Leaving Early - Termination Charges and BT Sport App

[#1]

Hi

I'm currently in contract with Plusnet until June, but I'm considering moving to BT to take advantage of the FTTP broadband service which is now available here. However I have a few questions.

1. My billing date is the 22nd of the month. Chances are if I placed an order today, I wouldn't be up and running until after 22nd April as I'd need an Openreach visit to install the ONT. Therefore I'd be paid up until 21st May already, thereby meaning I would only be one month short of the end of the contract anyway. If I was switched before 21st May (likely), would the money I paid up to 21st May be used to offset the early exit fees for the month between 22nd May and 21st June?

2. As I would be switching from Plusnet to BT, and as an upgrading customer, would there be any possibility of Plusnet waiving the early exit fees?

3. We currently have the BT Sport App for £15/month. As this is available by virtue of being a Plusnet customer, would this be cancelled automatically when the Plusnet phone and broadband service was terminated, or would I need to cancel it manually? If so, is there a way to cancel BT Sport online, to avoid having to wait in a queue for the call centre?

Thank you for any help.

[#2]

@ParkGuy99 

I'm not sure of the current state of play with BT, but a while back they were offering to reimburse punters for any penalties incurred in moving to them, so that might be worth investigating.

[#3]

The answer to your second question being a likely yes. It’s been said around here not long ago that if you move to BT or EE for FTTP, termination fees will be waived but you’d need to call customer options on 0800 013 2632 first to discuss and arrange this. 

There’s no way to cancel BT Sport online but it would be cancelled automatically if you cancel your home phone and broadband account. 

[#4]

Thank you for the replies.

Would I be better just placing the order with BT, wait for Plusnet to be notified and add the early exit fees to a bill, then contact Plusnet to see if they can waive them, or would I have to discuss it with them first?

Thanks for the info on BT Sport. A bit awkward it can't be done online, but at least it'll be cancelled automatically without me having to manually intervene.

[#5]

I’d recommend calling them first as there may be a particular process you’d need to go through 

[#6]

@ParkGuy99 Also as far as I’m aware BT will credit you up to £300 of termination fees incurred by leaving another provider if you provide them your final bill so that could be another path you go down. Don’t quote me on that though, there may be specific circumstances you’d need to go through. Try calling BT’s sales team to check 

[#7]

Thanks again.

From what I've see online, the BT Switching Offer is by invitation only, so I may, or may not be eligible for that. One to keep an eye out for though. Depending on what the queues are like on the phone, I may sound out Plusnet to see what they say.

Although I'd like to avoid any charges, to be honest, it's not a deal breaker. I think I'll proceed, and if I end up paying them, then fine, they won't be much more than about £20 anyway. If I can get either Plusnet or BT to waive/credit them, then all the better.

[#8]

An alternative is to hold out til your contract expires before moving or if you wait until after the summer you may be able to get FTTP from Plusnet. There’s some talk that may be the case but nothing’s confirmed.

[#9]

Thanks. I probably would just wait it out, but I've been given a referral link from a family member which would give us both £50 Amazon credit. He's had BT since last summer, and I'm not sure if referral links can expire. I wouldn't want us both to lose out on that. I couldn't do anything about it last year (as the exit fees would have been too much), but now I'm quite close to the end of my contract, it might be worth acting on. I'm also keen not to miss out on current BT pricing, which seems reasonable, in case they put the prices up.

As for waiting for Plusnet FTTP, if there was any confirmation, even a few months off, I might consider it. But our area became FTTP enabled not long after I signed up to Plusnet last year, so I've already been on ADSL when FTTP was available for nearly a year (with all the typical issues an ADSL connection provides). I'd rather not extend that without any firm evidence of Plusnet actually launching an FTTP service.