We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

BT Cessation charge Broadband

I've cancelled my BT Broadband just before Xmas as prices were going up and I can access the internet via a wireless card.

They will be charging me £30 cessation charge to cut off the Broadband. This seems a lot of money. What am I paying for?

Hope someone can help, thanks Lisa

Comments

  • pcombo
    pcombo Posts: 3,429 Forumite
    Your paying to have your broadband disconnected.

    For someone to reconfigure your line at your exchange.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,374 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    To be more precise, BT Wholesale are charging BT Openreach to cease your broadband. BT Openreach are then passing the cost on to you. All ISPs have to pay this charge to BT Wholesale (if using their product). Most pass it on to the customer.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,825 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    !!!!!! wrote: »
    To be more precise, BT Wholesale are charging BT Openreach to cease your broadband. BT Openreach are then passing the cost on to you. All ISPs have to pay this charge to BT Wholesale (if using their product). Most pass it on to the customer.

    Almost correct.....Openreach are responsible for the work in the exchange -they charge BT Wholesale ,who pass the charges onto whoever is responsible for the retail operation ie your ISP in this case BT Retail:)
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's not payable if you migrate your broadband by means of a MAC.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • I've cancelled my BT Broadband just before Xmas as prices were going up and I can access the internet via a wireless card.

    They will be charging me £30 cessation charge to cut off the Broadband. This seems a lot of money. What am I paying for?

    Hope someone can help, thanks Lisa

    The rip off is not the fee - that can be explained away.

    The rip off is the failure of BT and others to inform users of it.

    I was told today by BT that OFcom say they do not need to explain the fee in their marketing or on the phone if you order their service because it is in the terms and conditions.
    Now if anyone is determined enough to find a £30 fee in the T&C it would be me - so I checked the T&C. Yes it is there - on page 40.
    This is ridiculous.

    And because all the service providers are hiding it they can claim that none are worse than anyother - EXCEPT it is OFCOM who is the guilty party here. To allow ALL the operators to hide a £30 charge is scandalous.

    Imagine if your bank charged you £30 to close down your account but didn't need to tell you?
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    This has been recharged by all ISP's for many years now, hardly a big secret. As you said yourself, it's in the T&C's. But if you don't read them, what difference would it make it were on page 1?
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Retrogamer
    Retrogamer Posts: 4,218 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Mikey_DR wrote: »
    The rip off is not the fee - that can be explained away.

    The rip off is the failure of BT and others to inform users of it.

    I was told today by BT that OFcom say they do not need to explain the fee in their marketing or on the phone if you order their service because it is in the terms and conditions.
    Now if anyone is determined enough to find a £30 fee in the T&C it would be me - so I checked the T&C. Yes it is there - on page 40.
    This is ridiculous.

    And because all the service providers are hiding it they can claim that none are worse than anyother - EXCEPT it is OFCOM who is the guilty party here. To allow ALL the operators to hide a £30 charge is scandalous.

    Imagine if your bank charged you £30 to close down your account but didn't need to tell you?

    If you sign up on the internet you tick a box that says you accept the T&C's of the service before confirmation and when you do it on the phone they ask if you accept the T&C's.

    It's buyer beware. If you accept the T&C's without reading them and don't ask if there are any cancelation charges then you only have yourself to blame i'm afraid.


    As mentioned
    When the broadband needs to be stopped, an engineer needs to go down to the telephone exchange to physically disconnect the broadband equipment from the telephone line. The engineer is employed by BT Openreach who work independent from ISP's and they charge all ISP's for any work they carry out that's not their own responsibility.

    Then it's up to the ISP if they want to charge their customers for that, or absorb it.
    All your base are belong to us.
  • Buzby
    Buzby Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    BT have always advised there is a cessation charge - it has never been concealed, and you either factor it into the cost of doing business, or go with a competitor who doesn't (VM Cable).
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 454.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 600.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.4K Life & Family
  • 258.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.