This topic

Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Nicko2 — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:09:09 GMT

I have read earlier posts, but others may be interested:

We have had a Full Fibre 900 with Halo 3 package for around 4 years. It's time for a change, we are retired now and used to work from home, the kids have left and money is tighter.

Our current contract ends on 20 Nov (but I understand from this forum that our internet will continue if we do nothing? At a price!) I called BT several months ago and asked if I could downgrade and was told about a penalty for early departure, I should call back nearer the contract end. So I cancelled out TV sport package to save some cash for a few months.

Today I called again, 15 days before the end of contract. I was told that BT could not offer me a cheaper package, they "could not lower the speed" to say 300MbPs as I asked, they could not lower it at all! I was offered the same package for the same price. I asked about transferring to EE - but the package and price were about the same. Looking online this is the way the two websites work - a dreaded circle between the two that keeps you on the same package. No escape!

My BT guide agreed this was frustrating and apologised. The advice given was for my wife to set up a new contract with EE asap, ie to be a new customer. Then for me to be added to the account as contact in due course. (This might allow me to get a cheaper EE phone contract). This is absurd. I am about to phone EE and masquerade as my wife (who has never had anything to do with either BT or EE).

Seriously - others have written about far worse situations. Is there any other way of doing this?

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

gg30340 — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:43:19 GMT

Send a complaint out lining your problem to the BT CEO. You'll get her email address with an Internet search.

She will never get the email but her executive team should and they may be able to rectify this absurd practice.

If it does not get sorted be prepared to leave BT. There are plenty of good deals for new customers.

In any event you should drop the Halo add on. It is just a con to get more money from customers. You should also consider dropping down to at the most 500 Mbps and even down to 150Mbps which given what you have said will be more than enough.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

imjolly — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:52:25 GMT

If you do not use your home phone I would use the OFCOM one touch switch and place an order with ISP like SKY or PLUS NET get better cheaper deal and probably a reward as well. All you do is place order for package you want and new ISP will do the rest

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Kimberlin — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:31:22 GMT

@Nicko2

100 percent with @imjolly on this. As they say, if you don’t have a landline? or even if you do, do you actually really use it or need it? then go with the advice and switch. That way, you’ll avoid any more hassle attempting to negotiate with BT, indeed you won’t even have to speak to anyone at all, you can return all of your kit, especially that Halo stuff and move on.

There has it seems, been a massive push to entice customers onto contracts involving much higher speeds than most households would ever need, well ISP’s would, wouldn’t they? because they get more money out of the customer.

As has been stated, you’d probably be fine with just 150mbps. I’m on 500mbps and I’ve got loads of devices connected to my non ISP router and my Wife WFH and we could easily get by on just 300mbps.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

pddco — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:55:07 GMT

150Mbps (100Mbps minimum speed guarantee) is comfortably 3 UHD TVs and room to spare all streaming at the same time. Many other devices, including streaming videos on your mobile phones, are only demanding a fraction of that. Probably in a domestic environment the only time you’d appreciate a 900Mbps service is if you get a buzz from looking at the results of a speed test. Or you really appreciate saving a few minutes downloading a windows update or map update for your sat nav.. Even gaming is not that data hungry. The key criteria is lag/ latency which fibre to the premises wins hands down irrespective of speed.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Nicko2 — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 18:58:37 GMT

Thanks for the advice offered, very helpful in spurring me on to investigate further.

Update: 2 calls to EE, the first was very pushy sales talk where I felt we were bargaining, rather than being offered the product I wanted at a price that was set. Not happy!

Second call to EE was more business like; upshot is that the inclusion of Halo in my BT contract prevents "the system" from offering EE's best prices for the product I want. I was told that once I am out of contract EE can offer better prices (comparable to similar offers for 150-300Mbps on the price comparison sites). A call back was arranged for a couple of days after the contract ends in 2 weeks time.

So as others have said the upselling of Halo and the will of BT to retain it by pushing folk to renew before their contract ends is causing a problem for many of us (I have just received another email to that effect!). But wait until the contract ends and EE should be able to offer better deals without Halo.

I will let you know how this goes but at present I am likely to go with EE rather than to another provider because: I can retain our BT email accounts (without paying £7.50 to move them to Premium), we don't have to change router and I have a phone contract with them.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Kimberlin — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:50:34 GMT

@Nicko2

If you do switch from BT to EE, with regards to the router, judging by what some have posted on this forum, you'd apparently be better off sending back the BT router and accepting the EE router if one is offered. It will be a WiFi 6 router? which if the case, will be much better than the SH2 if that is what you currently have. I'm happy to be corrected if this isn't the case.

I genuinely hope your switch goes without a hitch when it happens.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

gg30340 — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 20:34:40 GMT

If you are migrating to EE and you presently have a Smarthub 2 you will not be offered an EE hub.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Skentleberry — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:02:51 GMT

Hi, going through the same downgrade process as you, well trying to and meeting the same obstacles.

Did you sort it when tour contract had expired?

Cheers

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

ScarletP — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:52:10 GMT

Initiate a move to another ISP. You'll be surprised how quickly BT become amenable to your needs.

Alternatively, email the complaints address given in "BT Complaints Code of Practice", a PDF downloadable with a Goole search. They'll take about 5 days to respond.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Kimberlin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:28:45 GMT

@Skentleberry

It’s worth pointing out that if you are out of the usual 24 month contract with BT and are now on monthly rolling contract, you can easily switch to EE (or most other ISP’s) using One Touch Switching without even getting into a conversation with BT. That way, you can pick the plan you want without any of the hassle.

If BT won’t play ball, just go elsewhere. You shouldn’t have to waste precious minutes, hours, days of your life waiting for your ISP to get their act together.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Skentleberry — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:02:59 GMT

@Kimberlin
I'm out of contract in January so will follow your advice thanks.
It just seems ludicrous and it's extremely frustrating that BT don't allow a downgrade to be processed while 'in' contract. They don't even have a competitive offer! Have they not realised the monopoly they had has long since expired.

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

Kimberlin — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:34:33 GMT

@Skentleberry

One could be forgiven for believing that all ISP’s make it deliberately inconvenient for the customer to get a better deal once an initial 12/24 month contract comes to an end. You are expected to make sometimes an extraordinary effort to haggle and push for a better deal akin to what a new customer would get should you want to stay with your existing ISP.

Quite frankly, unless you’ve not got much going on in your life, who has got the time to talk with a retention team member for ages? One Touch Switching, despite the stories of doom some like to espouse, is a major step forward in avoiding all that unnecessary dialogue. I get it, some customers don’t mind negotiating, but some of us don’t. Then there’s the folks who are happy to spend decades with the same provider or do so out of sheer convenience.

It’s all about choice at the end of the day. Good luck with whatever you decide 👍

Re: Downgrading my BT package, well trying to...

gg30340 — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:33:06 GMT

You should be able to enter into a new contract if you are in the last month of your present Fixed Term Contract.

The sales rep will no doubt try to keep you on your present package rather than "downgrading" you to a less expensive package but if you stand your ground they should be able to do it.

If for any reason they do not let you downgrade ask to be put through to the BT Retentions Department or call them on 0800.783.1401

Unlike what some like to espouse, there is no need for you to make an "extraordinary effort to haggle and push for a better deal".

All you do is ask them what is the best deal they can offer you for the package you want in order to keep you as a customer and if you do not like that offer you just walk away and switch to another provider. It should take no more than five or ten minutes of your time which is about the same amount of time it will take you to switch providers.

Before calling check out what other ISPs are offering and don't be fooled by the first price you see unless you are happy it is 100% like for like. Some packages offer less "extras" than others.

You should also be aware that if you leave BT and you are presently using a BTMail email address this will be downgraded to a BTMail Basic email account which can only be used with a web browser and not with an email client or email app such as you might be using on a mobile device unless you move to a BT Premium email account at £7.50 a month.