Absolute Hell

After recently aquiring a MAC code to migrate to O2, i have had nothing but problems with both sides. O2 cant progress my order as they are saying that the MAC code is invalid, and when they checked BT's systems they said its showing up as invalid on there too. The O2 rep also told me that the MAC code given, the first 4 letters doesnt seem right and doesnt go with O2's format? I phoned Plusnet and all the agent did was tell me the MAC code is correct and gave it to me again verbally, its correct and i havent made any typing mistakes. But Plusnet are saying its right and O2 are saying its not.

Also the first time i spoke to O2, they told me to try a stop and start request with BT. Later on after speaking to Plusnet again previously, an O2 rep told me there seems to be a cease request on the line also. This is what happens everytime i phone up, the O2 agent isnt sure whats happening and puts me on hold for like 10 minutes whilst speaking to the DSL Provisioning team. I dont have a clue whats going on, i dont know whos fault it is but what should be an easy migration has turned into complete utter chaos. Plusnet said i cant request a new MAC because the existing one doesnt expire until the 22nd of January. Any advice would be appreciated.

Edit:

I think its either BT or O2 to blame, but the Plusnet rep said unfortunately there is little I can say on what to say to O2 but the details are in deed correct.

Jack

Edited by deleted (Sun 04-Jan-09 03:39:53)

Just an update, O2 kindly showed me the information they are receiving and this is what they see on BT's Systems:

Exchange Code: LCBAR
Exchange Name: BARROW-IN-FURNESS
Postcode: *******
MAC Code: LATH*******/GM23M is not Valid.
MAC Reason Code: MAC Code not valid or not valid for this installation. Please re-check your data and re-submit
MAC Expiry Date:
Reason Code: A - ADSL already enabled on this line
Service Provider: PLUSNET PLC
CP Name: BT WHOLESALE
CP Contact: 08000857023

And that the only thing I can do if Plusnet are insisting the code is valid, is wait until it expires and request a new one.

Edited by deleted (Sun 04-Jan-09 15:32:15)

Don't think it helps much, but found this on Google:

All MAC codes are unique but will always follow a similar format.
For example:

� LXYZ1234567/AB12C

The start of the code will always begin with an L, then 3 letters, followed by seven digits, slash (/) then finally by five more digits which could be numbers or letters.

So, it looks as if the format is okay

Thanks for the reply. Yeah it does indeed look correct to me also, is this BTs MAC code system going up the wall and causing all this do you think?

Possibly.

You could always try ringing the 0800 'CP Contact' number that is shown in your second post. Presumably it is a number at BT Wholesale, but you might **just** get someone who can shed a bit of light on what is going wrong.

Edited by lodge (Sun 04-Jan-09 19:46:31)

Hiya,

Would you mind PMing me your username if this is still an issue and I'll hasppily have a look at your account.

In reply to:

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Hiya,

Would you mind PMing me your username if this is still an issue and I'll hasppily have a look at your account.

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Good break then James

Well got somewhere eventually, after all this time it seems to of been eventually sorted? O2 told me that certain letters of the beginning of the MAC, should resemble my local exchange which is known as LCBAR. So i followed this info onto PN and told them that the original MAC i got given didnt resemble this. I got contacted by phone instead this time which was nice, however all this time being told the MAC code was correct and it wasnt! I am pretty frustrated if im honest, why wasnt BT checked in the first place? The response i got this morning was "Further to our conversation I have escalating a new MAC since the initial MAC was incorrect.Once we have the new MAC we will contact you"

Edited by deleted (Tue 06-Jan-09 10:07:36)

Sorry - That's not correct.

*ALL* MAC Codes begin with an "L". All SMPF MAC Codes begin with "LL". As far as I know, this has absolutely nothing to do with your exchange, mainly down to the fact that not all exchanges start with the letter "L"

If you want I can also try validating your MAC code against your telephone number to double check that it is valid.

Hi,

Sorry was just passing on what i got told myself. Im pretty sure the MAC i have now isnt a good one, all i would like is the new one so i can migrate please

Yep - I've just replied to your PM.

The MAC Code you were given isn't valid, which means that it was either generated in error or it has been used and then the order was cancelled.

I've spoken to BT just now and need to drop them an email to try and get a new code generated for you. I'll be back in touch as soon as I've heard back.

Thats great many thanks

In reply to:

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should resemble my local exchange which is known as LCBAR. So i followed this info onto PN and told them that the original MAC i got given didnt resemble this. I

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The LC in your exchange code represents the BT district and the BAR represents the actual exchange.

In my case the exchange code is NDUCK - ND is North Downs and UCK is Uckfield.

His MAC code certainly didn't have either "LC" or "BAR" in it.

TBH, I'd always assumed that they were 3 randomly generated letters rather than anything specific

Edited by deleted (Tue 06-Jan-09 10:55:01)

I'm sure that you are right about MAC's, if I remember correctly when I got one it didn't resemble my exchange code.

The little I know about exchange codes comes from the dim & distant past when I was employed by BT!

My MAC earlier this year started with LZMR137. My exchange code is MRSTE (Manchester - Stepping Hill).

Yes mine started with LATH originally. Im just curious though as to why it took all this time to realise the MAC wasnt working? As you can probably see on my ticket history 27429036 i was told quite a few times the MAC was valid and was just bouncing back and forth between providers all the time. Not quite sure whats gone on with it, and obviously some info i have been told by O2 isnt true at all which doesnt say much for honesty on there support.

In reply to:

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My MAC earlier this year started with LZMR137. My exchange code is MRSTE (Manchester - Stepping Hill).

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It does seem the MAC codes are using the start of the exchange code:

EG:

L and then Z and then the first 2 letters of the exchange.

In reply to:

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some info i have been told by O2 isnt true at all which doesnt say much for honesty on there support.

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That's a bit strong!

If you haven't already learnt that first-line support are often clueless at all ISPs once you have rebooted and changed filters then you are going to get very annoyed very often.

At least they were correct in saying the MAC was invalid - and there is nothing they can do about that. Are you saying that Plusnet support were being dishonest when they said there was nothing wrong with it? What about when they told you that you would have to wait till it expired - which James has now shown to be, choose from:-

incorrect;
mistaken;
untrue;
a lie.

I would actually say "normally the case".

The voice of authority:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumeradvice/internet/service/switch/mac/

Yes but that only specifies that it starts L and has a certain number of characters, which we already knew - Kitz has a good guide on her site.

But it'd seem that only today (for me at least) the L Z '_ _' bit has been shown to be the first 2 letters of the exchange code as the 3rd and 4th digits of the MAC code.

I was saying that primarily because at one point O2 told me there was a cease on the line, which there wasnt. I dont know about MACs i just use them to migrate, not sure at all if what they say is right or wrong about them. Just being told about the format of the MAC i gave didnt look right etc, as it looked fine to me originally. Its been a mess and not sure how it happened but it did, happens i suppose and was frustrating. Both sides were unhelpful and helpful in there own way but at least theres a resolution in sight

P.S

At one point O2 told me to request a stop and start with Plusnet whatever that is. Im glad James managed to help me, its the staff that kept replying to my ticket and telling me its valid and nothing more they can do which was the annoying thing.

Edited by deleted (Tue 06-Jan-09 11:32:22)

Yep. I'm not really certain what's going on.

The people I "spoke" to at BT said that they couldn't see any orders on your line which would prevent a MAC Code being generated (as I wasn't able to see that one had been generated in the first place).

However, the email I got back just now suggests that the line has been ceased but is not reflecting so on BTs system. They says they've placed an order to reflect this.

Given that you have an active service with ourselves, I've asked them to clarify things as it's a bit confusing.

Just to clarify things - when I say that I wasn't able to see that a MAC Code had been generated on BTs sytems, I don't believe for one second that our CSC were anything but 100% honest with you, it will have been generated automatically by our systems talking to BTs systems, but I'm just trying to find out what has actually happened.

Thanks for the update! Sounds like BT have royally messed things up here to me? I didnt request a cease so no idea why they think that happened. I hope i dont get cut off at some point , as that wont be too helpful. I thought with MACS i would just carry on with a service from PN until i successfully migrate, am i right in thinking that my service shouldnt be disrupted?

I can understand that they were trying to help, but at one point i got a reply on my ticket that just consisted of "Unfortunately there is little I can say on what to say to O2 but the details are in deed correct" and thats all it said. I actually had to ask myself can BT be contacted regarding this thats all

Yes, 100% correct.

Even if you didn't use your MAC, we wouldn't stop your service from working.

Thanks very much James for the assistance, i know it was a pretty confusing situation. Just out of curiosity who can i complain to about this as im quite displeased? I cant contact BT Wholesale myself as im not a service provider it says. Unfortunately my telephone line ceased, when i didnt request one and as such i have no broadband at all now and probably wont for sometime. Im using standard horrible dial up, all i wanted to do was migrate with no service interruption. This came at a bad time as i have many important things to do online and its very restricting now because of what happened.

P.S

Looking on my account i see open tickets, and i see your investigating why there was a flexi-cease placed on the line. Hopefully will be able to shed some light on it eventually

Edited by deleted (Wed 07-Jan-09 16:09:09)

This is not good. Its like has happened in the past with iffy ISP situations where someone finds it easier to lose the customer by accident (!?!) than to fix the problem or a Customer Rep skim reads an email/ticket spots the words "end my service" and BOOM a cease goes off.

If anyone can find out why and the atleast get you compensation for the reconnection fee it should be James as he has a great reputation on these boards over many years.

Ofcourse depending on his current masters he might have to smuggle the compensation out of the building in unused management donuts or something. Most ISPs develop very short arms and very deep pockets when a problem like this occurs.

Hiya,

One of the guys here is looking into why the cease was placed in the first place.

Once he's found out I'll let you know what's actually happened and why. For info, a flexi-cease is where a cancellation orders is placed and completes, but the jumpering at the exchange is not removed.

I'm heading home in a minute but hopefully I'll have some more information in the morning.

In reply to:

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Unfortunately my telephone line ceased

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Presumably you mean your broadband ceased, not the telephone line? You do say you are using dialup.

Hopefully i wont get a re-connection fee , fingers crossed. Im glad i was able to contact James as i didnt seem to be able to get anything done about it at first with the help ticket, luckily that isnt the case now and its being sorted!

Hey Bob,

Yes it was the broadband that got ceased, and just using dial up for now in the mean time

There's no connection charge to O2 anyway so you could go straight to them as far as I can see, no migration. See the second section in the T & Cs.

If you don't mind me asking, as I have spotted something within your original message to us.

In reply to:

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Also the first time i spoke to O2, they told me to try a stop and start request with BT

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Did you ever do this?
Did it ever get completed?

A stop and start order is a PSTN (Voice line) order normally used as part of a change to some aspect of your voice service. This is one of the things that causes the dreaded PSTN CEASE.

In effect, the STOP removes every service from the line, including broadband. The start order (both are done as part of a single combined order) will restart all services in the PSTN providers control. As the Broadband is not in their control, this isn't restarted and only the Broadband provider can do this.

On some occasions, the Broadband provider is not notified about the PSTN CEASE, and to them it looks like the service is still in place.

Although speculation at this stage, there are hints here that this is what is happening. It will however depend on if the stop and start ever took place at your request, or if one took place for your reasons which you may not be immediately aware about.

Can you think of anything else recently that you had to contact BT about your voice line for?

Hi Phil,

It doesn't appear to be this, because the OP has Home Phone with ourselves.

We currently have an escalated case open with BT Wholesale because they ceased the broadband service on the line with no explanation of why, which is what we're currently trying to find out.

Is O² on a year contract ?, Be(yes i know they are the same people) who i am with have the 3 month's notice which is long enough. I know O² is ok at the minute but as we have seen with enta things can change very fast and i at this moment in time would not want to sign up to anyone for a year!!

12 months afaik.

All O2 packages are 12 month minimum term except for the 30-day money-back get-out guarantee. There used to be a buy-out clause to leave early but that was withdrawn at the end of last year.

Be Value is the same, Be Unlimited and Pro are 3-month rolling (by day I think not month).

Whether it matters depends on what O2 package you are on. In my opinion it is very unlikely the LLU packages will go bad in the next 12 months. The Access package being BT IPStream I doubt either, but it is possible.

Someone just signed up for the Premium package at £9.79 per month with 3 months free and £70 cashback from Quidco. That's £18.11 for the year subject to £10 per quarter on a mobile top-up. No big deal if he decides to buy out after 6 months! (Except of course he will have spent the £70).

Hi,

No i didnt request a stop and start, it was what o2 advised me at the time to try and rectify the issue. Also i dont have the ability to contact BT anyway myself, because my phone line is with Plusnet. As such i have to go through you to request anything of that nature.

Jack

Edited by deleted (Thu 08-Jan-09 18:16:08)