Plusnet is pants

ralphaverbuch

I reluctantly stayed with Plusnet just over a year ago. I'm regretting that decision. I'm on a two year contract for broadband only and, despite it being 'fibre' (to the cabinet) the service is atrocious. I'm lucky to get 2 to 4 Mbps down and less up. Yet I'm about to have an above inflation increase on my £21.73pm bill. Even though my contract ends a year from now what, if any, rights do I have to either cancel early or get a decent reduction in the charges I'm paying given how sub standard the actual service is? I have spoken to a person from Plusnet support who basically said, no there's nothing I can do and I could leave but I'll be charged £115 for the pleasure!

R

oldernonethewiser

https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/about-broadband-speeds/

"If your speed consistently falls below the Minimum Guaranteed Speed you should contact us. We'll try to fix the issue and aim to get your speed above the minimum and, if possible, within your original speed estimate range. If we can't get this resolved within a minimum period of 30 days you can discuss the issue with us. You'll be given the opportunity to leave your contract without paying an early termination charge."

400ixl

Where is this a Plusnet issue? Has the speed dropped recently?

OpenReach provide the connection to your home. That will be the same for all ISP's using the OpenReach network. What is the network speed you are guaranteed and is this being met. It could quite easily be that you are that far from the street box, or have poor lines from the street box that it is the maximum you can get, even on FTTC.

If you aren't getting your guaranteed speed then let them know so that they can fix it. They are one of the top ISP's for service in the yearly surveys.

If it isn't meeting the guarantee then you have rights to it being fixed and can get a payment for the period it is sub standard and if they can't fix it a free exit. If you are getting your guaranteed minimum then you have no reights to exit without penalty.

As for the price rise, you signed the contract and none of the price rises are hidden. If you didn't want to be subjected to the annual rises then you should have chosen a supplier who does not charge them, or taken a monthly or 12 month contract starting in April. You would likely have been paying more for this type of service though.

If you could exit where would you go, if your line is limited then you will only get that speed with any OpenReach based ISP.

Feel for you, but unless there is a problem, not much that can be done.

Neil_Jones

ralphaverbuch said:

I reluctantly stayed with Plusnet just over a year ago. I'm regretting that decision. I'm on a two year contract for broadband only and, despite it being 'fibre' (to the cabinet) the service is atrocious. I'm lucky to get 2 to 4 Mbps down and less up. Yet I'm about to have an above inflation increase on my £21.73pm bill. Even though my contract ends a year from now what, if any, rights do I have to either cancel early or get a decent reduction in the charges I'm paying given how sub standard the actual service is? I have spoken to a person from Plusnet support who basically said, no there's nothing I can do and I could leave but I'll be charged £115 for the pleasure!

R

Find out what your minimum speed guarantee is from your Plusnet control panel and raise it as a fault.

https://www.plus.net/help/legal/ofcom-voluntary-speed-code-of-practice/ for how to find it.

If you're not getting the minimum guaranteed speed then you may be able to leave, but you need to give Plusnet 30 days after reporting the issue to them to try and fix it.

Note though that if your speed problems are caused by a line fault then it will follow you from provider to provider.

Also need to ensure you're not doing anything like switching off the router every night without fail.

molerat

What does this give for your available speed ?

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

teddysmum

Plusnet went down the pan , today for me. After years of excellent to good offers, they won't honour an offer I have in writing (they don't want us to have landlines, yet Openreach is behind on new service provision)  Staff say that as lines are being phased out, so despite the cull being well in the future for some areas they are not allowed to offer free calls . It doesn't make sense, as if the technology for phones is there why not make it pay until removal ? My answer: because they can make those, who didn't want phone lines, pay through the nose for just internet.

LeesArt

400ixl said:

Where is this a Plusnet issue? Has the speed dropped recently?

OpenReach provide the connection to your home. That will be the same for all ISP's using the OpenReach network. What is the network speed you are guaranteed and is this being met. It could quite easily be that you are that far from the street box, or have poor lines from the street box that it is the maximum you can get, even on FTTC.

If you aren't getting your guaranteed speed then let them know so that they can fix it. They are one of the top ISP's for service in the yearly surveys.

If it isn't meeting the guarantee then you have rights to it being fixed and can get a payment for the period it is sub standard and if they can't fix it a free exit. If you are getting your guaranteed minimum then you have no reights to exit without penalty.

As for the price rise, you signed the contract and none of the price rises are hidden. If you didn't want to be subjected to the annual rises then you should have chosen a supplier who does not charge them, or taken a monthly or 12 month contract starting in April. You would likely have been paying more for this type of service though.

If you could exit where would you go, if your line is limited then you will only get that speed with any OpenReach based ISP.

Feel for you, but unless there is a problem, not much that can be done.

Because Plusnet are the company he has a contract with, Plusnet Customer services should have given the helpful advice you have provided and managed the situation until the issue was resolved to his satisfaction.

He has a problem, how can 2mb be acceptable. 

fionaandphil

We are having similar problems. Have been with Plusnet for good few years, renewed contract January 2023 and have had crap service since. We've had several new routers, box on the wall changed, engineers, Qube x 2 and not able to get it resolved. They are saying line is providing guaranteed speed, and to be fair it does once a day get to 8MB , but the rest of the day is awful and if there is more than one person online it drops like a stone.

We raised a formal complaint and are now in deadlock. They've said our line is copper, not due to be replaced anytime soon, it will continue to get worse and they can release us from our contract.

Unfortunately no help at all if it's going to be the same with anyone else. 

We are now going down the Ofcom complaints route. Surely it can't be right for them just to say tough?!