Leaving Plusnet

After a month without a broadband connection earlier in the summer and now another break of 17 days and counting I am wondering if I can move away from Plusnet while my connection is broken. These people are just impossible to deal with. They haven't even replied to any of my messages for the last week or so and I still don't know if BT have been asked to check my line. I've written a recorded delivery complaint letter to the Customer Services Director but I'm not holding my breath. So, does anyone know if it's possible to get a MAC (assuming they'll give me one) and to use that while the connection is down.

My next stop is Ofcom, and then the small claims court - unless anyone knows of a reason why this isn't a good idea.

Think I feel even more depressed since I've found so many other plusnet customers getting as disgraceful as deal as I am.

Thanks for any support that anyone can offer.

If you haven't been transferred to LLU you should be able to get a MAC. If you're on the dark side however, you are going to be out of luck for a while (see other threads today).

Either way, you are entitled to a refund for your downtime if it was not due to an equipment or setup fault at your end. Ask for it - and if they say no, you might want to consider setting out your claim in a recorded letter to their Customer Service Director, giving them 7 days to pay up before you commence proceedings in the Small Claims Court.

Simon

No-one has told me anything about changing the setup whereby I have a BT phone line and my PlusNet service is connected to it, so I don't know anything about LLU. Aren't they obliged to tell me if they're changing my setup?

After a great deal of effort and sarcasm on my part in postings to tech support I did eventually get a refund for the complete month i was without a service, but since it happened again so soon it's no longer a question of getting a refund for the current mess: it's a question of getting out as soon as possible. I'll sue if they continue to mess me about but am really looking for a quick way out. It seems, though, that my threats to them are falling on completely deaf ears. These people do not deserve to remain in business.

Thanks for your support.

Deke

In reply to:

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No-one has told me anything about changing the setup whereby I have a BT phone line and my PlusNet service is connected to it, so I don't know anything about LLU. Aren't they obliged to tell me if they're changing my setup?

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You may, or may not have had a vague Email off them about "network improvements" or some other guff......meaning that the broadband side of your line has been transferred to Tiscali Wholesale.
To test if you ARE on LLU, use the following login
User: bt_test@startup_domain
Password (none needed)
If you connect using that then you are still on a BT network, and can just request an MAC from them via the portal, and migrate away.
If you CANT connect using it, then.........welcome to Tiscali, and hell might freeze over before you get sorted.............even with a cease


Penkoprod

If you have a current problem (especially if it is affecting your exchange sync) then it is usually not a good idea to change ISPs before it is resolved as the fault finding would have to start again with the new ISP. A BT Ipstream migration is usually a computer config change and nothing that requires an exchange visit (AFAIK). LLU is a bit different if you are moving to a non-Tiscali LLU or BT IPStream connection as this kind of migration invloves physically moving your connection in the exchange

I have been without broadband for more than a month now.
There was a claim that the problem has been fixed which was not true. Since then (another two weeks by now) I haven't really heard anything.
There is always a mentioning of LLU and responses like that:

I have escalated this issue back with our LLU supplier and advised them that whatever steps they had taken have not resolved the issue.

As soon as we receive a further update we will notify you, but I also wanted to make you aware that once the issue is resolved and we can see the total amount of time it was ongoing, we can then sort out refunding you for the total amount of downtime after an initial 7 days.

The way this works is that with a fault we have to allow 7 days for the issue to be investigated, diagnosed and a possible resolution put in place, but if the problem continues past those 7 days we will then refund you for each day after the initial period.

So I guess I am stuck on LLU with not much hope if I uderstand you guys right??
Moving to another provider will not really resolve the problem.

I guess I am gonna test the bt_test login just to make sure but this looks BAD
And to be frank the customer support is [censored]!!!

Moving to another provider unconnected with Tiscali or PlusNet may well solve your problem. To escape within a reasonable timeframe you will have to order a cease and reprovide on your line which will leave you with downtime of a week or so. You can then choose whether to sign up with another LLU service or revert to IPStream. You should of course claim any costs back from PlusNet.

Or you can take a risk and sit tight hoping that the "technical problems" which are currently preventing Tiscali from issuing any MAC keys get fixed quickly. If they do, PlusNet have clarified their LLU migration policy and will migrate you back to IPStream free of charge -- where you can either remain or migrate from normally at your leisure.

Simon

In reply to:

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Moving to another provider will not really resolve the problem.

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Why would it not? Your current problem is with the PN LLU and not with ADSL in general. If I was in your shoes and didn't have connectivity for 4 weeks I would cut my losses, cease the line/LLU MAC and move to a new ISP since this would only involve another week or two of no connection and non-existent support but it would all be worth it not to suffer any more/longer downtime or support problems going forward. I would do it but you know you cisrcumstances better and should make the call.

Thanks for all the useful comments. Today I have - miraculously - had a comment added by PlusNet to my open question. For the first time they mention Tiscali. They do not mention "LLU". For my last problem (a month or so ago) it was definitely BT engineers that they brought in. I take it, therefore, that I have just - and without my permission - been transferred to Tiscali. My understanding from your postings is that I will not receive a MAC code in these circs and that my best option is to just order PlusNet to "cease" my service. I can then start afresh with a new ISP a couple of weeks later.

As far as not being any better off by switching is concerned - 3 out of the 4 weeks weeks downtime I suffered last month was due to PlusNet not referring my "issue" to BT. Although it took 2 visits by BT engineers to solve my problem, they did it within a week and they were professional and courteous. In my current situation, my downtime is now 19 days and those w****s at Plusnet have only just told me that they consider it out of their hands as it's down to Tiscali. How could I not be better off by moving away from PlusNet?

I feel very embarrassed that I signed up 4 referrals to Plusnet in the days when you could actually speak to someone and get issues resolved the same day. I don't know if it would be better to warn them or leave them in blissful ignorance for as long as their broadband connections stay up. I do not think that I have EVER dealt such as an appalling outfit as PlusNet have turned into. The sooner they are taken over or collapse the better.

If they say you are on Tiscali's netwrok then you have indeed been LLU'd. You should have received two advance notification emails from PlusNet alerting you to your imminent transfer and notifying you of the opt-out facility. If you didn't receive both emails you qualify for a free move back from LLU to IPStream within PlusNet's network - but that doesn't help you at the moment because Tiscali have allegedly got technical problems which make it impossible for them to issue the LLU MAC key which PlusNet need to move you back to IPStream. How long this technical problem goes on for is anyone's guess. If you have had enough and just want out, cease & reprovide is your only option at the moment - and based on known form, this will also be the fastest road out of town.

Simon