Cancellation Charges - No longer in Contract but they want to penalise the account holder

[Frustratedmuch]

I'm here messaging for friends.  They have BT Vision, Phoneline and Broadband.  Their contract expired long ago and they have no further obligation on the term of their contract.

They have given more than a months notice and been told that to cancel the broadband there is a £30 charge.

Why?

They were told that if they took the service elsewhere then they won't have to pay.  So they're being penalised for not taking the service elsewhere.  How is this fair?  How can BT charge when they're out of contract and are obliged to pay no more but just because they want to cease service entirely they have to pay. 

A few years ago I had a BT account.  The BT vision never turned up and after much deliberation I cancelled it.  I then waited 18 months and then cancelled the broadband and the phoneline.  They also wanted to charge me £30.  I fought and fought and was assured the money would not be taken.  Later that month the took the £30 from my partners bank account.  I no longer had then energy to fight back.  In my eyes they stole from us. 

I'd love to hear from anyone in a similar situation and what happened.  I'd love to hear from BT also and get an explanation.  My friends are moving out.  Two of them are moving into a place where everything is already set up with someone else so they have no need of BT.  I am moving in with one of them to another house and because of my experience I have put the blockade up and won't even consider using BT.  The house we're moving to is set up for Virgin anyway so I'll have to look in to using them.

What advice can I give my friends so that they can not pay this ridiculous charge?

[Patty-L]

Hello there,  I'm afraid that if you cancel Broadband there is a £30 cancellation fee, whichever ISP you are with.

If they were going to a different provider they could ask for a MAC code and there would be no charge.

It is in the terms and conditions.

Patty-L 

[john46]

Hi the charge is raised by BT Wholesale for the disconnection of the line from all the exchange equipment and the updating of line records this charge is made by all isps not just BT if broadband is cancelled and no mac code for transfer is used

[Ectophile · Accepted solution]

1) They levy this charge because they can. OFCOM have let them introduce the charge, and later increase it to £30.

2) It's in the Terms and Conditions. "40. When you end your broadband service and do not request and use a migration authorisation code (MAC) or another recognised transfer process to move to another service provider you will have to pay a cease charge of £30. You will not have to pay this charge in the event you are moving home and we are unable to provide the service at the new UK address."