I can't see us going back to BT, their prices are exorbitant.

If we request the MAC while still being in the minimum contract time, would we have to pay the cancel charge even if we actually moved AFTER the contract has ended? Is it best to request it now or wait until the minimum contract has passed?

In reply to a post by acpsd775:

yup correct also if you go via topcashback.co.uk or quidco.com you could get about £50.50 (current rate for taking broadband unlimited)

Ash

Thanks for the heads up, I had forgotten we could go via Quidco (which I've used before).

In reply to a post by murray2000:

If we request the MAC while still being in the minimum contract time, would we have to pay the cancel charge even if we actually moved AFTER the contract has ended?

No. (But don't confuse the end of the minimum term with the totally different Broadband Cease. That would take a while to explain and doesn't matter here and now).

The request of a MAC does not mean you will necessarily be leaving. If you don't use it, it just lapses. Though with some ISPs, if it is taken as the start of notice, you need to tell them you are staying.

In your case it is fine to ask for it, as long as the actual leaving date is after the end of your minimum term. It would probably be best to wait until you are within a four of five days of then, so there is no possibility of you being moved to Sky before the end of your BT term, as that could trigger a charge for early ending of the contract.

Thank you very much, you've been most helpful.

Just to clarify for myself --

Request MAC 4/5 days before end of minimum term
Sign up to Sky (via quidco) after the minimum term

Hopefully it stays that simple. How long would the downtime be between leaving BT and Sky working?

Not quite.

By leaving it to 4-5 days before the end of the term, it is safe to order from Sky immediately you have the MAC. Migrations normally take 5-10 days to happen from when you order them. The downtime when it happens should be between 10 minutes and an hour with the move you are making, and the phone will stop working for some of that period as well.

After migration, you contact BT again to make sure they know you have left. They should get an automatic notification from Openreach, but that can go wrong. Best to be sure.

What are you doing about email addresses?

In reply to a post by murray2000:

In reply to a post by acpsd775:

yup correct also if you go via topcashback.co.uk or quidco.com you could get about £50.50 (current rate for taking broadband unlimited)

Ash

Thanks for the heads up, I had forgotten we could go via Quidco (which I've used before).

NP i make sure to always check them out when switching get some good money back threw them

Ash

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Not quite.

By leaving it to 4-5 days before the end of the term, it is safe to order from Sky immediately you have the MAC. Migrations normally take 5-10 days to happen from when you order them. The downtime when it happens should be between 10 minutes and an hour with the move you are making, and the phone will stop working for some of that period as well.

After migration, you contact BT again to make sure they know you have left. They should get an automatic notification from Openreach, but that can go wrong. Best to be sure.

What are you doing about email addresses?

Is it safe to get the code and order from Sky while in the minimum contract? Wouldn't it just be better to wait until after? I'm not sure I understand the logic behind what you're saying (even though you're probably right!)

We've never used the BT email address so it's not really an issue.

If you are happy to wait, that's fine, and safest . Most people want to move as soon as they can once they decide to.

Ask for the MAC 7 days before the end of term - that's 5 working days which is the longest an ISP (in theory) can take to supply it. Most, and I expect BT, supply it within minutes or hours.