ISP Problem

[Salsatigs]

Hi,

This is my first post, and it isn't related to banks, so if this is too off-topic, please feel free to remove it.

My ISP, V21 has had it's phone line services withdrawn by it's own telephone line provider. When trying to access the internet last night, I was directed to a 'walled-garden' site of another ISP, who was very kindly offering to 'rescue' me - for twice the price of my current provider with a minimum 12 month contract. I am unable to go to any other websites.

If I choose not to take this service, BT will be informed on 24th November to cease my broadband service. This will take approximately 10 days.

To me, this seems a very agressive approach. I can't change my account before BT have carried out the cancellation (around 11th December) as I need something called a Movement Authorisation code (MAC). The telephone line provider has these codes, but will not issue them to anyone as they say it's in breach of their (temporarily withdrawn) contract with my service provider. Nor will they issue them to my current provider.

I'll get there eventually My question is, as this MAC key is specific to my telephone line and therefore is data that relates to me, is this a breach of the Data Protection Act?

I've phoned Ofcom and BT, but they were not able to offer any assistance.

Incidentally, my current ISP has issued a free dial up number, so I'm not completely abandoned

Any feedback will be much appreciated.

Thank you.

[MARTIN3030]

Welcome to the site
Sorry for the late reply.I think this is best placed in consumer issues,which I will do now.

[blacksheep1979]

Phone BT - they can release the line so that you can move to another provider. People have had to do this when their original broadband provider (not going to name names) have been reluctant to provide a MAC code.

[buzby]

As to can they do it - yes, it's part of the dreadful mechanism dreamed up to make it 'easy' to transfer your ISP. BT have no real input to this, at is is the engineering arm, OpenReach that have the ability to generate codes in an ISP fails to deliver. However, this in;t the problem in your case, as your account appears to have been temporarily assigned to this replacement ISP and it is up to you to accept or decline their proposal. Since you don't want them, impress upon them that they must provide the requested MAC code or you will raise a complaint with OTELLO. It is difficult at this distance to decide whether the code should be issued by your old ISP or its 'walled garden' replacement - but it's not the 1st ISP to go to the wall, so your problem isn't unique. (Alternatively, get a new BT line and have your replacement ISP use this, as ADSL provision is done on a line by line basis!).