This topic

Leaving BT

leshiggins1 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:06:27 GMT

Recently the whole area where i live has just had fibre optics installed . So I signed up as BT hasn't got complete fibre optics in our area. I have been with BT for nearly 20 years and to my surprise they want to charge me over £440 cancelation charges I am over 85 and I disgusted at the draconian exit charge and its not fair

Re: Leaving BT

imjolly — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:55:24 GMT

sorry but can't believe you were not aware that you were in a fixed term contract with BT and terminating that contract early will result in cancellation charges based on the remainder of your contract. This is standard practice and not something only done by BT

I am surprised your new provider did not advise you that you would face cancellation charges when terminating early but maybe thought knowing about charges you would not place an order some companies offer to pay towards your cancellation charges if/when you join them

Re: Leaving BT

leshiggins1 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:05:48 GMT

I suspect the cancellation charges were in small print or at the time I renewed the operator spoke too fast to grasp all the implications of the cancellation. The point is BT don't offer Full Fibre and its totally unfair to load a draconian charge on a 20 year customer who will probably never come back to BT because of it.

Re: Leaving BT

garybs29 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:45:21 GMT

Ahhh standard little child "It's not fair response".

Fact is you agreed to a contract for 24 months yet are now wanting to leave it early & expect to get to do so free of charge (against t&c's) because "it's not fair", you'll just have to learn to read what you're agreeing to in the future to be completely blunt

Re: Leaving BT

imjolly — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:05:08 GMT

@leshiggins1

if you have been with BT for 20 years then you must have renewed your contract many times and the cancellation charges have been on every contract you have renewed. This is not something new. you have made a mistake switching when still in contract and now need to pay the cost just like anyone else

Re: Leaving BT

licquorice — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:27:26 GMT

Why would you expect to get a hefty discount for taking out a 2 year contract and then not have to pay cancellation charges when dishonouring the contract?

There is no point in giving a discount for a 2 year contract if there is no penalty for breaking it!!

Surely it's standard practice with any contract you enter into with any industry.

Re: Leaving BT

Les-Gibson — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:41:51 GMT

Presumably you are still in your cooling off period with your new supplier (?), it may be prudent to have a re-think.

Re: Leaving BT

leshiggins1 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:01:12 GMT

What discount. I pay on average £66 per month . The point is there was no fibre optics where I live and I believe BT have been slow to Roll out Fibre Optics when compared to other countries. A local Firm in Cardiff is covering many areas in South Wales and further more much cheaper than BT. This firm I mentioned had to channel out the road and install the Fibre Optics to all residents free of charge ,no installation charge free modem why couldn't BT do that?

Re: Leaving BT

leshiggins1 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:02:26 GMT

No BT Fibre Optics in area

Re: Leaving BT

imjolly — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:19:11 GMT

the installation of the fibre cables is nothing to do with BT Retail it is installed by openreach and while they are part of BT Group have no contact with BT Retail anymore than they have with SKY/TT and other ISPs

looks like you just need to 'bite the bullet' and pay cancellation fee

Re: Leaving BT

leshiggins1 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:44:51 GMT

Are the replies I am getting from forum moderators ? Is my messages going out to the BT general forum members

Re: Leaving BT

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:50:23 GMT

@leshiggins1

This is just a customer to customer help forum, everyone here, including myself, are just customers.

The only BT Employees are the forum moderators who will identify themselves. No moderators have posted on this thread.

They would not be able to change the terms of your contract as set out in the T&Cs.

Re: Leaving BT

garybs29 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 11:06:24 GMT

The other provider are likely getting huge government grants to install it too hence what they're able to offer

Re: Leaving BT

licquorice — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 11:14:19 GMT

@leshiggins1 I suggest you consult a dictionary for the meaning of contract.

Re: Leaving BT

iniltous — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:01:48 GMT

If you are within a minimum term , the just because an alternative has become available that you like isn’t sufficient reason to be able to walk away from your contractual obligations.
The ETC is primarily based on what you would pay if the ‘contract’ wasn’t terminated by yourself ( with a reduction for the VAT element ) so £440 suggests you only recently re contracted.
It may seem harsh, but basically as already stated, if you didn’t want to be bound by a minimum term , you shouldn’t have renewed but allowed your ‘contract’ to become a rolling 30 day notice to quit one .
As far as what you pay per month , without knowing what you get ( potentially telephony, calls , broadband, TV , premium TV content ) it’s impossible to know if what you pay is value for money, but anyway, you accepted that cost , there was no gun to your head.

Openreach are doing exactly what you state ( building FTTP and offering access to it ) in thousands of places , but it’s impossible to do every location simultaneously, some places are simply further down Openreach’s ‘to do’ list

Re: Leaving BT

leshiggins1 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:23:04 GMT

Do not want pompous and not helpful comments from you

Re: Leaving BT

JohnC2 — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:29:56 GMT

Hi @leshiggins1, sorry you're not happy with the cancellation charges that apply when you cancel within your contract period. The charges would be raised correctly if you leave before the end of the contract: Leaving BT | BT Help

Maybe the post by @Les-Gibson advising you to contact your new provider if you are within the cooling off period is something to consider.

Cheers

John

Re: Leaving BT

allanraymond — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 15:50:05 GMT

leshiggins1

Some of the responses to your post seem a little harsh, however having just checked the email from BT when I last renewed my contract it did say:

Your right to cancel
You can cancel your order up to 14 days from when your service starts or kit arrives, whichever is latest. You'll need to pay for anything you've used, and you'll have to return the kit we've sent you, at your own cost, within 14 days of telling us you want to cancel. Then we'll refund anything you've paid for that kit within 14 days of getting it back.

After that, you'll need to give us 30 days' notice if you'd like to cancel any of your services. And if it comes with a minimum term, you might have to pay a charge for ending your service early . If you've paid any up-front fees (like activation fees), we can't refund them.

There were links in the email pointing to more details on cancelation charges.