Broadband Migration Rip Off

blueboy2001 · 29 Dec 2005 at 14:39

Can anyone tell me if the following is normal practice for a migration:

MAC Requested 24/11/05
MAC Received 28/11/05
Order placed with new ISP 28/11/05
Migration Completed 30/11/05

The billing period for the new ISP commenced 30/11/05 - the date the service was connected.

The billing period with the old ISP ran 6th Nov - 6th Dec, payable in advance, so in effect I had paid for 6 days service I have never received.

Yesterday I get an invoice from the old ISP for the period 6th Dec to 6th Jan, which I queried as I had no service during this period. ISP had not closed the account, but now has done with a closure date of 28/12/05 - 30 days after the issue of the MAC address due to the notice period - meaning I have to pay for 28 days broadband twice!

Is this right.

tolien · 29 Dec 2005 at 14:40

No, it's totally wrong, unless you're obliged to give 2 months notice in the T&Cs.
What ISP is it?

blueboy2001 · 29 Dec 2005 at 14:54

I won't name the ISP just yet as I am disputing this directly with them.

Their terms state 30 days notice for a cancellation - but make no mention of migration. I did not consider I had "cancelled" the service.

tolien · 29 Dec 2005 at 14:55

Notice of cancellation is supposed to coincide with you requesting the MAC. So 30 days from there.

Skilldibop · 29 Dec 2005 at 15:04

If they released your account and allowed you to connect to another ISP then they certainly can't bill you beyond that date. It's not like you changed ISP without telling them. This does happen all to often tho. I had similar problems starting out on ADSL. I oredered a Freeserve package including a modem. they charged me for the modem package and then put me down for a similar package less the modem. and to top it off i told the where to shove it and went with demon and they refused to free up the account till the end of themonth and wanted to charge me for a premature termination of contract. So i pointed out that the contract refers to a "SERVICE" of which, due to their own incompetance, i'd recieved none of. They soon released my line after i had a good shout and threatened to take them to small claims court under trading standards act.

Give them an ear full and you'll get through to them in the end.

Dr_Evil · 6 Feb 2006 at 17:14

I had this exact problem with BT - complain with Oftel/Ofcom and you'll see things happening in short time with your ISP.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain/