New customer's threefold disappointment

[#1]

Original (18 months 'phone + ADSL b/band) order 'phoned on 7th Jan.  'Phone connected 21st Jan.  ADSL b/band activated 28th Jan.  B/band speeds averaged only 2.5 down & 1.0 up.  STRIKE 1!
Ordered, by 'phone, upgrade to 38 Mb fibre on 11th and received an activation date within the 14 days cooling off period (rah!).  However, within 2 hrs, an email informed me of a new activation date, beyond the 14 days (boo!).  Only then did I realise that neither of my original services had been activated within the 14 days.
Smelling the rat called "sharp practice" (STRIKE 2!), I cancelled the upgrade, on the following day, and wrote PN a letter, expressing my concerns.  The letter illicited the already expected, bland reply.
On 26th Feb (a Friday), I had no ADSL service.  'Que pasa?', me thought.  A call to PN revealed that the order, for an engineer to switch me over to fibre, had not been cancelled.  My ADSL service would be reactivated only on the following Friday, leaving me without internet access for a full, 7 days.  STRIKE 3!
Since reactivation, b/band speeds have fallen; download from 2.5 to 2.2 and upload from 1.0 to 0.4 (strike 4?).  PN has added insult to injury.
A further letter has been sent to PN, requesting release from my 18 months contract.  Furthermore, I requested the assistance of the Consumer Ombudsman but have been told to contact the Communications Ombudsman.  However, I've decided to allow PN time to reply before referring the matter to the (correct) Ombudsman.  Tbc....

[#2]

Only got trapped, by PN, earlier this year.
Although I will, probably (despite my recent appeal), have to serve the full 18 month sentence, I'm beginning to see a flip side to the relationship.
Calls aside, my 18 months will cost me a total of under £393 (less than £22 per month).  Thankfully, I can afford to write-off that cost and concurrently engage a reputable supplier.
Meanwhile, annoyed at feeling trapped by PN, I will feel entirely justified in "venting", through all and every available channel, for the remainder of the 18 months.
The profit on £393 v 18 months of bad publicity.  Who wins?

[#3]

Moderator's Note.
Topics merged

[#4]

Quote from: regret18months

I will feel entirely justified in "venting", through all and every available channel, for the remainder of the 18 months.

That's the attitude I'm going to take only in my case I've been without a working phone/internet for 3.5 weeks. Plusnet aren't going to refund data charges I've incurred in this time (I expected this) so I'm going to use whatever data allowance I have remaining on the 4G card to "review" Plusnet anywhere I feel like. It'll give me something to do whilst on lunch break and will feel quite therapeutic too.

[#5]

I can only sympathize with your plight!  Too many companies take customers for granted and simply play a numbers game.  As well as being therapeutic, broadcasting negative feedback is one of the few avenues open to the dissatisfied customer.  I'm sure that a part of the motivation, for PN to provide this (customer only) forum, is to contain at least some of the complaints in-house.
My own issues aside, it's PN's cynical attitude to the 14 days, cooling off period which I cannot accept.  Surely, there's nothing more "cooling" than discovering that you're not receiving that which you ordered.  In my view, PN's apparent policy, of ensuring that activation of services falls beyond the 14 day period, is in breach of the spirit (if not the letter) of consumer protection law.  PN's "tough luck, too late mate" attitude has to be changed.
PN may find that there's a price to be paid, for its cavalier attitude.  I have the time, patience, resources and determination to take the company to task.  It may take a while but PN will be made to offer customers the opportunity to cancel contracts after they have had a reasonable opportunity to test the product.
Wishing you speedy reactivation.