up to date on progress by Plusnet very well of the progressing of my order etc.

[#5]

No, never discussed with SKY at any stage.
After signing up with Plusnet, I received a letter from Sky saying they are sorry I am leaving and the early termination charges that apply.
Plusnet said the day after switchover (Which only resulted in a dead line) that to continue with the order I must have a new number and if that was ok.
Then came the 7 days to Broadband activation which only resulted in a dead line again.
The suggestion that it may be my fault is bizarre, I have left Plusnet to attempt to migrate and manage this themselves, something that they are pretty poor at.
Will an OFCOM complaint investigate this, could someone please point me in the right direction?
If any Plusnet staff want my username, or if it is safe to post on here, please say.

[#6]

they should be able to pick it up from your account on here

[#7]

Quote from: ChippyDSL

The suggestion that it may be my fault is bizarre, I have left Plusnet to attempt to migrate and manage this themselves, something that they are pretty poor at.

Hi ChippyDSL,
I did say...

Quote from: Townman

You will need PlusNet staff (CRT) to explain the full details particular to your situation, but I can advise of some of the common issues which arise when the end to end process is not followed correctly. Did you make the mistake of telling Sky that you were leaving on a given date?

Note the question mark?  It was not a suggestion, but a question of you and an explanation of what can happen if a user tells the current provider that they are leaving.  The question is not bazar - it rules out a common cause of the exact problem you have complained about - the loss of an existing number.
Input from CRT is now needed to determine what has happened and how it might be resolved.  My advice on the potential for the recovery of your phone number still stands.  From experience, PlusNet need a lot of unhelpfulness from BTOR to foul up this bad.
I also said...

Quote from: Townman

CRT do not work Sunday, so do not expect an official "Informed" response before sometime during the working week.

[#8]

Apologies Townman.
Frustration I suppose, I have used all my phone data this month, and have a combination of structured tables to mount the laptop in a position in which I can use a BT FON wifi in the house on a signal from many doors away. Not played the xbox in three weeks is killing me!
I have a friend who works for openreach who has a good idea of what mistakes they have made with the order, and at the exchange. He lives out of the area unfortunately.
I also can see the job that has been logged for Wednesday is in relation with my land line as a phone line fault, not a broadband fault. Although the Broadband order has completed it is pretty clear I am still connected to SKY BB at the exchange.
I have given plusnet one last chance to get this right on Wednesday. A full refund and release is the only thing I will accept come Thursday. Following that OFCOM and various forums will get my reviews and feedback of my experience of plusnet.

[#9]

Quote from: ChippyDSL

Apologies Townman. Frustration I suppose, I have a friend who works for openreach who has a good idea of what mistakes they have made with the order, and at the exchange. Although the Broadband order has completed it is pretty clear I am still connected to SKY BB at the exchange. Following that OFCOM and various forums will get my reviews and feedback of my experience of plusnet.

Hi Chippy,
Yes, frustration does lead to irritability!!    Lets not worry about that!
It never harms to hint here, what is thought to be wrong, especially if there is some informed in-sight... there are some truly bazar things which sadly take too long to sort out.  It is completely unreasonable that (effectively) the ISP / Communications provider has to guess what is wrong and then get the right type of BTOR engineer selected to attend the job... then due to scheduling issues have them not turn up.

Quote from: Townman

You mean there are no 'Rover' engineers?  "There is a fault somewhere, go sniff it out and get it fixed". No wonder it's so darned hard for ISPs if it's up to them to determine what / where the fault is in BTOR's kit and then work out which is the right kind of engineer to send.

Quote from: plusnettony

I wish.

If you are indeed still connected to Sky BB, then as you suggest you must still be connected to Sky's LLU kit in the exchange - fixing that is a BTOR task.
If it does come to complaining to Ofcom, do consider making equal complaint against BTOR as you decide against PlusNet.  Whilst PlusNet must lead on addressing the issue, they and completely in the hands of BTOR for delivery.  BTOR are simply not fit for purpose.

[#10]

Quote from: ChippyDSL

Will an OFCOM complaint investigate this, could someone please point me in the right direction?

It's always worth complaining to OFCOM about Openreach making a mess of the transfer. Whilst they may not investigate (sometimes they will) they may try and fob you off by telling you to deal with your "new" ISP, who is of course not the cause. If they try fobbing you off, insist they record your complaint and ask for a reference number.
Unless the general public complain about Openreach, this inefficient monopoly that all ISPs (apart from Virgin Media Cable) have to depend on will certainly continue.

[#11]

Before blaming Openreach, it's best to let Plusnet establish the facts. There are many possibilities of what went wrong and either Plusnet or Sky could be to blame.
The fact that you've been told by Plusnet about having a new number indicates to me that they didn't place the order correctly or Sky have messed up and ceased the line. Asking if you can have a new number looks like Plusnet have placed a new line order, whilst your BB side is still connected to the LLU kit in the exchange.

[#12]

Andy, it seems to me that Plusnet have placed orders and there is only one reason they get messed up, and that's because Openreach cancel them either due to their useless systems or incompetence or have failed to do the job. That is no excuse for the phone being moved and the broadband still being on LLU.

[#13]

@ChippyDSL - Thanks for your patience over the weekend. It's clear here that clarification is needed.

---

You signed up with us on 26/01, and as soon as your Direct Debit went live we placed the order for you - 04/02/2015. The order was placed correctly by Plusnet, however our request to port the telephone number over to us was not accepted.
I cannot vouch for whether this would be the fault of Openreach or Sky, really. Sometimes the porting proforma doesn't get sent to Sky to accept, sometimes it gets sent to the wrong ISP, sometimes the ISP doesn't respond.
We chased this up, but as the number port never happened, it meant our order never committed in Openreach's systems. This then lead to Sky ceasing the line.
Since then, we have restarted the phone line, and the broadband order has completed, though I do acknowledge that it's not working at the moment. Whilst it's not working, I must stress the Plusnet's broadband asset definitely is there, so it won't be a case of 5-7 days hopefully. This also explains the unintentionally annoying texts saying that your order has completed etc.
I am in the hope that the phone fault raised over the weekend will resolve the issue with the broadband. We'll check back on the 11th, and we'll hope that this is the case. If not, I'll pick this up for you and run some broadband diagnostics.
Matty

[#14]

Thanks MattyC - Appreciated.
With regards to any complaint to BTOR, this is really not my problem.
My contract is with Plusnet, not BTOR, or their contractors.
If it is BTOR who have messed up, they are giving companies like Plusnet a hell of a bad name, and it would be up to these companies to take it up with BTOR, or Ofcom? They pay BT enough to get it right the first time!

[#15]

@ Anotherone - Openreach don't generally cancel orders for no reason. I would put money on this being an issue with Sky or Plusnet - but let's see what Matty finds.