bt broadband - my father died and they still want outstanding money to cancel it!!!

sonyamac

My father died a few days ago and my mother wants to cancel the bt broadband contract which has @6 months left. I phoned to cancel it for her this morning and to change line onto her name etc. They said they would send the final outstanding bill to me to give to the executers of my fathers will. the only person responsible for it will be my mother and she has nothin but her pension. I thought due to the circumstances they would just cancel it. Seems unfair they still want the money from a dead man for a service he doesnt need any more. Can this be right???? Any help out there please??

moonrakerz

sonyamac wrote: »

My father died a few days ago and my mother wants to cancel the bt broadband contract which has @6 months left. I phoned to cancel it for her this morning and to change line onto her name etc. They said they would send the final outstanding bill to me to give to the executers of my fathers will. the only person responsible for it will be my mother and she has nothin but her pension. I thought due to the circumstances they would just cancel it. Seems unfair they still want the money from a dead man for a service he doesnt need any more. Can this be right???? Any help out there please??

It is not unfair for BT to ask for payment for services that they supplied to your father when he was alive. However, when your father died his outstanding debts should be met by his estate, the executor of his Will should pay off these debts. If your father left no assets the debts are written off. Debts are NOT transferred to relatives of the deceased (unless they were in joint names).
From what you have said above BT have acted totally correctly in sending you a bill to pass to the executors.

Dylan1312

moonrakerz wrote: »

It is not unfair for BT to ask for payment for services that they supplied to your father when he was alive. However, when your father died his outstanding debts should be met by his estate, the executor of his Will should pay off these debts. If your father left no assets the debts are written off. Debts are NOT transferred to relatives of the deceased (unless they were in joint names).
From what you have said above BT have acted totally correctly in sending you a bill to pass to the executors.

No, BT are requesting that the remainder of the contract be paid off. Yes, there may be some owed from since the last bill but BT want £95.54 for 6 months of Broadband which we aren't going to receive!

Poppy9

Dylan1312 wrote: »

No, BT are requesting that the remainder of the contract be paid off. Yes, there may be some owed from since the last bill but BT want £95.54 for 6 months of Broadband which we aren't going to receive!

I'm confused are you the OP?

Re the OP Moonrakerz is correct. The deceased entered into a 12 month contract and accepted the T&C which will say if you terminate early then the you still have to pay for a min. 12 month contract.

The bill will be paid from the deceased estate and then the remainder of the estate will be allocated according to his will or if no will will go to his next of kin.

The deceased wife will not be asked to pay the bill and should pass any bills, correspondence in her husband's name to the solicitor dealing with the estate.

moonrakerz

Dylan1312 wrote: »

No, BT are requesting that the remainder of the contract be paid off. Yes, there may be some owed from since the last bill but BT want £95.54 for 6 months of Broadband which we aren't going to receive!

If the deceased signed up to a 12 month contract his estate has to honour that contract.

Little_John

BT are in the right to request the payment as he was signed in to a contract for another 6 month.
The way I would sort this, if the payment comes from his personal account, clear the account and let BT chase him for the money. when they send a letter inform them that his address has changed to Plot XXX such a church cemetery and give the address of the cermet he is buried in.

Poppy9

Little_John wrote: »

BT are in the right to request the payment as he was signed in to a contract for another 6 month.
The way I would sort this, if the payment comes from his personal account, clear the account and let BT chase him for the money. when they send a letter inform them that his address has changed to Plot XXX such a church cemetery and give the address of the cermet he is buried in.

and that leave current BT customers to pick up the bad debt!

Little_John

I am a current BT ADSL customer and would still advise people to do it

mark1966

There is a difference here, its not like someone is trying to get out of a contract by not paying the full terms as originally signed for but this person has died and bt should show some compassion and write of the remainder of the outstanding balance.

Mark

Poppy9

mark1966 wrote: »

There is a difference here, its not like someone is trying to get out of a contract by not paying the full terms as originally signed for but this person has died and bt should show some compassion and write of the remainder of the outstanding balance.

Mark

In an ideal world yes, but BT is a business and has to protect it's business interests, especially in the currently climate.

A LA will put a charge on a person's estate for residential home fees and when the person dies collect. Depending on the home the client was placed & the contract the LA had with the home this might include care fees for the balance of the month, if they haven't filled the vacancy. The LA is not a business and some do write off debts on compassionate grounds but this just means extra costs for the LA and in turn higher council taxes.

sonyamac

I am sorry but this is not a debt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they want to charge us for services that wont be used. I thought some people could be compassionate but obviously not!!!!! I do understand that this was a contract that was taken out and I know it may not be lots of money. I do understand that it will have to go to my fathers estate and the small amount of money that will be left after paying his funeral costs there will be little left and if every company that you take a contract out like car insurance for example took the outstanding money my mother will be left with nothing. (the car insurance - Quinn direct- under the circumstances have waived the outstanding premium) under circumstances I thought with BT being such a large company and my father being a very good customer with them and never ever receiving a red letter from them that they would be compassionate. I am extremely infuriated with lots of things that go on for eg my mother and father both worked all there lives and paid full national insurance and are in receipt of their state pension but people out there that never work and sponge get more when someone dies. It looks like my mother will have to survive on her pension and wont receive any widows pension or bereavement payment etc!! SO for her to work all her life and also my father too they are penalised for it it seems!! so is it so bad to ask for some compassion. so the comment of other bt customers picking up the bill maybe my mother and father have picked up the bill for lots more people over the years by working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad: PS i apologise for ranting but put yourself in our position.