Cancelling service cotracts like Biffa

pollyjoke

Can anyone give any advice. We are a small cafe deciding to use local waste disposal companies, when i wrote to cancel my Biffa contract they tell me i cant do it until at least next year!! or i have to pay something in the region of £500! Is there anyway out? Their EPA charge is totally non-governed, it seems, they charge £80 PER skip, thats £240 - the local company only charge £50 for all.

Streamline are the same, they want to charge us a full 11 months (remainder of the contract) rental before we can cancel. Its a massive learning curve i know, when setting up in business you just need to get these types of services set up and running in order to open and start trading- we dont all have the luxury of an in-house legal department to check the contracts.

Hoping for some advice (not "read the contract next time"- we've learnt that one!)

Thank you.

bazster

Read the contract now! Make sure that what they are telling you really is what the contract says. If so, then your only option now is to stop paying them and dare them to take you to court.

wealdroam

OP, as this is a business to business transaction/contract, there is no consumer protection that will help you.

As said, look at you contract now to see if there is a way out.

You might like to post on the small businesses forum.

squeaky

Hi,

I think the Small business board is the best place for your query so I shall move it across there for you.

Good luck :0

Forum_Team wrote:

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jexygirl

There are a few waste threads around here, but I am crap at this interwebs stuff!.
Found This one or this one that talk pricing and options, but I was pretty convinced there has been another that talked about contracts and getting out of them in more depth - that I can't find and I lost patience already!.
Sorry - but someone clever will arrive shortly!
Jex

s_b

biffa seem to have a very confusing website full of jargon but no meat
i can only too suggest you read what you signed

Savvy_Sue

jexygirl wrote: »

There are a few waste threads around here, but I am crap at this interwebs stuff!.
Found This one or this one that talk pricing and options, but I was pretty convinced there has been another that talked about contracts and getting out of them in more depth - that I can't find and I lost patience already!.
Sorry - but someone clever will arrive shortly!
Jex

Not claiming to be clever, but you may have been thinking of this one! It is certainly worth a read for what to look out for.

I think the first suggestion for the OP, while you're finding a magnifying glass and reading the contract, is to see if you can reduce the number of collections you have, eg if you have weekly, could you go to monthly and would that reduce your charges?

The other tack you can try is the one which goes "Of course we'd really like to stay with you when this contract ends, but not at these prices, so if you really want to keep our business ..." However, watch out with that one that you don't end up with a brand new 12 month (or longer) contract: what you want if you can't get a reduction in the length of the contract is a price reduction for the remainder of the contract term.

BTW, one of the two threads jexy linked to is specifically about Biffa, so is definitely worth a read, and it's quite short. The other of hers, I've only skimmed the first couple of posts so no idea how relevant it is. The one I've linked to is l-o-o-o-n-g.

jexygirl

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

BTW, one of the two threads jexy linked to is specifically about Biffa, so is definitely worth a read, and it's quite short. The other of hers, I've only skimmed the first couple of posts so no idea how relevant it is. The one I've linked to is l-o-o-o-n-g.

aaaaaaaaaaand the one I was trying to find! See you are the clever person I predicted would come along!

Not sure how relevant my links were, I was more impressed that I worked out how to type "this one" and make it link too! This tinterwebs stuff is so clever! :T

greyteam1959

pollyjoke wrote: »

Can anyone give any advice. We are a small cafe deciding to use local waste disposal companies, when i wrote to cancel my Biffa contract they tell me i cant do it until at least next year!! or i have to pay something in the region of £500! Is there anyway out? Their EPA charge is totally non-governed, it seems, they charge £80 PER skip, thats £240 - the local company only charge £50 for all.

Streamline are the same, they want to charge us a full 11 months (remainder of the contract) rental before we can cancel. Its a massive learning curve i know, when setting up in business you just need to get these types of services set up and running in order to open and start trading- we dont all have the luxury of an in-house legal department to check the contracts.

Hoping for some advice (not "read the contract next time"- we've learnt that one!)

Thank you.

I had a big fall out with Biffa & their appalling EPA charge.
Cancelled their contract....have to give 3 months notice.
Gave it in writing by email AND recorded snail mail.
Taken contract with local council cheaper per bin empty & EPA charge only £20.00 NOT £80.00.
Oh by the way Biffa EPA charge is per site NOT per skip / bin as far as I know.
HTH

pollyjoke

ArrgggH! Biffa, have got it all sewn up- thank you for all the info and advice everyone. There are a couple of different approaches to this, all that need careful planning, we are a small fish in this and Biffa could crush us quite easily, so telling them to take us to court should we stop the contract- is probably not a threat to them at all- but would cause many sleepness nights for us!

We will keep you posted with whatever outcome we have.

Regards.