What has happened to the Plusnet service?

[#1]

The service I've recently received has been disgraceful and I'm really annoyed.
For the last 2 weeks my router kept dropping it's connection so I had to keep rebooting to get back online. I rang Plusnet to report a fault only to get an e-mail a few hours later telling me that there were no problem with my service and to run the BT speedtester. The speedtester said that my service was configured to be 350kbps and my throughput was 180kbps.
I reported this to Plusnet and they told me to use a new router and cables and test again. I went out and bought a new router and cables and re-tested only to find the problem was the same. I called Plusnet and they said they would report it to BT but I would be charged £144 if there was no problem found. BT the removed interleaving from my service and said this would fix the problem. My new router is more stable (has only dropped 3 times in 4 days) but my download speeds are now 3Mbps instead of the 6Mbps I was getting before the problem started.
Then Plusnet take £40 from my account for no reason and told me it would be refunded instantly. The money is still not back in my account 3 days later and I've been told by customer support that it will take 14 days to be refunded. I can transfer money any other account in 2 hours so I'm not sure why they need 14 days.
I asked to be put through to the complaints department but I've been told that there is no complaints department and I should put it in writing to customer services.
I find it annoying that Plusnet do not seem able to provide an acceptable level of support. A support procedure come into affect when there is a problem or issue to be resolved not when everything is running smoothly and Plusnet have failed miserably.
I am told that the company CEO is Anthony Collmer and I am forwarding this mail to anthony.collmer@plusdsl.net in the hope that he receives it.

[#2]

Hi Denis,
I'm very sorry for the problems that you have been having and for the billing issue.  It was a very unfortunate accident.
Regarding your speeds - Have you noticed any increase in the amount of noise on your telephone line when yo0u are making and receiving telephone calls?  It's quite possible that this has happened causing some interference on your telephone line.
I'm glad to hear that your connection is now more stable but we'd like to try and help to bring the speeds back.

[#3]

Hi,
I disconnected my phone from the micro filter when I was installing the new router and I haven't put it back on as I thought that anything attached to the line might cause problems. I work from home 3 days a week and need a stable connection.
Do you have any tools that I can use to test the line?

[#4]

Would you mind plugging your phone in and see if you get any static?

[#5]

I'll plug my phone in when I get home and post here.
Thanks,

[#6]

Thanks Denis.
It's very important that if the quality of the sound is poor (ie there's crackle or static) that you report it as a fault to whoever you pay for your telephone rental.
It will be causing your poor speeds.

[#7]

My phoneline is with Plusnet  too.

[#8]

Use the quiet test - dial 17070 and select option 2
if it's noisy then you can raise a ticket with PN

[#9]

Quote from: denis

I reported this to Plusnet and they told me to use a new router and cables and test again. I went out and bought a new router and cables and re-tested only to find the problem was the same.

I would be more than annoyed if had bought a new router and the problem was not the router.

[#10]

I have tested the phone line just now and I can't get a dial tone. I tried 3 different phones and disconnected the adsl and plugged the phone straight into the socket without the splitter and still get no dial tone.
There is a buzzing sound with some crackles now and again.
My ADSL is working but very slow, just tried and got 1252 / 383
Please help.

[#11]

Raise a ticket with PN
https://portal.plus.net/wizard/index.html?help_action=tdl01
and report the phone line.
Can you receive phone calls - maybe if you have a cellphone call your number ?.
ask PN to phone you to see what they hear ?

[#12]

Hi,
I tested to see if I can dial my mobile, I could and then the dial tone came back. I've run the 17070 quite line test too and it seems to be very quite, I couldn't hear any buzzing or crackles.
I've run a speed test again but still slow 1228 / 382 but I'll leave leave it until monday to see if it improves.
Thanks for all your help guys, not sure why this wasn't checked when I talked to PN last week.

[#13]

Unfortunately it sounds like it might be an intermittent fault on the line, since you get buzzes and crackles sometimes, but not at others. This might be hard to trace and correct since the BT engineer (that Plusnet can arrange for you) will have to see it misbehaving to know what to fix. Hopefully the evidence will still be there when the line is quiet... but not always!
Before you get the problem escalated, you will need to have removed the faceplate from the master socket and plugged the router into hidden socket it reveals in the back (to prove the problem isn't with your house's phone extensions internal wiring). This way you can make sure you can't be charged by BT for the fault being with your internal extensions.
Then you log the intermittent buzzes & crackles with Plusnet in their VOICE faults team, and mention that your broadband is also slow. They should take it from there. If you make sure you have a mobile phone number added to your account too, then you can get them to text you updates to the ticket, so you will be kept informed of progress without having to keep phoning them.
Mike