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£5 charge for BT Sport - can I cancel my BT Broadband contract?
horsepills
Posts: 512 Forum Member
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I use SKY for my tv, and BT for my broadband. I was recently going to move the broadband to SKY, to save a bit of cash and have it all with one supplier, but BT convinced me to re-contract with them for another 12 months - only because they promised me "free access to BT Sports, with all champions league matches, etc...."
Now they have just announced that SKY tv customers will have to pay £5 a month to get all matches - if I had known this in advance, I wouldn't have re-contracted. Do you think I now have a case to cancel my BT Broadband contract?
Now they have just announced that SKY tv customers will have to pay £5 a month to get all matches - if I had known this in advance, I wouldn't have re-contracted. Do you think I now have a case to cancel my BT Broadband contract?
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If not then you have not got a leg to stand on I'm afraid.
£5pm is for bt sport Europe - where all the champ league is
Yes I get that the £5 is for European football. My point is that I was sold BT Broadband on the basis that European football would be free to me also....
Unfortunately, I didn't get that in writing though so as Radiogram says, I probably don't have a leg to stand on. I'll remember it when it comes to renewing next year though >:(
Problem is that people who watch content on BT Sports 2 and ESPN are losing out. When I signed up to BT it was on the understanding that BTS 1, 2 and ESPN would be 'free'. Wouldn't this be a breach of contract on their side?
It was "free while in a contract" wasn't it? So when your contract ends, they can do what they like. It was always "half price" (£6.75 IIRC) for BT broadband users not in contract, and of course that can be changed at any time.
If they raise prices during a fixed term contract by more than what the T&Cs allowed when you signed up, they will allow you to end your contract without penalty. I seem to recall that BT are pretty generous with this, compared to Sky's "up to 10%" condition.
Tonight, I'm going to tell them where they can stick the BT Sports package and as my Broadband contact is up for renewal at the beginning of July, might even do some research on alternative broadband before I tell them where to stick their package.
since the PL rights deal was done it's been widely accepted that BT having paid lots of money for the rights would charge a fee, and if you are a BT TV customer it is free anyway...but in response to the OP do you have a case to cancel penalty free, no, unless you can prove you were mis-led but as you were going to Sky , and they don't have PL and on your current BT terms you won't have PL football, so in what way are you disadvantaged ?
You get what you always had , for the same price you previously paid, and if you don't want to pay the £5 ( or get BTTV ) you can always go to the pub to watch
Not true...up until now BT customers could watch European games for free on ITV (and even more if they have a sky sub). From now on, they cannot watch a single European game without having to pay extra.
It's not a big 'if' (are you deliberately being antagonistic?) - the sales advisor definitely said it - it was the only reason I didn't switch to sky.
No, I didn't get it in writing - let's be honest, who does insist on that sort of thing? In hindsight, I should have, but that's easy to say now.
I'm disadvantaged because had I moved my broadband to Sky, I would have saved money by consolidating. I sacrificed that saving based on the promise that I get free European football.
Fortunately BT haven't adopted the stance you've taken (i.e. prove your accusation or stop moaning) and have said they will review the recording of the call.
The reason people are annoyed is that that's not true. Only BTS 1 will now be free. BTS 2 and ESPN (along with BT Europe) will now be part of the paid for package. So yes I'm annoyed, because I'm losing two thirds of the channels I receive now.
"Your BT Sport discount
Thanks for renewing your BT Broadband contract to get BT Sport for free.
Your new 12 month contract will start on 04-Dec-2014.
If you cancel your BT Sport Pack subscription and then sign up again later you'll need to agree to a new BT Broadband contract, with a minimum term of at least 12 months, to get BT Sport for free."
Looking at BT Sport, the Sport Pack now includes BT Sport Europe so as per my agreement with them I should get this as it doesn't state anything about BT Sport Lite.
I don't understand why BT couldn't throw in this channel for existing customers for free, but charge for new subs.
Because they need to earn well over a billion pounds in the next few years just to break even on the Champions League alone. When you factor in their Premier League spend and everything else they broadcast on their sports channels, they must be spending an absolute fortune in their losing battle with Sky. With BT everyone pays for their gross overspend on football rights.
Expect:
- Line rental to jump well above inflation - again.
- Price increases on various telephone services, calls, and add-ons.
- Price hikes on broadband services.
They have changed the packs BT Broadband customers will only get BT Sport Lite now, which is just BT Sport 1, you will lose 2 & ESPN which will go into the new Sport Pack with the European channel...so you are losing 2 channels, unless you pay the £5.00.
But they don't make it easy to opt out, looks like you have to go through a menu, put in a new order and they make it difficult so that you might click on the wrong button and agree to new charges.
Is this extra charge only if you view bt sports through the sky platform?
Does it affect bb customers who stream content to phone/tablet ?
I can't find on bt where I unsub from the 5 quid charge for the Europe stuff but keep my original free bt1 and 2
My email was sent to my BT email account...I don't use this, and they have my email address I do use, but they didn't send it to that one, but my BT one instead.
BT Sport Lite is just BT Sport 1, if you want the other channels it will be £5 per month and an additional £4 per month if you want it in HD.
Be careful when downgrading, as it will automatically assume you are renewing for a new 12 month contract, apparently there is a box to tick, to say you don't want to renew your contract.
The full BT Sport pack is now only going to be free for BT TV customers and that is what they are pushing...which does work out cheaper if you go for the most basic package which just has a one off £35 activation fee at the moment, but I don't trust a word this company says now, how long will they give it free for those TV customers who don't pay a subscription.
Im sure my Infinity 2 contract ends at the start of March though as I had renewed my Infinity on 1st March I think it was for 12 months. I had also renewed my BT TV at some time but then upgraded my BT TV at the end of April when the new TV packages came out and I had to take a new 12 months BT TV contract.
Darren
Wouldn't trust a word this company says, that's what they told those renewing their broadband contracts...yes you will get it free, but for how long?
I'll give this a go.
I actually get my bt sports through virgin xl anyway, so just need to see if any deal is done there
Yeah of course Sky give their footy away for free
Would any business pay hundreds of millions for something and not want to benefit
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with them charging for it...it's just the underhand way they have done it.
When renewing my broadband contract the exact wording was " Thanks for renewing your BT Broadband to get BT Sport for free" BT Sport was then the 3 channels, not BT Sport Lite...I renewed for 12 months, and that is all I would expect them to honour the original package or release me from my contract.