BT Out of Contract

[Vince007]

I have spent hours searching for an answer to this without success.

I am out of contract with BT

I am considering EE BUT if I take a new contract with them by signing up online will that work the same as if I were moving to another FTTP provider (not Virgin)?

1. I sign up online via EE website

2. EE notify BT and this triggers my 30 day cancellation period with BT

3. BT request return of their equipment 

4. EE take over line/broadband

5. BT send final bill (probably something because the service will move to EE before the 30 day notice period is up).

Or will this be blocked and treated as a migration from BT to EE? I am out of contract!

[Kimberlin]

Easiest way bar none, is just to switch using One Touch switching. I did that, took 5 working days, easiest route if you have no desire to talk to BT.

[Kodikid]

Mate you're out of contract...you can pick whoever you choose to be your isp. Your timetable of events is exactly what will happen. 

Also have a quick look at plusnet, they're usually cheaper for the exact same product. 

[Vince007]

Thanks all for quick responses

[Kimberlin]

Indeed, it was Plusnet who I switched to. It really was the easiest switch I’ve ever done on broadband. As long as you input your address details correctly and you don’t have any equipment or supply complications, One Touch Switching is excellent despite what others might say to the contrary.

Be prepared however to suffer BT Retentions calling you. I had to block them in the end. Of course you might want to listen to what they have to say and that’s your prerogative.

[gg30340]

It will no doubt be treated as a migration from BT to EE. 

You may be out of your fixed term contract with BT but you are still a BT customer on a 30 day contract. Hence the 30 days notice if you leave.

See link from EE about switching.

https://ee.co.uk/shop/broadband/migrate-to-ee

In case you are not aware, if you leave BT for another provider your BTMail email accounts if you have any will be moved to BTMail Basic. If you move to EE they will stay as they are now.

https://www.bt.com/help/email/bt-email-products

[Kimberlin]

Notwithstanding the advice above, I switched exactly one day after my contract ended, no 30 day notice period using OTS, it was just done within 5 working days.

[iniltous]

Although the corporate mission to get consumers off BT and onto EE was cancelled, there still seems to be a desire to do it , so if you are considering EE , then using the BT incentive to move may be better than signing up yourself with EE , in the same way you would with any other ISP , I periodically get offers from BT to switch to EE , if I decide it’s a good move , I’d use BT’s  migration process rather than the OTS system, even if in the background it’s OTS anyway .

[gg30340]

@Kimberlin 

The 30 day notice period is if you are ceasing your BT broadband or moving to a provider that is not on the Openreach network.

It is normally a 14 day period if you are moving to another provider, and as  Plusnet, the company that you moved to is a BT Group company, BT may have waived the notice period because of that.

The OTS only really comes into play if you are moving ISP to one which does not use the Openreach network.  

Previously if you were staying on the Openreach network the new ISP would inform BT that you were switching. You did not need to cease your BT Broadband because you were staying on the same network.

Where as previously if you moved to an AltNet provider you had to cancel your BT Broadband because the AltNet would not/ could not do that for you.

One Touch Switch process is specifically aimed at switches between different networks, ie Openreach and AltNets it means everyone gets the same, simpler experience. Now, the new provider handles the whole process, no matter which provider you choose.

[Kimberlin]

Totally appreciate the explanation.

I appreciate I could have swapped from BT to Plusnet via calling them but as I have zero desire to converse with or engage with BT’s idea of Customer Services, I went the OTS route. I just find it sad that Retentions thought that calling my number several times a day without leaving so much as a message was acceptable when it certainly isn’t.