Cancelling a broadband contract
Discussion
My broadband contract has now doubled in price so I want to cancel.
It is proving impossible to get through on the phone and their chat agents ignore my 4 requests to cancel, asking me if I want a better deal (which is then even more expensive!)
So...I am thinking of a written letter to head office and giving a full notice period (not necessary now but they do ask for it) that I will stop the DD and remove the hub Dec 31st. That from this date I consider the contract ended.
How do I stand legally on this? Is that a secure way for me to do this as they do say you must call to cancel but I cannot keep wasting hour upon hour on muzak music.
It is proving impossible to get through on the phone and their chat agents ignore my 4 requests to cancel, asking me if I want a better deal (which is then even more expensive!)
So...I am thinking of a written letter to head office and giving a full notice period (not necessary now but they do ask for it) that I will stop the DD and remove the hub Dec 31st. That from this date I consider the contract ended.
How do I stand legally on this? Is that a secure way for me to do this as they do say you must call to cancel but I cannot keep wasting hour upon hour on muzak music.
jondude said:
My broadband contract has now doubled in price so I want to cancel.
It is proving impossible to get through on the phone and their chat agents ignore my 4 requests to cancel, asking me if I want a better deal (which is then even more expensive!)
So...I am thinking of a written letter to head office and giving a full notice period (not necessary now but they do ask for it) that I will stop the DD and remove the hub Dec 31st. That from this date I consider the contract ended.
How do I stand legally on this? Is that a secure way for me to do this as they do say you must call to cancel but I cannot keep wasting hour upon hour on muzak music.
If you're out of contract and not on cable like Virgin then just pick your new provider & new deal. Complete the details on line. They do all the work - contact the old provider etc.Its simple I do it most years.It is proving impossible to get through on the phone and their chat agents ignore my 4 requests to cancel, asking me if I want a better deal (which is then even more expensive!)
So...I am thinking of a written letter to head office and giving a full notice period (not necessary now but they do ask for it) that I will stop the DD and remove the hub Dec 31st. That from this date I consider the contract ended.
How do I stand legally on this? Is that a secure way for me to do this as they do say you must call to cancel but I cannot keep wasting hour upon hour on muzak music.
Breadvan72 said:
OP, nobody can give you meaningful advice on this without seeing the full text of the termination provisions in the contract.
True yes, will try to hunt it down as all online these days. I think (think) that as my one year contract ended in October that as said above, I can just cancel any time as they have rolled it over without any new contract being given. But I'd give 30 days anyhow so as to be sure I can be with another provider.
I'll try to get the small print re cancellation terms.
jondude said:
i4got said:
If you're out of contract and not on cable like Virgin then just pick your new provider & new deal. Complete the details on line. They do all the work - contact the old provider etc.Its simple I do it most years.
Ah thanks, that could well be the best option. It wasn't a company which has two letters which are the same as the name by any chance was it? The cost of my Broadband doubled when my contract with them expired. I realised after a month and I found a company to move to, and they then phoned to offer a new contract when they contacted m to offer a new contract. I said no.
Just dont like that sort of business plan.
Just dont like that sort of business plan.
speedyguy said:
Breadvan72 said:
There is no small print. Small print is a term used by people who sign things without reading them.
Is it reasonable for such long contracts then ?How many read them word for word ?
Why not just upfront, honest and reasonable?
1. Read it, like it and sign or don’t like it and don’t sign.
2. Don’t read it, sign and suck up whatever it is you signed up to (within some limits).
Most of us “sign up” for lots of stuff that we don’t read (ever read Google T’s&C’s....nope, nor me) based on others experience....still doesn’t absolve us from sucking it up when it goes wrong though!
Jim
Breadvan72 said:
There is no small print. Small print is a term used by people who sign things without reading them.
I wonder how many people read down as far as para 42.10 in the AWS T&Cs - https://aws.amazon.com/service-terms/I assume, probably incorrectly(!), that its fairly unlikely that Broadband contracts from the major players are unlikely to be full of unfair terms. Bearing in mind OFCOM seems to be continually investigating the market it would seem unlikely unfair terms exist.
The difficulties in getting through are more likely to relate to call centres struggling with additional call and less staff due to the current pandemic rather than a deliberate attempt to frustrate cancellations.
Certainly all I did was instruct the new provider and they did everything else.
The difficulties in getting through are more likely to relate to call centres struggling with additional call and less staff due to the current pandemic rather than a deliberate attempt to frustrate cancellations.
Certainly all I did was instruct the new provider and they did everything else.
Some of the guff arises from bad legal advice given to companies that makes them over defensive about liability, about GDPR, and so on. Some of the guff is forced by excessive regulation. Some is just bad habits. If I am ever asked to draft a contract I draft it from scratch and do not use precedents, but I am a weirdo. The best contract that I ever saw was drafted by Harbottle & Lewis in the mid 1960s. It was the contract to make Series Two of "The Saint". It was maybe four pages long, and half of one page was taken up by the flamboyant signature of Lew Grade. The contract was flawless. Nowadays that contract would be 100 pages long and full of blah and mistakes.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/my-...
Price hike? Cancel without penalty
Rules set by the regulator Ofcom mean that customers can leave mobile, landline or broadband contracts penalty-free if a provider ups prices mid-term if it's bigger than the RPI rate.
You can cancel your contract and switch to any other provider, as long as you do so within 30 days of being told about the price increase.
But, if your broadband provider has warned you about rises in their terms and conditions and they are in line with RPI, you won’t be able to leave if you’re still locked into a contract. If you do want to leave, you'll have to pay an exit fee.
If you’re outside the minimum term of your contract then you’ll be allowed to leave without paying. You should check with your provider about how much notice you need to give to do this.
Price hike? Cancel without penalty
Rules set by the regulator Ofcom mean that customers can leave mobile, landline or broadband contracts penalty-free if a provider ups prices mid-term if it's bigger than the RPI rate.
You can cancel your contract and switch to any other provider, as long as you do so within 30 days of being told about the price increase.
But, if your broadband provider has warned you about rises in their terms and conditions and they are in line with RPI, you won’t be able to leave if you’re still locked into a contract. If you do want to leave, you'll have to pay an exit fee.
If you’re outside the minimum term of your contract then you’ll be allowed to leave without paying. You should check with your provider about how much notice you need to give to do this.
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