Direct Debit theft

Looksguywalker

PTurner wrote: »

I didn't request it. My new provider did. How can that be in any way ambiguous?

What is the point of having companies tell you that you don't need to do anything as they handle the switch, and Ofcom telling you that the MAC transfer process is automated and that you shouldn't cancel with your old provider but let the new one handle it all?

That's interesting, I was under the impression a new broadband provider wasn't allowed to request a customers MAC from the old provider and that the request had to come from the customer directly.

bod1467

No. The customer requests the MAC and provides it to the new ISP. The new ISP uses that MAC and that informs the old ISP (or at least is supposed to) that the account has been migrated and thus should be cancelled.

This is only true (for now) for BT WLR to BT WLR migrations. If VM was cable or LLU then things are different.

Looksguywalker

bod1467 can you clarify what you mean...the OP says they didn't request the MAC... the new provider did.<confused emiticon thingy!>

ladymarmalade222

Send a quick email to ceo.office@virginmedia.co.uk.

Explain you are having no luck with customer services and would like the matter resolved. I have emailed for various faults over the past year (we have had many problems with service) and they always get back to me within 24 hours to deal with the issue. I have also been fairly compensated.

If the above email address does not work, PM me as I have another but do not think it is fair to publish all over the net:D.

Hope this helps

xxx

paulwellerfan

when i decided to stop a direct debit with ANY COMPANY i do it on line with my banks ( its easy just press the cancel direct debit button)
then i call up the provider and tell them i have stopped it.
this method has worked very well for me for at least 20 odd years.
fool proof.

arcon5

To check... you're not stuck in a contract with VM are you?

PTurner_2

Thanks for the replies!

No, I'm not still in contract period. I was with them for 7 years then switched using Tesco's switching service.

I did not personally request the MAC at any point, Tesco did that. Tesco told me they would sort everything and told me not to cancel with VM and that the changeover would occur on one specific day, at which point I would receive a final bill from VM and a new bill from Tesco.

I received a farewell letter from Virgin and a date at which my service with them would transfer. That was all the correspondence I received.

At no point did anyone say I had to call Virgin to cancel. How would I have even known the date of changeover, as it's all handled by the companies automatically nowadays? That *was* (I thought) the whole point of the Ofcom changes in 2007 supposedly making it easier to switch.

It seems to me they have just made a mistake and continued billing me. However, I don't want to pay for a service that I do not receive. And since there is no ambiguity that I was leaving them or the date, I don't see how they can avoid repaying me, unless their tactic is just to ignore.

I will try contacting via the email address kindly given above and see if I have any success. But I will also contact my bank and request they return the funds incorrectly taken by VM through DD.

bod1467

I must say that surprises me. I've never heard of a new ISP requesting and getting a MAC from an incumbent ISP. That would leave the door wide open for slamming - unauthorised switching of services.

Guardsman

You ask for the MAC code from your current provider then with that MAC code the new provider will do the rest for you.
What's probably happened is that nobody has informed VM finance department that you are no longer a customer with them.

PTurner_2

Just to reiterate this point, as it seems a surprise to some:

I did not ask for the MAC. I never had it in my possession. I never wrote it down. I have no idea what it is. I never contacted VM at any point.

Tesco automated *every* part of the switchover for me.

Ok?