Broadband charge problem

I moved my broadband from BT to another supplier but a problem resulted in BT continuing to charge for the broadband.

I called BT a couple of days after my new broadband service started because I read online it was a good idea to inform BT that I had migrated out in case they continued to charge for the broadband service but it would appear my doing so may have caused this problem.

The last phone call to resolve the problem was on the 6th of March and after an hour the support person assured me it was now resolved and my next bill would contain the refund backdated to the 21st of January. This is the date my BT broadband ceased and the ADSL service from my new supplier started.

The call lasted for an hour because for a while the support person believed I was still receiving BT broadband service. Next he said my broadband had been cancelled but the cancellation had been cancelled. Finally he figured out his mistake and he confirmed I had migrated out. He apologised for his mistake and after speaking to his manager he said the billing problem was now resolved and when I asked about the refund being backdated to the 21st of January he confirmed it would be backdated to that date.

I have now received my latest BT bill and the refund backdates only to the 6th March.

Is it worth pursuing or are BT unlikely to give the money back?

You migrated on 21 Jan, but when did you give BT notice you were leaving? Asking for a MAC is not giving notice cuz you don't have to use it.

Did you use MAC to migrate?

It looks like BT has taken your call of 6 March as terminating the contract.

I don't remember all the contact I had with BT but it was about leaving. Are there specific leaving notice requirements?

The MAC was used to migrate.

Yes they have kept the money up to the 6th of March so it would appear they have done that.

In reference to www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/dynamicmodules/page...:

Once we have provided the service, you may tell us to stop providing it at any time by giving us 30 days' notice. We will accept notice via a range of methods including phone, e-mail, online chat and in writing. You can contact us to give notice using any of the contact details set out on your last BT bill or any other means of contact we have given you, for that purpose. If you are switching to another provider through an approved process, the notice you must give us will be 14 days.

The 30/14 days notice is for the line. My line is still with BT.

Also, I am unable to find the BT broadband legals telling that requesting a MAC is not giving notice.

Please provide the link.

Actually, I misunderstood. The standard terms states it is applicable to my BT broadband service.

I had read something regarding notice from Ofcom but I can't find it. It said something like when switching telephone and broadband it's not unreasonable to apply a notice period but it also said it should be applicable to the time it took for such administration which I had thought wouldn't be much for a migration.

I don't know that it could take 14 days worth of administration. I thought it would take a few minutes but perhaps BT have made it 14 days as an aggregation of the migration process?

I spoke to cancellations on a number of occasions including explaining why I was leaving. This occurred before requesting the MAC and during the MAC request. I admit it's possible my contact wasn't considered notice unless I specifically stated I am giving notice of leaving. I don't remember what I said exactly but it's unlikely I used those words.

Would BT review recorded calls to decide notice of leaving? I doubt it. Perhaps a flag is enabled on the account during the call to cancellations after it's determined leaving notice was provided?

Do you know BT's procedure for recognising/accepting and recording notice of leaving?

No, my link is to the General Conditions which covers everything. Special conditions for phone are under Telephony.

Unless conditions explicitly state MAC request = notice then you cannnot make it so. After all as I said you may actually want to retain the service when you have MAC if you later do not use it.

Notice is a commercial condition over which OFCOM will have no jusisdiction.

I found this: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/codes-of-practice/

In particular Ofcom's Migration Code of Practice and General Condition 22. Here are relevant quotes:

Issue of MAC represents acknowledgement and agreement by LSP that its customer may be migrated to another broadband service provider

The customer�s request for a MAC does not represent a request to terminate the service. The LSP should not therefore disconnect the service upon request for, or issue, of a MAC

When the LSP is notified that a migration has taken place, the customer�s notice period (i.e. the date at which notice to discontinue service is taken for the purposes of calculating any outstanding subscription charges under the contract) will be taken to have commenced on the issue date of the MAC, or on the date of any prior notice to terminate, whichever is the earlier.

If the MAC validity period is passed without the LSP receiving notification of a migration request, the LSP must not terminate the current subscription, unless specifically requested to do so by the customer.

Upon completion of the migration the notice period commences on the issue date of the MAC!

I am not sure of the exact date but I know I was issued the MAC more than 14 days before the migration date.

BT should have backdated the refund to the 21st of January.