New BT connection - not satisfied with BB speed

Question

It's about 4 weeks since I moved my BB from Virgin Media to BT.  Initially I was advised to be patient and wait for the BB speed to settle down.  I've done this and am very disappointed with the download
speeds I'm achieving and need some help in establishing why the speed is so slow.
My download speeds vary between 600 Kbps and 1000 Kbps.  There is no problem with my upload speeds which are constant at around 800 Kbps. The IP profile for my line was 8000 Kbps originally but has now gone down to 1500 Kbps on recent speed tests.  Internet surfing has become very frustrating as the speeds are far worse than I was achieving with Virgin.  I feel cheated because I was initially told I would get download speeds of around 5600 Kbps when I signed up - I realise this is probably the maximum I could achieve, and would be very happy if I could get 2000-2500 Kbps.  I use a wired connection on my desktop PC using an ethernet cable. 
I don't know if it could be anything to do with the actual installation of the line.  When the Openreach engineer came on 29 September he asked me where my BT master socket was and I replied that I didn't have one.  I was surprised by this question because I had advised BT, at the time of ordering, that a new line was required.  He then said that he could run the new line into the Virgin Cable master socket.  I was a bit puzzled by this and said I thought I would be having a new BT master socket fitted.  He said I could have one if I wanted, but against my better judgement I allowed myself to be persuaded to accept the new line linked in to the Virgin cable socket.  Unfortunately this socket is a long way from the BT homehub.  When I asked the engineer whether this would affect the speed of the BB he said 'No, the exchange is only a mile up the road.'  Anyway he quickly did the work required and left.  I was somewhat surprised that he didn't come into the house to test the line.  We were also slightly worried that he laid approx. 30 metres of the new line cable loose in our bungalow guttering which often has lying water in it - could this have any bearing on the problem?
Unfortunately we're pensioners and not technically savvy.  All I know is that is that our interent is slow and frustrating at the moment and any advice about what we can do to improve the situation would be very welcome.  Thanks.
Martin
PS - have now set up a wireless connection to my laptop at home - same slow download speeds when connecting to the BT homehub but when I  connect to BTFon, the speed seems much better.

Answer 1

Sounds like a bodge up job loose cable in gutter may blow around and be damaged if it did you would be charge for repair
Master socket on new installation is a definite must
you have been conned by a very poor engineer
BT customer service are very difficult to deal with
all in I would enlist help from the forum mods on this one
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Just cause Im paranoid dont mean they are not out to get me