BT cancellation Charges HELP!!!!

JAYWILL2010NICOLA

Can anyone help/advise.

My husband & I have had to emigrate to Australia due to work commitments. We have today receieved a BT bill of £224, of that £224, £3.59 were call usage charges and the rest £221 were cancellation charges.
We are no longer in the country and find it disgusting that corporate companies are allowed to do this. When I was conducting live chat the representative just reiterated that she was sorry but the charges would be maintained. I took the contract in good faith, it was a 3rd party that made us have to move i would have still been a loyal customer if it hadnt have been for the move of countries!!! She has threatened us with a collections agency who would levy they're own charges. Do we have a leg to stand on if we just dont pay the charges. I have every intention of paying £3.59. :mad:

StevieJ

How do you get a bill of £224 if you are paying call charges (£3.59), even if you have just taken out your contract, does it include BB and TV?

Heinz

What contract(s) did you agree to and what aspect(s) have you broken?

macman

Why 'disgusted'? Leaving the country (just like moving house) does not void your contract. Whether you moved of your own free will or not is irrelevant-that is not BT's responsibility. If you ignore the debt then your credit record in the UK will be trashed for 6 years.
You need to break down the charges (line rental/calls/broadband/TV as they seem very high.
PS: the same will apply to your mobile contracts if still in minimum term when you left.

Buzby

Terminating your agreement prematurely should not have been as traumatic as you outline. Clearly you had a minimum term commitment, that you knew you would breach. As such, you would factor in the cost of your relocation the additional amounts required to gracefully pay off those services you had not completed the minimum terms. These costs would then form the basis for your costs to move, which would have to be paid by the person requiring your relocation.

Since everyone is is the same boat, why should your treatment be any different, as a minimum term for service is hardly a new innovation - I had 12 months minimum service imposed back in 1972..., and if I ceased I would have paid the balance.

macman

Most people who take out minimum term contracts take them 'in good faith'. That doesn't mean that you can subsequently breach them without penalty.

Matty007

Just a little bit of help needed.

I have been on the BT Anytime plan for sometime now, but at the end of last year the 12 month contract was coming to the end, so I rang and asked for this contract to be terminated.

He said that I would automatically go back on the standard BT tariff, no problem I thought.

Now as can happen I drifted from my usual financial diligence and the DD went out regularly and I never did change my provider.

I received my quarterly bill today and thought that I must now make a change if there was an opportunity for a cheaper deal.

It now seems that the contract has rolled over and will run until November 2012.

I have tried to phone without success, from India to automated systems and thought I would ask your advice first before giving 30 minutes of my life to more phone calls.

Thanks

Matty007

macman

On what date did it auto-renew?
BT were no longer allowed to impose auto-renewal after a certain date that escapes me...