BT: Agent's advice in order to avoid ETC legit?

someone__else

Odd one this and I wonder if anyone has had something similar.

I have BT Fibre 500 and still in contract. I will be moving soon to somewhere that doesn't have Openreach FTTP yet. The best they can offer is 26 Meg. 

It's a virgin area so my plan is to go there and pay the ETC to BT.

However the BT Home Move agent talked me into processing a home move with them as this creates a new contract which they then said I could cancel within the cooling off period penalty free.

I challenged this with another agent and they explained that it's because BT can't move me to the same product. However when I asked where's this written down they said "it's not written into policy otherwise we would have quite an influx of customers doing that to avoid charges I'm sure you see why".

It all just seems fishy to me. Has anyone ever experienced this?

iniltous

If you cancel a newly taken contract in the cooling off period, the terms of the previous contract  , if  there is one, are reinstated, so what you were advised won’t work , if the contract at the new address is cancelled and the old address contract comes back into force , and  that still has penalties for ending early ….however there is some evidence that BT will consider waiving the early termination charges if they can’t supply the same speed product at the new address , so in your case , because you can’t have 500Mb  because no OR FTTP exists at the new address, so you may get ETC waived because of that , but not the way that was suggested , and waiving ETC because no FTTP is nothing more than a good will gesture, so it and can’t be guaranteed to be offered to you .

someone__else

iniltous said:

If you cancel a newly taken contract in the cooling off period, the terms of the previous contract  , if  there is one, are reinstated, so what you were advised won’t work , if the contract at the new address is cancelled and the old address contract comes back into force , and  that still has penalties for ending early ….however there is some evidence that BT will consider waiving the early termination charges if they can’t supply the same speed product at the new address , so in your case , because you can’t have 500Mb  because no OR FTTP exists at the new address, so you may get ETC waived because of that , but not the way that was suggested , and waiving ETC because no FTTP is nothing more than a good will gesture, so it and can’t be guaranteed to be offered to you .

Thanks, you're backing up what I've read elsewhere. 

Suggests that the 'guide' at BT is either misinformed or is misleading me as they countered this when I asked directly. I have the chat transcript saved and will keep it for a possible complaint in the future.

If I'm no worse off than paying the ETC now then I think I will let this play out. 

southsidergs

Having experience of this they've actually talked you into a new contract so they get a sale for their bonus. If the new address is non FTTP a home move doesn't even need to be placed, once checked no FTTP is available old contract can be cancelled/fees waived