Landline Fault - Plusnet Charging For Call Divert

Gambler

We were transferred to Plusnet when Vodafone stopped their home broadband service.

Everything seemed okay until the landline went down Sunday 1st July.

We did have a problem a few years ago and Vodafone at least offered a free divert to a mobile while until the repair had been carried out.

Plusnet would charge us for the same service.

I'm just wondering what other providers would do under these circumstances i.e. standard practice?

Thanks

Buzby

Charge - but they'll rebate the line rental for the period service has been disrupted.

Gambler

Buzby wrote: »

Charge - but they'll rebate the line rental for the period service has been disrupted.

Just been checking the plusnet forums. BT offer caller divert free of charge but as plusnet is a reseller it has to charge.

Vodafone were a reseller but they did not charge. Oh well time to move back to BT.

Buzby

These 'virtual' carriers are all smoke and mirrors, and I wonder whether the consumer is truly getting any better service, when the only real difference is the logo on the bill - it's still Openreach where it matters most....

money_saving_matt

There is no such thing as a "virtual" reseller in the WLR context; all communications providers have equal access into Openreach's system and pay the same price.

There is no difference between any of the WLR providers:
Customer -> BT Retail -> Openreach
Customer -> Plusnet -> Openreach
Customer -> Vodafone -> Openreach
Customer -> TalkTalk -> Openreach

Openreach are mandated to sell products and services to both BT Retail and Plusnet at the same price.

In this particular case it would appear that BT Retail choose not to pass on call diversion charges in the event of a fault, but Plusnet do. I dare say that, after the fault is cleared, if you contact Plusnet they might waive the diversion charges if the Openreach network was at fault, as a matter of good will.

There's already enough consumer confusion in the marketplace without people perpetuating the myth that BT Retail are somehow better than the competition because "they are at the top of the chain". The fact is that all WLR providers, however large or small, are all at the same level, they all have to buy from Openreach and all have access to the same functionality. The real differentiating factor between these suppliers boils down to their internal systems, customer service and pricing.

Buzby

You misunderstand. Just as was in the early days of cellular, the Government mandated that the networks were not to deal with the customers directly, only 'Service Providers'. This meant that if a customer required mobile connectivity, they had to go via the middleman and pay additionally. Eventually, the networks set up their OWN 'service provision' operations, and now - service provision is just but a memory for mobile.

This is exactly the same situation that we find ourselves with landlines. BT Openreach do the work, and the service providers do the billing. You have the choice of going with a network-owned supplier (BT) or with someone that simply sends out the bills.

Having lived this since 1982 and seen the waste of money and non-customer benefits, begs the question who do you go with, the firm that has the closest ties to the network operator, or some branding exercise that simply has the ability to phone BT Openreach and arrange an install. The monkey and organ-grinder scenario is a pretty good realisation of the current situation.

As for them all being the same, this is just nonsensical. I've specified a number of services I require, but the virtual providers either cannot provide, or say they are not available.

Have you tried to get ISDN, CLI Presentation, Call Sign or a range of other whizzo features? BT will provide them if you ask, but what of the rest? They'll only do this if there's a market, but they are NOT all the same.

I've yet to find an Openreach service that BT will not make available to their customwers. I've found loads that the other carriers can't be bothered with - so the answer is both practical and to the point. If you go with the company that has the ability to offer the greatest range of services, it may cost a little more - but at least you get them.

jhp

Buzby wrote: »

If you go with the company that has the ability to offer the greatest range of services, it may cost a little more - but at least you get them.

Plusnet.

£12.99 a month line rental including inclusive evening and weekend calls plus 99p a month for CLI if needed plus free 1571 if you must !!! = £ 13.98 a month

BT .

£17.75p a month to include all above.

So £45 dearer a year more with BT to benefit from free call divert if you have a protracted fault problem,and Plusnet who are owned by BT will probaly waive charges anyway as a goodwill gesture if its an Open Reach Problem.

More savings can be made as BT Line Rental Saver is £129 where as Plus-Net charge £113.88.
Chargeable Call Divert Feature with BT £3.15 a month . Call Divert Feature with Plusnet £ 2.50 a month ( Two features for £3 month ) .

Buzby

As noted previously - if the discount is at the expense of getting the full range of services, the 'benefit' is also limited.

Ypaymore

Buzby wrote: »

As noted previously - if the discount is at the expense of getting the full range of services, the 'benefit' is also limited.

No one appears to be losing any service that would normally be provided by a landline supplier,given that the free divert to a mobile when a major fault happens is not a standard call feature available from the suite of call features that are normally available from Openreach.So benefit not being limited here.

Buzby

If the user had a requirement for other services (offered by BTO to their customers) but could not signup to them because they made a commercial decision not to offer them end users, makes this a 'Telecom Lite' offering - an should be valued accordingly.

wongawonga

I just moved to Plusnet from BT. Much cheaper. I have anytime calls at £3.50 a month. Dear old BT want £4.99 a month.Plus Plusnet halved the price of my Broadband for doing so,another nice saving.:D

I could have had any call feature that BT offer cheaper in most cases,and no hoops to jump through for free ones.