BT cancellation charges

[filthiestfis]

Im fed up with BT's incompetence and want to leave them but Im tied down to a fresh 18 month contract with them as I recently moved home (apparently if you move before the end of the minimum term they automatically restart your agreement) so Im buggered. But I hate them so much that Im thinking of paying whatever "get out" charges.
The only reason why Im with them to begin with is because I needed to set upa landline to get broadband internet.
If I leave BT though, am I free to join any company that can provide me with a telephone line? Or is it just BT that does it?

[munchie63]

well, I'm biased here as I work for the post office, and we have our own rival homephone service which is cheaper than BT's.
I believe that before they tie you into a new contract they have to advise you of that in writing. it's similar to last year when they changed their package options and automatically out people on new ones, with a new contract period. A call to the ombudsman or a good google search should confirm this.

as well as the PO, talk talk, virgin etc can provide your service. As long as you have a phone socket in the house, it's fine. we all use the same cables etc, it's just that BT had to open up the lines to their competition.
BT and talk talk's charges are going up very soon. our line renatl is £12.50 a month, and you're only tied to a 3mth rolling contract. I've no idea about virgin's prices.
good luck

[munchie63]

sorry, re-read your post.
your broadband and phone can be with different providers. no problem. just shop around.

[rowanwitch]

If they have been 'incompetent' that possibly means they have failed to provide a contracted service... you could argue that this means you should be allowed to end the contract without charge. They released us after we showed the small print included their obligation to provide an agreed standard of customer service which they didn't do (didn't reply to letters/calls e.mails) Check the small print and see if they have failed on specifics it doesn't hurt to try

[foxyferret]

There was an article on tv recently saying that because BT were moving the goalpost with the time change to after 7pm for cheaper calls from 1st April, you should query your contract as is probably null and void. It was on about 3 weeks ago, Dom Littlewood on The One Show BBC1. Might be worth a call to BT mentioning this. My daughter moved house in Sep 09 and they told her a new contract had started, but when she phoned up to move to Talk talk last week,she was told she didn't have a new contract. Seems it depends on who you talk to, you get a different answer every time!

[Greedyfly]

We recently moved house and left BT in the middle of our contract. We managed after a while on the phone and moving higher and higher in the chain (line managers) to reduce our leaving charge by about £300. Even after having left over 2 months ago we are still waiting for them to get the final bill right - they are incompetent! They have even set up a new number at my new address without my say so and have been trying to chrage me for it (even though I didnt know we had it or indeed used it). So with regards to the charges I would stand your ground and argue the fact they have failed on there part. We did this with the internet speeds, we were paying the same amount as people who were getting 20mb when we were lucky to get 4mb in a city!