Bt contractAny early termination fees

Mynameis

Hi

I have been with BT broad, tv and phone for about 3 years, they phoned me up 2 months ago to sell me an 'up grade' on my current contract. This was a new router with a booster router that can be used in other areas of the house. I explained that I don't need it because I live in 1 bedroom property, there is no use for it. He was really pushy though and kept on and on, eventually saying I would get better speeds. So I gave in, regrettably. Now 2 months later I am having to move home, for financial reasons. So need to leave the contract early, which will cost £480. They wont negotiate, they wont allow me to pay installments, i cant afford to pay it. It will go to a debt company.

So, maybe clutching at straws, but if i told him the booster wasnt any use but he still sold it, is that mis selling? The booster is still in the box. This was the basis of the contract renewal. The other thing he said was that I would get faster speeds, now technically I haven't. I got about 74mb before and I still get speeds about 74mb. So speed is the same.

Do I have a case against for those 2 issues or know if there is anything elseI can do?
Thanks

Neil_Jones

Yeah this is normal unfortunately if you agree to a new contract and then move house. You shouldn't have agreed to it if there was any possibility at all of moving in the next 12/18/24 months.

You could put a complaint in in writing.

matelodave

Why did you agree to a new contract - no one made you do it or actually twisted your arm to force you so you've really got no one else to blame.

All you had to do was put the phone down.

Mynameis

Thanks for your useless advice matelodave. Why bother makinga comment if you've got nothing to say.

Mynameis

Just to clarify, I wasn't planning on moving, at the time i did a new contract I was in work, I lost my job shortly after, and now I'm moving because I cant afford pay to my rent or Bill's. This is not a choice. If I was just moving house I would have taken BT with me and there wouldn't be this problem. These companies don't allow for any issues like this. I cannot afford to pay BT, and would like to negotiate some deal to pay less off straight away or pay them but in installments, they are not willing to help in any way at all.

Neil_Jones

Mynameis wrote: »

Just to clarify, I wasn't planning on moving, at the time i did a new contract I was in work, I lost my job shortly after, and now I'm moving because I cant afford pay to my rent or Bill's. This is not a choice. If I was just moving house I would have taken BT with me and there wouldn't be this problem. These companies don't allow for any issues like this. I cannot afford to pay BT, and would like to negotiate some deal to pay less off straight away or pay them but in installments, they are not willing to help in any way at all.

Agreeing to a new contract term and then breaking it through other circumstances such as having to move because you've lost your job is unfortunate but that's what you agreed on the phone. With all due respect its not BT's fault you're being forced to move house. You get the cheaper monthly costs by agreeing to stay with them for x months and if you leave early, they are entitled to charge you for it. For £480 fees it sounds like it was an 18 month contract? They do allow for issues like this - you agree a new contract and then leave two months later, T&Cs state we'll charge you early termination fees.

I suppose it could be argued if you can afford to move house you can afford to pay BT, but I dare say you are at a guess moving back in with your parents?

Mynameis

Neil

Yes I am moving back to a relatives house. I cant actually afford to pay that money back in one go I simply don't have it, so I did offer to pay installments, but they aren't willing to accept that. If they helped me pay the money back, I wouldn't be looking for a way out of the contract. I understand I signed the contract, but I was still in a contract, my other contract hadn't ended yet. They did say I would benefit from the new router, but I haven't, the speeds are still same, and he did say I would get faster speeds. And the booster is of no use. I don't know if that's enough to get out of the contract and that's what trying i'm to get some advice on really.

Neil_Jones

The booster would have been for Wifi I presume. There is no other way to "boost" your internet speed as that is determined by factors outside of your control.

Make another phone call to them and explain the situation. Do not shout, bawl, complain or anything like that because that won't help anybody. If the person you speak to can't help ask to speak to somebody else - a supervisor. You need to put the seed in their mind that you have every intention to pay what you owe them as that will give you the kudos. Phoning up and f'ing and blinding and calling them cowboys won't help.

Failing that, I would strongly suggest putting something in in writing, explain the situation, explain what's happened, explain you know you have to pay it but you can't pay it in one go, I want to pay in instalments, the lady/gentleman I spoke to said I can't, what can I do?

Mynameis

So, after talking to BT they have agreed to put me back onto my original contract. So there you go. Thank you BT. They agreed that the product they sold me was not relevant to the property I live in.
Just because you have signed a new contract, doesn't mean its right and doesn't mean you are stuck in it. As consumers we have rights.
The "no one put a gun to your head" statement is crap, sales people will often be not entirely honest when they are selling you a product over the phone.

Neil_Jones

Mynameis wrote: »

Just because you have signed a new contract, doesn't mean its right and doesn't mean you are stuck in it. As consumers we have rights.
The "no one put a gun to your head" statement is crap, sales people will often be not entirely honest when they are selling you a product over the phone.

Actually if you'd said no thank you in the first place you wouldn't have been in the situation you posted about at all so it's still technically your fault that you ended up in it. It's only BT's good grace that has got you out of it.

seatbeltnoob

I'm surprised they wouldn't allow you to disconeect on that premises and reconnect on your new premisis and just buy a small fee for the disconnect and reconnect.


They behave like they're having to tunnel through a brand new wire straight from BT exchnage to your property. When in actual fact it's just a matter of them pressing a few buttons. It would be easy for them to do, but that's the problem when BT have a monopoly.