Panicking after all the reviews

[#1]

Hello,
When I phoned up to join Plusnet last week, all went brilliantly over the phone. They explained why I suffer download speeds a VM customer, and that Plusnet off unlimited downloads and really only concentrates on suspicious activity, or which I have none because I buy my frikkin movies.
Anyway. All day today I've been trying to contact Plusnet. The first message I got was that 'A large amount of customers' are experiencing lack of net use. This is of no surprise as things break and need to be fixed.,, Happens with everything. But all say and right up until 9pm when I totally gave up, I was unable to get through to anyone. When  I eventually got through to an agent on the website chat feature Plusnet had, he explained somethings to be on questions I asked but said I can only cancel my contract with Plusnet through the customer phoneline. Again this is understandable, but since signing with them I've not been able to make any contact on the phone to them.
I then decided to check the web for feedback, and whilst you have to expect a majority of people to be angry for no reason on the net, most had the same problem that phone support is just abysmal with Plusnet.
It was because of the choke times that VM did that pushed me to a new ISP. First I was going to try Talk Talk but no one (probably even the owners of Talk Talk) have anything good to say about Talk Talk. There was the odd positive comment for Plusnet but none of it was for Fibre speeds, it was more for the lower speed packages they offer.
Plusnet gave me the option to cancel my order two weeks before my installation date, and I'm seriously thinking about it. Never before have I been scarred for signing with a company. I've been put off, let down, overjoyed, happy, miserable etc, with ISP's, but never nervous/scarred like I am now that I've signed with Plusnet.
Are there any fibre users truly happy that they signed with Plusnet on here, and more so do you get the speeds you were quoted? I was told to expect 34megs or bits out of 38megs or gigs from my fibre speed. My installation date is the 12/12/2014, but now I'm worried they will let me down so close to Christmas time when you need to communicate the most, after reading from people who never even got connected on the installation dates.
Also. On the text I got which Plusnet don't reply to either. They mentioned that installation is between 08:00am and 13:00pm, but I won't be connected until after midnight. Why does it takes so long? Every ISP I've had has always connected after the initial setup.
Please advise, comfort, help with any of my concerns because all day I've been worried sick due to poor customer service availability from Plusnet over the phone. Its 2014 and never before have I experienced such difficulty trying to get hold of someone.

[#2]

People on forums are a self selecting population of people with problems. It's certainly not representative of the general population with no problems like myself
I've been with Plusnet since May 2011 with no supply interruptions to consider as a major concern. I was off for 15 minutes in the recent outage on Sunday. I have had both ADSL and fibre with them and want to put your mind at rest.
The phone problems with the call centres is a recent inconvenience sure but the support from interested Yorkshire call centres is second to none and I have had to use them on several occasions 
Edit/ you also see a lot of traffic on here sorting out quiet intricate and intransigent problems. Don't let that concern you that's a bonus you wouldn't get peer to peer help with your issues many other places. They'd just be ignored or denied

[#3]

I've been with PN since '09 and suffered 1 problem which turned out to be my master socket [decaying speeds] tho' it did take 2 months to find.  I have had no problems since and only ever had to wait 10 minutes max for the phone to be answered but tbh I do choose my call time normally before 8 in the morning
I am well satisfied with the service I get and have always found everyone of the service agents to be polite and helpful. I also ask for and got a decent discount from COT even tho' I am a Mkt A customer [previously Mkt 1] to which PN passes on the higher charges so to get the discount was very pleasing.
However saying that I do think PNs wait time on the phone is very bad and even tho' we were told it would improve with the new Leeds call centre it hasn't appeared to have done so and the ticket system isn't to every ones taste.

You often see many post on here complaining but I think no internet is one of those things causes red mist to descend and people fire from the hip before taking to agents and following the correct fault finding procedures.
I can't tell you want to do but over all I am well satisfied with PN. The service I get for what pay is very good and I have no intention of leaving.
HTH.
edit for spelling!

[#4]

I've been with PN fibre for nearly 2 years. My speeds have been good & are better than advertised. I was affected by the oiutage at the w/e but when the service was restored I reconnected automatically. On the forum you mainly get the disatisfied customers having a go through frustration, undertandably. The vast majority of PN's 700,000+ customers are, like me, fat, dumb & happy. 

[#5]

If you want top speeds, phones answered in minutes and someone who goes the extra mile to get problems resolved look at AAISP - for £50 per month you'll get 80/20 FTTC with a monthly allowance of 200GB and service that is second to none. If that fits your needs and budget go for it. If it doesn't Plusnet is probably the best of the rest.

[#6]

Been with Plusnet since July 14.
they have been pants in my opinion.
Just use google and you will find many bad reports about them.
Indeed the feedback area of this forum is dominated by bad reports.
If you want 5 day turnaround on questions and 30 minutes on hold on the phone when you call then Plusnet is for you.

[#7]

AAISP are not always more expensive, but does depend on your usage requirements, and where you live.
For example I just calculated how much it would cost for <100GB/month on FTTC on a Market A exchange.

AAISP
--------
 £15.00 : Line activation charge.
 £10.00 : Line rental (broadband only)
 £25.00 : Broadband only - 100GB/month data, FTTC40/10, Market A, 6 month contract then monthly.
  £0.00 : Modem/Router - FREE
  £0.00 : IPv4 static address AND a /48 block of IPv6 static address
--------
£435.00 : for first 12 months
£420.00 : cost per subsequent year

Plusnet
--------
 £25.00 : Line activation charge.
 £15.95 : Line rental.
 £19.99 : Broadband only - Unlimited data, FTTC 40/10, Market A, 12 month contract then monthly.
  £4.95 : Modem/Router - pay for P&P
  £5.00 : IPv4 static address
--------
£466.23 : for first 12 months
£431.28 : cost per subsequent year

Unfortunately my exchange will never be upgraded from 20CN to FTTC, or to 21CN ADSL2 in the foreseeable future  

[#8]

I've been here for 11 years and if I've had a problem it was so far back I can't remember it.

[#9]

If Plusnet told me I would get 34 out of 38 meg/gig whatever speeds are called. Does that mean I have the required lines?
I've just been informed by some IT guys that they used to be with Plusnet and if I had the unlimited option then I'd be happy as a Plusnet customer. Might give it a weeks thought.

[#10]

@'Brako' - What does the BT BROADBAND AVAILABILITY CHECKER say the range of speeds for your line should be ?

[#11]

@Brako
Welcome to the Forum.The speed estimates are done by Openreach, not Plusnet, and apply to all ISPs using Openreach lines (ie. all but Virgin media Cable).
Plusnet will do all they can to ensure you get the predicted speeds, but Openreach have got it wrong before now in cases where the wires in the cable have been poor quality. Spare pair can always be tried if that turned out to be the case. But the great majority have no problem. There are isolated issues and inevitably you'll see those issues on forums and you'll see few well done's.
@purleigh
Interesting, so there is no phone service at all on the line? No dial-tone? No Emergency Services?

[#12]

Quote from: purleigh

@'Brako' - What does the BT BROADBAND AVAILABILITY CHECKER say the range of speeds for your line should be ?

What is it I'm looking for on that checker, Purleigh? It has ADSL but nothing for the fibre. Is it the FTTP thing?

[#13]

Quote from: Anotherone

@purleigh Interesting, so there is no phone service at all on the line? No dial-tone? No Emergency Services?

It says -
[quote=http://aaisp.net.uk/broadband-home1-info.html#faq]Home::1 Add-On: Phone line for broadband usage
Phone line provided to support broadband serviceNot usable for calls. Residential grade line. Otherwise a BT phone line is needed at your cost.
£10 pcm

[#14]

Quote from: Brako

Quote from: purleigh @'Brako' - What does the BT BROADBAND AVAILABILITY CHECKER say the range of speeds for your line should be ? What is it I'm looking for on that checker, Purleigh? It has ADSL but nothing for the fibre. Is it the FTTP thing?

When I put in phone numbers of lines that I know have access to FTTC, then the FTTC speed info is displayed.
Maybe you can't get fibre on a line provided by BT.
What does the SamKnows : UK Broadband Availability Checker  tell you is available ? 

[#15]

All these have a green tick
BT Wholesale ADSL
BT Wholesale ADSL Max
BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
BT Wholesale SDSL
BT FTTC
AOL LLU
O2 / Be LLU
Bulldog LLU
TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
Sky Broadband
Virgin Media (Cable) Not sure why this shows because I don't have this option. If I did I would have stayed with Virgin. I'm on Virgin ADSL thing at the moment.