T-Mobile Early Termination Fee

sarahkmv

Hi,
Just hoping someone may have some advice as to whether I am wasting my time with T Mobile.


Brief history - with 4 days to go till my phone could be renewed I cracked my phone. went into shop, very rude salesadvisor said nothing they could do. Rang T Mobile and they said the same, so I asked to cancel my contract as I could buy the phone I wanted on a really good deal elsewhere (£101 from TCB plus a free tablet) so I thought it was worth paying the 6 weeks of my contract I had left to get this (around £42). I specifically asked on the phone if there were any other fees to pay and I was told no, just pay the rest of the contract.


Anyway, just had a bill with a £33 early termination fee... Annoyed to say the least as if I had been told I would have left the contract another couple of weeks and given a months notice, which would have saved me the £33.


Do I have a leg to stand on if I phone them and ask them to listen to the tape of my call, as obviously I wouldn't have cancelled when I did if I had known? I did look at their T&Cs online, but I found them very ambiguous, with hindsight, I should have persevered a bit more. I also wondered if I should cancel my direct debit so they can't take the amount they want, or would that cause issues as it would be a non payment?


Thanks!

RosiPossum

Was the fee not just the remainder of the contract after your current month?

sarahkmv

Sadly not, was listed on my bill like this;


MNP Early Termination Penalty (VAT Exempt) £33.28
Total one-off charges and credits £33.28

Buzby

Yes, it would be a late payment marker then a default. Your course of action was to give notice 30 days before the expiry of the minimum term, then simply pay up and cease or request a PAC switching on day 29.

As the service is terminated, the fee is payable as they complied with your request, sorry!

Cornucopia

sarahkmv wrote: »

Do I have a leg to stand on if I phone them and ask them to listen to the tape of my call...

Yes, but be prepared to be persistent and put up with lots of faffing on their part.

I had a similar situation and was told variously that they had the recording, but it would take 29 days to get back from archive, that they did not have the recording, and that even if they had the recording it would not be legally binding on them.

In the end, I went to their CEO, and a very nice lady called me back (Call Centre Director or some such), and she sorted it out in 5 minutes.

Cornucopia

Buzby wrote: »

Yes, it would be a late payment marker then a default. Your course of action was to give notice 30 days before the expiry of the minimum term, then simply pay up and cease or request a PAC switching on day 29.

As the service is terminated, the fee is payable as they complied with your request, sorry!

The phone conversation is contractual. If she was misinformed, then the contract can be re-examined.

sarahkmv

Thank you both, I will phone. I realise it was in the Tn Cs, but was hoping the call would help as I asked if all I had to pay was the monthly payments. I'm happy to persevere!

sarahkmv

Well that was confusing! After 23 minutes on the phone I eventually ended up in the disputes dept in Wales...


He stated that that charge was actually the fee from 24th June - 24th July - ie the payment to the end of my contract. This should actually be £26, not £33 and isn't an early termination fee, despite what the bill says!!!


He has taken £10 off this, which then means I am fully paid up and this is the last T-Mobile bill. All very confusing, but thanks for your advice, gave me incentive to chase them, as I wasn't sure.

brightonman123

I don't think ETF's are enforceable..


they are ALLOWED to charge this , but don't HAVE to..


I would just pay the regular tariff and any calls/data you've made.

sarahkmv

Brighton man, providing this is their final bill what I pay after them deduct ing the£10 is about 5 pounds less than I estimated my bill to July 24th to be so I'm happy with that, just hoping I dont get another bill after the contract is over!