BT

A question about : BT

well I'm all for switching and ditching but ........

I am leaving plusnet for BT as BT gave me the best deal

conversation with plusnet this morning ......

me - do I need a mac code for BT switch

P/N - I can give you one but BT doesn't need it

me - I heard if you leave P/N without a mac code P/N will charge me Ј30

P/N - yep that's right

me - but BT doesn't need a mac key

P/N - yep that's right

me - so they wont accept a mac key and you'll charge me Ј30

P/N - yep that's right - BT have been doing it for ages

correct me if I'm wrong but aren't plus net and BT the same company ??? what a fricking stitch up

any one got round this problem ?

Best answers:

• Easy - don't go to BT.
• I can't kwick breaks I took the deal out last month so am past my 14 day cool off period - other wise I would stay
• What 14 day period? I ordered a phone line and fibre from BT a couple of years back. It was a 3 week wait. Got an engineer turn up on the install day who did the phone line but the fibre was a no-show so I cancelled because their new date was after my VM cancellation date.
  I don't believe there is any contract in effect until they have delivered the goods.
  You could get the MAC, give it to BT, and insist that they take it or will pay the PN cancellation fee. Personally I wouldn't though I'd just cancel anyway as BT are a complete shower.
  From your original post though it sounds like you are too late with the MAC - you should have got one and presented it along with your order.
• have sent bt an email asking them why they don't take a mac key
  probably wasting my time
  maybe I should send them a cancelation request - might grab their attention
• @greengreen,
  It's correct that there is a new process in place which means BT don't need a MAC.
  Assuming they've followed the right process we shouldn't be charging you Ј30.
  That fee is only relevant if the broadband service is being ceased (terminated altogether) rather than transferred.
  Feel free to reply back with a support ticket ID if you like so I can check on how we've handled this and make sure you don't get charged inappropriately.
  Adam
• hello adam
  many thanks for your support
  my service is just being transferred both phone and broadband
  I have never come across this problem in the past , is it a new concept to add this charge
  I would have preferred to stay with plusnet and asked for their best deal but unfortunately they didn't offer me this
  I organized this with BT last month and they have already taken my line rental upfront so as far as I can see I cannot back out
  excuse my ignorance but what is a support ticket ID ?
• just logged in to plus net
  there is a question ID number of
  94569711
  is that what you mean ?
• Just a point to note that Plusnet is part of BT!
• Not quite.
  Plusnet are owned by BT but currently operate independently.
• Cheers greengreen, That's exactly it.
  I've just checked and no Ј30 cessation fee is due or applicable in your case so I'm sorry if we've been the cause of any confusion over that.
  Adam
• thankyou adam
  I've just seen your reply on my raised questions in my plusnet account
  maybe the young man I spoke to today was confused at my question
  so can you just clarify exactly when a Ј30 charge is enforced for myself and others maybe reading this forum to avoid further misunderstandings
  kind regards greengreen
• Hi greengreen,
  No problem, yes it does sound like we need to have a quick word to clear things up with the person you spoke with. Sorry about that! FYI It's part of my job to make sure that happens too.
  Quote:
• Switching from PlusNet to EE.
  Being methodical, I got the MAC Key from PlusNet first, which turned up at 16:00 today by e-mail. PlusNet says they will charge me Ј30 cessation fee if EE does not use the MAC Code.
  Went through Quidco to get the Ј100 cashback as planned, and got the EE order reference number. Nowhere in the process does it ask for the MAC Key, so I called EE on 0800 079 8586, and got through to "David" after about 20 minutes. He says EE no longer uses the MAC Key from 16th November (presumably 2014).
  This is worrying, because we have TWO telephone lines in this house, (obviously same address) and I am terrified that they will mix up the two.
  One is BT with Infinity, on which I have pre-paid line rental and have an Infinity contract for another year. It is my main number, and I do not want them to touch it. If they take over this line and make it ADSL again, it will be a real hassle to correct.
  The second line is the PlusNet line with the one year contract expiring, and I don't mind if they mess up and it stops working. for a while.
  I am also concerned that they will allocate a new telephone number, instead of taking over the old one. there was no option to say I want to keep the number.
  I actually take a lot of comfort in the MAC Key approach, as the new supplier cannot just see a phone line for an address and just take it over.
  I had a fail safe method for preventing this happening, by making the address Room X, NN MyHouse Road, but EE does not allow the Room X part, so the address is now identical to the BT line. Arrrgghhhh!
  The online form asked for my mobile number, and then an "Alternative mobile" number. In the confirmation e-mail, my contact information lists the Alternative number as my mobile! So any texts from the engineer will go to the wrong mobile!
  "David" says the application hasn't shown up on the system, so I need to wait 24 hours before adding any extra notes for the engineer. Actually, I was hoping they are busy, and nothing will happen until January.
  I am using this thread as a log of what happens to the Ј30 cessation charge under this new regime of no MAC Code (Key).
• So, called the 0800 079 8586 (Lines open 07:00 to 23:00) number again today, and got through after one hour and twenty minutes. 0800 had better be FREE. Spent 45 minutes to place the order, and the broadband is now due for activation on 24th December. Should get the Brightbox 2 two days beforehand, so Monday 22nd.
  The guy tells me submitting the order online on Tuesday means that nobody would look at it until Thursday, and if they have questions, they would have called me tomorrow. Since I called, he placed the order formally with me, resolving any issues on the spot.
  Ј30 cessation charge
  ====================
  Their process does not use the MAC Key I got from Plusnet.
  They promised to refund me Ј30 if Plusnet does charge me Ј30.
  Okeydokey.
  Keep the old telephone number
  =============================
  NO CAN DO! Plusnet refused to let go of the old number!
  Cannot even reserve the number.
  My main number is the BT Infinity line, so not an issue.
  If it was my FAX number, I might have cancelled the switch, though.
  If it was my ONLY number, Plusnet would have me hostage forever!
  If it was somebody with only one telephone line, and depended on that number, SURPRISE! On switchover day, you have a new number.
  Contact mobile
  ==============
  Despite listing the Alternate mobile number in the confirmation e-mail yesterday, the order details has my main mobile number as the contact number, and the activation date text arrived correctly.
  Activation Date
  ===============
  Ten workng days literally! Placing the order on 10th December means Activation on 24th December. This means if they placed the order on 11th December, the activation would have been on 27th December!
  Quidco
  ======
  Ј100 cashback tracked.
  Santander 3% cashback on Comms Direct Debit
  =========================================
  Ј132 Line Rental Saver
  Ј6 delivery
  Monthly Ј2.50 x 12
  Ј168 Total, 3% cashback = Ј5.04
  So, if it all works out according to plan, pay Ј168, get Ј100 + Ј5.04 cashback. This means a year of broadband for Ј63. No Amazon vouchers, real money.
  The Ј30 cessation charge is a wait and see.
• About the old number -don't believe EE on that one !! PN are not a LLU supplier so never had their own "pool" of numbers -should be no issue with porting from them. Suspect EE just don't want to!!!
• The text from EE on 10th December said:
  "Hi, good news your landline and Broadband are progressing to be activated on 24/12/2014. Please note activation can take up to midnight of this date. Thanks"
  It is now 25th December.
  The PlusNet broadband is still going strong, the old telephone number is still active.
  I am not complaining, though. The Plusnet one year deal ends in January 2015, so the Line Rental saver was paid up to the end of January. On the other hand, if I had waited, the Quidco cashback is now Ј50, instead of the Ј100 that is tracking because I applied in time.
  The MAC key from PlusNet is only valid for one month, but since EE does not use it, it's irrelevant.
  So, I am now depending on EE's incompetence and general inability to do anything on time, so that I get full value from the remaining PlusNet days, and still benefit from the Ј100 cashback.
  I don't think I would have bothered switching to EE if the EE TV box hadn't come out. The tricky thing seems to be that some people are getting Now!TV boxes instead. I assume they are sending out Now!TV box because EE TV box is in short supply.
  So it is not necessarily a good thing to chase EE for it, as I could end up with a Now!TV box, which is not what I want.