Shell Broadband Line Release Fee

Andrew955

Hi All, I have a question regards broadband suppliers, and especially Shell who took over from First Utility.  My fiancée had an FU broadband account which Shell took over mid-term with no dramas.  The contract came to its natural end and my fiancée did the comparison thing like you do and found someone cheaper to move over to.  Bearing in mind, the Shell contract has run its term, fully paid up and she is going to go to another supplier.  At this point Shell insisted, and has taken £15 as a Line Release Fee.   Have you ever heard of a Line Release Fee?  I had never even heard of such a thing, but Shell insisted it is in their T&C's, which may not stand if it was not in First Utility's T&C's as it was originally a FU account.  The other question, though not a massive amount, can we get the £15 back?  Cheers, Andrew.

Chino

See this thread:
£15 exit fee for Shell broadband, even though i'm out of contract.

It's worth raising a complaint about this because, whilst Shell's "Domestic terms and conditions for Telephony and Broadband Service" do refer to a Cease Charge, it's not a charge that most consumers would expect to pay when transferring to another ISP after their minimum term has expired. Shell will obviously say this charge is in its Ts&Cs but if you get the complaint referred to the Ombudsman you (or your fiancée) might be lucky. Shell should highlight this unusual charge in its FAQs.