Is there any way to stop 18-months contract with BT?

QQQ

When I have rented a house in the UK, I have booked a 18-months contract for BT line and broadband internet. I had no time to choose the right price, needed broadband faster. Now I have realized that there is a plenty of more interesting offers from alternative operators, and I will be able to pay BT £11 just for the line. But I have realized that there is no way to stop BT contract. How can I avoid it? I am not a UK or EU citizen and I am a tenant. Can moving a house of saying to BT 'I intend to come back to my country and stop the contract' solve this problem?

sra

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normanmark

How long have you had the broadband? If its longer than 7 working days and you've already used the service after that period then unfortunately theres not a lot you can do to leave the contract without paying penalty charges.

If you want to leave then you'll have to pay the remaining months left on the contract to effectively 'buy' yourself out of the contract.

Drunkstar

QQQ wrote: »

I am not a UK or EU citizen and I am a tenant. Can moving a house of saying to BT 'I intend to come back to my country and stop the contract' solve this problem?

Leaving the country would still raise the fee I am afraid.

DatabaseError

plan B.
BT (virgin and tt) plan on using a company called phorm to [strike]track your web movements[/strike], [strike]spam you[/strike], [strike]make your internet experience slower[/strike], make your internet experience safer (BS!)
once this system is implemented bt (virgin and tt) must change their terms and conditions, at this point you can say, no thank you, and walk away without penalty.
hopefully, with the lobbying and negative publicity surrounding this [strike]invasion of privacy and contravention of the data protection laws[/strike], experience enhancer, it may turn out to be a dead duck, but i'm not holding my breath.

QQQ

Thanks for your answers.
Some days ago the BT line was not working for four+ days - somebody has stolen phone cable. And once they have also sent me a bill with mistakes. Can I say goodbye to BT for one of these reasons? Or, if not, how much is the leaving fee, is there any way to make it less?

normanmark

Somebody stealing phone cable is something out of BT's control. A bill with mistakes is not uncommon but not breaking their side of the agreement.

The leaving fee I think is either £70 or the remaining cost of the combined monthly line rental left on your agreement.

Ring them up, they'll be better placed to comment on your situation.

QQQ

normanmark wrote: »

Ring them up, they'll be better placed to comment on your situation.

I do not think they will be happy to help me escaping them. That's why I want to get the information from independent sources.

deklan99

tonyhague wrote: »

plan B.
BT (virgin and tt) plan on using a company called phorm....once this system is implemented bt (virgin and tt) must change their terms and conditions, at this point you can say, no thank you, and walk away without penalty............

Possibly, IF someone can prove it's to the customer's "material disadvantage"
"If we have made a change which is to your material disadvantage, you will not have to pay a charge if you decide to end your agreement early, unless the relevant price terms say otherwise. However, once we have told you about such a change, you must let us know that you want to end the agreement within ten days. When we make a change that we reasonably believe is to your material disadvantage we will also let you know that you may end the agreement early without paying a charge for doing so."

I somehow doubt it.

To the O.P. I think you're stuck with BT for the full term legally.

normanmark

QQQ wrote: »

I do not think they will be happy to help me escaping them. That's why I want to get the information from independent sources.

Maybe not, at least they can give you a concrete figure on how much it will be to leave the contract. In all honesty I don't think you'll be able to leave your contract without paying any penalty charges for breaking your end of the agreement.

QQQ

I have called BT and asked. That's amazing! The penalty will be equal to all remaining payments!
Why I can switch gas and water supplier anytime but this is not the case for phones and internet? Why consumer defense organizations do nothing about it?