Beware when changing from ADSL to cable internet

starving_artist

Hope this isn't too confusing but I just wanted to warn peeps.

My contract with Namesco (ADSL provider) is coming to an end and I was quite tempted by the Virgin £10/month offer. However in another thread I was warned of the potential delays involved if I ever wanted to switch back to an ADSL provider: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=5864758&postcount=25

I have discovered that in order to remove the existing MAC on my phone line Namesco charge £40. Supposing then after 12 months with Virgin I didn't want to pay their £18/month standard charge and wanted to switch back to an ADSL provider I would most likely have to pay another activation fee which I think is £40 in most cases.

I have checked with Virgin and because I live in a cabled area they will not allow me to be a non cable/ADSL customer.

So my advice is unless you intend to stay with Virgin for good don't switch to cable or you could be in for a lot of extra charges and hassle.

mk-donald

Starving - think you misunderstood my advice in that other thread. I wasn't talking about time delays in moving service between different ADSL provision methods, I was worried you planned to stop and then start again on phoneline now (rather than some move in a years time) and hence would have an inevitable but unforeseen by you gap on your ADSL phoneline, and perhaps be without broadband for 2 weeks or so.

You can get a "broadband" Internet connection to an ISP
- via your phone line (whether BT rented, or another renter eg TalkTalk)
- via cable (coax/fiber)
- via satellite/phone etc etc

It seems you plan to move to cable - that will be 100% independent of the phone line, so can endeavour to get the cable started one day before your phone line service is due to stop and hence you can switch your PC over and happily carry on Internet'ing. There is no concept of migrating "phone line" ADSL broadband to anyone else's Cable broadband or vice versa.

The only issue is that IF you ever decide to switch back to phone line provided broadband a new provider MAY charge more to start a NEW ADSL service on your line than a provider would to MIGRATE (via a MAC code) an EXISTING ADSL phoneline service. That is completely variable and down to individual providers and any offers they make. Most currently won't sting you for starting afresh. Of course you would have to try and synchronise starting the new phone ADSL with stopping the cable ADSL but better to have TWO services overlapping than have none at all. It is definitely more complex to move phone<->cable service, than a simple MAC migration, but shouldn't put people off saving by moving, as long as the saving is significant enough to make the potential hassle you raise worthwhile.

As regards a fee for cancelling a MAC code, there isn't really such a concept. Once a MAC code is issued it's valid for 30 days AND IF NOT USED automatically lapses into meaningless/valueless/nothing. So just let the namesco service end (unless you didn't give them 30 days notice to stop at the paid for anniversary date).

PS
The REAL problems start if/when your PHONELINE vendor moves you from BT OpenReach's own broadband kit to a local loop unbundled "LLU" service - ie using that firm's kit instead of BT's - as LLU MAC'ing is COMING but is currently incomplete, so you may STILL have to cease/restart even moving ADSL on your phone line!!! My Eclipse provider was endeavouring to do that before I started screaming at them (having been stung by my e7even LLU'ing nightmares).

starving_artist

OK I probably didn't explain what I meant as well as I could. I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that Namesco at least make a charge for taking their ADSL marker off your phone line:

"If you stop your ADSL service completely, please note from 1st May 2007 you will additionally incur a BT cancellation (cease) fee of £40.00. This fee is waived if you use a MAC to migrate to another provider."

And from what I've seen most providers DO charge an activation fee if you aren't migrating IN to them with a MAC.