BT Contract early termination fee... Con

Stormer1979

Hi,


My wife has recently been made redundant. Because of this we are having to relocate and move from our current rented property.

I have a rather large issue with BT. They want to charge us a £91.00 disconnection charge because we are not needing their services anymore due to:

1. Relocating and moving back to a parents house where there is already a telephone line
2. We can't afford to live where we now live due to a large wage loss
3. 12 months into a 18 month contract
4. Have no money

(All of the above have been explained to them)

It seems crazy that giving the bad circumstances this profiteering corporation don't want to budge.

They don't seem to want to help us out but just go by the book of "Well I'm just doing my job and after all you are breaking the contract."

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Buzby

Profiteering? You were quoted a price for service based on a finite commitment, which for reasons outwith their control, you can no longer complete.

I agree we are not gifted with clairvoyance, but if the company promote a service at a rate and the rate or option changes, you would be right to be annoyed - yet, when it is you making the change you expect them to say it's OK and let you go?

You need to budget for you liabilities as part of the shut down, or, in future avoid any minimum term arrangements which will leave you with a liability if things change.

The trouble is, all companies providing these services have a minimum term. You either accept them, or opt for a short-term option. This is quite possible, BUT the monthly cost is greater. In truth, the difference in cost will work out the same (short term vs standard minus early termination charge) so you've really lost nothing.

Stormer1979

Buzby wrote: »

Profiteering? You were quoted a price for service based on a finite commitment, which for reasons outwith their control, you can no longer complete.

I agree we are not gifted with clairvoyance, but if the company promote a service at a rate and the rate or option changes, you would be right to be annoyed - yet, when it is you making the change you expect them to say it's OK and let you go?

You need to budget for you liabilities as part of the shut down, or, in future avoid any minimum term arrangements which will leave you with a liability if things change.

The trouble is, all companies providing these services have a minimum term. You either accept them, or opt for a short-term option. This is quite possible, BUT the monthly cost is greater. In truth, the difference in cost will work out the same (short term vs standard minus early termination charge) so you've really lost nothing.

Sorry as seen as a large chunk of income has been removed from us at very short notice. Our circumstances have changed very quickly and we did not see it coming.

I really don't understand why we still have to pay for a service that we are not receiving so when you say not losing out I will be paying £90 for what exactly?
A line that no longer works because it is terminated and for a service that I no longer can physically use.

Bearing in mind the circumstance all I'm asking for is a little leniency.

We accepted the terms because we intended to stay put but as I have already stated we have been hit with redundancy.

I am in a contract with SSE but they have said because there is no property to move the existing contract to it will just be terminated and we just pay for the energy that we have used. None of this disconnection charging.

Buzby

You have to pay compensation because your pricing was based on the commitment you paid (so they were giving you a rebated price because you agreed to the minimum term).

As they are no longer getting this amount because you wish to terminate, the ETF provides them with recompense for your change of circumstance.

Your power supplier is slightly different, the service minimum starts at 3 months and if over that you pay for what you use - which is exactly what happened.

As for expecting leniency - why? It might be good customer relations, but firms tightened up when sob stories were trotted out ad nauseum so get away scot-free whilst others who were up front paid up.

As you say, you expected to stay put - and that was the rate you were given because of that commitment change it, and the shut-down costs fall payable. The same would happen to any mobile contracts you have, and there is no record of leniency from any supplier in case it cases a gold rush.

macman

Stormer1979 wrote: »

Sorry as seen as a large chunk of income has been removed from us at very short notice. Our circumstances have changed very quickly and we did not see it coming.

I really don't understand why we still have to pay for a service that we are not receiving so when you say not losing out I will be paying £90 for what exactly?
A line that no longer works because it is terminated and for a service that I no longer can physically use.

Bearing in mind the circumstance all I'm asking for is a little leniency.

We accepted the terms because we intended to stay put but as I have already stated we have been hit with redundancy.

I am in a contract with SSE but they have said because there is no property to move the existing contract to it will just be terminated and we just pay for the energy that we have used. None of this disconnection charging.

For breaking the minimum term contract that you agreed to. Your financial position is no concern of BT's I''m afraid. The only way out of such a contract without an ETC is death or bankruptcy. The fact that you could not foresee your changed financial situation does not alter anything.
Your SSE energy contract is entirely different, because a home move voids such a contract without penalty. Not the case with telcoms, landline or mobile TV etc.

yangptangkipperbang

Ah - the old BT "con" !

The OP forgot "scam" and "rip off"..................and of course "Christmas was ruined"

At times, I really do sympathise with BT - and possibly even the energy companies ;)

Colin_London

I know it's easy to say with hindsight, but anytime you sign up to a contract you need to think of the worst - how could you pay off the termination fee if you were made redundant / got divorced / suffered a life changing injury tomorrow?

If you really couldn't cope don't take out the contract - and maybe look at a contract free alternative like PAYG mobiles and broadband dongles which don't cost anything if they don't get used. Yes you pay more for the lack of contract whilst using them, but that's how business works. It's not charity.

MillicentBystander

Yet another reason why people really should think hard before signing up with telecoms suppliers who insist on a min term contract - especially one as long as 18 months! They really should be outlawed! And it's not like BT are cheap even though they insist on a ludicrous tie in.