My phone line tagged due to ex boyfriend's Sky debt

ChelleC

I wonder if anyone has experienced this or has any advice on my problem. My ex partner had a Sky TV and Broadband account in his name for three years whilst he lived here.

We split up and he moved out. I wanted a new broadband account either with Sky or someone else in my name. He gave 31 days notice on the account, obtained a MAC code. I wasn't sure if I needed to use it as I thought, at the time, that I was a completely new customer. I wasn't ready to get a new ISP so I delayed, going over the 28 day limit, also at the time I was thinking of going with Sky and their sales team said I had to wait until after the 31 days! . I wasn't worried as they said I could get a MAC anytime.

However when I rang up to get one for my new provide,(thank goodness I had authority to use his Sky password!) on the third attempt I actually managed to get someone to explain what had happened. I was told I couldn't have one because there was a "tag" on my phoneline. Apparently I must have authorised my ex boyfriend to use my phoneline, he had a payment outstanding to Sky and they had cancelled the cancellation! therefore I could not move to an new ISP. I offered to pay it to sort it out. I was told neither me or even him were allowed to pay anything we just had to be tagged until 11th April!!

I asked advice from my new provider. They said they would set up the new phone line I wanted and then they would request that BT remove the tag on the phoneline.

The phone has been active since the 25th March.I received another letter from them today again requesting a MAC Code to sort my new BB, I rang to explain that I thought they were sorting it all for me. The man on the phone seemed clueless!! I mentioned that I understood the industry guidelines say they as the new provider should sort it out. He then said he would pass it to the "Tag team" and ring me back later!

I don't understand these things, if I had I would have used the MAC code quickly when I had it!. I don't understand why I still have Sky broadband, does this mean it is still being charged to my ex's account? All letters still come here and I return to sender. They are refusing to accept a new address and phone number for him from me, so I suppose I can look forward to loads of debt letter coming here too in the future!

I'm just hoping it all means this "tag" will be removed on the 11th , my access go dead until the new ISP sets up their BB??

It's all costing me more than I had planned as I had wanted to pay a monthly combined bill for both BB and the phoneline, but instead I'm having to pay a quarterly phone bill whilst all this is sorted out.

I hope this all makes sense, I'm finding it very confusing and I feel really helpless. If this isn't sorted out on the 11th what should I do?, write to Otelo, the Ombudsman? It just doesn't seem fair.

pcombo

Tag just means you need to wait till sky send a cease request to BT who will then remove the broadband from your line leaving it clear to go with someone else.

But you can still move telephone provider to some other company.

p.s you could move to AOL for broadband :P as they dont ask for a MAC im not sure how they work.

spike7451

All a tag does is identifies to a service provider who has broadband on a phone line.It is placed on the line when a broadband service is activated & the MAC code allows a new provider to replace the existing tag with their own,nothing more.As pccombo states,a cease will have to be placed on the broadband line & thus fully completed before you can re-order,that normally takes around 5 to 10 working days.
Service providers CANNOT place a tag onto a phoneline just because a person owes them money.
A Tag Team is just a bunch of blokes sitting in an office who add & remove the tags of persons phone lines,as far as I'm aware,they do not make outbound calls to customers,

ChelleC

Thanks Guys. I think, like so many, I have been lied to by Sky. They definitely said the line had been tagged due to debt on the account!!

My new ISP eventually rang me back and said their "tag team" was dealing with it and would ring me back this afternoon or failing that Monday. I'm hoping they have processed the removal and it will be done in afew days. I have no confidence tiough, too many clueless silences lead me to believe they cannot guarantee anything, despite all the guidlines saying that I should be able to have a new broadband no problem!

I'm still annoyed that this has been ongoing since 8th March!! and that I have had to struggle to get a straight answer out of anyone. I have had no explanation, other than the debt excuse, as to why they have done this to me. All the call centre people are on a script and are clearly clueless about what to tell customers. They even told me the account was non existent and were speechless when I said I was sitting here using Sky unlimited broadband as we spoke!, lol I'm presuming they are still charging my ex's account, who knows??

All I wanted and still want is to be a new Broad band customer, something which should be quick and easy, but instead I am made to feel terrible and a bit of a criminal by Sky, although I have never had an account with them and my ex's debt is nothing to do with me!

I just want an up and running broadband with my new ISP and I can put all the bad past behind me.