Hi All,

I have a very simple question. I phoned BT on Monday or Tuesday last week to activate a BT line in my new house. I asked to have it turned on on Friday 26th, when I got the keys to the house.

Today I have spoken to my mobile provider (Orange) to organise one of their boradband deals. They have said that one of their new deals includes BT line rental.
So seeing as I have only been in the contract with BT for 5 or 6 days in total, I believe I am within my consumer rights to cancel my contract - just like you can with any credit card, or return a product back to the shop in original condition for a fll refund etc.

I have just spoken to a woman at BT who says that because the phone is now connected, I have to pay a £70 disconnet fee. I am waiting to hear back from her manager, because I'm sure that is wrong, and I am within my rights to cancel in the first (normally) 14 days of a contract.
Can anyone confirm whether I'm right on this? TIA

Cocksy

I think you'll find Orange will require you to have a working BT landline before they'll 'take over' anyway.

http://www.orange.co.uk/time/broadbandaccess/

Not sure where you stand really. The only problem I see if that BT have performed work due to your order. They're going to want to cover the cost of that work somehow.

BT did not do any work to activate the line - it was already physically installed, all they did was turn it on. Even so, am I within my rights to cancel within a certain amount of time?

Home Max package includes BT line rental - thats the one I'm going for.... if I can cancel the BT line... Hopefully the manager will ring back - obviously she said she would ring in 5-10 mins. That was half an hour ago.........

You missed the word 'before' in my post.

Ah, right i see. thats not what the fella at orange on the phone said to me - I may have to call up and confirm what he said with someone else....

Heinz,

Thank you so much - you are a lfe-saver! I spoke to a really helpful woman at Orange who said that I don't cancel my BT contract - they sort i all out for me! I'm so glad you pointed that out to me - the first guy I spoke to at Orange got it very wrong and sent me down a rabbit warren! Never mind, all sorted now!! Cheers again Heinz!

In essence you are still paying BT for line rental, but not directly and at a different price. Unless you are Orange LLU'd then Orange basically collect the line rental from you and pass it on to BT wholesale at a better rate than you doing so directly. If you are LLU'd then they connect you to their equipment at the exchange and the line rental fee is theirs as they are providing the "line"

Either way, you still have to physically have a BT line installed and working before ANYONE can take it over!


LCDMAN..........The man with no sig!

If Orange take pver your line rental from BT Retail you will end up with a termination charge on your final bill from BT. No matter what their helpful sales staff may say.