Confused about sign up to EE broadband, switch from virgin media and fees

[Roodles]

I wonder if someone can sense check what I have been told please.

I called EE today to cancel my mobile phone contract as the price had got quite high.

They suggested I switch to their broadband, and I can then get a deal on the sim only contract.

I explained that I'm with Virgin media, and that I have 8 months left on my contract. I was told that they would deal with Virgin Media and cover the termination fee.

However reading through the info I have, it looks like this is capped at £300, and VM are likely to charge 90 - 95% of the remaining 8 months (based on VMs info, probably around £480).

Could someone elaborate on what the process is as I am left feeling a bit uneasy and confused!

My thoughts are basically:
Do EE cancel virgin, or do I?
Is the EE termination fee "credit" capped at £300?

Cheers
Rob

[Roodles]

VM tool quotes between 90% and 95% haha. Taking the mid range of 92.5% this is £490.

I just had a look on trust pilot which does not fill me with glee. Anyway I'll give EE a chance to put it right before I cancel it all.

[Roodles]

Update on this:

I spoke to the call centre, and they confirmed all the above, i.e. I would basically have to go into battle with Virgin media myself, and I would only be able to get credit for £300 of the c. £500 VM exit fee. So that obviously isn't going to happen.

So I have been hard credit checked and misled, I'm pretty hacked off about that.

I've logged a complaint, if anything of interest comes of it, I'll update the thread.

Cheers all.

[Roodles]

How long do EE take to look into complaints?

Today is the 10th working day and I've not even had an acknowledgement (other than the automatic email).

[JimM11]

@Roodles This will get you to info about complaints from the EE Help, click on link. HTH

Understanding your broadband complaint | Customer Care | EE

[Roodles]

Just to close this off. Complaints did nothing. They just said "soz, my bad" and closed it off.

[Peter_W]

Good afternoon @Roodles.

I'm disappointed to hear that our weren't able to find a resolution that satisfied on this occasion.

As per our complaints code of practice, we wouldn't usually close a complaint unless a resolution was agreed, and if this isn't possible the next step would be to refer this to the Communications Ombudsman via deadlock letter.

If you feel that not all options were offered here, I would definitely get back in touch, and we can review everything that's happened, and see what options we have from there.
Peter

[Roodles]

Hi Peter

From a customer perspective, the ideal outcome would have been to honour what I'd been told - i.e. paid the full early termination fee to virgin.

However I was concerned not to have EE equipment delivered and start incurring costs so I used the "cooling off" cancellation before I managed to speak to someone at complaints.

I was told that as I had cancelled, there was nothing to talk about really.

Not a great experience. I still want the broadband by the way, I just can't afford the early termination fee (although by now, I suspect it is very close to £300 haha)

[Ben570]

Do yourself a favour and don't switch to EE broadband just to get a cheaper phone deal. Their broadband service is terrible, particularly the "Smart Hub" which isn't smart, the buggy app you have to use to manage the hub and your EE services, and the customer service is a lot worse than it used to be.

[Roodles]

Thanks for the info.

Perhaps I'll just beat virgin into lowering the price at renewal then 🤣

[Ben570]

"As per our complaints code of practice, we wouldn't usually close a complaint unless a resolution was agreed" - @Peter_W 

This is absolute tosh. Standard code of practice within EE seems to be that guides log complaints for just about any issue you raise with them that they can't resolve straight away and then you'll get useless text updates informing you the case will be closed in 28 days if you don't contact EE to ask them not to close it yet. EE has a very strange implementation of industry standards such as ITIL that most competent service providers use.