Switching broadband and phone

I have just decided to switch my broadband and phone provider, Plusnet for Zen.
The new switching process seemed simple when I read it but already I have hit a snag. Zen has emailed me to say my broadband order has been cancelled by BT as they will only allow one order to progress at a time and as my phone line switch has started first that will have to complete before the switch of my Broadband can proceed.
Apparently nothing can be done about this so it will now take at least 21 days for my new broadband service to go live. This is more than a little annoying as it is my poor Broadband service from Plusnet that has prompted the move.
Have others come across this switching snag?

Is PlusNet doing both phone and broadband now, or is BT your voice line rental provider?

Plusnet was doing both.

In which case should have gone smoothly as per processes, but without seeing what orders the new provider has placed hard to say for sure.

Under old system this was not uncommon, and as a lot of the back end systems are still the same some providers may still be doing stuff the old ways.

Ofcom General Condition 22.14, September 2014

22.14 Where a Gaining Provider elects to co-ordinate a Communications Provider Migration on behalf of a Customer who has requested a transfer of Broadband and Fixed-line Telecommunications Services to be provided by it over the same line, it shall ensure that, where applicable, an order is submitted to Openreach, where available, for the simultaneous transfer with minimal loss of service of both Communications Services.

That's what is called (for short) a SIM Transfer. It needs the gaining ISP to submit an Order to Openreach asking for a SORN (Simultaneous Order Number). They then submit that special type of order number with their order for the move of the other service.

Openreach then have a mechanism to match the two and do them on the same day.

It sounds as though Zen just submitted two independent orders.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

It sounds as though Zen just submitted two independent orders.

Yep. And then the ISP will proceed to blame BT since, well, the customer can't prove otherwise.

Thank you all for your replies.
I have emailed Zen with the info contained in RobertoS post for their comments and will update the post if they reply.
I am now thinking if they cannot get the first step right then maybe I should cancel.
Maybe as usual I have been over confident that the new switching process would work.

Don't forget what MrSaffron said, "Under old system this was not uncommon". Some ISPs never did seem to really get the hang of SIM transfers. They've existed for years.

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

It sounds as though Zen just submitted two independent orders.

Yep. And then the ISP will proceed to blame BT since, well, the customer can't prove otherwise.

Except in this case the ISP has said "broadband order has been cancelled by BT as they will only allow one order to progress at a time ..."

Normal behaviour if you try to migrate broadband when phone is already moving and not using sim or lorn process

In reply to a post by MHC:

Except in this case the ISP has said "broadband order has been cancelled by BT as they will only allow one order to progress at a time ..."

For all we know Zen placed the line rental order first without the LORN, resulting in the subsequent broadband order being cancelled. If the OP placed a line rental order prior to the broadband order then fair enough, but I doubt that happened.

Edited by Oliver341 (Wed 08-Jul-15 11:58:01)

I emailed Zen customer services two days ago and also the CEO and so far have not had a reply from either regarding the mess Zen has made about the switch.
Today a letter arrived from Zen with the direct debit details and low and behold they have made a horlicks of this as well.
I will now wait until the beginning of next week to see if Zen contact me and sort things out and if not will cancel the switch to make sure I stay well within the 10 day cancellation timescale.
Any views about an ISP that can provide a decent service would be appreciated.

Are you meaning the new migration system 10 days? If so, fine.

Yes I do mean the new migration system.

Are you sure? Surely Zen shouldn't have placed any orders within the 10 days period of the new migration process as this time is to allow people to say they didn't do the order.

My understanding is that under the new system no MAC is required and if you decide not to go ahead with the switch for whatever reason you can and you are notified by your old supplier that a switch has been started.
In my case I did not need a MAC. I have had the letter from my current supplier telling me of the switch and my right to stop it, so yes I am confident it is the new system that is in place.

In effect, the other way round Ian. It's the gaining provider placing the order that triggers the letters and starts the 10 days.

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 10-Jul-15 10:19:19)

Duh. Of course it is - I think I must have fallen asleep there - forgot that it is the actual placing of an order that triggers the letter and the 10 day countdown.

I shall chastise myself for an elementary mistake.

And, for clarification, it's 10 working days.

That is correct it is 10 working days and that is what I was told by Zen.