Broadband cancellation fee!

codebluecodeblue Posts: 14,072
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All i want to do is stop broadband at my property.

Im not in a contract with my current provider, and yet to stop the service (due to moving house) they want to charge me £25!!!!

This is utterly stupid, ive never heard of anything so ridiculous.

My current ISP was not the first one i had at the property, so they have done absolute zero for me apart from the service i have handsomly paid for.

Is there any way to put an end to this charade?

Comments

  • TouristaTourista Posts: 14,338
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    Unless you are still within the contract period, I cannot see any right to charge you anything.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,327
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    Did they supply any equipment such as a wireless router, and if so then how long ago?
  • droogiefretdroogiefret Posts: 24,117
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    I'm getting the same for changing BB providers - getting charged about £30 by BT as a stoppage charge.

    You may find this thread interesting.
  • codebluecodeblue Posts: 14,072
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    John259 wrote: »
    Did they supply any equipment such as a wireless router, and if so then how long ago?

    No, they didnt do anything.

    Ive been with them for years, but it appears in 2008 BT started to charge for removal of Broadband lines and they added this to the terms and conditions.

    http://www.plus.net/info2/legal/index.html


    Apparently if i request a MAC key i dont get charged!

    This is all very bitter, they have already suggested if i dont pay they will pass on this debt to a collections agency, and add on a handling fee!

    It is not the amount that annoys me, but the way they have set about this.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,327
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    Are you changing to a different ISP? If so, maybe they can help sort it out in some way?
  • codebluecodeblue Posts: 14,072
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    John259 wrote: »
    Are you changing to a different ISP? If so, maybe they can help sort it out in some way?

    No, just moving house, already have BB at the new place.

    What should i have done, requested a MAC key and just not bothered with them?
  • Phil SPhil S Posts: 1,777
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    Yep BT charge £30 unless you request a MAC code which means your migrating to another provider but using BT wires.

    So in effect they have little or no work to do and they are still indirectly getting your money via a 3rd party provider.

    If your changing to Cable or ceasimg completely you won't be using their service and wires and therefore they feel justified to charge you £30 for recovery of the service.

    I'm sure in practise little recovery work is really neccesary, the wires could be left in situ, and I agree the £30 charge is a bit of a rip off but it's in the T&Cs so what choice have we got.
  • codebluecodeblue Posts: 14,072
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    should i just request a mac code and never use it?
  • droogiefretdroogiefret Posts: 24,117
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    codeblue wrote: »
    should i just request a mac code and never use it?

    I doubt that will work. Presumably BT levy the charge from the new service provider. So if you don't use it in 30 days they just come to you for the money anyway.
  • Richard_TRichard_T Posts: 5,159
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    Wjhats your ISP/ some ISPs offer a house move service/move my broadband/phone.
  • mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    codeblue wrote: »
    should i just request a mac code and never use it?

    If you never use it your service with your ISP will not be cancelled so you'll be liable for further subscription charges. If you cancel the phone line it will cause the broadband to be cancelled too, so you'll be liable for the £30 BT fee + whatever if anything your ISP is going to charge you.
  • SteveMcKSteveMcK Posts: 5,457
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    You must have signed a contract for the broadband when you first got it, it would have mentioned the fee. If it didn't then you'll have no trouble proving that, if it did then it's hardly BTs fault if you either didn't notice, or assumed that it didn't apply for some reason .
  • alcockellalcockell Posts: 25,160
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    A cease/cancellation without a MAC requires Openreach to send a tech out to the exchange, and they then have to remove a physical patch cable - often removing the threaded cable from between 2 banks of comms ports.

    Can take up to an hour of their time.

    As many ISPs are no longer just renting an IPStream-type service from them, they have to recoup costs somehow. Came in when LLU really hit.
  • TassiumTassium Posts: 31,639
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    T&C are just made up, they are not an accurate reflection of UK law.

    It's just a civil thing and can be challenged and I have a feeling non of these companies want them challenged, it's the rip-off banks all over again.

    If it were me...

    I would send out a good half-dozen of identical letters to several key people within the organisation, "cc ing" the letter so everyone else knows they got a letter.

    Keep it polite and factual and state what you want (no charges at all). State you will be contacting some kind of media consumer rights set-up with this situation.
  • alcockellalcockell Posts: 25,160
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    Sorry to burst your bubble, but ALL ADSL ISPs added these cease fees to their T&Cs. They swallow the setup charges though.
  • SteveMcKSteveMcK Posts: 5,457
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    Tassium wrote: »
    T&C are just made up, they are not an accurate reflection of UK law.

    That is complete nonsense. Ts & Cs are fundamental to a contract, without them it wouldn't be a contract, all you'd have is a "gentleman's agreement". When you sign a contract both parties are agreeing to abide by the Ts & Cs, that is what makes it a contract in the first place!

    Obviously if you can prove that the Ts & Cs are in some way unreasonable or illegal then you may be able to persuade a court to set aside the contract, but to assume that you can blithely ignore them because you don't think they're fair is just plain silly.

    If the ISP took your money & didn't provide the service, you would be quick to wave the contact at them. Why people believe that contracts only apply one way never ceases to amaze me.
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