I can't blame Plusnet, or openreach, but I just want broadband.

[#1]

This is long.  And it's out of date by about a week. Don't read if you have anything else to do. The latest I've been told is that Openreach will be digging, once they have permission from the council. 

PlusNet have been great, as have Openreach throughout this.  I penned the entry below last week, but didn't submit it.  I am now submitting it just to say sometimes things are out of their and your hands.

I called plusnet on the 28th September advising/asking them about moving my account/broadband to a new address. I'd seen a new 3rd gen openreach socket when I viewed the property, but plusnet told me the address wasn't found on their system so they would have to get OR to do a survey (which would take up to 5 days and then they would get back to me). Whilst on the phone I accepted a new 24 month phone & broadband contract.
I was also asked for a cease date on the existing broadband, which I understood was when my old broadband would stop. I said 5th October. The PN guy told me that OR wouldn't even look my new service until after that date. The person taking over my old line was told the 14th was the earlist they could change/start a contract but despite what I'd told them my broadband remained live until that date and they changed providers easily. (Which was a relief).
Fast forward a bit, I moved in and plugged a phone in the socket (Dial tone but all numbers not recognised) and got a ticket/email saying I would loose my mail account and static IP address as I was leaving PlusNet. After a (mobile) phone call I was reassured it was sent in error.
Fast forward again.. This morning (Yesterday now) I booked a day off work and got a text from BT/OR at 8am telling me that (OR engineer) was on the job.
(OR eng) called me from the exchange and was delighted when I told him that he didn't have to climb any poles. After giving him directions to the property I tried the phone and it worked. OR Eng arrived and told me he had found the only ceased line likely to come from the area (cabinet) and routed it to the new number and he was over the moon when he arrived to find it working (It was blowing a gale and raining sideways). He insisted on properly testing the line from the property and left with us both happy. I was told that broadband would be 4 working days after that. 
So, PlusNet:  Have I paid for a new line?  any discount for this last month,  hehe.

[#2]

Hi there,

I can see that some further work needs to be done to fix the fault on your line before broadband can be ordered.

It looks like we're expecting the next update on 4/11.

With regards to any discrepancy in billing we'll get that refunded for you as soon as the service is up and running.

Any questions just let me know.

[#3]

Well, Openreach think they have fixed the line but I'm still without Broadband.  I rang plusnet to let them know and also asked if the quote from the openreach engineer on a ticket from last week which said "Also runs through FTTC which is unlisted. Called OM to confirm ok" could have anything to do with it (I'm not on fibre as far a plusnet is aware).  The call centre guy said he thought it could so hopefully we are getting closer to fix now.

[#4]

Quick update.  I got a call from plusnet.  Well done them!  Unfortunately it seems to me that the guy on the phone didn't understand the issue.  I tried asking if the OR comment about FTTC was relevant and I didn't get far (Probably my fault, I'm not the best at explaining things on the phone)  I agreed to wait for another router (which they have configured) to turn up, rather than risk an engineer visit... It's getting silly now.  

[#5]

Note to admin:  Feel free to move out of feedback as it's becoming a bit of a blog.

Good news!  New router arrived.  Bad news! Confirmed suspicions that there is absolutely no broadband service whatsoever on this line.

Rang plusnet, as I was advised to do last week if it didn't work after I tried the new router. 

Short story short: (I'll try to be brief)  PlusNet guy was great on the phone,  pulled up my details / tickets, explained he couldn't do anything as the ticket was on hold until 6pm tomorrow, but I'm hoping he might be able to get it looked at tomorrow AM.

Short story long:  I mentioned earlier in this thread that there was a note from an OR engineer (who had been tasked to look at the fault before they decided they had to dig somewhere after getting permission from the council to fix the phone (which always seemed OK to me)) which said (and I'll quote it in full this time):

ENGINEER NOTE: cannot complete this task because further work is required by second stage for underground cable work (E-side), an A55 has not been submitted because E Side work from PCP1. The line has been proven good to the exchange. Battery contact was detected towards the end customer. Please see additional information E side failing on battery contact. No spares, stops etc. Tagged the d side which is 94. Also runs through FTTC which is unlisted. Called OM to confirm ok.

If anyone who knows about these things happens to read this, does the bit about "FTTC which is unlisted" not stand out?

Anyway, ramble over.  I still don't think this is any fault of plusnet, or the OR engineers.  I'm just feeling a bit unlucky at the moment.
 

[#6]

It's likely that this will need an engineer appointment. If you update the ticket with dates of preference, I'll be happy to get that booked in.

[#7]

Thanks Matty, ticket was updated this afternoon. 

If I can summarise the situation it might help to get the right team to the right place:

OR didn't have a listing for a line to the address, but when they came to install a new line found the existing line (Mk 3 OR combined socket with the line straight through the wall into the back of it,  no other wiring in the property) and routed it to the new number.  No sign of anything wrong with the phone since (quiet line etc.)

No broadband at all since signing up, A phone line fault was flagged up and then declared sorted.

New plusnet router tried using faceplate socket and backplate socket+microfilter.  Same result as my netgear router - No sync / broadband on the line.

Spotted a note by OR engineer which inferred that the phone was connected to the exchange over fibre.  I have a degree in electronics, but I don't know the details of how broadband is attached to a phone line.  My guess is though that with FTTC, the broadband comes from the cabinet, otherwise it is from the exchange.  In my case I suspect the line is over FTTC but the broadband is still at the exchange.  And I suspect that that just won't work.

I'd be happy to upgrade to fibre BTW, just I was told when I first started the house move that as it was a new install (or not as it happened) that it would be standard broadband then I would have the option to change to FTTC.

Sorry for rambling again.

[#8]

Looked at the ticket today expecting an appointment time to find they have found a fault with the phone line.  This time fault type: Dis in network ERT:14-11-16 Ticket back on hold until next week.  Got home to find the phone works fine, as it has ever since I moved in.  I know I sound like a stuck record, but I can't help thinking the OR comment last month "Also runs through FTTC which is unlisted" might be relevant. If not can someone tell me what it means please?

I also found another router had been delivered, sent the same date as the other, but delayed due to having a very incomplete address to which the postman had added a big ? to.  I've updated the ticket asking how I return it.  I notice there is part of the label which says "lift here to return" next to a barcode but nothing under it.  Do I just stick that back down over my address?

[#9]

As I said earlier, this is looking like a Blog.

I wasn't expecting any update until next week, but I got a call this morning while I was at work from an openreach engineer asking for directions to the property to fix a disconnected line.  He asked me if the phone had just gone dead, or was crackly.  I told him the phone line has always worked fine, and that I'd checked it last night talking to myself from a mobile.  I gave directions, mentioned that the phone has always been clear, but that I'd never had broadband, also mentioned the FTTC comment from a previous OR Eng. He told me that if a line is taken over that used to be over FTTC that it would normally be a case of doing something at the exchange, and he said he'd update me later, but I've not heard anything back.  Came home, no broadband, phone still clear as a whistle, no replay to this thread, nothing useful on the ticket apart from they are sending me a bag to return the unopened router.

Hopefully openreach are on the case, and maybe on Monday will tell a different story.  I personally just think something simple has gone wrong and it just needs someone from openreach to sit down and figure it out.

3-0 to England though, I thought Scotland deserved at least one.

[#10]

And another day goes by...

No reply on this thread from plusnet, and no ticket update.

How hard can it be?  Phone line always perfect, no broadband for the last 6 weeks.

Surely someone needs to take a look at this, and tell OR management that I'm starting to get slightly annoyed.

[#11]

The blog continues..  My laptop has developed a problem since I left work on Friday  (after a windows update).  I have decided to let it update over the EE PAYG thing that I have.  I'm out of pocket over £50 in top-up charges,  and I haven't had any (landline) broadband for the last 2 months.  I took line rental only because you can't have broadband without a phone.  I expect a full refund from when I told plusnet the date I was moving upto the date they finally get it working.  I still live in hope 🙂

[#12]

Well, no reply here or on the ticket. 

"Dis in network ERT:14-11-16" I would have thought means Plusnet should be looking to see if it's fixed or at least give me some feedback as to what's going on?

I do apologise for bumping this thread every night, as I said it's becoming a blog.  If any of the moderators want to find a better home for it I don't mind them moving it, or even telling me just to shut up.

[#13]

And tonight thrilling update..

I updated the ticket, asking if any progress had been made.

Good news: ticket say's "I have now escalate this ticket to our dedicated broadband faults team"

Hopefully not bad news: This is the third time I've heard that.

Another ticket comment: "phone fault shows as resolved. Confirmed by EU above." I didn't confirm it resolved, I said it still works.  It has never been broken.  Honestly, there is and has never been anything wrong with the phone.

If any plusnet staff stumble across this, It's not your fault.  I don't want an apology, all I want is facts, or actions.  What is the problem on a (to me) perfect phone line which is stopping any sort of broadband sync?

[#14]

Nothing happened today.  I was hopeful that I would be told someone would pick up the ticket, and arrange a visit.  Sadly no.  No response.  If the problem has been escalated to the broadband faults team, can I ask how long does it usually take them to pass it back to OR?  And how much time does it usually take them to take action after they pick it up?  Is it not a case of clicking a button and saying "Yes it needs passed to OR", or if they want to find out the facts,  20 minutes max to read the tickets and then call OR in?  I've been waiting all this week for an update.

OoPpSs, sorry, can't hep updating this thread

[#15]

I think that you are being extremely patient and positive about the situation you find yourself in and therefore find the total lack of response from Plusnet very disappointing.  Time to raise a formal complaint!