This topic

Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:41:47 GMT

My contract ends on 24 June and I want to cancel my contract and move to a new provider . I phoned up last week on 1 June and cancelled, and have been told several times on the phone that my contract has been ceased and will end on 30 June (30 days notice from when I phoned on 1 June. But I am still getting emails from bt asking me to renew “because my contract is ending”, and I have not had an email confirming that I have ended the contract and it will end on 30 June. This has been confirmed in 3 phone calls but they cannot confirm by email or letter. How can I get confirmation that bt has cancelled my contract? Poor customer service from BT is the reason I am leaving - as well as cost - so I really want some written confirmation as BT had messed up my contract before.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:05:27 GMT

@SPalom

You are doing this the wrong way, as a pending cease on your line will prevent a new provider from giving you service until all of the cease tasks close. This could take up to 10 days after the 30th June.

The correct way is to place an order with your new provider, and they will inform BT that they are taking over your line.

You will get a letter from BT saying sorry you are leaving.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:05:54 GMT

Ah - thanks for that. What a palaver!

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:13:22 GMT

The purpose of the process is to provide a seamless changeover between providers, with no loss of service.

The problem is now that you may already have a pending cease on the line if you have told BT you want to cancel. You will find this out once your new provider tries to get Openreach to provide service, as the order will fail and you will be without any service.

If you are moving to a provider that does not use Openreach, then it does not matter.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:17:29 GMT

Ok - but why can I not end my contract with BT when it ends on 24 June, giving them 30 days notice so it ends on 30 June now? They said if I didn’t cease the account when the contract ends that they would move me to a rolling month by month contract

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:29:50 GMT

And surely all of the cease tasks should end when the contract ends on 30 June?

BT have said that I can move to a new provider on 30 June, as that is the day all services cease.

my problem is that they have not confirmed this in an email and say that their systems won’t let them.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

imjolly — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:35:35 GMT

@SPalom

As @Keith_Beddoe posted you have caused the delay in moving as you have not followed the simplified termination/move procedure set out by ofcom. This will need your new provider to have to delay your move until line is released after the set out delay time

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:40:11 GMT

Sorry I really don’t understand this.

My contract was due to end on 24 June.

The service and customer service from BT has been appalling so I have said that I want to close my account when the contract ends on 24 June rather than move onto a rolling month by month contract.

why can I not move to a new provider once I am out of contract?

All I want BT to do is confirm in writing that my contract is ending.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 19:43:26 GMT

“This will need your new provider to have to delay your move until line is released after the set out delay time “

what does this mean please? I have phoned BT and they have said that a new provider can take over the service from 30 June.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

imjolly — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:14:26 GMT

The post by @Keith_Beddoe e plains the delayed ause you have asked BT to end contract

When your BT fixed term contract ends then as per T&C you then move to rolling monthly contract.

If you had followed the OFCOM procedure then your move to new provider would have been trouble free

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:24:08 GMT

If that’s the case why have BT told me in 3 separate calls that I can move from by to a new provider without any problems or delays in the new service as long as the new service does not start before the existing account ends on 30 June?

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:26:03 GMT

Bt have told me I must give 30 days notice otherwise I will move to a rolling contract, that is alll I have done.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

licquorice — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:37:25 GMT

You only cancel your contract with BT if you are moving to a non-Openreach provider.

You are completely screwing things up by trying to cancel if you are moving to another provider which uses OPenreach infrastructure. The proper process is completely streamlined.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:51:42 GMT

This is completely the opposite of what 3 separate BT staff in 3 different phone calls have told me.

Each BT person I have spoken to in the last few days has told me that as I currently have a Halo contract, the only deals they can offer to switch to when my contract ends on 24 June is to take on another Halo contract which is much too expensive. I don’t want Halo, I want full fibre 100 and 3 separate staff at Bt value teams have said I need to end my contract on 24 June and enter a new one as a new customer - or move to another provider.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

licquorice — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:56:23 GMT

You won't get 'new customer' price by ending your contract and starting a new one with BT, you will also get a break in service.

If you are moving to a different provider, follow the correct procedure.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:17:58 GMT

This is not what bt have told me. See the comments I’m only offering halo packages please, and BT staff advice to cease the contract when it ends and take out a new contract with BT or another provider. I’m not sure why the advice on this forum is different to what BT staff have told me

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:26:20 GMT

This is not what bt have told me. They are only offering halo packages , and BT staff advice to cease the contract when it ends and take out a new contract with BT or another provider. I’m not sure why the advice on this forum is different to what BT staff have told me as I’ve been told this in3 separate calls to bt this week

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

imjolly — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:28:55 GMT

This is how you should have moved to new ISP

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/switching/switching-broadband-provider

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

SPalom — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:46:42 GMT

Thank you. In 3 calls to BT this has never been mentioned. I have been told that if I want to move to a new provider or get a non Halo BY new deal (full fibre 100) I have to give BT 30 days notice then set up a new provider or new bT deal in the phone or website. Please can a moderator advise on the best thing to do? People on this forum are helpfully advising one thing and BT are telling me another.

Re: Trying to cancel BT contract

gg30340 — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 21:53:27 GMT

See the following link regarding what you should have done if you wanted to move to a new provider when your fixed term contract ends.

Switching broadband provider - Ofcom

You are always in a contract with your broadband provider. If you were not you would not be provided with any broadband.

When you first joined BT you would be on a "fixed term contract" which as the name implies a fixed term, usually 24 months and usually included some sort of price discount for taking out the fixed term contract. If you wished to end that contract there would be cancellation fees.

See link

Leaving BT | BT Help

When the "fixed term contract" ends you are still in a contract with BT but you can leave without cancellation fees after giving 30 days notice or if you use the correct procedure to move to another broadband provider.

If you were not in a contract your broadband would stop. This is what will now happen because you have given BT notice that you want to leave.

Because you have not followed the correct procedure when moving to a new provider, your new provider can not take over your line until BT have complied with the law and kept a cease on your line for 14 days. This is to stop lines being "unlawfully" taken over by other companies.

Had you followed the correct procedure as per the above Ofcom link, your new provider could have seamlessly taken over your line and informed BT for you provided you had contacted your new company at least 14 days before your fixed term contract ended.