This must be the record for incompetence!

[#1]

How did you ask for the MAC Code and when?

[#2]

Quote from: ariosto

I asked for a MAC code to leave and I was put on hold to another department! After 10 minutes I hung up.

Did you actually successfully talk to someone in cancellations?  If not, you haven't asked for your MAC yet...
Plusnet (in common with a lot of service providers) insist on talking to you when you cancel so they can dangle a suitable carrot in front of you to attempt to make you stay.  Frankly, I'd rather they just offered the best price to all customers at all times but that's not how the industry has gone.
You are, however, allowed to write a letter but presumably they think that if you can be bothered to do that you must be serious.

[#3]

If its impossible to get through on the phone then I can only ask on line. I'm not paying another penny to these PN crooks until I get a MAC key. My complaint to OFCOm (along I'm sure with many others) will hopefully result in PN getting a multi-million pound fine.

[#4]

Not going to happen I'm afraid - The PN T&Cs specify that you have to phone in or write a letter.  No exceptions!
There was a thread here yesterday with a customer who clearly was not going to be tempted to stay yet PN refused point blank to issue a MAC if the process wasn't followed.

[#5]

I got through after waiting about 15 minutes and spoke to Luke and requested a MAC code at 4.54pm on my home phone number. THIS IS FOR THE RECORD.
I'm told it will be sent to me by email!!!!  -  within 24 hours. I hope this is the truth but I will never trust PN again. Soon I will be leaving - and it can't be too soon.

[#6]

I've now got the MAC key along with promises I will only ignore, and I'm off as soon as possible.

[#7]

You should also find it on a closed ticket at https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=search

[#8]

Well Tesco is not highly rated by "Which" members scoring 55%  for overall satisfaction.
Rating scores for others are.
AOL  38%
BT    50%
EE  55%
P Net  73%
Post Office 60%
Sky  56%
Talk Talk  55%
Tesco  55%
Utility Warehouse 76%
Virgin non cable 63%
Zen  79%
These are last years figures and I'm sure there will be changes this year.
Hence unless Plus Net pulls their socks up they wont be a "Which" recommended supplier for 2014.

[#9]

@pwatson
I note your comments about complying with PN T&Cs.
However, according to OFCOM when I queried it with them, an ISP MUST accept a MAC Request via ANY form of communication if that is a form of communication that they use to accept MACs!
In other words, if you initially gave them the MAC via a phone-call to Customer Services, then the ISP MUST accept that this is valid means to request MACs.
Having said that, I strongly suspect that most ISPs put some form of hurdle in your way!
Regards,
John

[#10]

The advice that you have received from Ofcom contradicts their very own general condition 22.
We have to offer two ways for customers to request a MAC - Phone and Letter.

[#11]

@James
I don't see how that indicates that OFCOM are contradicting themselves!!
As it states that this is the minimum requirement, it does NOT state that it is the only requirement.
Furthermore, as the example I gave, you DO accept Phone-calls, but you then try to make people jump through hurdles, which you do NOT on the receipt of the incoming MAC.
When I had my discussion why OFCOM, I consider that they were giving me advice on what they considered to be "Fair & Reasonable".
Obviously I suspect that we are going to have to "Agree-to-Disagree", so I will not continue this conversation - other that hope that PN takes note of my comments as they are being made "in-good-faith"!
Regards,
John

[#12]

Hi John,
Sorry for any confusion.  I was just trying to outline that our position is in line with Ofcom GC22 that states we must offer two routes to request a MAC.
It seemed that Ofcom were telling you tht we *had* to accept requests via a ticket, which isn't the case.

[#13]

The point is that had Plusnet been more reasonable and also more competent, then I would not have gone elsewhere for an ISP. They will be losing more people because of this. I'm going over to Zen as they offer a better service and more options.
I'm afraid plus net have been an absolute pain as far as I'm concerned.

[#14]

@James
As previously advised, I wasn't intending to add anything further, however, I think it needs to be clear what OFCOM told me.
Certainly they did NOT quote the Rules/Regulations, in the same way that you are trying to, but they were simply saying that they expect ISPs to have a Fair & Reasonable approach & deal with MACs uniformly & consistently (whether that is the receipt of the MAC or the issue of a MAC).
Hence, if a MAC is accepted via a Ticket, a Phone call, an email, a Carrier Pigeon, Bush-Telegraph or whatever, then they expect (under a fair/reasonable & consistent approach) that a MAC would be issued via the similar method. They are not expecting the issue of a MAC to be anymore difficult/complicated than the receipt of a MAC.
Clearly they were NOT saying that an ISP had to accept MACs via any specific method (i.e. Ticket, Email, Bush-Telegraph, whatever), just that the ISP should be consistent & use the SAME methods for both in & out!
If PN think it is wrong to have a fair/reasonable & consistent approach (i.e. it is wrong to have the same arrangements for BOTH receipt & issue of MACs), then that is their decision - albeit a decision that I do NOT understand.
Have to be honest & say that I think it highly unlikely that OFCOM would consider taking PN to task over this, but that does not alter the advice that they gave me!
Regards,
John

[#15]

On receipt of a MAC, PN is unlikely to want to speak to you with a view to dissuading you from becoming a customer.
However during the process of issuing a MAC to a customer it is good business practice to want to speak to the customer with the intention of discovering why they wish to leave and to see if there is anything they can do to put things right and persuade them to stay hence the telephone option.
I have, in my working life spoken to unhappy customers of the company I was employed at and sorted out our differences thereby retaining their business and improving our procedures.