dead phone and broadband... advice please!!

Hi all,

This forum has been recommended by a pal and this is my first post. I'm hoping for advice- especially from someone in the know at PlusNet!

Our home phone and broadband went down yesterday afternoon and remains down at lunchtime today. I called PlusNet last night who told me they'd do some tests and get back to me. They didn't. I rang them again this morning and was told the tests had shown the fault was "outside the premises" (which I already knew), and the fault had been reported to BT Openreach. They helpfully gave me their number plus the fault report reference number, comprising 15 letters and numbers.

When I got through to Openreach, I was told that 1. the reference number was "of the wrong sort" and 2. no such fault had been reported. Also that I needed to talk to Plusnet about it.

This I promptly did. They expressed surprise at BT's response to the reference number and insisted that BT knew all about it. I rang BT again, to be told I was in touch with the "wrong team" (no mention of that the previous time) and that there was nothing they could do.

So where do I turn now? I find nothing more infuriating than this game of being shuffled between parties, each denying responsibility. But I must say that I've been with PlusNet for donkey's years and have found them excellent. I'm sure the problem lies elsewhere...

Meanwhile, we're cut off from phone and internet (I'm posting this from work). Teenagers trying to study for crucial exams, teacher wife trying to do reports etc before Xmas hols... nightmare. Please advise!!

Nightmare .

Have you posted this in the Plusnet Community forums as well as here? The reps come here quite often, but are there a lot. So may see it sooner. They are good at picking up this sort of thing. Include the PN Ticket Number if you have it.

Openreach will not normally speak to consumer direct. it is responsibility of Line Provider to progress fault.
As it is a BT line, it maybe possible to find information out by entering phone number on consumer Line fault test with www.bt.com
I had a problem and was able to initiate and progress fault. However I am a BT line and phone customer.

Edited by flippery (Thu 13-Dec-12 12:50:59)

Hi knowhowe,

Can you provide me with a ticket reference or your username and I'll take a look at that for you.

Thank you very much Chris!

I have a question number: 63311839

My username is knowhowe

Hope this helps,

Steve

Hi Steve,

We've raised this with our suppliers and a engineer has been assigned and is currently trying to resolve this.

We have been given a estimated fix time of tomorrow evening and we were scheduled to check for further updates Saturday morning, however I'll keep an eye on this and update you.

Thanks for the advice. I've done that.
Cheers!

Marvellous. Thanks! Just a real shame I've had to be pushed from pillar to post today over this...

Appreciated though. I'm a Plusnet fan!

I don't know if this will help. I can see the telephone pole from my back door, with all the wires leading from the top to myself and the neighbours. Halfway down is a black object with a rounded top, resembling an old-fashioned microphone. This should be set with the rounded bit at the top but it has been hanging downwards for a long time now. I wonder if water/ice has got into it? I have tried to get through to BT to report this, with no luck. The automatic system asks for my phone number when I call 'faults' and then tells me it's not a BT number and effectively tells me to go away. Why doesn't it recognise that it's a Plusnet number- which is part of BT!!!?

Might have a bearing. perhaps yopu know how to report the issue?

Cheers.

Edited by deleted (Thu 13-Dec-12 13:25:18)

In reply to a post by knowhowe:

Why doesn't it recognise that it's a Plusnet number- which is part of BT!!!?

For the purposes of fault reporting (and everything else to do with your phone) it is irrelevant that Plusnet is part of the BT Group. You are not paying your line rental to BT, therefore only Plusnet can progress faults for you.

Getting phone faults dealt with easily is one of my main reasons for keeping my line rental with BT Retail.