How I Reduced My Broadband Early Termination Fee from £675 to £75 — Step by Step

eddiespaghetti187

AI generated summary of recent events, as it was a saga with many steps, however if you're willing to make a reasonable case in the face of unreasonable charges, you can get some relief.

For the record, I wasn't actually unhappy with the provider and fully accepted that I should pay for the remaining contract value where I had to terminate the contract early. Overall they had proven reliable over the first contract I had had with them, but their response to me moving house and them being unable to provide even close to the same service was shockingly bad, as a result I escalated to CISAS.

Hopefully if you're facing steep early repayment fees in an unfair situation, this is helpful. I haven't named the provider, as I suspect it's relevant to many out there in the same situation.

Background

I was seven months into a 24-month 1Gbps broadband contract when I had to move house. My provider couldn't match my current speed at the new address - only a much slower service (27Mbps) was available. They told me I'd have to start a new contract for the lower-speed service, and if I wanted to leave instead, I'd face an early termination fee.

The fee they quoted broke down as:

• Monthly early termination charge for the remaining 17 months - fair enough, I accepted this
• £149 activation fee
• £125 router fee

Total: around £675

I ended up paying just £75. Here's how.

Step 1: Understand what you're actually being charged for

The monthly termination charge is usually legitimate - it represents the remaining contract value. But the add-ons are worth scrutinising carefully.

In my case, this was my second contract with the same provider, not a new customer signup. I had carried my router over from the previous contract and no new installation or connection work had been done when I renewed. So I asked myself: what exactly did the £149 activation fee cover? And what router was the £125 charge for - one I already had?

Tip: Check whether your current contract is a renewal or a first-time signup. If it's a renewal, you should challenge any fees that relate to services or equipment that weren't newly provided.

Step 2: Ask the provider to itemise and justify each charge

I wrote to the provider and asked them to:

• Confirm whether any new installation, activation or connection work was carried out when my current contract started
• Confirm whether a new router was physically supplied for this contract
• Provide a breakdown of what the £149 activation charge actually covered

They couldn't answer these questions satisfactorily. They simply said the activation fee was "a standard component of the early termination fee." That's not a reasonable justification and smacked of profiteering.

Tip: Don't accept "it's standard" as an answer. If a charge relates to a specific service or piece of equipment, the provider should be able to tell you what that service or equipment was. If they can't, that weakens their position considerably.

Step 3: Offer to return the router

I told the provider I was willing to return the router. This directly undermines the rationale for the £125 router charge - if you give the hardware back, there's no loss for them to recover. I had the box and original packaging, and apart from a bit of dust, it was good as new.

Tip: If you still have your router in good condition, offer to return it in writing. Keep a record of that offer. It puts the onus on them to justify why they're still charging you for it.

Step 4: Escalate to the Ombudsman if you reach deadlock

After going back and forth, the provider issued a deadlock letter - meaning they'd said their final word. At that point, I referred the case to the relevant Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme (in the UK, broadband providers are members of either CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications - check which one your provider uses).

The ADR process is free for consumers and binding on the provider if the adjudicator rules in your favour. Just raising a case often prompts a more serious commercial conversation.

Tip: Check your provider's deadlock or final response letter - it should tell you which ADR scheme they're registered with. You can refer a case once you've either received a deadlock letter or eight weeks have passed since your original complaint.

Step 5: Negotiate with your new provider for a buyout contribution

Separately from the dispute, I shopped around and found a new provider offering 2Gbps with a WiFi 6/7 router for around £30/month - compared to the £50+ I was paying for 1Gbps. Crucially, they offered a £300 buyout contribution toward any early termination fee from my old provider.

Many providers - especially those actively growing their customer base - will offer buyout deals to win your business. It's worth asking directly even if it's not advertised. The standard terms on the website required it to be for one address but they accepted the same approach over 2 addresses (due to me moving) and honoured it - nice one Youfibre!

Tip: When switching, ask the new provider explicitly: "Do you offer a contribution toward early termination fees?" The answer is often yes, especially if you're signing up to a longer contract.

The final numbers

Item	Original	Outcome
Monthly ETF (17 months)	~£401	Paid in full (accepted)
Activation fee	£149	Disputed — removed
Router fee	£125	Disputed — removed
New provider buyout	£300	−£300
Net cost	~£75	~£75

And going forward: faster speeds, better hardware, lower monthly bill.

Summary of tips

1. Check if your contract is a renewal - challenge activation and hardware fees if nothing new was provided
2. Ask the provider to itemise every charge and justify it specifically
3. Offer to return equipment in writing - removes the basis for a hardware charge
4. Escalate to ADR (CISAS or Ombudsman Services) if you reach deadlock - it's free and binding
5. Ask your new provider about ETF buyout contributions before you sign

Good luck - it takes a bit of persistence but the process is consumer-friendly once you know the steps.

Feel free to copy, adapt or repost this. Happy to answer questions in the thread.

flaneurs_lobster

Why the reluctance to name your old supplier?

Makes the narrative more relevant if someone else is in the same/similar situation with the same supplier.

oldernonethewiser

You paid £401 after getting other charges waived and your new supplier offset this with a £300 payment.

Where does the £75 come into this?

JSmithy45AD

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81997499#Comment_81997499

Given the 'router charge' and the 'activation fee' I'd hazard a guess that it's Onestream.

QrizB

You paid £401 after getting other charges waived and your new supplier offset this with a £300 payment.

Where does the £75 come into this?

Agreed, the arithmetic is a bit suspect. From the numbers posted, the net cost was £101.

Given the 'router charge' and the 'activation fee' I'd hazard a guess that it's Onstream.

From Onestream and to EE? I think EE offer to cover up to £300 in early termination charges?

littleboo

The OP says it's to Youfibre

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81997660#Comment_81997660

Oh so it does. I completely missed that in all the AI-generated warbling.

https://www.youfibre.com/promises/contract-buy-out/

eddiespaghetti187

I initially wrote the post while still trying to get the issue finalised and didn't want to prejudice anything. Now that I'm clear, you are correct, it's Onestream.

Second question - the process took a month, so 25 quid dropped off the total early repayment charge.

It was a total of roughly £75 paid, from an initial attempt by onestream of £675.

Bendo

Good result. Although a better option would have been to research how shady that provider is in the first place and steer well clear.

Meanmachine58

What was the response of CISAS to complaint ?.

eddiespaghetti187

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82000723#Comment_82000723

My experience up until I needed to move house was absolutely fine. Their customer servive were responsive, and the service itself was stable and fast. They only became a problem because of the lack of decent service at the new address and their inflexibility when faced with some clear facts against them.

CISAS didn't need to rule, they folded when I presented the case.