Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think Plusnet is the worst ISP ever?

37 replies

Socy · 04/09/2015 19:32

My internet service was cancelled 10 days ago due to 'glitch' in Plusnet's systems. Until today we thought this was a fault and I was waiting for someone to fix it. It has only been progressed at all because I sat on the phone for over an hour to get through to the right person and I have been given a variety of different (equally incomprehensible) reasons for this but apparently it will take 7 days for the order to be reprocessed and meanwhile no internet!! This 7 days does not include any installation (everything has been done and was working fine). Apparently there is nothing anyone can do to speed it up Confused

OP posts:
Ma77Black · 04/09/2015 19:41

Is it Plusnet being useless or is it BT Openreach (who look after the line)? In my experience if BT can mess something up, they will. Repeatedly.

Original poster
Socy · 04/09/2015 19:46

No this is Plusnet, they admitted it is their system - although another person did say that BT hadn't signed the job off. This is part of the problem - talking to customer service at Plusnet is like being in some dystopian universe - there is never a straight answer to anything and it drives me mad (even worse is the min. 15 minute wait listening to the worst of late 1970s/early 1980s music). I have been with Plusnet for 3 months and it has been a catalogue of cockups Sad

OP posts:
DrDreReturns · 04/09/2015 19:53

Change ISP. Take your money elsewhere.
I am with Plusnet, mainly because I need a static IP and they are one of the few ISPs that let you have one. I haven't had any problems so far (touchwood).

londonrach · 04/09/2015 20:06

I love plusnet. Best internet service ive ever had. Bt never worked ever. We get good internet from plusnet. Been with them for three years (3 houses) and no problems to date. Im in midlands now but bought it with us from london.

Binxboosandme · 04/09/2015 20:07

I have just switched providers because the service I was getting with Plusnet was abysmal. I was constantly dropping offline, unable to connect in the first place, not able to stream videos etc etc. I was with them for 2 years, with no problems for the most part, but the last 6 months or so has been terrible. As soon as my contract with them was up I was off. Unless they dramatically improve their service I won't be going back.

ThursdayLastWeek · 04/09/2015 20:08

We had awful service from Plusnet too.
BT are definitely bad, but Plusnet far worse IME

PosterEh · 04/09/2015 20:08

I also found plusnet really good.

YABU, talktalk are way worse!

Junosmum · 04/09/2015 20:10

Talk talk and bt are the antichrist of isps for me. I'm with orange and so far so good.

Original poster
Socy · 04/09/2015 20:20

I agree talktalk are bad - or were when I was with them a few years ago. BT I had a few problems with but at least I could get answers from them and didn't constantly feel I had fallen into a dystopian universe every time I talked to them - which is the feeling I get with Plusnet. Maybe their customer service guys are actually AI computers programmed to send me round in circles? Grin

OP posts:
londonrach · 04/09/2015 20:24

Socy..the guys at plusnet are lovely. Usually yorkshire lads. Who did you talk to? Bt sent me around the houses and the world...never again.

Ma77Black · 04/09/2015 20:25

Sounds like you're stuck relying on two bad companies. I feel for you! Good luck!

AugustRose · 04/09/2015 20:27

It's shame you have had a problem with Plusnet because I have always found them really good, even after about 6 years. There isn't much choice for good deals where we live and they have always sorted any problems quickly.

It's interesting that a few of you mention having problems so I will be watching fro drop-outs now but as I've just signed a new contract I hope there won't be any.

mummyrunnerbean · 04/09/2015 20:32

When after a long and frustrating phone call with plusnet DP asked (politely) to be passed on to their complaints department, he was told that that was impossible.
He asked why not, and, after a long pause, got 'Erm... Because they have no phones.'
Hmm

That is all I have to say about plusnet.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 04/09/2015 20:33

Agree with pp that YABU because TalkTalk are the Devil's Arsebiscuits of ISPs.

LumpySpacedPrincess · 04/09/2015 20:36

I love plusnet, I've had great service with them over many years.

Original poster
Socy · 04/09/2015 20:41

London I agree the individuals are doing their best but they are stuck within ridiculous systems - YES runnerbean. I pointed out that as a telecoms company they should be able to connect me to the right person without having to go back to the start of the queue, but they can't.

OK Giddy maybe we can agree that all ISPs are shite and nationalisation with free fibre connections for every household is the way forward Grin (Jeremy, please take note)

OP posts:
GudrunBrangwen · 04/09/2015 20:42

Any ISP can cock up tbh
I've been with PN for around 8 years now and rarely has anything gone wrong. When it has they have generally been great.

They were taken over by BT several years ago though (used to belong just to themselves iyswim, I think) and though they get to keep their brand, they have more BT influence over everything which might explain 1. the shit adverts and 2. the fact they get more stuff wrong now, possibly Smile

GudrunBrangwen · 04/09/2015 20:45

Btw the main thing that went wrong was when they un-ex-directoried me, once, and put me in the phone book with my FULL name not even just an initial - I didn't know till we had someone come round whom I hadn't wanted to find me - and I was told about the takeover then, and it was BT's fault apparently. I believe them. I also got a fair bit of compensation.

WandaFuca · 04/09/2015 21:01

Although I love Plusnet - been with them for yonks - I do find their website difficult to navigate to where I could raise an issue in writing. Sometimes, it's a bit easier for everyone to see and understand if it's in text, rather than on the phone. There is an option to "Chat", which might help. You'd have to log into your account on the Plusnet website to do that, however. (Member Centre, then ask "Jess", it seems.)

Alternatively, there's a senior tech person who posts to the Plusnet Usenet newsgroup, who registered here to help a Mumsnetter in the dim distant past when I gave him a shout on that newsgroup. I could do that again, if you'd like.

W00t · 04/09/2015 21:10

Wow- we've found pulsate to be utterly reliable, and really good value too. Never had any problems in over two years.

W00t · 04/09/2015 21:10

pulsate? DYAC!!

TheRealAmyLee · 04/09/2015 21:28

There will always be people with issues with any isp. Best isp I ever had was blue yonder. One issue in years of service and it was resolved within 24 hours. Virgin were also great. Plusnet has been spot on for us for last 2 years. Sky however were awful. Tonnes of outages, awful speed, terrible unreliable equipment, horrible customer service.

beaucoupdemojo · 04/09/2015 21:46

I started a thread last week about the complete and utter fuck up that is talktalk.
Terrible call centre, failure to keep customers updated etc.

Anyway I emailed the CEO and she arranged for a lovely woman to find out info and keep me updated (thanks Dawn, if you are reading). I recommend complaining directly to the boss. If nothing else, it makes you feel better. Call centres are the absolute work of the devil - no one takes personal responsibility for seeing an issue through from start to finish!

AlmaMartyr · 04/09/2015 22:07

We used to be with Eclipse who were absolutely excellent but we couldn't justify prices any more and went to Plusnet. I've been pretty pleased with them so far although they've started calling loads in the last week trying to sell BT TV packages which is very annoying.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 04/09/2015 22:21

beaucoup - took several goes at contacting the CEO's office, before they sorted their own failings out over six months involving threats of legal action on both sides. Mine were justified but theirs weren't. Horrible stressful episode.

Swipe left for the next trending thread