BT announces escape route for Biscit customers

[NetFan]

Wot's this then ?! Not fur eurisp customers I presume ?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03...iscit_bailout/

 

[Skip_intro]

BT today announced a bail-out process for customers trapped aboard the foundering ISP Biscit Internet.

From next Monday, Biscit DSL customers will be able to call a special helpline set up by BT to obtain a Migration Authorisation Code, or MAC. This can then be given to a new ISP of the customer's choice, simplifying the process of transfer and minimising downtime. The helpline number will appear on a webpage which Biscit subscribers will be directed to from Monday.

The webpage will only be available for seven days, so Biscit DSL customers are advised to move fast.

BT also advises that Biscit phone service customers will lose outgoing service from today, other than for 999 calls. Those who have both phone and DSL will evidently have to get their MAC without using their landline.

Lots of questions there! How will subscribers be directed to the page? E-mail message? Why only 7 days? How long is the MAC valid for? What happens after 7 days? Is the number the same as the one we already have? If not, is that number available after 7 days, etc., etc.

This is going to set more cats amongst pigeons I think!

 

[Kits]

Lots of questions there! How will subscribers be directed to the page? E-mail message? Why only 7 days? How long is the MAC valid for? What happens after 7 days? Is the number the same as the one we already have? If not, is that number available after 7 days, etc., etc.

This is going to set more cats amongst pigeons I think!

Sadly this means that your connectioins wil be garden walled so all you can access is the page with the information on.

I presume after 7 days your connection will be ceased.

 

[Skip_intro]

Hopefully Sky will get their fingers out and have my line migrated ASAP then!

 

[NetFan]

So not for eurisp then ??

 

[Kits]

So not for eurisp then ??

No Netfan so far we havent heard that Eurisp are going to issue MACs I have been in contact with them and they seem to be in a lot of meetings. If I hear anything new I will post on the forums try to enjoy the weekend and don't worry about the internet.

 

[TrevIs65]

I could not make outgoing phone calls today. I tried prefixing my call with 1280, which routed my call back through BT, and this worked.

 

[Kits]

I could not make outgoing phone calls today. I tried prefixing my call with 1280, which routed my call back through BT, and this worked.

That is good news only someone said it didn't work for them earlier.

 

[silvester]

It sounds as though former Biscit customers are being treated far better than victims (like myself) of the V21/Netservices fiasco. Inadequate, half-baked consumer of tax-payers funds, OFCOM only stepped in when it was too late for many who gave in to their 'walled garden' and signed up to the truly awful Ezeedsl.

I eventually escaped but now I've had to reply to a solicitor's letter to explain that Ezeedsl breached contract and were given proper written notice to cancel my subscription. I only hope Ezeedsl aren't as stupid as their client; I'd rather Dominic Marrocco used the court costs he'll otherwise incur towards providing other Ezeedsl captives with some sort of customer service.

If only BT had offered me a MAC code instead of looking on as Ezeedsl blackmailed me into signing up to something no one would actually ever choose.

We really need a proper broadband regulator. Not the sick joke that is OFCOM.

 

[Ronaar]

Have tried the 1280 prefix again and it still doesn't work. I phoned BT last night on the mobile and asked about this and got the same answer - It wont work. Someone must have been lucky.

 

[Ronaar]

I noticed postings by Quantumkid and Curtis a couple of days ago when they were the first to get their MAC's from BTW. QK wrote that he immediately phoned BT and signed up with them and was given a changeover date of Wednesday 21st March which was excellent.

I tried to move over to BT yesterday but was told that it would take about three weeks to get my line back to BT, and that I would not be able to sign up for BT broadband until then, and that this would maybe take another two weeks.

Anyone else had this response?

 

[TrevIs65]

Have tried the 1280 prefix again and it still doesn't work. I phoned BT last night on the mobile and asked about this and got the same answer - It wont work. Someone must have been lucky.

To clarify matters, I was originally with v21 and FreeTalk, I then migrated to Biscit Home FreeMax and was charged for line rental. But I continued to be charged fo line rental by BT! When I queried this I was told my phone was still with BT! That was the day before the cookie crumbled.

To tell you the truth, because Biscit clearly had not got a clue what they were doing I don't know where my calls were going.

Anyway 1280 worked for me, perhaps I'm a special case.

Sorry for those who can't got their phone connection back, that is criminal!

 

[Ronaar]

I think that you were OK as your line was still owned by BT. Unfortunately Biscit took over ownership of my line.

 

[Kits]

Ronaar
Did you pay for line rental to Biscit aswell?
If you did then you need to get the line changed back to BT so you can use the phone again.

 

[Kits]

I noticed postings by Quantumkid and Curtis a couple of days ago when they were the first to get their MAC's from BTW. QK wrote that he immediately phoned BT and signed up with them and was given a changeover date of Wednesday 21st March which was excellent.

I tried to move over to BT yesterday but was told that it would take about three weeks to get my line back to BT, and that I would not be able to sign up for BT broadband until then, and that this would maybe take another two weeks.

Anyone else had this response?

I will email BT to see if in this case those who was with Biscit could be escalted and moved back to BT quicker can't promise it will work.

 

[Ronaar]

Phone line

Hi Kits,
It was unfortunate that I had moved my phone rental over to Biscit. I phoned BT last Friday and asked to move back sign up for BT Total Broadband. I have my line going back but it is to take 14+days, and I will not be able to order broadband until this has been moved back.

I am in the position that I have no broadband and as my I cannot get outgoing calls on my phone, I can't use dialup. The only plus is that I have found my way to the local library. I find it difficult to understand why BT did not offer to migrate people in the same circumstances as myself. We would have been happy and they could have picked up customers and we might have had no downtime.

Anyway, you have kept the info coming and might I add my thanks to the many others.

I will hopefully be back on BB in about three weeks and trust that the majority of members have been luckier than me.

 

[Mel]

I don't know if these offers are still available or of any use, but as I recall Orange and T-mobile used to offer 'unlimited' gprs usage on their Pay As You Go sims for £1 a day.

I think with orange you had to send a text to buy the extra which ran until midnight that day, so you could text a few mintutes after midnight and get almost 24 hours use. I think T-mobile had an upper limit that you would be charged, and also a 40 MB AUP.

 

[Ronaar]

Hi,

I now have a date for my phone to be restored to BT (0800hrs this Friday).

I have emailed BT regarding migrating to Total Broadband and asked how long this will take. The replies just don't answer my questions, and although I have stated that I got my MAC Code nearly two weeks ago, they only copy OFCOM's agreement with BTW that they will issue the codes.

It is very frustrating when answers are not being given, and as I rely on a hearing aid and speakerphone, I am unable to have a meaningful conversation on a mobile.

I suspect that I will have to move to another ISP if BT say it will take about a week.

Any suggestions?

 

[ncarnall]

In same boat...

I have also found myself in the same boat. When I contacted BT on the 19th March armed with my MAC they said it would take 2 weeks to get phone line back then 2 days for the BB. They took all the order then and then, I've since tried to hurry them along but had no luck!

So just got to wait it out till 2nd April for the phone and 4th April for the BB

Luckily I have BB access at work!

 

[Kits]

Contact BT again and tell them you are one of the people caught up in the Biscit trouble and openreach are trying to track you all down to esclate your reconnection to BT network.

I can confirm that we are currently going through the process of pinning down which customers have been affected by Biscit's closure and, given their particular circumstances, we will be offering them an expedited re-connection lead time so that they do not have to wait the standard 14 days. We will do what we can to minimise the disruption they are facing.

If BT callcentre say this can't happen PM me and I will email this information to my contact within Openreach.