Plusnet service so bad I cancelled before I got connected

[#1]

I am very sorry I ever heard of Plusnet. I registered for the phone and broadband services in January. I eventually cancelled it all today when I was informed that it would be another week before I would be connected. It's not like there was anything difficult to arrange. I had a former BT phone line in place that had had broadband on it.
Plusnet offered no reason or explanation as to why my service was taking so long to connect.
The promised e-mails and text messages telling me where the order was up to were never sent (until after I had cancelled the account today when I was bombarded with messages to add insult to injury).
If you are reading this and thinking of having Plusnet as your service provider I urge you to think again. My experience has been terrible throughout and I have wasted weeks waiting for a service that never materialised.

[#2]

Hi there,
I'm really sorry about the service you've had so far.
I've tried to call you today but unfortunately you were unavailable. If you'd like to let me know a good time to call today I'd be happy to call and discuss.

[#3]

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me but I'm afraid its going to be too late to do anything about the situation. I asked for the whole service to be cancelled last Friday and I (finally) got an answer this morning to a ticket raised on Friday saying that the telephone cancellation was taking place ref:PLP142424, and that the matter was being "escalated for further investigation".
I must say its a real shame that this level of attention to detail wasn't applied when I got an e-mail on 3rd Feb saying that my broadband order had been placed and that I would be connected in 5 - 7 days. The reply this morning didn't address the issue that I raised about you (Plusnet) still sending me texts telling me how well things were progressing after I contacted you to cancel the order. The text messages received on Friday 12th after I cancelled said that:
1. The broadband order was being processed
2. The order had been submitted
I don't think the broadband order was ever placed to be honest, despite my Order Tracker fluctuating between "First Payment" and "Activating Your Line" for the last 10 days or so.
I had heard a lot of good things about Plusnet so I find it really surprising that this whole situation has arisen. I've spoken to another ISP this morning who has told me that it could take me weeks to sort this out and get back on line with them so not only have I waited weeks for Plusnet not to connect me, but I may now have to wait even longer to untangle all this mess.
I'm just waiting to see how much Plusnet will try and charge me for all this.

[#4]

Hi,
I can see you've spoken to one of our cancellation agents today, and he's explained the current situation.
From looking at the orders placed it appears we placed a broadband order on the 3rd, but this was rejected as the phone details weren't correct. The phone order then completed and the details updated, and a second broadband order was placed on the 11th, to complete on the 18th. The texts were sent in relation to the second broadband order.
We've now placed a cease on the line, which will cancel both orders. This will take a little while to propagate through the various supplier systems, which is why it may take a little longer for your new supplier to get things going.
It's clear we've let you down, and for that I'm sorry. If you'd be willing to give us another shot, I'd happily manage this for you and get things sorted as soon as possible.

[#5]

Hi, and once again thanks for your personal efforts in this matter.
With regard to the conversation with the cancellation agent, I called Plusnet on the advice of another ISP to obtain a MAC Key. After a 35 minute sales pitch trying to convince me that staying with Plusnet was actually going to be in my interests and being offered 3 months free broadband if I agreed there and then to stay with Plusnet, the agent put me on hold again and then came back saying it was too late and it would be March by the time you could connect me. I was then given some cock & bull story about "phone details not being correct" despite the phone working fine on the new number since the 3rd Feb (though nobody at Plusnet thought to tell me this at the time). Next up I was informed that I wouldn't get a full refund because of postage & packing. When I informed the agent that nothing was being posted to me the story changed to I wouldn't get a full refund because of calls that had been made on the line. When I explained that no calls had been made the story changed again to the refund would be limited because of the difference in time since the landline service had been provided (the 11th Feb despite it being done on the 3rd) and the first date I mentioned cancellation, this also being 11th Feb. When I'd stopped laughing I pointed out that these dates were infact the same. At this point I asked the agent if he was making it up as he went along. I was then told that I would probably get a full refund. When pressed further I managed to get the agent to agree that I would get a full refund for the £57.24 joining fee etc that as yet hasn't been deducted from my account.
I was then told that I couldn't have a MAC Key, this being the original purpose of the call.
I appreciate your offer of personal management, but honestly - if you were in my shoes would you really chance it?

[#6]

Hi,
Is there a good time to call you today to discuss this?

[#7]

I admire Plusnet's persistance if nothing else!
I'm sorry but I've wasted enough time on this matter as it is. I've been on to OTELO this morning about it. They helped me resolve a previous issue with BT via the Director of Retail Customer Sales. I'm to get back in touch with them if I have any problems with my refund, so I expect that to go back into my account in full the same day as you take it out. The landline service has been terminated, funny how this can be done within a few hours yet it takes up to 2 weeks to activate!
They did tell me that in exceptional circumstances it is possible to connect a landline and broadband from scratch in less than 24 hours, so unless that is what you were going to offer me I'll take my custom elsewhere.

[#8]

I've *never* known a telephone and broadband order to complete in less than 24 hours, so I wouldn't have been able to promise that I'm afraid.
I will however ensure your refund gets sorted. We can't provide a MAC though as the broadband service never went live.
I'd just like to apologise once again, and I'm sorry I couldn't sort this one for you.

[#9]

"The next action on your Help Assistant Question is due on Saturday 20th February at 9:00am."
It really doesn't get any better does it...? An ill-advised statement to say the least ...

[#10]

Hi there,
That ticket is on hold until the payment is processed (our systems won't allow us to refund a payment that hasn't been confirmed as taken). I'll make sure you get a full refund as soon as I can.

[#11]

The penny finally drops.
dick:quote

[#12]

This looks very familar, I sign up 31-01-10 and yet a phone a few minutes ago to Customer Support has not enlighted me at all as to when I will be connected. The silence is deafening, and the "track your order" link is next to useless, it hasn't moved in 3 weeks.

[#13]

Dustymil59,
We're waiting for the order to be approved, as soon as that's done we'll be able to confirm an install date for you.
Because your line is not a BT one the process for transfer is slightly different, and does take longer than a standard install.
The order tracker as it is currently is for broadband only, so it doesn't have any information about the phone order (this is something we're planning to update soon).

[#14]

I wish Id read your post before signing up for plusnet David H.  Now ive got another year of them. Im really worried that they are charging me more than they should cos Ive had e-mails stating that theyve billed me incorrectly. It gives me no confidence in them.
Also ive repeatedly asked for proof that they installed a line and they wont give me it. BT say i have to contact plusnet. The BT inginner said he didnt install a line just switched it on.The property agent said also there was a line there it just needed switching on. Ive paid £105 for this

[#15]

@moira
BT would have charged you £124.99 for the same thing - see here under "Residential".  Also this from the same page: "If the premises has had telephone service from BT in the recent past, and the wiring and socket is undamaged and the line still has dialling tone, a connection charge may not be payable." (My bold.)
As far as I can see the only time you don't have to pay the charge is if there's still a dial tone on the line - everything else counts as a "new line installation".  
I could be wrong though as the Openreach price list is different and not very clear (about what constitutes a transfer) although the £88+VAT is what they charge to both Plusnet and BT Retail (=£103.40 inc vat so BT Retail taking a bigger cut than PN).