Requesting a MAC Code

Hi. I have been on ADSL for the last two years. In the last 8 months
the service has gone drastically downhill since the ADSL provider I
was with "Central Point Broadband" CPBB was taken over by Fast24.

Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.

Every time I have managed to get through on the telephone it is the
same person speaking to me, leading me to think that this is a one man
operation! Plus the fact it is his voice on all the robot answering
machine for all the telephone lines. I have so far not been able to
get the MAC code, and I think it is a deliberate tactic on their (his)
part not to give them out. He made some excuse about having trouble
getting MAC Codes from his provider??? He is the provider, shouldn't
he be able to get it quite easily to give me?

I think my only option left now is to cancel the payments (if that's
possible?) It is coming out of my bank account every month. How do I
go about stopping that? Bearing in mind that I am well past the 1 year
time span where I have to stay with this company, and since they took
over the company I was with I have been communicating with them and
requesting the MAC code for about 8 months now.

When I go online to my bank, the payments for the broadband to Fast24
seem to be listed as MAE which says "Maestro Debit Card Transaction".
I have recently had a new card issued by my bank. If this has a new
expiry date and issue number, would this stop these payments from
going through do you know? Or would they still continue to go through?
Would I need to call my bank to have this cancelled? Or would I need
to telephone Fast24 and have it cancelled? They know that I have
wanted to leave for the last 8 months because I have kept asking them
for a MAC code and have made this plainly clear. I really hope I don't
have to call them to request that this is cancelled because you can
bet your life the payments will still continue to flow if I do have to
get them to cancel it.

Unfortunately I can't see any other way, cancelling payments seems to
be the only option to get the message across, and hoping that the ADSL
line is freed up as soon as possible so I can sign with a better
alternative provider? I think I may have to use a 56k dial up for up
to a month while the line is being freed? Is this correct, and is
there anyone I can contact eg like BT so the line can be freed up
quicker?

You can bet your bottom dollar if I take this route there will be
problems as well and I will be without broadband for a number of
weeks. It has to be done though, they are not playing ball and giving
me this MAC code, I can just tell that Fast24 are fobbing me off and
simply not giving the codes out. The customer service is atrocious.

Help! What to do? I thought all my problems with broadband would be
over when I ditched NTHells cable service, and things were going great
guns with CPBB until this Fast24 took over.

Drat, Drat and Double Drat!

John

Thus spaketh John:
> Hi. I have been on ADSL for the last two years. In the last 8 months
> the service has gone drastically downhill since the ADSL provider I
> was with "Central Point Broadband" CPBB was taken over by Fast24.
>
> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
>
> Every time I have managed to get through on the telephone it is the
> same person speaking to me, leading me to think that this is a one man
> operation! Plus the fact it is his voice on all the robot answering
> machine for all the telephone lines. I have so far not been able to
> get the MAC code, and I think it is a deliberate tactic on their (his)
> part not to give them out. He made some excuse about having trouble
> getting MAC Codes from his provider??? He is the provider, shouldn't
> he be able to get it quite easily to give me?
>
> I think my only option left now is to cancel the payments (if that's
> possible?) It is coming out of my bank account every month. How do I
> go about stopping that? Bearing in mind that I am well past the 1 year
> time span where I have to stay with this company, and since they took
> over the company I was with I have been communicating with them and
> requesting the MAC code for about 8 months now.
>
> When I go online to my bank, the payments for the broadband to Fast24
> seem to be listed as MAE which says "Maestro Debit Card Transaction".
> I have recently had a new card issued by my bank. If this has a new
> expiry date and issue number, would this stop these payments from
> going through do you know? Or would they still continue to go through?
> Would I need to call my bank to have this cancelled? Or would I need
> to telephone Fast24 and have it cancelled? They know that I have
> wanted to leave for the last 8 months because I have kept asking them
> for a MAC code and have made this plainly clear. I really hope I don't
> have to call them to request that this is cancelled because you can
> bet your life the payments will still continue to flow if I do have to
> get them to cancel it.
>
> Unfortunately I can't see any other way, cancelling payments seems to
> be the only option to get the message across, and hoping that the ADSL
> line is freed up as soon as possible so I can sign with a better
> alternative provider? I think I may have to use a 56k dial up for up
> to a month while the line is being freed? Is this correct, and is
> there anyone I can contact eg like BT so the line can be freed up
> quicker?
>
> You can bet your bottom dollar if I take this route there will be
> problems as well and I will be without broadband for a number of
> weeks. It has to be done though, they are not playing ball and giving
> me this MAC code, I can just tell that Fast24 are fobbing me off and
> simply not giving the codes out. The customer service is atrocious.
>
> Help! What to do? I thought all my problems with broadband would be
> over when I ditched NTHells cable service, and things were going great
> guns with CPBB until this Fast24 took over.
>
> Drat, Drat and Double Drat!
>
> John

With credit cards and debit cards even if you get replacement cards with a new
number, dates etc, you will still be liable for CCCA's on your original card.

John wrote:
....

> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
....

Eh? Just allocate your own, like this:

Mac Code vers:2.1 system:mac/8.0 CPU:1/PPC601/60MHz RAM:24Mb mac:-)
since:1987 use rsrc:-) BeOS win:P dos:P unix:| apple:-) M$:-( code

John,

You can report the ISP to ofcom for failing to provide the MAC code. They
have to provide this to allow service migration. Have a look at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk for more info.

Failing that give them the required period of termination notice in writing
and then cancel the payments after this period. You can cancel direct debits
easily and they are covered by legal redress if the supplier takes money out
of your account they are not entitled to.

Best of luck.


Phil


"John" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi. I have been on ADSL for the last two years. In the last 8 months
> the service has gone drastically downhill since the ADSL provider I
> was with "Central Point Broadband" CPBB was taken over by Fast24.
>
> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
>
> Every time I have managed to get through on the telephone it is the
> same person speaking to me, leading me to think that this is a one man
> operation! Plus the fact it is his voice on all the robot answering
> machine for all the telephone lines. I have so far not been able to
> get the MAC code, and I think it is a deliberate tactic on their (his)
> part not to give them out. He made some excuse about having trouble
> getting MAC Codes from his provider??? He is the provider, shouldn't
> he be able to get it quite easily to give me?
>
> I think my only option left now is to cancel the payments (if that's
> possible?) It is coming out of my bank account every month. How do I
> go about stopping that? Bearing in mind that I am well past the 1 year
> time span where I have to stay with this company, and since they took
> over the company I was with I have been communicating with them and
> requesting the MAC code for about 8 months now.
>
> When I go online to my bank, the payments for the broadband to Fast24
> seem to be listed as MAE which says "Maestro Debit Card Transaction".
> I have recently had a new card issued by my bank. If this has a new
> expiry date and issue number, would this stop these payments from
> going through do you know? Or would they still continue to go through?
> Would I need to call my bank to have this cancelled? Or would I need
> to telephone Fast24 and have it cancelled? They know that I have
> wanted to leave for the last 8 months because I have kept asking them
> for a MAC code and have made this plainly clear. I really hope I don't
> have to call them to request that this is cancelled because you can
> bet your life the payments will still continue to flow if I do have to
> get them to cancel it.
>
> Unfortunately I can't see any other way, cancelling payments seems to
> be the only option to get the message across, and hoping that the ADSL
> line is freed up as soon as possible so I can sign with a better
> alternative provider? I think I may have to use a 56k dial up for up
> to a month while the line is being freed? Is this correct, and is
> there anyone I can contact eg like BT so the line can be freed up
> quicker?
>
> You can bet your bottom dollar if I take this route there will be
> problems as well and I will be without broadband for a number of
> weeks. It has to be done though, they are not playing ball and giving
> me this MAC code, I can just tell that Fast24 are fobbing me off and
> simply not giving the codes out. The customer service is atrocious.
>
> Help! What to do? I thought all my problems with broadband would be
> over when I ditched NTHells cable service, and things were going great
> guns with CPBB until this Fast24 took over.
>
> Drat, Drat and Double Drat!
>
> John
>
>

Thus spaketh Phil:
> John wrote:
> ...
>
>> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
>> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
> ...
>
> Eh? Just allocate your own, like this:
>
> Mac Code vers:2.1 system:mac/8.0 CPU:1/PPC601/60MHz RAM:24Mb mac:-)
> since:1987 use rsrc:-) BeOS win:P dos:P unix:| apple:-) M$:-(
> code

I think they mean they require a MAC or Migration Authorisation Code, though
they did actually ask for the details you post, or they have asked for a
Migration Authorisation Code code.

{{{{{Welcome}}}}} wrote:
> I think they mean they require a MAC or Migration Authorisation Code, though
> they did actually ask for the details you post, or they have asked for a
> Migration Authorisation Code code.

Aha, I wondered what it meant.

Phil

"Phil Dyde" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:dsan0k$3hc$(E-Mail Removed):

> John,
>
> You can report the ISP to ofcom for failing to provide the MAC code.
> They have to provide this to allow service migration. Have a look at
> http://www.ofcom.org.uk for more info.

No, this is a *voluntary* code of practice at the moment. Fast24 use
Netservices PLC for most of their connections, neither F24 or
Netservices have yet signed up to the code (see
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/codes/bbm_cop/).

F24 is notorious for this, and to be fair to their office drones the
problem is known to be with Netservices, who happen to be a very big
supplier who do not really care about their smaller resellers.


>
> Failing that give them the required period of termination notice in
> writing and then cancel the payments after this period. You can cancel
> direct debits easily and they are covered by legal redress if the
> supplier takes money out of your account they are not entitled to.
>
> Best of luck.
>
F24's notice period is 14 days before the billing date. I cancelled
mine last month, they haven't debited me since. The line is still ADSL-
active, and this will pose a problem when I decide to order a new ADSL
service. Again this is a known issue with F24/Netservices and good ISPs
can push the right buttons with BT to get the line released for a new
service. If you have a look through the group archive, there is quite a
bit on how to force BT to release lines when this occurs.

HTH


>
> Phil
>
>
> "John" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi. I have been on ADSL for the last two years. In the last 8 months
>> the service has gone drastically downhill since the ADSL provider I
>> was with "Central Point Broadband" CPBB was taken over by Fast24.
>>
>> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
>> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
>>
>> Every time I have managed to get through on the telephone it is the
>> same person speaking to me, leading me to think that this is a one
>> man operation! Plus the fact it is his voice on all the robot
>> answering machine for all the telephone lines. I have so far not
>> been able to get the MAC code, and I think it is a deliberate tactic
>> on their (his) part not to give them out. He made some excuse about
>> having trouble getting MAC Codes from his provider??? He is the
>> provider, shouldn't he be able to get it quite easily to give me?
>>
>> I think my only option left now is to cancel the payments (if that's
>> possible?) It is coming out of my bank account every month. How do I
>> go about stopping that? Bearing in mind that I am well past the 1
>> year time span where I have to stay with this company, and since they
>> took over the company I was with I have been communicating with them
>> and requesting the MAC code for about 8 months now.
>>
>> When I go online to my bank, the payments for the broadband to Fast24
>> seem to be listed as MAE which says "Maestro Debit Card Transaction".
>> I have recently had a new card issued by my bank. If this has a new
>> expiry date and issue number, would this stop these payments from
>> going through do you know? Or would they still continue to go
>> through? Would I need to call my bank to have this cancelled? Or
>> would I need to telephone Fast24 and have it cancelled? They know
>> that I have wanted to leave for the last 8 months because I have kept
>> asking them for a MAC code and have made this plainly clear. I really
>> hope I don't have to call them to request that this is cancelled
>> because you can bet your life the payments will still continue to
>> flow if I do have to get them to cancel it.
>>
>> Unfortunately I can't see any other way, cancelling payments seems to
>> be the only option to get the message across, and hoping that the
>> ADSL line is freed up as soon as possible so I can sign with a better
>> alternative provider? I think I may have to use a 56k dial up for up
>> to a month while the line is being freed? Is this correct, and is
>> there anyone I can contact eg like BT so the line can be freed up
>> quicker?
>>
>> You can bet your bottom dollar if I take this route there will be
>> problems as well and I will be without broadband for a number of
>> weeks. It has to be done though, they are not playing ball and giving
>> me this MAC code, I can just tell that Fast24 are fobbing me off and
>> simply not giving the codes out. The customer service is atrocious.
>>
>> Help! What to do? I thought all my problems with broadband would be
>> over when I ditched NTHells cable service, and things were going
>> great guns with CPBB until this Fast24 took over.
>>
>> Drat, Drat and Double Drat!
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>
>
>

On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 17:56:36 +0000 (UTC), "Phil Dyde"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>John,
>
>You can report the ISP to ofcom for failing to provide the MAC code. They
>have to provide this to allow service migration. Have a look at
>http://www.ofcom.org.uk for more info.

I thought that legally ISPs were slightly different to Mobile Networks
in that they don't have to issue a MAC. I don't think complaining to
Ofcom will do much good. It is probably more hassle than its worth.

>Failing that give them the required period of termination notice in writing
>and then cancel the payments after this period. You can cancel direct debits

I have already given them written notice that I want to leave and
would like a MAC back in I think it was September of last year. Would
this still count, or would I have to send a new letter in writing
giving another 30 days in addition to the 8 or so months they've
already had?

Unfortunately it's not a direct debit it is a recurring Maestro Debit
Card payment every month.

>easily and they are covered by legal redress if the supplier takes money out
>of your account they are not entitled to.

I honestly think it will be a big hassle. They never bothered
responding to my last letter which I sent recorded. I think they would
just continue taking the payments, and it looks like a new card isn't
going to stop that. There's only one thing for it. Close down bank
account, open new bank account. I think this will be the easiest. I
haven't been too impressed with my bank in recent years anyway, so it
will kill two birds with one stone. I'll have to set up all my direct
debits though on a new account elsewhere which will be a pain.

Perhaps I will drop a short note to Ofcom about making it a
requirement that ISPs issue the MAC promptly?

John

"John" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi. I have been on ADSL for the last two years. In the last 8 months
> the service has gone drastically downhill since the ADSL provider I
> was with "Central Point Broadband" CPBB was taken over by Fast24.
>
> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
>
> Every time I have managed to get through on the telephone it is the
> same person speaking to me, leading me to think that this is a one man
> operation! Plus the fact it is his voice on all the robot answering
> machine for all the telephone lines. I have so far not been able to
> get the MAC code, and I think it is a deliberate tactic on their (his)
> part not to give them out. He made some excuse about having trouble
> getting MAC Codes from his provider??? He is the provider, shouldn't
> he be able to get it quite easily to give me?
>
> I think my only option left now is to cancel the payments (if that's
> possible?) It is coming out of my bank account every month. How do I
> go about stopping that? Bearing in mind that I am well past the 1 year
> time span where I have to stay with this company, and since they took
> over the company I was with I have been communicating with them and
> requesting the MAC code for about 8 months now.
>
> When I go online to my bank, the payments for the broadband to Fast24
> seem to be listed as MAE which says "Maestro Debit Card Transaction".
> I have recently had a new card issued by my bank. If this has a new
> expiry date and issue number, would this stop these payments from
> going through do you know? Or would they still continue to go through?
> Would I need to call my bank to have this cancelled? Or would I need
> to telephone Fast24 and have it cancelled? They know that I have
> wanted to leave for the last 8 months because I have kept asking them
> for a MAC code and have made this plainly clear. I really hope I don't
> have to call them to request that this is cancelled because you can
> bet your life the payments will still continue to flow if I do have to
> get them to cancel it.
>
> Unfortunately I can't see any other way, cancelling payments seems to
> be the only option to get the message across, and hoping that the ADSL
> line is freed up as soon as possible so I can sign with a better
> alternative provider? I think I may have to use a 56k dial up for up
> to a month while the line is being freed? Is this correct, and is
> there anyone I can contact eg like BT so the line can be freed up
> quicker?
>
> You can bet your bottom dollar if I take this route there will be
> problems as well and I will be without broadband for a number of
> weeks. It has to be done though, they are not playing ball and giving
> me this MAC code, I can just tell that Fast24 are fobbing me off and
> simply not giving the codes out. The customer service is atrocious.
>
> Help! What to do? I thought all my problems with broadband would be
> over when I ditched NTHells cable service, and things were going great
> guns with CPBB until this Fast24 took over.
>
> Drat, Drat and Double Drat!
>
> John

Worryingly i cant find an entry for Central Point Broadband or similar at
Companies Housr....

John wrote:
> Hi. I have been on ADSL for the last two years. In the last 8 months
> the service has gone drastically downhill since the ADSL provider I
> was with "Central Point Broadband" CPBB was taken over by Fast24.
>
> Since last summer I have been telephoning, emailing, faxing, writing
> letters etc to try and get a MAC Code.
>
> Every time I have managed to get through on the telephone it is the
> same person speaking to me, leading me to think that this is a one man
> operation! Plus the fact it is his voice on all the robot answering
> machine for all the telephone lines. I have so far not been able to
> get the MAC code, and I think it is a deliberate tactic on their (his)
> part not to give them out. He made some excuse about having trouble
> getting MAC Codes from his provider??? He is the provider, shouldn't
> he be able to get it quite easily to give me?

He is probably not the BT Wholesale customer, and resells someone elses
connection - whilst he is your provider he must get MAC codes from his
provider (who in turn get them from BT).

Further, he/they are not required to give a MAC code - your alternative
is to cease the service and re-order with another provider once the line
is clear (probable downtime 10-14 working days).