They can and did by a formal change to the contract terms notified to all customers

In reply to a post by Oldjim:

They can and did by a formal change to the contract terms notified to all customers

Show me where. Here are the terms and conditions http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/index.html

Term 18: If you choose to end your agreement for the service and you do not use a recognised migration process you will be subject to the broadband cease charge as shown in the price guide. You will not have to pay this charge if you are moving home and we are unable to provide the service at the new UK address.

Bolded by me

And seeing the situation which has not been described correctly here then it is clear, to quote

I am moving out of my flat and the remaining tenants have decided to change to Talk Talk. As the plusnet account is in my name, I went through the process of getting a MAC code and such. However, Talk Talk is saying that they don't need the MAC code because of the LLU agreement they have with Plusnet

The bill payer is moving out, so this as far as the ISP and Ofcom etc would be concerned is a cease and new provision and not a migration.

So yes PlusNet is fine to pass on any cease charges that the wholesaler is charging them.

If the original PlusNet bill payer was remaining in the flat and they moved to TalkTalk the charge would not be raised.

This change of person that affects things seems to have been ignored but Hobo in the last post covers it.

IF PLUSNET IS RAISING A CHARGE FOR PEOPLE MIGRATING TO FULL LLU AND YOU ARE STAYING IN THE PROPERTY THEN I WANT TO KNOW URGENTLY AND NEED PROOF OF THE BILLING.

this is the explanation as included with the notification http://www.plus.net/support/october-changes-guide.shtml

Cessation charge

The broadband cessation charge increased from £25 to £30.

The charge can apply to any customer who has a broadband cease placed on their line. Generally, the main reasons for broadband ceases are:

A broadband account is cancelled (without switching providers)
Switching providers without a MAC key
The telephone line used to provide broadband is cut off

Cessation charges don't apply if:

You use a MAC key to switch to another provider (this is called a migration)
you're a Plusnet Essentials or Plusnet Unlimited customer without a contract

and from http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Archived-Discussions/MAC...

D) Sky has LLu equipment with both their DSLAM's and their newer SVBN MSAN's and have the capacity to put you straight onto the SVBN MSAN for both phone & broadband (NO MAC REQUIRED)

Edited by deleted (Mon 09-Jun-14 10:23:39)

I know what a cease charge is, and as the person is leaving the property, the raising of the cease charge will happen.

As far as the telephone network is concerned this is the same as you moving out of your home and new people moving in.

What is needed is the billing info from someone who was SMPF who moved to MPF and was charged the fee, when as far as I know PlusNet is the only one to say they do so.

Edited by MrSaffron (Mon 09-Jun-14 10:37:04)

I will duck out now as I am only trying to explain from what I have seen as a customer and will leave this topic to the experts

Is there technically a cease of broadband on a line during the migration process from WBC to SMPF or MPF which an end user is usually not aware of nor directly billed for? Certainly there is a period of "downtime" whilst the necessary work is done at the exchange and perhaps that is technically a cease of broadband on a line? An activation fee charged to an end user by the gaining ISP (or absorbed into the monthly billing) presumably covers the work done at the exchange but does that include "technically" a cease of broadband on a WLR line before the connections are made to SMPF or MPF?

As the moving of the line from one DSLAM to another in the exchange is part of a recognised process it will not generate a cease order.

In rare cases where new provider puts in the wrong type of order a cease is sometimes raised and charged for.

The wording on the PlusNet pages is correct, but needs a little bit of clarification I believe and have raised this with them. In the meantime if there are people who have actually being charged, then I do want to here their first hand accounts.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

As the moving of the line from one DSLAM to another in the exchange is part of a recognised process it will not generate a cease order.

Thanks for the clarification Andrew - a "cease order" being a very specific thing quite different to a recognised migration process from WBC to SMPF or MPF where there may be a certain period of broadband "downtime" whilst the work is done at the exchange. Obviously if there is an actual "cease order" then the end user will probably be liable for it's payment.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

The bill payer is moving out, so this as far as the ISP and Ofcom etc would be concerned is a cease and new provision and not a migration.

So yes PlusNet is fine to pass on any cease charges that the wholesaler is charging them.

I disagree.

I've migrated my own household and other family/friends with and without MAC to LLU and BTw many times and changed the account holder without a hitch.

I don't think they track the name on the new ISP and insist on a cease if it doesn't match?

So long as there has been a migration request of whatever sort, that's that - it doesn't matter if the name changes, the notice of transfer is the consumer protection mechanism.