MAC - Key - I am leaving

[#1]

Quote from: johpal

PS - I'm leaving for a cheaper broadband/home 'phone deal with O2, who received a "Which?" recommendation as an ISP.

I hope that is the LLU service and not the Access product or you will regret it.
Plusnet is 100% better than O2 Access, I know I have been there and got the scars.
And if you don't trust what I say have a read of what others on the service say about it:
http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=14

[#2]

Some of that does make very interesting reading (make of that what you will).

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Thank you for your response; had somebody answered my call, you may have been able to persuade me to stay, but I am now firmly resolved to go.

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Maybe you should look to ave more staff on when you expect it to be busier... (just a thought.)

In answer to that we are still recruiting and we're also reviewing how appropriate our shift patters are in relation to busy period, some changes off the back of this are already starting to happen.
Adam.

[#3]

Personally I would like OFCOM, or someone, to bring in a regulation to force providers that allow consumers to sign up for a service online to allow them to cancel the same way, I believe it's only fair.
I remember a few years back foolishly signing up to Setanta (Iknow.....) and trying about 20 times to get through to cancellations on the phone and was forced to write to them (recorded delivery of course). At least with PN it was 'only' a 10 minute wait.
I didn't know about not needing a MAC key when transferring to a LLU service, I'm doing this and during the sign-up process (to a LLU only product) I was asked for a MAC key. I wonder why?

[#4]

Because you aren't going to full LLU (phone and broadband)

[#5]

Just to provide some clarification, when a customer transfers to shared LLU (i.e. BT line rental, LLU broadband) then a MAC is needed, as it is for the reverse process.
When a customer transfers from either shared LLU or BT Wholesale service (i.e. BT line rental. BT based broadband provider like Plusnet) to full LLU then no MAC is required, the new provider just takes the service via BT Wholesale.
When a customer transfers from full LLU back to BT Wholesale or shared LLU service then we process it by a VIC request (email sent between ourselves, BT Wholesale and the losing provider).
These situations are obviously simplified and there are many different order processes depending on exactly which services are ordered.
When a MAC is requested from us, our automated systems generate them after five days. We have no way of knowing what service an LLU provider is intending to put one of our (ex) customers on, even if they have equipment in the exchange then they may not have capacity and may move the customer to BT Wholesale equipment, so a MAC would be needed. If a customer asks for one, they get one, regardless of their new provider's access technology.

[#6]

Quote from: Ben

When a customer transfers from either shared LLU or BT Wholesale service (i.e. BT line rental. BT based broadband provider like Plusnet) to full LLU then no MAC is required, the new provider just takes the service via BT Wholesale. When a MAC is requested from us, our automated systems generate them after five days.

If this is the case, I don't need a MAC key. I'm puzzled by the replies to my request for one, that produced ticket # 34885581 and 34873465. One reply simply states "Dear Mr xxxx xxxxxx" (nothing more), another informs me that no further action will be taken until 02-Sep-10. Is this what PN call "service"? I don't recognise it as such! 

[#7]

Plusnet like a lot of ISP's stretch the letter f the law as it were.  OFCOM states ISP's must provide a MAC code within 5 days, if OFCOM changed that to 10 days the ISP's would take 10 days.  It is in the ISP's interest to keep the customer waiting as long as it can as that means more money for them before you can leave.
Plusnet may generate a MAC autmatically on the 5th day but we all know it can be done straightaway at the point of request.  I had to ring again on the 6th day to ask where mine was, as it hadn't been sent or apparently generated and it was then done straightaway while I was on the phone.  It took me 25 minutes to get through to cancellations and interestingly no attempt was made to retain my custom, not that I would have stayed after what Plusnet have done over the last 2 months but that is a different story!

[#8]

Well I left - and so far it was painless.
We did have a stage yesterday where the phone partially worked  - we were able to call out but not receive calls ( you got a dial tone but it did not ring) but that was soon fixed.
Welcome to Sky 

[#9]

I also migrated yesterday.
But I have to say Plusnet were quite a good ISP but maybe that was because I came from such a terrible ISP O2 Access.

[#10]

Well I've migrated today, also painless apart from my phone line going down briefly (causing panic with the alarm monitoring company!) Already achieving better UL and DL speeds.
I see that you can request a MAC key from the customer portal. This is my 3rd ISP and of those only PN do not have this facility - which is poor in my view.
Better not say too much though, I might be back 

[#11]

Quote from: julesandsand

Well I've migrated today, also painless apart from my phone line going down briefly (causing panic with the alarm monitoring company!)

The Openreach guy was just lazy and could not be bothered to disable Redcare for the duration of the rejumpering or he did not notice that Redcare was on the line before disconnecting.

[#12]

So what is physically done at the exchange then?

[#13]

All adsl connections have 2 jumpers in various configurations. On a BT platform which PN use it's PSTN to ADSL in and ADSL out to Customer line. The Redcare is a third jumper that normally go from the Redcare to the Customer Line but for a few years with an ADSL line it went from the Redcare equipment to ADSL in but since an introduction of a filter it's has reverted back to Redcare equipment to Customer line via the filter.
When a change to a LLU SMPF both jumpers are removed which will remove the PSTN so the Redcare will believe the phone line has been cut. Then 2 new jumpers are run but going to the LLU ADSL equipment.

[#14]

Interesting, thanks.

[#15]

Quote from: Toolbox

I phoned up  0114 296 5098  or you could use 0845 140 6002

It seems the normal number no longer gets linked into the system. The 0845 has a "In excess of 15 minutes wait" at just gone 9am.
That's a fair bit of cash keeping everyone waiting.
Only makes me more determined when I do get through to leave and not be persuaded to stay.
Don't plus net realise they'd retain more people if they answered right away? By letting people simmer and get more annoyed in a queue, your retention rates rapidly fall off.