NEWS Broadband customers are getting improved treatment should they decide to change providers.
PlusNet has announced it's offering a money-back guarantee for switchers. The UK ISP will pay customers who sign up for its broadband service, but after 45 days are unsatisfied, any migration fees the new ISP might charge.
In addition, 16 leading broadband providers have agreed to a 'code of practice' that, in conjunction with BT Wholesale's new migration process, makes it less painful for customers to migrate from one provider to another than it is today. At the moment, customers often experience a lengthy disruption in service when switching.
The improvements apply only to customers switching from DSL to another DSL service, not from DSL to a cable modem service.
The 16 providers that have already signed up, including AOL, BT, Bulldog, Thus, Virgin.net and Wanadoo UK, comprise about 70 per cent of the ADSL market.
To ease the transition, customers wishing to change providers must provide an 'authority code' to their new ISP, which they receive from the ISP that they're leaving. This allows the new ISP to work with BT Wholesale to make the change as seamless as possible for the user.
Richard Sweet, head of regulation and interconnect at Thus and chair of the group, said in a statement that the move "demonstrates that broadband service providers can regulate themselves, without the need for Ofcom intervention".
Comments
There are 6 comments. Join the discussion
1. Michael Dixon
Now if we can get the mobile phone operators to make it as simple; and as quick and simple as in Australia we might really be on to something in telecoms customer service...
2. M Knibb
Changing from Wanadoo broadband is a problem caused solely by Wanadoo.
Wanadoo suckered customers into joining Wanadoo broadband by lying about the connection being "full speed" (See ASA 16 August 2004).
Wanadoo is still attempting to enforce the minimum contract period of 12 months on broadband.
Do not join Wanadoo, join another ISP.
3. anonymous
this is not good enough
to provide a proper service ,all ISP`s need to be regulated by Ofcom ,, otherwise the customer has no where to go if the service fails to meet the minimum standards
4. anonymous
Even with a migration code, and irrespective of the ISPs involved, BT still likes to switch the connection off completely for several days while the transfer happens. They do this for businesses as well - the only way my company could avoid this was to get a new phone line and install the new ADSL on that ... and naturally BT charged for the privilege. Nice little earner.
5. anonymous
I tried to switch from onetel to tiscali but onetel gave me the wrong mac key migration code according to bt wholesale department and wont issue another one for a 30 day period which I find very annoying, I have contacted ofcom about this and they are in the process of looking into this for me.
The most annoying part of this is having to go back and forward from onetel to tiscili and getting no where fast, you cannot talk to bt wholesale whom in the first place has stated the mac key is wrong, but according to the system that onetel has in place for the 30 day period before generating a new code stands as a genuine rule to the migation process, in my opinion surely an override to the system in cases of wrong codes being issued and a new one should be generated before the 30 day period is up would be a far better solution for the customer.
6. demonB
I have been with talktalk now for a considerable period and suffered very slow broadband plus a couple of total failure to my phone line. I am currently still off the phone, although they have ack my complaint. I now feel like changing provider but hesitate on the strength of the trouble this might cause me.