Can I get out of Plusnet contract due to poor service?

Ennisellis

Hi,
I've been with Plusnet since 2013 and recently moved house. I asked to transfer my service to my new home and was told there was a set up fee unless I took a new 18 month contract with them. Foolishly in retrospect, I agreed.

I told them on 20th November I was moving on the 28th, and they agreed that it would be transferred on 5th December. I had no notification from them on the day so rang them after work and was told BT had cancelled the order as the previous occupants were not moving. This is untrue obviously. I was told I'd have to wait another 2 weeks, though this was quickly revised down to 15th December. 3 days before I get a notification that my order is on hold until 28th December as there is no engineer available until then. Today so get a text to say it will be going ahead tomorrow - the end finally in sight, but then at 5pm I suddenly get an email saying it is all back on hold until Friday 29th!

Needless to say I have now had enough after 4 different dates were promised. Right now I just want my broadband up and running but if I pull out now I'll be back to square 1 and have another long wait for broadband. If I wait until the line is working again, presumably I will face an early exit penalty if I then immediately try transferring to another provider? The 14 day cooling off period was over before they reneged on the first agreed date. I just feel like they've done nothing but string me along and now have me over a barrel if I try going elsewhere. I want nothing further to do with them once they have my line working.

What are my options here?

Thanks for any advice.

oldagetraveller

All the delays could well not be Plusnet's fault but BT Openreach not having sufficient staff available over Christmas and New Year. Having said that though, PN's provisioning and communication with customers has gone seriously downhill now they are a BT puppet.
I'd wait and see what happens tomorrow. You will be hit with a large cancellation bill if you move now.
If you do move, the new provider will also be at the mercy of Openreach.

Ennisellis

Thanks. That's much as I thought so guess I have to grin and take it until May 2019 now.

I don't buy the idea it's because of Christmas though. I'm sure that's contributed to the delay in getting an engineer out, but they've known about this since November 20th. They seem to be incapable of thinking more than one step ahead and their communication is poor. If they'd told me about this alleged cancellation of the order by BT as soon it happened rather than waiting until I chased them up on the day my line was original supposed to have been transferred all this nonsense since could have been avoided.

Anyway enough moaning. Hindsight's a great thing, let's see if tomorrow finally brings my long promised broadband with it.

Thanks for the input - much appreciated.

Browntoa

Due to the Weather it may be

https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/mborc.do

Matters Beyond our reasonable control