BEWARE Shell Energy Broadband £15 Cost to leave

Brillo21

Last October I switched to Shell Energy Broadband and although very slow at least it was cheap with the Discount which was to be applied within 3 Months, they have a strange way of billing which is difficult to make head or tail off but after contacting them the credit arrived but not in the way I would have expected.
(I would like to know if there is a period on 45days before the end of your contract where you can leave a supplier without a Fee as there is with Energy Suppliers)
My gripe is that if you wish to cancel your subscription as anyone using MSE might well do you are charged £15 for them to do that very thing, this is whether you are within your initial minimum contract period or not (if you are within the minimum contract period there is a additional charge) but whatever way if you wish to change Broadband supplier then it will cost you £15 the only way to avoid this charge is to STAY with Shell Energy Broadband, I have never heard of this with any other Supplier and I change supplier every time the fixed contract deal I am on expires as obviously there is never any further discount to be had from your existing supplier, (All deals are NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY)

Although this is in the Contract terms and conditions it is successfully well hidden that I missed it, In my humble opinion this is a disgraceful way to do business and would prevent me from dealing with this company in the future, I can understand that a cancellation fee would apply if you were within the 12 Month fixed cost period but this CATCH ALL charge is really not on

JJ_Egan

Its well posted on here for a few months .

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6091811/15-exit-fee-for-shell-broadband-even-though-im-out-of-contract/p1

Neil_Jones

Brillo21 said:

Although this is in the Contract terms and conditions it is successfully well hidden that I missed it, In my humble opinion this is a disgraceful way to do business and would prevent me from dealing with this company in the future, I can understand that a cancellation fee would apply if you were within the 12 Month fixed cost period but this CATCH ALL charge is really not on

Well with all due respect you obviously didn't read it properly, because in the current price list its there on Page 6, and also in the T&Cs for current packages it's there on page 3.  "Please note that, regardless of whether you are inside or outside your Minimum Period, if you terminate or cancel your Contract at any time (other than during the Cooling Off Period) and we are not at fault, or you have failed to follow instructions reasonably given to you, you will be charged a Cease Charge. For details, please see the Price List."

Chino

Neil_Jones said:

Well with all due respect you obviously didn't read it properly, because in the current price list its there on Page 6, and also in the T&Cs for current packages it's there on page 3.

As I've pointed out to you before, that's not the point here - consumers do not expect to pay a fee when terminating their contract once its minimum term has expired and therefore this "Cease Fee" needs to be given the same prominence in Shell Energy's advertising as its monthly subscription:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77600509#Comment_77600509

Dave80s

I'm in the same boat. I'd heard that they would waive the fee if you had signed up through MSE (back in 2019). So I emailed them and they rang me back, but currently not budging on the charge. I gave them some useful 'feedback' while I was on the phone.
Only £15 but it's the principle. I'll admit I didn't scroll down to page 12 of the T&Cs, never been charged an exit fee before though.
Put me off the brand - I'm not even stopping at a Shell petrol station from now on!

Dave80s

To update this, Shell contacted me and said they would refund me the £15 (and they have).

mintchew

I have reported this to Ofcom as I strongly suspect that the condition is against the Consumer Rights Act as being unfair. 
Shell should realise that not only will people not be signing up to their mediocre broadband service but will avoid buying their other products unless they remove this sly requirement; not expected, not flagged up properly and not included by any other provider.
Please wake up MSE and include this issue when listing Shell as a broadband provider on your site!

ntgreen

Totally agree.  BT wanted to charge me like this when I moved to Virgin