Broadband Cancellation Requested - But line still active 2 weeks later

[greenfieldsvo]

Hi,

I have requested to cancel my broadband during my cooling off period.

The request was made on the 27th March

The router was returned and delivered to Vodafone on 29th March

I am trying to get another provider in, but the line is still active on BT Wholesale / Openreach.

Can anyone help check when will my line stop / ceased for a new provider to install?

Or is there a way I can check myself?

Thanks

[Gemma]

@greenfieldsvo - I'm sorry to hear it hasn't cancelled from our side yet. Please reach out to our Support Teams on 191 free from a Vodafone mobile or 03333 040 191 from any other network/landline. They can then help to get this resolved. 

[Jayach]

I'm wondering if the line actually need to be "ceased" for a new provider to take over?

In normal circumstances, in an FTTC to FTTC swap, the existing provider is cancelled when the new service start, not before.

I've often wondered quite how a cancellation in the cooling off period would work, without having downtime.

[greenfieldsvo]

BT claims that the line must be a "stopped line", presumably this means the same as a ceased line?

As a cancellation is pending when I requested a cancellation during the cooling off period, they can't simply take over the line. It would seem too risky for a customer (including myself) to rely on a new provider to timely take over an existing line during the cooling off period, as it risks the tie into existing provider's long term contract.

I can't get a clear answer from Vodafone after calling them, all I get is wait 24-48 hours where I should apparently get e-mail confirmations, but there's been no e-mails. I've called them everyday for an update. My Vodafone still shows the service is active, a pending next month invoice is only a week away, it's all a bit of a poorly communicated shambles in my experience.

[Jayach]

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@greenfieldsvo wrote:

it's all a bit of a poorly communicated shambles in my experience.

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That, unfortunately, is Vodafone. Their backend systems must be a complete mess.

[greenfieldsvo]

48 hours have passed, and the line is still active.

What's even worse, is that Vodafone sent me a SMS and an email to say I haven't yet returned the router.

Even though their own return tracking and customer service confirmed it was received on the 28th of March, and confirmed on the system a week later.

I have called again today, and I have been reassured that there will be no charge for the router, and that there's a "push to cancel" where I have to wait another day.

As a customer, it feels like no one can simply press the right buttons to simply cancel my line and it's all just a continuous game of ping-pong between myself, generated e-mails and customer services. I spent a total of 30 minutes out of the 35 minutes where I have been put on hold several times. I have now been promised another call tomorrow to see if the cancellation goes through, and if it doesn't another "push to cancel" will be actioned. I'm not holding my breath but its frustrating to do work without any broadband over the last few weeks.

[greenfieldsvo]

No phone call received over the weekend. As expected.

Phoned again today, first person said the cancellation did not go through because router was not received.

Second person said, router was received and confirmed received by the warehouse. Said that cancellation will be a further 2-5 working days!!

Third person said final bill will take a further 21 days, in the meantime, I'm going to guess another month's usage charge will be taken out of my account, to be further refunded some time in the future!

All the meanwhile, the new broadband provider could not place an order! And when they do, it will take another 2 weeks to complete I guess. What a nightmare!

[Jayach]

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@greenfieldsvo wrote:

All the meanwhile, the new broadband provider could not place an order! 

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This bit I don't understand? It's called a working line takeover. Here is a post on the PlusNet forum discussing it. 

Is this how taking over a line is supposed to work... - Plusnet Community

Who are you hoping to switch to?

[greenfieldsvo]

I'm moving to BT and they asked me to make sure with Vodafone that it is a "stopped line". And as I manually cancelled with Vodafone, I have to make sure the cancellation is fully complete before they are able to place an order.

[greenfieldsvo]

I think the problem here is the line still appears active to other providers, because Vodafone haven't completed the cancellation (their system thinks the router is not returned). Any attempts of takeover presumably fails because a cancellation on the line is pending?