My father has moved into a care home - BT want a £400 cancellation fee despite many years of loyalty

[CrosCris]

My father is 94 and moved into a care home in October so I cancelled the account that I run on his behalf. The account has consistently featured a landline, broadband and BT sport (now TNT sport) for many years and bills have been paid on time by direct debit.  My father has worsening  essential tremor in his hands so cannot really use the phone very well - therefore about a year ago I varied the phone package from unlimited minutes to 700 minutes to save a little money - this package is still well over the top for what he needs. BT have used this adjustment to reset the contract term and now want to levy a £400 cancellation charge for early termination.  My father is insisting that he will pay this but it will need to come out of his funeral fund as it is the only money he has.

There are complicating factors here. The account was opened by my sister in law on my father's behalf when he moved in 7 or so years ago - she and my brother own the flat. I actually pay the bills and administrate the account - so his name is not on any of the BT paperwork. I can prove that he was the sole occupant of the flat and that he has moved from that address to a care home in October as I have plenty of paperwork from Kent County Council showing this. The BT representative that I spoke to said that nothing could be done because BT have a legal contract in my sister in laws name and will not consider anything else.

I'm hoping a moderator can step in and be reasonable - I can easily provide evidence for the above. 

[Christopher_G · Accepted solution]

Hi @CrosCris 

Welcome to the community.

I've sent you a private message to try and get you some help with this. Could you take a look and get back to me please?

Thanks
Chris

[36ULW]

BT…….. 😬

Loyalty…… 🤭

BT and Loyalty…….. 😆😆😆😆

Had a bit of a bad day today but you just cheered me right up. BT and Loyalty. Yeah, not in this Universe. 

[CrosCris]

Loyalty cuts both ways - as well as my father’s account we as a family have several other BT accounts. If BT are not reasonable about this they will lose a lot more than £400 when we shut them all down.

[gg30340]

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@CrosCris wrote:

Loyalty cuts both ways - as well as my father’s account we as a family have several other BT accounts. If BT are not reasonable about this they will lose a lot more than £400 when we shut them all down.

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There is no such thing as loyalty.

There are only customers and people who will potentially become customers. This is because people such as your self who are not happy with the service/ price they receive from their Internet Provider decide to move to a different provider. That is until the minimum term of that contract is up and they move on again to another provider because they find out the service/ price from the new provider is equally as bad and so the circle goes on.

Given that BT have in excess of 30 million customers, 10 million of which are broadband customers and their new division EE have in excess of 21 million customers for mobile and broadband I doubt BT would lose any sleep over you and your family leaving.

If you and your family do decide to move away from BT just remember to do it at the end of your minimum term contract or as you have found out,  you will incur cancellation fees. 

[CrosCris]

Well you are just too cynical - BT have waived the cancellation fee.

[gg30340]

Not cynical at all. BT would have done that because of your father's circumstances regardless of how long you were a customer. It has nothing to do with loyalty.