MSE News: Shell Energy to axe £15 broadband switching 'cease fee'

MSE_Helen_K

Shell Energy is to scrap a controversial £15 'cease fee' it charges customers who switch away from the firm or cancel their contract, MoneySavingExpert.com can reveal. It comes after we queried the fee with regulator Ofcom and it asked Shell Energy to explain the charge - though Shell insists it was already reviewing the fee as it prepares to take on 450,000 Post Office customers later this year...

Read the full story:
'Shell Energy to axe £15 broadband switching 'cease fee'

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LindsayT

I'm with the Post Office and did not want to go with Shell when my contract ends in July. Just a shame we don't know when it's being scrapped but well done to MSE.

MSE_Helen_K

LindsayT said:

I'm with the Post Office and did not want to go with Shell when my contract ends in July. Just a shame we don't know when it's being scrapped but well done to MSE.

Thanks LindsayT - we'll be sure to update the story/this thread when we know more. 

Ribeye

They're still at it! I signed up to Shell a year ago through MSE and I have just arranged a switch through MSE for when the contract ends on 27th April. Shell have sent me an email saying they will charge me £12 cease fee (oddly not the £15 that people have reported). I have just emailed MSE on the link that is for help with this so I'll wait and see what MSE can do to get it waived!

poundsNpence

Ribeye said:

They're still at it! I signed up to Shell a year ago through MSE and I have just arranged a switch through MSE for when the contract ends on 27th April. Shell have sent me an email saying they will charge me £12 cease fee (oddly not the £15 that people have reported). I have just emailed MSE on the link that is for help with this so I'll wait and see what MSE can do to get it waived!

Having originally signed to Shell via MSE, I switched away in March. The final bill wrongly included the £15 fee, but I had a lot of "stuff" going-on at the time and didn't get to challenge it before the DD went from my bank and haven't done-so since. Out of the blue yesterday, an email from Shell apologising and saying they'll be refunding the £15. It appeared in my account this morning.

olip74

I switched away today and received an email advising a cease fee of £12 would be charged. I've emailed them to request that this is not charged, on the basis that I signed up via MSE. Let's see!

Pretty shameful charge. For those who didn't sign up via MSE, at the end of their minimum term and who's fees were due to increase above the rate of inflation, would they be able to cite their right to cancel? Presumably Shell would say the cease charge is not a 'penalty' but it's difficult to see how Ofcom would accept this as it's a clear disincentive to moving.

MSE_Helen_K

Thanks for the comments everyone - do keep us posted if you get an explanation as to why you've been charged £12 instead of £15 - and why Shell has since refunded the charge poundsNpence (it told us it wouldn't backdate refunds). 

And if you've been wrongly charged as you signed up via an MSE blagged deal, please email us on voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com

poundsNpence

MSE_Helen_K said:

Thanks for the comments everyone - do keep us posted if you get an explanation as to why you've been charged £12 instead of £15 - and why Shell has since refunded the charge poundsNpence (it told us it wouldn't backdate refunds). 

And if you've been wrongly charged as you signed up via an MSE blagged deal, please email us on voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com

The email just said they'd made a mistake, were sorry, and would be sending a refund. I wasn't aware at the time that they had decided to drop the charge, so assumed it was only related to my having joined via MSE - but when people send me money I don't ask questions :-) 

t0rt0ise

It says £12 cease charge in the contract I just received so they've obviously reduced it. I also have an email saying this charge will be waived as I signed up via MSE. We shall see when the time comes.

Salamat

I am just switching away from Shell Broadband (MSE blagged deal) to Vodafone, at the end of my contract and they have sent me an email, on the 11th August, saying that I will be charged the £12 ‘cease’ charge!

“Your final bill

Once the transfer is complete, we’ll send you your final bill. This will include the £12 cease charge, mentioned in our Terms and Conditions. Make sure you keep your Direct Debit active until we’ve taken your final payment.” Is it worth arguing before, or after, I get debited?

Salamat

Salamat said:

I am just switching away from Shell Broadband (MSE blagged deal) to Vodafone, at the end of my contract and they have sent me an email, on the 11th August, saying that I will be charged the £12 ‘cease’ charge!

“Your final bill

Once the transfer is complete, we’ll send you your final bill. This will include the £12 cease charge, mentioned in our Terms and Conditions. Make sure you keep your Direct Debit active until we’ve taken your final payment.” Is it worth arguing before, or after, I get debited?

Having contacted them on Messenger, I got this reply this morning:

"I apologise that you have received this E-Mail. I can confirm that this charge has not and will not be applied to your Broadband account, it appears to be an error in communications - Matty"

Whether or not this was a 'try on', I've no idea! Would they have billed me, if I hadn't queried it?