Just for an update:

This morning the Availability Checker showed the local cabinet as 'Available' again, despite giving a date of February 26. There hasn't been any external change to the cabinets.

Fibre appointment booked for February 11. Here's to hoping it actually happens this time!!!

Brookzy,

Did you order go through in the end?

I've just been on the phone to Plusnet with the same issue. My cabinet has been moving between available and unavailable for the last few months. When I was ready to order I waited for it to become available again (as shown on the BT DSL Checker website) and placed the order immediately. A couple of days later I receive an email saying there's been a problem and I should call Plusnet. So I did today and I've been told that Plusnet have been told by BT Wholesale that fibre is not available for my house. Sure enough, checked on BT DSL Checker and it is now unavailable again.

Interestingly, the DSL Checker says the capacity restoration date is 10 September 2014, one day before an engineer was due to come out to my house to install fibre. Coincidence?

Is it possible there was one port remaining, I placed my order and effectively "reserved" that last port but BT Wholesale has got itself into a muddle and thinks there is no capacity?

Hi,

My order did go through in the end. Unfortunately it was just a case of trial and error.

The biggest, and probably most frustrating, issue is that the onus is on yourself to get the order placed the second availability appears (well, in other words, before someone else does). Personally, I used a service which alerted me when the Availability Checker changed status (e.g. Chrome's Page Monitor add-on). Make sure when placing the order that you call Plusnet; do not place it online.

Another element of frustration comes from the fact that when Plusnet place a fibre order it is not confirmed until the next day at the earliest by Openreach (at least from what I understand).

With the capacity dates, they were consistently inaccurate, and on several occasions the checker changed to "available", only for the order to fail again, and the checker to then change to a later date.

As to your last question, I think I asked the same question on here and the answer was no, that doesn't happen.

It's, in my opinion, a rubbish system with no accountability, or sense, or really any semblance to a 'system'.

Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful.

Brookzy