Contract cancellation & charges

biker.s

Recently moved house, used BT b.band in the interim while TalkTalk was being re-installed since it takes some time. Then cancelled BT and got a £400 bill for b.band which we don't want and won't get!OK, I understand that some sort of penalty payment is in order when you cancel a contract but the total amount of the remaining time?? Seems a bit steep to me. Anyone know about the legality of this? I can feel a fight coming on:mad:

Cheers, biker.s

knowledgeman

biker.s wrote: »

Recently moved house, used BT b.band in the interim while TalkTalk was being re-installed since it takes some time. Then cancelled BT and got a £400 bill for b.band which we don't want and won't get!OK, I understand that some sort of penalty payment is in order when you cancel a contract but the total amount of the remaining time?? Seems a bit steep to me. Anyone know about the legality of this? I can feel a fight coming on:mad:

Cheers, biker.s

Are you really that stupid to not read the terms?

You sign upto a 12 month contract with most if not all suppliers, then you cant cancel it unless you buy the contract out

I really do dispair at the utter thickness of some people on these boards

biker.s

thanks, that's useful.

knowledgeman

biker.s wrote: »

thanks, that's useful.

Well you dont have a leg to stand on

You can try and make a formal complaint but I reckon they will be laughing their way to the bank in this case

Its not even like you have to cancel, the service is poor etc

normanmark

biker.s wrote: »

thanks, that's useful.

Sorry but what did you expect?

You sign for 12 months, if you want out early you pay the rest of the contract.

biker.s

I believe that under contractual law, conditions have to be 'reasonable' so my question, which you batted to one side with evident experience of forums but little regard for the underlying meaning, was to do with the legality of such a contract. In the event, it is not written anywhere in any document that we have signed or seen and before you bounce on that one, yes, I have checked!

normanmark

biker.s wrote: »

I believe that under contractual law, conditions have to be 'reasonable' so my question, which you batted to one side with evident experience of forums but little regard for the underlying meaning, was to do with the legality of such a contract. In the event, it is not written anywhere in any document that we have signed or seen and before you bounce on that one, yes, I have checked!

You dont need to have signed a contract to have entered it, you verbally agreed & if you paid bills so far for the existing services then its clear you dont dispute that you've entered the contract.

In the intrim of using the service did you not think to check the minimum term was on the BT Broadband service?

knowledgeman

biker.s wrote: »

I believe that under contractual law, conditions have to be 'reasonable' so my question, which you batted to one side with evident experience of forums but little regard for the underlying meaning, was to do with the legality of such a contract. In the event, it is not written anywhere in any document that we have signed or seen and before you bounce on that one, yes, I have checked!

It will be in the terms that it is a 12 month contract, whether you read them or not is irrelevent, BT will have ensured the 12 month term is properly encorporated into the contract.

Its common and Im in no doubt that the law will agree that a minimum contract of that term is fair

Therefore again you dont have a leg to stand on

Your only hope is that if you kick up enough of a fuss that BT decide its cheaper to pay you off than deal with your complaint but ultimatly your fighting a losing battle beyond a discretionary gesture from BT.

biker.s

Oddly, no! In the middle of moving house, changing job etc we didn't think to study that to the nth degree! Of course we also didn't have i.net either (by definition) so couldn't check on line either.
Never mind, thanks for your input. I might try to find some advice which isn't quite so terribly 'doesn't-everybody-know-this'. But then I guess that's why you're answering questions on here and I'm not, right?!

normanmark

biker.s wrote: »

Oddly, no! In the middle of moving house, changing job etc we didn't think to study that to the nth degree! Of course we also didn't have i.net either (by definition) so couldn't check on line either.
Never mind, thanks for your input. I might try to find some advice which isn't quite so terribly 'doesn't-everybody-know-this'. But then I guess that's why you're answering questions on here and I'm not, right?!

Sorry but like i said what do you expect? I'm all for consumer support but when you're claiming that BT shouldnt expect to charge you for the remaining part of the contract that you signed up for is borderline crazy.

Accept responsibility that you didnt read the terms & conditions of the service before signing up, thats your problem not the ISP's, call it a lesson in reading everything before you commit yourself.

And your attitude with the above i quoted of 'i might try to find advice which isnt quite so terribly obvious' is a bit off. You came here asking for advice, people have given it. Probably not what you wanted to hear but its better getting the correct & true advice rather than a forum full of people who'll tell you that you have a chance of cancelling the contract. Wise up.

biker.s

No, you misunderstand me.. I have no problem with what you say here, none at all but I do object to being slammed immediately as thick, stupid etc just because my priorities are not the same as the writer's. If you read back through the thread, the advice becomes exactly that only after I have responded in a way which you call 'a bit off'. OK, I'm sure you're right about contracts but I was wondering if this has ever been challenged.. Apparently not if I can be called thick so quickly! Then perhaps it's time to put it to the test and challenge BT. Anyway, it would be nice if the 'experts' on fora such as this one treated people with an element of respect before launching a virtual attack, one which I'm sure they wouldn't launch face to face! cheers and thanks.