Brsk in-contract buyout option - Leaving Virgin Media - Need advice.

SaitenMar

Hi all, so I need some sound advice. 

I've been a Virgin Media user for like 20+ years now (since the days of Blueyonder) and I've wanted to leave for a while, but we've had to wait until this year before we had Brsk and YouFibre to become available (Sky, BT and others just don't have the internet speed we need). We've had a price increase this April and our contract is up in September. So I was taking a look at Brks's in-contract buyout option but it's something I've never done before and still a little unclear how it all works. In fact I'm not even sure if it's possible. Does the buyout just require me to pay the rest of my bills up until September in full, as a cancellation fee? 

I can get double the speed for less cost with the new providers and I'm just fed up of VM overcharging. I'm also not sure if I'll need brand new equipment or work done to get Brsk or YouFibre. 

Is it worth trying or should I just wait till September to move to a new provider? Would really appreciate advice from anyone whose been through the process, and especially like to know what work/equipment will be required when I do switch to the new provider. 

littleboo

You'll need a new fibre connection to your property, either overhead or underground, and a new router. If you terminate the VM contract early, you will need to pay the early termination fee at that point. 

flaneurs_lobster

You need to find out how much VM will charge you to end your contract early. BRSK's buy-out offer will cover up to £150. 

Not a recommendation but EE, for example, offer £300 for a similar scheme (so do YouFibre).

iniltous

You will definitely need a new installation, fibre cable (drop wire probably as BRSK generally leech onto Openreach poles ) and a CSP , ONT etc , so that’s a given , as far as how they compensate you for leaving VM with ETC payable, if they do such a thing it will not be that they settle your VM early termination bill for you  ,and if you continue to pay until the end of your VM minimum term , there won’t be any ETC for BRSK to compensate you for , so to get compensation for quitting early you need to quit .

I dare say to get BRSK to compensate you for quitting VM ‘early’ , you give VM notice , VM calculate the early termination fee as well as the regular charges , and you get a final bill , and you show that bill with the ETC figure to BRSK ( once you have paid it so final VM invoice showing as paid ) BRSK will then probably credit your future BRSK  bill with that ETC amount ( not the full VM bill just the ETC ) that way it doesn’t really cost BRSK anything, they just supply service for a period without charging you for it , but ultimately you need to ask BRSK for the details, it’s  pointless speculating on here  , just ask them directly.

SaitenMar

Thanks for all the advice. Much appreciated. I think it might be best just to wait till September and set up with Brsk or another competitor then. I actually didn't realise that much work would be needed for a new connection. I have checked and the services are available in my street now so I guessed it would be a pretty straight forward installation with a new router, etc but it should still be fine.