Made a bit of a cock up switching providers?

My contract with EE is up so I decided to join BT, I ordered online and for some odd reason it doesn't give an option to enter a MAC code, BT happened to phone today and I asked them about the MAC they said I'd have to cancel the order and put it through again which would delay everything about another week, they said I should call EE and tell them to cancel the broadband but I am afraid if I do that they'll do it straight away and I'll have no broadband for god knows how long.

Any ideas what I should do?

I'd follow BT's advice - cancel the order and put it through again

Edited by deleted (Wed 03-Dec-14 17:23:30)

I called BT who told me they do not need a MAC code, they say there is 2 ways of putting it through, this way does not need a MAC. Any truth in this?

Maybe so, but if you don't use a MAC to migrate then EE will charge you a cessation fee.

In reply to a post by falko89:

My contract with EE is up so I decided to join BT, I ordered online and for some odd reason it doesn't give an option to enter a MAC code, BT happened to phone today and I asked them about the MAC they said I'd have to cancel the order and put it through again which would delay everything about another week, they said I should call EE and tell them to cancel the broadband but I am afraid if I do that they'll do it straight away and I'll have no broadband for god knows how long.

Any ideas what I should do?

I would use the MAC procedure to move that's what it is created for, or you will be without broadband for sometime and they might charge you a reconnection fee.

Important do not cancel your broadband service with EE, BT must notify them.

What's a MAC CODE & do I need one?

A Migration Authority Code (MAC code for short) is a set of numbers and letters that give broadband providers YOUR permission to switch. Only you can obtain your MAC code.

How do I get my MAC code?

Your provider MUST supply your MAC code within 5 days of you requesting it. This is a requirement from Ofcom, the communications regulator. Here are some useful numbers:

Virgin 0845 454 1111
TalkTalk 0870 444 1820
Sky 08442 410 515
EE 0844 873 8586
BT 0800 328 6738.

Calls to 0844 873 8586 from an EE Home Phone are free of charge.

If your provider is not listed above, please contact their main customer support number, which should be listed on your last contract or bill from them.

Making the switchover run smoothly
We use your MAC code to make sure you don't lose your broadband connection during the switchover. It can take as little as 5 days to get connected, with no break in service and easy self-install setup.

Your MAC code expires after 30 days
Once you've got your MAC code from your current provider, make sure you switch as soon as possible. Your MAC code expires 30 days after it is issued, so if you don't use it in time, you'll need to contact your provider again to get a new MAC code.
______________________

Ending the Agreement. You can phone Us and give 30 days' notice to end the Agreement with effect from the end of (or after) the Minimum Term. You may have to pay a charge for ending the Agreement early which We call the Cancellation Charge. The Cancellation Charge is the total of the Monthly Charges for the remainder of the Minimum Term, less any discount You are entitled to (See points 9.1 and 9.3 of the terms and conditions.)

http://ee.co.uk/help/accounts-billing-and-topping-up...

Edited by deleted (Thu 04-Dec-14 09:45:10)

In reply to a post by E7er:

Ending the Agreement. You can phone Us and give 30 days' notice to end the Agreement with effect from the end of (or after) the Minimum Term. You may have to pay a charge for ending the Agreement early which We call the Cancellation Charge. The Cancellation Charge is the total of the Monthly Charges for the remainder of the Minimum Term, less any discount You are entitled to (See points 9.1 and 9.3 of the terms and conditions.)

A v. misleading EE condition to point the OP at. It's about terminating BB completely. The appropriate one is to be found at "Changing Provider 3.12".

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by E7er:

Ending the Agreement. You can phone Us and give 30 days' notice to end the Agreement with effect from the end of (or after) the Minimum Term. You may have to pay a charge for ending the Agreement early which We call the Cancellation Charge. The Cancellation Charge is the total of the Monthly Charges for the remainder of the Minimum Term, less any discount You are entitled to (See points 9.1 and 9.3 of the terms and conditions.)

A v. misleading EE condition to point the OP at. It's about terminating BB completely. The appropriate one is to be found at "Changing Provider 3.12".

You are correct XRaySpeX, I was looking for this instruction but could not find it!

Changing Provider
3.12. If You want to transfer a broadband service from another provider to Us, You may need to provide Us with a MAC Code, which You can get from Your existing broadband provider If You want to transfer Your Broadband Service from Us to another provider, You may need to request a MAC Code from Us and give it to Your new broadband provider. You can request to receive the MAC Code by email, letter or calling Customer Support. We will provide the MAC Code to You within 5 working days of You contacting Us. A MAC Code expires after 30 days of issue. We can only provide a new MAC Code once the previous one has expired. This Agreement will be terminated 10 days after any MAC Code that We provide to You is Used by Your new provider, or at the expiration of the notice You gave under point 9.1, whichever date comes first in time.

3.13. If You terminate Your Agreement because You no longer require Broadband Services, or You move to a new provider without using, or without your new provider using, one of the industry-approved processes, You will have to pay Us any charge that We incur from BT for disconnecting You in this way together with Our own associated administration costs, as set out in the Price Guide. The industry approved processes for moving to a new provider are the Migration Authorisation Code (MAC) process, and the Notification of Transfer (NoT) process.

http://ee.co.uk/help/accounts-billing-and-topping-up...

I'd avoid BT, there are plenty of better BB providers. I use Zen Internet and have done for years, excellent customer service and reliability.

In reply to a post by E7er:

and the Notification of Transfer (NoT) process.

I guess that's what we're all moving to now, and not just the MPF providers.

In reference to stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/switching-fixed-voice-broad...:

The Notification of Transfer process. This is a Gaining Provider Led process where the consumer only needs to contact their (new) Gaining Provider to switch. The Gaining Provider informs the (current) Losing Provider on behalf of the consumer in order to organise the transfer. The consumer receives letters from both providers confirming the planned switch before it happens. This provides an opportunity for the consumer to stop the order going ahead where they change their mind or in cases where they have no knowledge or have not given their consent to the attempted switch.

In reply to a post by stormsinger:

I'd avoid BT, there are plenty of better BB providers. I use Zen Internet and have done for years, excellent customer service and reliability.

So you're not really qualified to comment on BT. I'm with BT - seems fine.