Panic! My Orange MAC code expires today so now what?

Totts

I've had to leave Orange who I have been with for years with no problem up until about 15 months ago & due to various problems with one of their customer service advisors which I'd rather not go into I feel I have no option but to leave as my privacy has been compromised amongst other things.

Orange have been my mobile phone providers who I have had broadband through my BT line, but now as I have left them I need to sort out a new BB isp. I need to do this quickly because I have had a very good customer service experience with an orange co rep who's allowed me to continue the bb connection whilst I organise someone else to take it over. I don't want to abuse this goodwill gesture (although I have been paying for calls thru BT for 2 yrs when I should have been getting them thru my orange livebox but have never been able to despite oodles of phone calls).

I have a mac code which expires today. Without beating around the bush I don't need judgements for leaving it so late it's just that I have an awful lot on my plate with my family and have also been ill with an inner ear infection so I have just not been able to organise anything.

I was going to go to o2 for £7.50 a month BB and I have a new sim (so I know my mob account really is private) but they want me to agree to a 12 month contract. I'd liked to have switched it all to Sky but they've messed me about for so long since I moved house and I no longer have a working box so I cancelled recently.

I was thinking Virgin and looked into plus net for a temp solution but I can't be doing with restricted services on the download or usage whatever.

I know sky may be the best deal - I guess I left them about a month ago, but they were so pants with customer service and I don't want to be stitched up for the payment for a new box when they owed me a new 1 and failed to deliver months ago but have faffed about since.

Arrrgghhhhh I just don't know?!

I have Attention Defecit hyperactivity Disorder and an awful lot of family responsibilities as well as juggling other stuff in my life so I could use some basic advice about what to do next as I can't afford to waste money or (with the mac code) time!

HEEELP!

macman

Quite simple really. If you can get O2 for £7.34 then you are on the LLU option (O2 Standard package), Sign up today online through Quidco or Topcashback, that will give you £50 cashback, and O2 are currently giving the first 3 months free. So your total first year cost would only be £16.06, or £1.34, as long as you do the necessary £10 quarterly top-up if your mobile is PAYG. It's a no-brainer, and O2 CS is very good.
I don't see why you have a problem with a 12m contract, as all the larger ISP's have this as a minimum, some are now 18m. Even if you move house again within 12m, O2 will give you a free transfer (one per year). I doubt you will find any LLU ISP offering a 30 day contract.
If you sign up today, not sure if your MAC would still be valid by the time O2 process it back to Orange, (though in my experience they're pretty fast) if not you would just need to request your MAC again and resupply it to O2.
NB: make sure you sign up for O2 Standard or Premium, if your exchange is non-LLU for O2 then you wil be offered the O2 Access package, which is just a resold BT Wholesale product and not good value or service.
Plusnet is an 18m contract!

Totts

Right I'm on TCB so that's fine. Only problem is I have misplaced the sim card I had already runt o2 and comitted to go with them on. I did this over the phone - but nothing has been followed up even though they have my land line number and were going to call me with a reminder a while back.

Does the fact I have already contacted them and given them my details (as well as my bank stuff for DD) mean I can't do the TCB?

I can go and buy another o2 sim over the counter for £1.50 and when I did ask about service I was told if the signal was poor I had a cancellation obligation in place (the signal is actually fine).

I feel like I am half and half now and by making my initial enquiry over the phone may have jeopardised my savings on TCB.

It seems more complicated to me at the moment basically because it's 'just another thing' on top of some other serious family issues I am presently dealing with and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Equally I can't afford to throw money away and it was only after looking on this site I rang o2 in the first place regarding BB. Now I may have shot myself in the foot for my TCB discount

Really appreciate your input so much - thanks blooming loads x

macman

If you haven't actually committed and signed up with them by phone, no reason why you can't sign up online via TCB, but of course you will need to have an O2 mobile number to register if you want to get the discount now (though you can register one after sign up if you wish). If you find your phone 'sign up' somehow blocks the online sign up, (it should tell you that as soon as you enter the landline number) then best to ring O2 and ask them to release it so you can sign up fully online.
But as I said, you may find they come back later and say the MAC has expired, in which case you would need to reapply for one-though that should not affect your TCB tracking.

Totts

Well I did announce my intention to sign up for BB over the phone when I registered my new o2 sim as I gave them my bank details but at the time I was still waiting for my notice to expire with orange. I have now found the o2 sim card I used at the time (which I have never topped up but is registered to my name and address. I know I have not officially entered into a contract because at the time the lady said once service started I could still cancel but they've not given me BB service. I registered a P&G sim with them which I have never used or topped up but I don't know whether to ring and tell them it's no longer required or if it will have automatically lapsed as it was about a month or more ago. I am just not sure if this enquiry/registration (even tho the sim is unused) will have jeopardised my chances of signing up with a discount via TCB?

I need to know really as otherwise I might just go with Virgin for everything.

I need to hurry this as my internet was interupted temporarily due to the new provider not being sorted out in time, so I would like to resolve it before that happens again.

macman

Why don't you call O2 and ask them? I don't think anyone will be able to advise you on this because it's not clear what your 02 status is. If necessary cancel by phone and then sign up online to get your cashback.
Your MAC will now have expired so you will have to request a new one before you can sign up.