Horrendous experience attempting to change over to Plunet fibreoptic

[#1]

Quote

That would very likely be a failing of OpenReach or BTw in that they carried out work on the phone line part of the order only without confirming with Plusnet that this was acceptable.

Exactly what I suggested earlier, but PlusNet seem reticent to explain to plusnetnoway who ( quite rightly! ) has requested an explanation of why, when told that he/she would not be without broadband during the migration, is now left without broadband ?
The real problem as I see it, is that in cases like this where BTw/OR mess up, the ISP has no means to get them to expedite a solution, over than paying for an expedited install perhaps!.
Why should the ISP have to pick up the tab for BT's failure... 

[#2]

empty

[#3]

Quote from: jelv

Looks like someone didn't read the T&Cs he agreed to!

Thanks MisterW - looks like someone didn't read the thread, jelv.
My question, once again, is why I was connected to the phone only when the internet wasn't ready. I was fully aware that a phone and internet package had been purchased - the number had been changed over &c &c as fully documented above.
If anyone needs to read the T&C's it's Plusnet's support staff before they start making outrageous prescriptions to seek to minimise the impact of the loss of  service, as you will find happened if you peruse the thread.

No, itsme, I was waiting for the full phone and fibre package which was not delivered - only the phone and no internet, with no warning or notice that I would be without the internet for at least 7 days.

[#4]

Quote from: MisterW

The real problem as I see it, is that in cases like this where BTw/OR mess up, the ISP has no means to get them to expedite a solution, over than paying for an expedited install perhaps!. Why should the ISP have to pick up the tab for BT's failure...

If this is the problem why won't Plusnet say so?

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_

Please bear in mind that MisterW and WWWombat are both fellow customers and can only offer the latter or give you an account of their own experiences.

Then why don't YOU tell me what happened, Adam? Why was I left without an internet? Why wasn't the installation stopped before it destroyed my service?

The reason I was glad of MisterW's and WWWombat's contributions is because I was getting nothing from Plusnet but a roaring silence (apart from the utterly uninformative 'problems with the fibre order' from Matt) , and the answers I've had so far on the questions above have been pretty evasive in my view. Am I going to get a straight explanation as to why Plusnet went ahead and took over my line with audio only and downed my internet service when there was nothing to put in its place?

[#5]

I think Adam *has* told you what happened: He said this in his original response:
[quote=Adam]With regards to your order in particular with us I can see the main points of failure were an issue with our suppliers which stopped us from being able to provide phone and broadband simultaneously. This is not something as a provider we can commit to do and we did communicate the problems we encountered with that process on ticket 42978544. However we also need to hold our hands up and say that we think that we could have communicated this fact at an earlier stage and could have taken the effort to call you and discuss this over the phone.
I think (so this is opinion 😉 ) that when the data-part of a simultaneous provide (ie both voice & data are ordered to be activated together) fails within BT, the order there seems to degrade to a "voice-only" provide, with the "data"-component left hanging.
The ticket may say more.

[#6]

It still doesn't explain why they went ahead. Why didn't they leave me with my previous supplier and my working connection until they had something that was fit for service?

I found ticket 42978544. The last piece of information I have about the installation is on 31st May
"As per our conversation, i've placed the simultaneous phone and fibre order for you and provisionally booked the appointment for ..... If you need to change this appointment time please let us know as soon as possible by phone or replying to the online ticket.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a fibre technology with an estimated downstream line speed of 13.1Mbps and upstream line speed of 2 Mbps. The actual stable line speed supportable will be determined during the first 10 days of use. This speed may change over time to ensure line stability is maintained.
We'll post the router out to you shortly and reply back to your ticket to confirm the appointment slot. If you have any questions please let us know or feel free to post in the forum we created when the product was in a trial basis as there is a lot of useful information contained within that area:"

Where is the indication in this ticket that my internet would be lost, even if the broadband would be delayed? The logical thing to do would be  to leave the installation until you're capable of managing it properly would it not?

There is the entry on 23rd June:
"As you have discussed with my colleague ..., the new line doesn't have speed data assigned to it yet so we cannot place the fibre order. Therefore, we will activate ADSL first and will then upgrade to FTTC as soon as we can."
But this was only made after the engineer did not turn up and I had rung up after the broadband had gone  to find out what was going on. The comment refers to the inability of Plusnet to provide FTTC even after my line might be restored to broadband after 7 days - it is nothing to do with the failure of the original installation, which was unannounced.

[#7]

I'm mystified why PN expect a simultaneous provide would work with a fibre connection. I would be surprised if one Openreach engineer be tasked to do the complete job and the first task would be to the Frames Engineer to move the telephone off TT equipment to BT Wholesale equipment and as soon as the task was closed as completed there will be no way to reverse it by PN as PN can't instruct BT Wholesale/Openreach to move a telephone back onto a 3rd party equipment.
What PN should have done first was to do a simultaneous ADSL provide and then move over to fibre after this was up and running.
But when it did fail the better option would have been to allow PN to place an ADSL order and not to cancel and try to get back to TT as the time frame probably would have been quicker. To allow PN to provide ADSL or to go back to TT both require the Frame Engineer to rejumper the MDF and the time scale would be the same.

[#8]

Quote from: itsme

I'm mystified why PN expect a simultaneous provide would work with a fibre connection.

I look forward to Plusnet's comments on your post, which shows you have some expertise in this area..

Quote from: itsme

But when it did fail the better option would have been to allow PN to place an ADSL order and not to cancel and try to get back to TT as the time frame probably would have been quicker. To allow PN to provide ADSL or to go back to TT both require the Frame Engineer to rejumper the MDF and the time scale would be the same.

I was so concerned by the reaction of Plusnet's customer services to my situation - viz that a week's downtime shouldn't matter so much on a residential contract ( and Adam has apologised and promised to speak to the person concerned - see above) that I lost faith in a continuing relationship with this business. I don't want to have to put up with that kind of attitude when I have a problem - particularly if that problem is unannounced, catastrophic and enduring. The fact that I found myself in this situation in the first place led me to question the business's competence.
This was a first impression and a very poor one at that.

[#9]

[quote=istme]I'm mystified why PN expect a simultaneous provide would work with a fibre connection
Because it *can* work, my line was the first one we trialled the fibre sim-provide on here at Plusnet and it went without a hitch.
[quote=plusnetnoway]It still doesn't explain why they went ahead. Why didn't they leave me with my previous supplier and my working connection until they had something that was fit for service?
I'm not sure what else I can add, we placed the order and part of the order was to move your phone line, once this has moved the service from your old provider stopped working. Due to an error your fibre service with us didn't go ahead as planned so you were left without a connection. I'm sorry this happened but there really isn't much more we can say as we've told you what's happened.

[#10]

Chris, I'm getting the feeling that this sort of thing could happen again because of the way the BTw systems work.
Is there anything in the system that says if a sim provide is ordered and the fibre element has a problem the phone part will not go ahead until the user has confirmed that this is what he wants?

[#11]

Hello Chris

Quote from: Chris

I'm not sure what else I can add, we placed the order and part of the order was to move your phone line, once this has moved the service from your old provider stopped working. Due to an error your fibre service with us didn't go ahead as planned so you were left without a connection. I'm sorry this happened but there really isn't much more we can say as we've told you what's happened.

Once again - why did Plusnet go ahead with the transfer before the product (phone and FTTC) was ready? Was no-one managing this process? Did no-one think that the loss of internet access might be problematic when you went ahead and took over the phone line? Don't you get your ducks in a row before you act?
Let me try an analogy: if I take my car in for a new engine and wheels and the garage has the engine ready but the wheels are delayed for a week then I would expect the garage to call me and tell me this is the case and allow me to drive the car away with the old engine and wheels and bring it back when they have got the wheels and can do the work - not take off the wheels and park the car on blocks for a week until the new wheels turn up so that I have to walk to work.
And just to be sure - who made the error, Chris?

[#12]

Quote from: jelv

Is there anything in the system that says if a sim provide is ordered and the fibre element has a problem the phone part will not go ahead until the user has confirmed that this is what he wants?

Well put jelv. I am asking exactly why the phone part went ahead when the fibre part had a problem and don't understand why Chris and others at Plusnet have a problem answering that.

[#13]

Ok, I've just spoken to the guys and got a bit more background into what happened.
The order was placed and *should* have been placed as a simultaneous orders. Unfortunately due to the manual way we were providing fibre (it's now at least partially automated) the order *wasn't* placed as a sim. Therefore the error lies with the person who placed the order rather than the ordering system. I had previously thought it was either ours or our suppliers system causing the issue but I was wrong, sorry.
It was an error, I'm sorry it happened and I'll be drilling this into the heads of anyone involved in Fibre ordering to make sure this doesn't happen again.

[#14]

Thanks Chris - I'm glad to have contributed to your processes.

[#15]

Quote from: plusnetnoway

I'm glad to have contributed to your processes.

That's got to be worth a hell of a lot in "consultation fees" surely........