Trouble Switching Broadband Companies?
Brett Spencer who heads up Five Live's interactive team wants to know about your experience of switching broadband providers. We both think there may be a story in people's bad experiences in trying to move companies. If you've had trouble changing companies do drop us a note to podsandblogs@bbc.co.uk. This was Brett's experience:
Have you ever tried to change your broadband provider? If the answer is no, then you have no idea how difficult it can be. If you have, then you may have entered the gates of hell as I have. If you want to change your ISP, you need to contact them, cancel your contract and they must give you a MAC number which you need to then pass on to your new provider
However getting that MAC number is not as easy as you might think. I first tried to cancel my contract in September and was told to ring back in October when my years contract expired. I did just that and was a little unhappy that I was told I had to pay for October. But they were very pleasant and informed me contract would be terminated and I would be sent a MAC number within 48 hours. 48 Hours came and went. I rang again. I was made the same promise. Once again no MAC number. I was charged for November.
This took place no less than six times. I was told my email address must have a problem. I gave them another. No MAC number. They apologized and told me they had been having problems cancelling accounts, and they would send me a MAC number immediately.No MAC number. I have now been charged for December - although they can't have that money as I have cancelled my direct debit. They won 't release the MAC number now - until I pay the bill. Ofcom is quite clear in their voluntary code about how ISP's should behave in terms of issuing MAC numbers. My problem is that my ISP isn't signed up to the code. I think I know why.
Any advice is welcome, but more importantly we want to know if you have had any similar experiences. Please post any such tales right here but please don't name the company, for obvious, legal reasons. If you want to us to investigate further please EMAIL us as well, with the company name, and we'll look into further. I'm as mad as hell, are you? Have you managed to get a MAC number without any hassle? Or have you signed up for an ISP who have then failed to deliver? As broadband becomes an increasingly competitive marketplace it seems the standards and quality of service, both customer and technical, just does not match the glossy advertising and bountiful promises on offer.
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This is one of the biggest reasons why I have decided not to move from Orange (been with them 4 years) over to Sky. Hopefully once Ofcom get stuck in and force a code of conduct I might switch! Voluntary codes are pointless!
Got the mac number and a refund for the charges since I cancelled - within 24 hours of this article appearing.
The power of Pods and Blogs!
Lets us know your switching issues and we'll see if we can have the same effect.
Hi
If your a BT phone line for broadband you can get if off them. AOL has the MAC addresses looked after by BT i think as my dad had problems moving house with them!
Good luck moving ISP.
I am also having problems obtaining my MAC Code from [co-name edited] they say it will take up to 5Days (working days ??) I am convinced they are being awkward.
After some major, unresolved connectivity problems I decided to change my ISP. Pipex told me that as I have LLU (I didn't ask for this) they could not give me a mac code and I would have to wait until th eaccount was fully cancelled before moving to a new supplier. I noticed, several days after the estimated disconnection date that my line appeared to available for ADSL again but I was still connected through Pipex. I took this up with BT who told me that my line was now unbundled and that Pipex could give a mac code. Pipex told me thatit would take up to 72 hours to issue a code (which would overlap the day on which I would be disconnected). This is absolutely unfair and unreasonable. If you might need to change your provider at some point in the future don't subscribe to Pipex! It seems that I cannot avoid a period of being without a connection thanks to Pipex...
I signed up for a new mobile service and free broadband before christmas with a major mobile phone company. I got the phone service fairly quickly but despite getting a mac number fairly easily from my previous provider still do not have the free service. The provider says that my line is not registered with BT even though I have confirmed with them that it has been from the 3 January. The mobile phone company say I need to put a cease on the line before they can connect the broadband and it can then take up to 30 days to get my new service because they can't send out the modem until I have registered which I obviously can't do. I thought the whole point of a mac number was so that you didn't have to disconnect the line and transfer should be seamless. Can anyone help?
I am having a similar experience with my broadband provider. It all started when I rang them up on the 20th November 06 and asked if I could change my direct debit date to the begining of the month, (it would then be paid in advance). I was told it was not possible. I said well I had been with them for 4 years surely they could do that. I was told no way, so, I said I would like to cancel my account and I would go elsewhere. They then put me though to customer services and a nice man called Adam said he was sorry they could not change the date and because of this he would give me 3 months free broadband while I found another company, and I did not have to write in and cancel my account it would be done automatically.
I said thankyou. I cancelled my direct debit at the bank, but guess what, in came the letters demanding November and December payments. I wrote and told them the story, but they were having none of it, now Im getting demands for money, I cant go to a new broadband account as my account is not cancelled. I have today sent a cancellation letter, with a cheque for one months payment. Watch this space.
I've been battling with Toucan (now part of Pipex: please publish the names of these broadband "providers" cos surely naming and shaming is the most effective stick we have!) since mid-December to get my MAC code. Despite numerous emails, phone calls and letters of complaint I am still waiting for this elusive number... Each time I receive an apology and a promise that my complaint will be "escalated" but with no result. Approaching Ofcom is an equally futile experience since they do not investigate individual complaints. The process has become somewhat Kafkaesque and my only real choice seems to be to cancel (and to lose) my current service and to take my chances re-starting with another provider (?Sky, Talk-Talk...). Any thoughts or suggestions most welcome!
I tried to obtain my MAC number in mid 2006. AFter waiting an interminable time I was at last connected and received the news that my MAC number would be forwarded to me by email. Nothing arrived!! Emails to the ISP merely resulted in me being referred to the original tel number that I had called in the first place. I tried to ring again but gave up after 15 minutes of waiting on the line and being told that my call was valuable and someone would answer when available!! In the end I gave up.
Now, in 2007, I have tried again and after about 12 minutes got through and obtained a reference number with info that I would receive the MAC number by email within 1 to five days. Nothing arrived.
I sent an email and was informed in the reply that my MAC number had been sent to my email address on the 21st January - but I have not received anything!
What can I do now!!
I also had the same problem with my ISP, I tried signing up to a new (cheaper) ISP, and I found I had to obtain a MAC code before I could subscribe. I contacted my existing ISP, who tried their best to keep me as a customer, offering me one month free and £16.99 a month for 6 months, but I told them I would rather switch to a new provider. They asked for an email address to send the code to, and that I would get it within 48 hours.
Four days later, I emailed customer support to see where it was, and they replied to say I had to telephone their technical team, get transferred to the cancellation team, and they would assist me from there, and that they cannot issue the MAC code by email!!
It's been over two weeks now, so I have sent them a letter by first class post to inform them to close the account, and I have also stopped the direct debit payments.
Today they emailed to say that my payment details were incorrect (they're not receiving their money!) and that I should update my details or they will charge £5 for late payments!!
My new provider won't accpet my MAC!
I want to switch my broadband to Sky from my existing supplier, Homechoice.
Homechoice have provided a MAC but wouldn't do it before 14 Februiuary 2007
But Sky won't/can't accept the MAC as the line isn't clear.
But the line won't be clear because there is an existing LLU supplier on it. I thought that was the whole point of a MAC - to enable switching between competing LLU providers without down time in between as you don’t need a clear line first.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6354547.stm
So my query is - why can't they accept the MAC? Is it my existing supplier not doing something, is SKy process not in place or is there a technical problem - in which case the change in regulations implemented by OFCOM are potentially misguided.
From the OFCOM website:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/internet/switching/switch/?itemid=309063
Problems with your internet service -
Problems switching between Internet Service Providers
There is a mandatory Migrations Authorisations Code (‘MAC’) Broadband Migrations Process which all Broadband Internet Service Providers are required to follow which sets out how they will handle customer requests to move from one ISP to another.
Where the MAC process applies, and your ISP does not issue you with a MAC, or refuses to accept a MAC, you should make a formal complaint to the ISP using the company’s normal complaints process. You can find details of this on the back of your bill. You can also contact Ofcom in order to register your complaint with us.
Where the problem remains unresolved, make a formal complaint to Ofcom.
Action:
Make a formal complaint to your service provider
Im just about to change over from orange to sky Max broadband.
Ornge have said I'll get my MAC code in 48hrs. We'll see.
I called Sky to confirm how long I will be without internet. they have said 15 days. Now I work from home often and cant have more than 3 days without connection.
On the Sky website they say :
*****************************
http://broadband.sky.com/broadband.htm
SWITCHING IS EASY
Switching is a hassle free experience with minimal disruption to your broadband service.
What is MAC Code?
The MAC Code (Migration Authority Code) allows you to switch broadband provider seamlessly. By using a MAC code you should only be without internet access for approximately 30 minutes whilst we switch your broadband over.
*****************************
Note the 30 minutes without access!! Sky customer service werent even aware of this on their website.
I'll keep you updated on how my broadband journey unfolds.
My ISP claims (14/2/07) that despite the change in rules they do not have to give a MAC number to people who are still within the initial period (Mine is up in September)
They also refuse to give details of their Independent adjudicator scheme, or answer e-mails.
Jim
I joined my current provider’s service eleven years ago, when it was 36000kb/s on a good day over a modem. I stuck with them through two changes of ownership but have felt compelled to migrate over the last few weeks.
My access collapsed nine days ago when they apparently attempted to move my broadband from servers that were rented from BT to servers of their own. They disconnected me without having a working alternative to connect me to, leaving me without a service of any kind. Meanwhile, their accounts department appears to function properly, attempting to take money for a service that they’re not providing, which might be a working definition of “fraud.”
Many calls at 7.5p a minute to their “customer service” department has established that this state of affairs is entirely of their doing, yet the issue of compensation cannot apparently be addressed until the service is restored. They cannot estimate when the thing will be fixed; they cannot even estimate a date on which they can give me an estimation of a date for re-connection.
Having run out of patience, I have arranged service through another provider and have asked my current shower for a MAC number. They tell me (rather too triumphantly, for my liking) that they cannot issue me with a MAC number since – get this - I do not have a working broadband connection. They refuse even to discuss the possibility of clearing tags off the line and leaving it clean. Long periods of my being put on “hold” are no doubt to cover the peals of laughter ringing round “customer service.”
I have done nothing to cause this problem. It is entirely the fault of this service provider, yet it seems that I am utterly powerless. Powerless, beyond cancelling payment for their “service.” Today they tell me that it will take up to six weeks for them to provide me with a MAC number. (Being a four-week cancellation period and another two weeks thumb-twiddling time, no doubt.)
That can’t be right, surely? I plan to migrate to Sky, who might turn out to be just as poor (he said, with weary cynicism) but will only charge me a fiver a month for it. Can anything be done to hurry this all up?