Plusnet broadband swizz - advice welcomed

My_perfect_cousin
My_perfect_cousin Posts: 50
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edited 29 December 2017 at 5:44PM in Broadband & internet access
We have had plusnet broadband for several years. Due to the long distance from the box to our house, our bb speed via copper wires is only approx 1MB!

A couple of months ago plusnet installed fibre along our road. We were told that this would reduce the copper wire run and improve our speeds. It would also give us the option of having fibre (which previously wasn't available to us).

Our bb speeds havent changed. Plusnet tell us that the only way that we can get better speeds is to buy a fibre connection. They say that we will then get up to 5MB.

Any advice would be welcomed. I have asked plusnet if they have a policy of requiring all of their loyal customers to pay for their engineering works (in effect). They don't seem particularly interested in keeping us.

They have also told me that there will be a charge of £50 if we leave (at any time!) I wasn't made aware of this by plusnet when I (foolishly) believed that we would get faster broadband and sorted out an 18 month contract for plusnet bb in the summer of this year.
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Comments

  • If plusnet customers shouldn’t pay for improvements plusnet do to their system who should?
  • Friyay
    Friyay Posts: 1 Newbie
    edited 29 December 2017 at 6:10PM
    I'm not sure I can help with that, but in a similar vein, I want to move from BT fibre to plusnet normal broadband (with a package with no admin or set up costs and cash back offer as mentioned on this site) but they wanted to sell me a fibre to fibre swap which of course was more and said to move from fibre to normal it will be the cost of an engineer to come out and swap over at a cost of £49.99. Anyone had similar issue or experience?
  • Mister_G
    Mister_G Posts: 1,923
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    edited 29 December 2017 at 6:08PM
    This is not PlusNet infrastructure, but was paid for by, and belongs to, Openreach.

    They have obviously upgraded your local cabinet to FTTC.

    Their infrastructure is available to any ISP who wishes to pay for it.

    PlusNet, like all ISPs, charge more for a VDSL FTTC connection that they do for the standard ADSL connection.

    If you want the faster speed that FTTC offers, then I'm afraid that you are going to have to pay for it.
  • A couple of months ago plusnet installed fibre along our road. We were told that this would reduce the copper wire run and improve our speeds. It would also give us the option of having fibre (which previously wasn't available to us).
    You've got a bunch of things jumbled up.

    Plusnet do not have anything to do with the wire to your house or fibre in your road. That's BT, under their Openreach brand.

    Installing fibre from the exchange to the local cabinet does not reduce the cable run on copper if you remain on an ADSL product, which uses the copper wire all the way back to the exchange, so your connection would be unchanged.

    What it does do, the only accurate part of the text I quoted, is give you the option of a FTTC ("fibre") connection which should be faster. But you will have to pay more for that, it's a premium product.
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  • If plusnet customers shouldn’t pay for improvements plusnet do to their system who should?

    Understood - but...

    As plusnet customers we will need to pay a higher monthly rate to get a poorer plusnet broadband speed (even with fibre) than many existing plusnet customers (with copper). I had thought that plusnet had invested in the fibre in our local area for a reason that related to customer service and not just to screw more more money out of those of us who happen to live a long way from the exchange. I now understand that the fibre was provided by BT (which owns / is linked with plusnet?)
  • Understood - but...

    As plusnet customers we will need to pay a higher monthly rate to get a poorer plusnet broadband speed (even with fibre) than many existing plusnet customers (with copper). I had thought that plusnet had invested in the fibre in our local area for a reason that related to customer service and not just to screw more more money out of those of us who happen to live a long way from the exchange. I now understand that the fibre was provided by BT (which owns / is linked with plusnet?)

    It's not PN's fault (or their other customers) that you live where you do, you already knew that you're a long way from the exchange. Plusnet haven't 'invested' in the local infrastructure as already stated, that's Openreach (not BT who regardless of their 'link' to PN are separate companies).

    They're not 'screwing' money out of you as it's your choice whether to go for a faster service or not, they're just offering the option to you. When you say they've 'installed' fibre along your road do you mean they've put in a new cabinet or upgraded one in your road? If so how come they're only quoting 5MB for fibre, it seems very low.

    BTW if you're only able to get 1MB ADSL then don't bother asking any other supplier for the same service as they'll refuse to give it to you, they all tend to have minimum speeds that they won't supply (new) customers with if it's under the limit.
  • Pescur
    Pescur Posts: 51
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    I am in middle of writing a rant about Plusnet, well more about the Broadband market but Plusnet is a prime example, I am writing to OFCOM and ASA because of these hidden charges, is a bullie minefield.

    I live in a modern property that is well served, when I last had Broadband the raw speed on the router was 16mb, speedtest was 14mb to 15mb, so I went to Plusnet today and sign up process said

    " [FONT=&quot]This means you can get our Unlimited Broadband with an estimated download speed of 7 - 17Mb.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Your Minimum Guaranteed Access Line Speed for this product is [/FONT][FONT=&quot]2Mb[/FONT]
    "
    What a crock of crap, how is that supposed to be any guidance at all?

    Clearly they just put in any old numbers to cover themselves.

    As for OP initial question, I would consider it an upgrade to go from BB to Fibre but I would expect Plusnet to do you a deal now or face definitely losing you when it comes to renewal time. They told me that the worst I would have to pay if I broke a contract was £65.

    I would call them an tell them in no uncertain terms that you are leaving them and you are going to share on Trustpilot and forums how useless they are.

    Plusnet are a rip off company, these cessation charges are a complete con, they should be forced to quote them in the price when you sign up. In fact they should be banned by OFCOM.
  • teddysmum
    teddysmum Posts: 9,471
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    The 2 is a level below which they must let you leave penalty free, but you are unlikely to get so low.


    Our estimate is 3 to 5 with the 2 guarantee but we got 4+ (now over 5) after some initial troubles were sorted.
  • They have also told me that there will be a charge of £50 if we leave (at any time!) I wasn't made aware of this by plusnet when I (foolishly) believed that we would get faster broadband and sorted out an 18 month contract for plusnet bb in the summer of this year.

    You took out an 18 month contract and now want to leave early, you're lucky it's only £50, a lot of companies would charge you whatever the total cost of the contract comes to until the end of minimum term.
  • Pescur
    Pescur Posts: 51
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    I do NOT agree!

    OP is a CUSTOMER, one that if handled properly could spend more money with them, but instead they treat him like someone they have a legal dispute with.

    So imagine the good will if they just upgraded OP, maybe at a cost of a new contract 18 month contract but giving some credit for old contract. Instead OP would be writing a post about how fantastic they were.

    This was already a customer of several years.

    I used to be a Plusnet customer for over 5 years, I was with them before they were bought by BT, I stayed with them through all the bad times when they had pipe problems even thought customer service was dire.

    They during that term they invented their fake cessation fee, when I sold my house I had to terminate my line with a plan to get a new one when new property was ready.

    They insisted on charging me, I decided never to deal with them again.

    That is what happens when you treat customers like crap.
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