Total loss of Broadband Service Ticket - ID: 29739425

[#1]

On the 18th August my download speed plummeted from 3.6Mb/s to a pathetic .13Mb/s, and days where no connection was possible at all.
I contacted Plusnet and we started the ABC of diagnostics.
I have plugged directly into the test socket for at least a week.
I have replaced my router and microfilter, and all cables.
I have also connected to computers that are known to be reliable both Mac & PC.
A very unhelpful BT engineer has attended and in his 25 seconds of detailed diagnostics reported that my connection is fine and resolving at 5 Mb/s to the exchange.
In running a Trace route to google.com unacceptable periods of latency occur in particular on the Plusnet relays, in excess of 1000ms.
At this point I am finding it hard to resist plunging into expletives born of pure frustration.
Has de-regulation actually done us any favours it appears that the once independant Plusnet subsequently purchased by BT still doesn't talk to BT.
Today I'm informed that I'm in a queue awaiting the attention of a BT engineer.
Room for some optimism you might think, if only I hadn't been given the same story 8 days ago!

[#2]

Hi there,
I'm sorry you've been having problems recently.
I can assure you that like all other ISPs, we do talk to Wholesale about broadband faults.  The fact that we're part of Retail, by Ofcom's regulatory law means that we're not allowed to gain an unfair advantage on other ISPs.
The information that we've received from BT, is similar to what you were told, that your line was working fine when tested, however, I can see that the problem is still ongoing in that your connection still appears to be dropping, which I would strongly expect to contribute towards the dreadful latency problems that you have been seeing.
Apart from testing your connection, did the BT engineer do anything else?  For a fault raised as a dropping connection, BT are supposed to stay for the full two hours, or until the connection drops, which it sounds like they didn't do.

[#3]

Hi James
Thanks for the reply.
The BT engineer was present for aprox 5 minutes, he simply connected to the BT socket with his laptop and said the line was resolving to the exchange at about 4.8. Mg.
The engineer then left and said that there was nothing else he was able to do.
I asked if he had been to the exchange and he said no, but there is no point as no fault exists and that I would need to take up the matter with Plusnet.

[#4]

Thanks.
I've reraised your fault with BT.
If you havebn't heard anything by tomorrow, give me a shout and I'll chase it up for you.

[#5]

And as if by magic!
After 20 days with NO broadband service, I was woken in the early hours of Saturday morning by a persistent clicking on my BT phone.
Later in the morning I checked my broadband connection to find it re-instated exactly where it was 20 days ago.
In the intervening time, I have spent over £150 on a new router splitter and cables even though the old one is fine. £150 in fees to an independent system engineer to tell me that all my equipment is functioning ok.  Not to forget the 20 days that I have been unable to earn a living.
Is an explanation likely to be forthcoming, or even perhaps an apology?
Clain Armstrong-Brown

[#6]

Having the same problems over the last 3 days, I'm pretty close to exploding myself.
Stopped synching with the exchange on Thursday and it mysteriously started synching on the Friday afternoon approx 30 mins after my ticket is updated to inform me my ticket will be updated shortly.
Shortly appears to be mean ".....over 48 hrs later...." on this particular ocassion.
I've been having problems on and off over the last 6 weeks ranging from diabolical download speeds to having no connection whatsoever.
After being issued a dialup backup service that didn't work due to DNS resolution problems, they asked me to use another dialup number 0845 and now I'm being charged with testing it for them......absolutely comical.
I've got to be honest, the service has been shambolic to say the least.
I'm now awaiting a call back from a so-called customer service supervisor after being driven almost suicidal by a front line rep who couldn't find call records on my account after I complained about being charged for testing the dialup infrastructure.
I appreciate there are other ISP's out there who have bad reputations but my experience in the last few weeks have convinced me that Plusnet aren't worthy of their socalled reputation.
Shambolic at a price. 

[#7]

@ Apogee
The infrmation that we received from BT is that they encountered a PSTN voice line fault.
It sounds like that was the cause of your ongoing difficulties and once fixed, your problem was resolved.  I'm very sorry for the amount of time that it took for this to be spotted.

[#8]

@EckieM
We currently have your fault with BT.  We'll let you know once we've heard back from them.
Again I'd like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

[#9]

Hopefully my last post…
During the period of my fault I reported a fault on my line to BT retail twice, on each occasion they tested the line and I was referred back to my ISP where the problem lay.
BT wholesale who of course won't speak to me closed my ticket twice having fully tested the line and pointing to my equipment where the problem lay.
I called Plusnet tech support 46 times who generally passed it back to me where the problem lay.
I have been a satisfied customer of Plusnet for 8 years or more and this has been my first serious problem.
In the end this problem was not caused by Plusnet although they are guilty of a woeful lack of communication both with me the customer and BT the wholesaler.
All parties are very quick to deny any responsibility and to accuse me of being a muppet  who doesn’t know how a router works or how to plug it into the wall.
If you are in this dilemma now my advice is to stick with Plusnet the others are probably worse.
I have been left with the distinct impression that staff at Plusnet are trying to cope with an impossible work load and the service is suffering because of this.
Take note Plusnet your position is not unassailable CUSTOMER SERVICE is king!

Clain Armstrong-Brown