Advice re cancellation of Sky Broadband

Spanishsteve

I am 8 months into a 18 month Sky broadband contract, which is in my sole name. I have had to leave my flat that I share with my GF at very short notice (hours), and been instructed by police to not have any contact with her at all. I have moved into my parents home which already has a Sky contract. 

This morning I contacted Sky Customer Services to cancel the contract, they said I would have to pay £160 cancellation fee. They also said I should contact my GF to see if she would take over the contract. This last suggestion is definitely not an option as I would be breaking the law.
I always thought if you moved home and could not have the same services for a valid reason (existing contract already at my parents) then I would not need to pay a cancellation fee. The current circumstances are outside of my control. Any advice, please?

unforeseen

If you move home and they cannot supply for whatever reason then you will need to pay a cancellation fee as the contract is to supply a service to a specific address. 
You are the one breaching the contract, reason is immaterial. 

The_Fat_Controller

Moving into address which already has a SKY contract is in no way a valid reason for them waiving cancellation charges.

You thought wrongly, read your Ts and Cs.

You have two choices, pay the termination fee (possibly further pi**ing off your now ex gf) or somehow come to an arrangement for her to take over the contract.

As Judge Judy says, Door A or Door B.

Richard_T_

If you can not contact her, and you plan to move to another property , then keep paying the price - and when you move to the new property initiate a house move/change of address

Neil_Jones

Spanishsteve said:

I am 8 months into a 18 month Sky broadband contract, which is in my sole name. I have had to leave my flat that I share with my GF at very short notice (hours), and been instructed by police to not have any contact with her at all. I have moved into my parents home which already has a Sky contract. 

This morning I contacted Sky Customer Services to cancel the contract, they said I would have to pay £160 cancellation fee. They also said I should contact my GF to see if she would take over the contract. This last suggestion is definitely not an option as I would be breaking the law.
I always thought if you moved home and could not have the same services for a valid reason (existing contract already at my parents) then I would not need to pay a cancellation fee. The current circumstances are outside of my control. Any advice, please?

The circumstances of your moving are to an extent immaterial.  What this basically boils down to is you have/are moving house to somewhere that they cannot provide service to.  If that is the case early exit fees will apply and that's what you agreed to.  How the circumstances have occurred is not relevant with the possible exception of force majeure.  Which definitely doesn't apply here.

The police thing is more of an warning as opposed to "breaking the law", because there is no law that says Spanishsteve cannot contact any particular person.  You're probably thinking more of a restraining order which has to be issued by a court under criminal proceedings.