Moving abroad & want to cancel talk talk contract

Shalb

I have been relocated to another country (next week) but my talktalk contract isn't up until Nov. They have told me that I have to pay £325 cancellation fee but I have a letter from work stating that I'm leaving the country. They do not provide the service to the country that I'm moving too so I have no option but to leave.
Has anyone had experience of this? I have been told to just cancel my direct debit and then they can't take the £325 but I don't want extra charges and debt collector letters to my house (that I'll be renting out privately). If I was just leaving the country and didn't have a home still in the UK then I probably would just leave.
Help gratefully appreciated

19lottie82

They won't let you out of the contract penalty free, even if you can prove that you are leaving the country. You signed a legally binding contract with them, and it's not their fault or concern that you have decided to move abroad.

You have 2 choices here....

1) Pay the £325.

or

2) Cancel the direct debit, don't pay the remaining months of your contract and forget about it (for the moment). HOWEVER, they will chase you for this, and the chances are debt collectors letters will be sent to the last address they have for you (your current property), AND you will receive a default on your credit file. If you return to the UK in the next six years, this could cause endless problems.

My advice? Just pay the cancellation fee, the potential consequences aren't worth it.

JJ_Egan

As you are moving then its not the suppliers fault best is to ask what is the best figure they will accept but ask to speak to a manager .
As said above cancel DD is you breaking a valid contract and all the !!!! that goes with it .Plus you will still owe the debt and fees incurred .

redux

Although there is a cancellation fee I would hope it could be negotiated down a bit as they don't have to provide the service. But they might be too mean for that ...

Alternatively, can it be transferred to the people who will be renting the place?

Shalb

Thanks both but they won't negotiate (Also not my fault about moving abroad it was that or redundancy!).
I cannot morally try to pass on the contract to anyone else because I will never recommend this company to anyone. They might be cheap but customer service is shoddy. Had I known what I was getting myself into I'd of stayed with my previous supplier who were more than double talk talks price but a far better company to deal with. It's not the fact that it's £325 it's the point that I'm trying to make. They cannot provide a service to the country that I'm moving too and I'm not trying to move to another supplier (because of aforementioned shoddy service).
If there's anyone else that can help with some ombudsman patter or who has experienced this themselves, I'd be grateful to hear from them.
Thank you

19lottie82

Shalb wrote: »

I cannot morally try to pass on the contract to anyone else because I will never recommend this company to anyone. They might be cheap but customer service is shoddy. Had I known what I was getting myself into I'd of stayed with my previous supplier who were more than double talk talks price but a far better company to deal with. It's not the fact that it's £325 it's the point that I'm trying to make. They cannot provide a service to the country that I'm moving too and I'm not trying to move to another supplier (because of aforementioned shoddy service)

OK, prob not what you want to hear, BUT......

It's not "shoddy service", any company who you take out a contract (for example a mobile phone) with will hold you to the minimum term.

Again, it's been your decision to move, why should they cut short a legally binding agreement just because you've decided to move abroad?

They're a business and will hold you to the agreement that you have signed. Only death or bankruptcy will get you out of a situation like this. The Ombudsman will not be interested, although I feel your frustration, Talk Talk have done nothing wrong here.

iltisman

At least they have moved on from the days when saying hello to one of their marketing calls re-started the 18 month contract.

Shalb

I can get out of my mobile phone contract by paying the amount per month x the amount of months left on my contract! Also point to note my mobile phone will work in the country that I'm moving too.
The amount that talk talk are asking is over and above that & the service isn't avail in the new country. Do you work for talk talk or something?
Like I said it's the moral thing. If it was the amount that I pay per month x the amount of months that lefts on the contract then no problem! It would be at least half the amount that they're currently asking for. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place because the new people will use another service provider.
Helpful advice only please

& thanks iltisman, that's funny

custardy

Shalb wrote: »

I can get out of my mobile phone contract by paying the amount per month x the amount of months left on my contract! Also point to note my mobile phone will work in the country that I'm moving too.
The amount that talk talk are asking is over and above that & the service isn't avail in the new country. Do you work for talk talk or something?
Like I said it's the moral thing. If it was the amount that I pay per month x the amount of months that lefts on the contract then no problem! It would be at least half the amount that they're currently asking for. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place because the new people will use another service provider.
Helpful advice only please

& thanks iltisman, that's funny

and there it is.
If you want the answers you agree with,then ask your friends.
If morality is what you live by,then you will of course honour the terms of the contract you signed up to,no?

19lottie82

1) No, it's not a "moral thing". It's a legal thing. These additional cancellation charges would have been detailed in the contract that you agreed to.

2) Helpful advice? I would count my advice as helpful. I am advising you not to bother with the Ombudsman, as you will only be wasting your time. Again, TT haven't don anything wrong. You AGREED to these terms when you took on the contract.
Just because I have told you something that you don't want to hear, doesn't mean that it's not helpful.

3) No I don't work for Talk Talk, I'm just being truthful and realistic. I could tell you that yes, you're right and Talk Talk are wrong, go on sue them, that'll show them! But I would be wrong....

matelodave

Why not just keep paying the monthly amount until the the end of the contract if it's only going to cost you half as much. All you've then got to do is give them the required notice when the contract period is finished. You might have to sort something out with your tenants if you are going to rent the place but it might work out cheaper that paying the penalty.
As said, you took out a contract and it's not TT's fault that you want to terminate it early. Ask your employer if he would like to contribute towards the termination fee as he seems to be the ogre rather than TT.
Trying to walk away without paying could give you loads of grief in the future if it gets noted on your credit file. You'll still have the debt and any collection expenses (bailiffs fees etc) and possible ongoing problems getting credit/mortgages until six years after it's settled