BT charging fee for cancelling broadband once out of initial contract period

ClassyC_2

I have just received an email from BT advising me of changes to the terms and conditions for having broadband from them.

What an unacceptable rip off this is!

If I cancel my broadband subscription once it is out of the initial period (12 months) I will be charged a fee of £18.51. This "small fee" as they describe it, is actually more than a months broadband subscription for me.

I always thought that the idea of a minimum term was just that, and that once that term was up, if you chose to end, you could do so without any further charge.

In fact, once the contract is up (which in my case is 28 Feb 2009) I was planning to cancel it, along with the BT phone line, because we don't use the phone for calls - we just have the line for broadband - so it effectively costs us over £29 per month, and as we are in the process of moving home soon (our possible circumstances are going to mean it will not be easy to just "move the phone and broadband to another property as we are likely to have a number of short term moves, and each time you move the phone and broadband setup BT keep putting us onto a further new 12 month contract - or they always have done with us.)

I was then thinking of getting a mobile broadband contract - which I can then use wherever I am on a day-to-day month to month basis.

So unless I get a porting code from BT when I end the contract and can give that to another service provider - which I presume I will not be needing to do if going to a mobile broadband setup, - I assume I am going to be liable for this additional £18.51.

Is this charge legitimate - where do I stand - any help please.

Below here within the first set of asterisks is the text of the message that BT sent to me advising me of the change, and under that in the second set of asterisks is the other text relating to the additional charge.

*******
We've made some changes to your BT Total Broadband terms and conditions

These changes relate to a small charge that may be levied, under certain circumstances only, if you choose to cancel your BT Total Broadband contract. The changes will take effect on 2nd December 2008 and you can review them using the link below - please go to 'Price terms' then paragraph 8 of the 'BT Total Broadband' section.


Terms and conditions

******

the relevant text then under paragraph 8 is:

***********
Ending the service
When you end your broadband service outside your minimum period and do not request and use a migration access code to move to another service provider, you will have to pay a cease charge of £18.51 (from 2nd December 2008). You will not have to pay this charge in the event you are moving home and we are unable to provide the service at the new address.
***********

KimYeovil

Pretty much all ISPs are introducing such a charge. It is not a BT Retail issue.

DatabaseError

you now have a short time (30 days?) to decide that you don't accept the new terms and conditions, and you should be able to leave without penalty, I think

skronk

ClassyC wrote: »

I have just received an email from BT advising me of changes to the terms and conditions for having broadband from them.

What an unacceptable rip off this is!

If I cancel my broadband subscription once it is out of the initial period (12 months) I will be charged a fee of £18.51. This "small fee" as they describe it, is actually more than a months broadband subscription for me.

I always thought that the idea of a minimum term was just that, and that once that term was up, if you chose to end, you could do so without any further charge.

In fact, once the contract is up (which in my case is 28 Feb 2009) I was planning to cancel it, along with the BT phone line, because we don't use the phone for calls - we just have the line for broadband - so it effectively costs us over £29 per month, and as we are in the process of moving home soon (our possible circumstances are going to mean it will not be easy to just "move the phone and broadband to another property as we are likely to have a number of short term moves, and each time you move the phone and broadband setup BT keep putting us onto a further new 12 month contract - or they always have done with us.)

I was then thinking of getting a mobile broadband contract - which I can then use wherever I am on a day-to-day month to month basis.

So unless I get a porting code from BT when I end the contract and can give that to another service provider - which I presume I will not be needing to do if going to a mobile broadband setup, - I assume I am going to be liable for this additional £18.51.

Is this charge legitimate - where do I stand - any help please.

Below here within the first set of asterisks is the text of the message that BT sent to me advising me of the change, and under that in the second set of asterisks is the other text relating to the additional charge.

*******
We've made some changes to your BT Total Broadband terms and conditions

These changes relate to a small charge that may be levied, under certain circumstances only, if you choose to cancel your BT Total Broadband contract. The changes will take effect on 2nd December 2008 and you can review them using the link below - please go to 'Price terms' then paragraph 8 of the 'BT Total Broadband' section.


Terms and conditions

******

the relevant text then under paragraph 8 is:

***********
Ending the service
When you end your broadband service outside your minimum period and do not request and use a migration access code to move to another service provider, you will have to pay a cease charge of £18.51 (from 2nd December 2008). You will not have to pay this charge in the event you are moving home and we are unable to provide the service at the new address.
***********

Absolutely shocking.

BT have obviously been studying Ross and Brand.....too big for their boots.

Great to see their profits struggling.

skronk

ClassyC wrote: »

***********
Ending the service
When you end your broadband service outside your minimum period and do not request and use a migration access code to move to another service provider, you will have to pay a cease charge of £18.51 (from 2nd December 2008). You will not have to pay this charge in the event you are moving home and we are unable to provide the service at the new address.
***********

Does this statement not mean that if you do request a MAC no. for use with another provider...which I think you would...there would be no charge ?

Read the terms carefully.

DatabaseError

if you request and use a mac the charge will not stand, the charge is for 'cease' orders, where broadband is stopped at an address, the charge is levied (i believe) by BT Wholesale, BT retail are just passing on the charge, as are many other providers.
in the OPs case, as a cancellation request will be made in order to use mobile broadband, there will be a charge, unless the OP takes the easy way out and refuses the t+c change and cancels the contract now.

mrJ_5

it's to encourage people to use a MAC rather than cease and signup with someone else

Quentin

Because of this change to the ts +cs, which is to the "material disadvantage" of their customers, anyone wanting to cancel their bt broadband contract (for any reason) can now do so without having to pay any early termination fee.

There is a period of 10 days from the announcement of any such change during which you can cancel without penalty.

The relevant condition you need to use for cancelling is 34:

If we have made a change which is to your material disadvantage, you will not have to pay a charge if you decide to end your agreement early, unless the relevant price terms say otherwise. However, once we have told you about such a change, you must let us know that you want to end the agreement within ten days.

ClassyC_2

thanks Quentin and TonyHague. Your advice and input has been very welcome and gratefully receieved.

I will endeavour to get through on the phone to BT and cancel the agreement this week. Knowing most of my endeavours to phone them it will become a lengthy epic.

deklan99

I wonder if the existing £6 cancellation fee will be charged if you choose to exit early without a MAC because of a change in the cancellation fee?

ClassyC_2

deklan99 wrote: »

I wonder if the existing £6 cancellation fee will be charged if you choose to exit early without a MAC because of a change in the cancellation fee?

where did you get this figure of £6 from.

I have re-read all through the terms and conditions that they gave me a link too on Friday 31 October, and there is nowhere in them that I can see a charge of £6 mentioned.

The link to the new T&C's is here: Terms and conditions