Request for MAC code refused.... advice needed

Hi, I'm having problems getting my mac from my internet provider. Basically I've honoured my 18 month contract with BT and want to move on because I'm not happy with the service they provide. The broadband is shockingly slow for a 20 MB line.

I've already organised to move over to Sky on the 8th of February. I've rang several times to get my mac code to complete this properly and failed. The first time they put the line down on me after waiting for 15 minutes. The second time I didn't get anywhere apart from getting questioned why I wanted to move. The third the woman told me that she couldn't give me the mac code because I had already organised this move and that I would have to cancel with Sky before they released it. I am naturally very suspicious of doing this and cannot fathom why this woul help!!! Frankly I'm disgusted at BT after being with them for over 2 years and honouring my contract that I should get such a hard time, surely it is my right as a consumer to have choice. Is there anything I can do at all to force my mac code out of them without this hassle? Any advice would be appreciated.

If you are moving to Sky both line rental and broadband it may be a full LLU move which does not require a MAC, thus Sky will have initiated the line rental stuff and explains BT's attitude.

To be frank, you've done things in the wrong order, you should obtain the MAC before joining up with new ISP, or get it the same day.

Is Sky progressing the order, they should not have taken the order for broadband without a MAC if they knew you had broadband already unless they KNEW it was full LLU they were planning to install.

Ring them again and tell them that unless they provide your MAC immediately you will lodge an official complaint with Ofcom. The ISP has a duty to provide a MAC within 5 days of a request. If that doesn't do the trick then make that official complaint (there's a link on that page in the penultimate paragraph). That's about the best you can do. It worked for me when Pipex tried playing similar games.

You say you have organised a move to Sky.

Exactly what service?

If it is Sky Connect, then cancel it anyway as it is no better than BT and you will be tied in again for a year.

If it is a Sky LLU package, have you taken line rental as well? Not just the broadband or broadband with Sky Talk.

If you have gone for Sky LLU Broadband plus Sky Line Rental then don't worry. A MAC is not needed. Which is probably why you are being told what sounds like porkies but is probably true.

In this last case an ADSL Cease order has probably already been placed on the line, as that is what happens with a move to Full LLU. When there is a cease order on the line then a MAC cannot be issued.

It might explain the reasoning, but hardly the attitude. If a MAC is not needed why is the OP being told that he needs to cancel the Sky order and being left hanging on the phone for 15 minutes? All they need to do is explain the situation.

And I can't see why there should be a problem in ordering new broadband before you have the MAC. The new supplier should just wait to process the order until the MAC is available; that's what BE did when I changed to them.

Ring them again and tell them that unless they provide your MAC immediately you will lodge an official complaint with Ofcom. The ISP has a duty to provide a MAC within 5 days of a request.

See MrSaffron's post and mine that I was typing as his and yours were being posted.

In particular if Sky have initiated a move to full LLU, (an ADSL Cease order on Openreach), a MAC cannot be issued.

That may indeed be the case. In which case it is something of an indictment of BT's customer support staff that they can't explain this in simple terms to their customer.

In reply to a post by AEP:

That may indeed be the case. In which case it is something of an indictment of BT's customer support staff that they can't explain this in simple terms to their customer.

If it is the case, and we are still on an "if" , then that level of support probably don't know enough to explain. Or under far too much pressure. The fact would be on the screen - MAC cannot be issued due to another order on the line. It probably doesn't even say Sky, that info will have come from the OP.

I doubt at this level it even says what sort of order it is, though perhaps it does. For BT support to tell the OP that there was a Cease Order on the line would have caused total panic!

I would blame the management and training, not the staff themselves.

Thank you for the fast replies.

The move is a full move, as in it is a package that contains line rental and sky TV not just broadband. I was under the impression that a mac code was needed for any sort of move involving broadband, on my apart I admit ignorance, however I imagine most consumers are not aware of such technicalities.

I'm still not happy the way BT treated me on the phone! It seems like there was no reason to be like this if they have no influence on the switch. When she said that I had to cancel my order with Sky it just seemed like a move to postpone the household from moving away after them putting the phone down on me and giving me a hard time! To be fair they did offer decent incentives to stay but it is not enough my broadband often downloads at speeds less than 20 kb/s. I just can't accept another contract from this company! Thanks again for your fast responses. I look forward to BT phoning me for the next 5 years asking me to go back!

If the caller was insistant on them requiring a MAC then what was suggested is the way to get one.

The reason for saying getting the MAC first, is precisely because of the confusion caused by some new providers using full LLU.

Without access to the call logs it is hard to say whether some of this is misunderstanding all around, often caused by trying to avoid terms like MPF and SMPF which 99% of the public have no idea about.

Sky the gaining provider is who to talk to now, and ask whether they actually need a MAC to progress the order.

and for the record, I did not tell them it was sky initially, she said 'another provider' was taking over and then started questioning who it was. I do not know how legal this was. I said it was Sky. I didn't see why it would matter much seeing as though they know I'm leaving anyway. Maybe they are told to ask by management to see where they are losing customers.

As has been said in the thread, getting the MAC first would have avoided confusion, but no matter.

Let us know how things go, because from what you just said it is possible there is a fault or poor wiring at your end.

We can help with that, as an engineer callout probably wouldn't, and could also cost getting on for £200.

They also asked several times whay the reason was for moving was it financial ect ect

If you were insistent on the MAC, then I can understand them suggesting what they did. They were trying to get you a MAC the only way their system would let them.

You need to talk to Sky, who are partially at fault for not explaining the situation, of note it is worth saying that with full LLU you cannot move the broadband or line rental to another provider without moving both products. Also returning to a WLR or BT line rental deal later is more complex.

An ISP is at liberty to ask, but no obligation on your part to say who.

Perfectly normal for any large company, that wants to build a picture of why people are leaving

The reason being 20 kilo bits per second is sub dialup speeds, and if that is for HTTP traffic is very bad.

If its for torrent type traffic at peak times, then possibly to be expected. Be aware that with Sky LLU congestion is starting to show in some areas.

In reply to a post by steveyruss:

They also asked several times whay the reason was for moving was it financial ect ect

That's normal, from all ISPs. It usually leads up to what is called a "Retention deal".

For future reference, you are of course under no obligation to answer any such questions.

Yes you are correct, a rep from Sky told me that I needed a MAC but I didn't ask anyone else in the company and the only other person I've spoken to from Skyis an engineer and he didn't mention it. I will ring them now. I assumed I needed one and started chasing BT for it. This is obviously a failing on his part.

As for BT customer service staff don't seem trained at all and seem to be reading troubleshooting guides this would explain why they told me I needed to cancel if they are ticking off boxes. It doesn't excuse the general rudeness though!

Thanks for your help again!

To be fair I do not need a perfect line, I don't download much or play online shooters or anything, but I don't like paying out monthly fees for a supposedly 20mb line which takes 20 seconds to load simple web pages at peak times. If Sky's service isn't much of an improvement I will look at an independent company. Skys offer was a bit too good to turn down though especially with the TV which had no fitting charges.

In reply to a post by steveyruss:

I don't like paying out monthly fees for a supposedly 20mb line

You don't have a 20 Meg line but an "up to" 20 Meg line, within which 20 Kps is possible. Speed is affected by line length and state of your house wiring. Looks like you are losing out to both and will not get any better at Sky until you fix the latter.

Post your current router stats and we may be able to advise further.

For some moves to sky you do need a MAC, for some you don't.
So unless someone has exact details of your account from Sky in front of them they cannot answer this.

Sky where possible uses full LLU now, so probability is the lack of MAC will not cause any days. You really should phone Sky to confirm that they will be FULL LLU'ing your line, then you can understand the implications that this causes.