General feedback/complaint on a fault recently raised with PlusNet with Ironic ending

[#1]

I'll try and keep this short but I've had a pretty torrid time with my connection since late November and I'm getting calls from another provider asking whether the issue has been resolved!

November 20th 2019 - Raised fault because my line was slow as Sh... 

Openreach come out after a few days, tell me they need to dig outside my property to gain access to underground cabling to fix, this needs to be raised to my local council and my provider will keep me up to speed.

December 2nd 2019 - Heard nothing from Plusnet so call up and ask what the hell is going on - this is after a short live chat with them. They have no record of Openreach telling me they require access to cabling however after further line tests, problem still persists.

December 14th 2019 - Openreach knock on my door and inform me they are digging my pathway up and sign some documents to prove permission granted etc. They dig part of it up but tell me the problem is bigger than they imagined. Someone would be in touch.

January 10th 2020 - Openreach knock on the door, they need to close my whole pathway, about 8-10 houses long to dig more. After a week they come back and say more work is required. "Your service provider will keep you up to date" the BT guy says. 

January 20th 2020 - My road is now closed, I'm feeling a little red faced as diggers rip up the tarmac outside my house so I ask why they are doing it and they reply, "It's for Openreach". So I can only imagine it's to do with mine and my neighbours connection. Several of us had the same issues.

4th February 2020 - My phone rings, "Hi it's XYZ from BT, just to let you know, we have recently upgraded the broadband cables in your street and we're ringing to let you know you can take advantage of our 300mb per second Ultrafast service and continues to quote me less than what I'm paying Plusnet for 16mb per sec (On the best day).

STILL HEARD NOTHING FROM PLUSNET since December 2nd and in fact, it seems like my "question" was closed as it's not showing anymore on my account. I've been trying to contact you via live chat for the past 2 weeks only to see in another thread you've closed it without warning and no message has appeared on any webpage advising it has been closed, don't believe the widget bull either, I use live chat for my business and it takes 2 minutes to add a message.

Firstly, awful customer service on keeping me up to date with what the hell was happening, secondly, given my line still has issues, why was my question closed?  Finally, if BT can offer me 300mb per second, given you proivde your service on their network, why can't I receive the same service from you and why are BT (Whom I believe are worse at Customer Service than you in the past) are the first to contact me about this? 

Overall, a concerningly [-Censored-] customer experience and from what I've read lately, it seems to be going south on the "We do you proud" slogan. 

FYI - my username is [Removed]

Moderators Note: Personal information removed

[#2]

Further update - Openreach have just arrived at my property (No prior warning from them or Plusnet) asked for access to the property to run further tests. Engineer has told my Wife that his tests have failed and is now doing something in our garden again!

PN - What the hell is going on?! 

[#3]

A couple of things come to mind...

1. BT Openreach are notoriously bad at keeping ISPs updated on major service outages impacting multiple properties.

2. If BT Retail are offering you a 300mbps service then that is not using the same service structure used by Plusnet. You do not get those speeds on FTTC - that would need FTTP - which BT Wholesale seem to be somewhat restrictive on which ISPs they allow to retail FTTP services. Note that neither Plusnet nor EE (are allowed to?) offer FTTP.

If FTTP is new to your area, I would suspect that the extensive dig works were more likely for laying new fibre cables than fixing your issue. That said there’s a fair chance that new fibre digs could have screwed up your copper circuits.

[#4]

@Townman Thanks for the reply.

This just keeps getting wierder and Plusnet are being no help at all.

I called PN yesterday at 2:45pm, spoke to a fella called SAM in faults. Told me they had no idea why Openreach were still working on a fault and that my fault was closed on December 6th by them.

I explained that I was still experiencing problems blah blah blah, SAM firstly called me liar by saying "I don't believe for one second BT told you what I've been told" then he told me he had a colleague speaking to Openreach via their internal chat system and they would find out what was going on and call me back within 30 minutes. It's now 11:45am the following day and still no phone call but guess what? Openreach are supposedly coming to my property today for a full day to finally fix it but no one's turned up and PN still think my connection is fine. 

[#5]

"and I'm getting calls from another provider asking whether the issue has been resolved!"

"Told me they had no idea why Openreach were still working on a fault and that my fault was closed on December 6th by them"

"PN still think my connection is fine"

This does need a bit of a drains up, but I can imagine scenarios which might readily explain your experience ... but it would require coincidences.

Have you double checked that your phone line is your phone line?  Ring 17070 and check that the number is correct.  A cross connected line might well give rise to all of the above observations.  The remote line tests available to ISPs only prove that the connected circuit is god or bad - it cannot check where it is terminiated.  The other provider, BT Openreach visits / calls you are getting could be in relation to the subscriber of the crossed line.

The line could have been cross connected consequential to cable damage during the FTTP fibre installation digs.

Yes, it needs coincidences but in my experience when its is very odd and very bad such are likely causes.

@Gandalf might work some magic on this one if he is around?

[#6]

@Townman So BT have said I am using my neighbours line as mine is "Damaged" (My neighbour does not have broadband). During the initial dig they put me on his line because mine was damaged beyond repair. 

The visit today was to replace the cabling to my property according to BT because it should have been done on the initial dig but wasn't.

I have just spent another 40 minutes on the phone with Scott in faults trying to sort this out, he said he has raised it to a Manager to look into and I am hoping I finally get a call back this afternoon with a definitive answer as to [-Censored-] is happening. However after being told the same thing yesterday only to be ignored is not boding well with my relationship with PN.

[#7]

"So BT have said I am using my neighbours line..."

In which case any standard tests which Plusnet might run / have available to them is not going to deliver sensible results.

Is your broadband service running on your own number or on your neighbour's number?

Are you on ADSL or FTTC?

Do you use the phone line at all?

This somewhat sounds like a local (copper) network hash-up from Openreach.

[#8]

@Townman  - I'm on FTTC, spoken with a Manager in the faults today and they said what they are doing is illegal as it's using someone elses line!? 

I don't use the phone nor do I have one to plug in to test so i'm really not sure to be honest. The fact I was called a liar by PN yesterday only adds to my frustration but hopefully someone there can get to the bottom of this.

[#9]

Hey @mezzor,

From checking the connection this side everything looks to be running smoothly - I can see your connection is active right now & we generally wouldn't be able to see that if you were running over your neighbours line. The cabling can be used for multiple properties but it would fork off to your premises - if you were using your neighbours line we wouldn't see an active connection unless your router was plugged into their connection point and logged on.

I hope this clears things up but if you need further info please get back in touch here & we can go from there.

Thanks.

[#10]

Sorry @Mads but this is the complete opposite than what I have been told by several different Openreach engineers. 

I am currently speaking with [Removed] in faults who spoke with Openreach whom confirmed to him most if not all I have listed above. Something weird is going on, my connection whatever your tests show is flaky at best and has been since early December. 

On top of this, I was told a Manager by the name of [Removed] was going to call me urgently regarding the complaint I made with [Removed] but as of yet I've heard nothihg. 2 promises of call backs from Managers which have failed to materialise is pushing me out of the door. The Ombudsman is my next port of call now that the 8 weeks since my intial fault has elapsed.

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): CSA name(s) removed (to an area staff can see) as per Forum rules.

[#11]

Thanks for getting back to me @mezzor,

Sorry to have confused the matter, I've updated your ongoing complaint ticket with further info. Please give us a nudge here once you've provided the requested info.

Thanks.

[#12]

Thanks @Mads. I have replied.

[#13]

Hey @mezzor,

Just let me know when is best to get in touch with you? I'm here until 8 tonight, however, I will be out of the office for the remainder of this week and can arrange another faults trained colleague to ring you should it be more convenient for you then.

Thanks.

[#14]

@Mads Given you are now my point of contact, I'd prefer to speak to you. You may call me anytime.

[#15]

Thanks for letting us know, I've passed that on to Mads so she can get in touch when she's back at work.