Going from BT infinity to Virgin's fibre opt - charged £30 because it's not OpenReach

lkjlkjlkj

Apparently, because Virgin don't use the same line as BT do for providing broadband, transferring to them is not as simple as changing the ownership of an existing line.

I got a 'leaving FYI letter' from BT, saying that I will be charged £30 to cancel my broadband. I'm am no longer in a contract, so it is not a 'cancellation charge'. I call them and they say that it is simply because Virgin don't use OpenReach; they have their own system/cable; which for some reason means that the 'wholesaler' can charge the customer (me) £30. BT told me that Virgin is literally the only ISP to which this applies. Apparently, with all the other ISPs, all that happens is a change of ownership of the existing line, as opposed to installing a new one. BT said the cost was for them having to disconnect me at the exchange.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this legit?

If this is true then let it be a warning to others deciding to make this switch...

Thanks...

worried_jim

VM have their own Fibre Optic network- nothing to do with BT.

lee111s

Yep it's absolutely correct. Virgin and Openreach have their own and different infrastructures.

alanobrien

The £30 charge is for a line cease, its an openreach standard charge applied when broadband is effectively stopped on a "normal" line. The charge is not applied when going from say BT to plusnet - instead a mac code is used to transfer the line.

Per above virgin is a completely different network with their own infrastructure and as such a mac code is not applicable and as you have found out a cease charge would be applied to your existing line.

lkjlkjlkj

Damn! Thanks guys Just wish BT told me when I said I was thinking of leaving. They just said there was no charge...they did not mention that Virgin was an exception...

cifpower

All part of your contract I'm afraid. I believe Plusnet (owned by BT) do the same. I have not come across it with other ISPs as they absorb the cost levied by Openreach

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/dynamicmodules/pagecontentfooter/pageContentFooterPopup.jsp?pagecontentfooter_popupid=26823&s_cid=con_FURL_ceasecharge

pinkteapot

Not all ISPs charge this. I recently switched from Sky broadband (which runs over the Openreach network) to Virgin and wasn't charged anything to cancel!