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Cooling off period for broadband

Sarahcharlie124
Investigator
Investigator

I was stupid enough to change from Sky to BT broadband. I realised I had forgotten to add wifi complete to my order so contacted BT to add. I was missold an EE service and transfered over. The package started 24th September and was apparent very quickly that I was mis sold, it was more expensive and my landline was cancelled without consent and wifi complete was still not included. So I contacted EE to be told I'd have to pay more to add the services they told me would be included. I asked if I could cancel and they said yes as I had a 14 day cooling off period from 24th Sept. Great. On 27th I tried going back to BT but the same issue, they stuffed up the order. So finally, I arranged to switch back to Sky later on 27th Sept, the earliest they could swicth is 11th Oct, but they couldn't set it up as a switch as my EE account didn't exist apparently. I then received and email and text from EE stating that if I used the service until 11th I would be charged £430 early termination fee?!?! I called EE and spoke to 2 different agents who confirmed that as I had notified EE of my intent to cancel within the cooling off period, that they would waive that fee if it went onto my final bill (both put in writing for me, for some strange reason I no longer trust them!!). I have also contacted citizen advice that confirmed my consumer rights state that I only need to notify of cancellation, regardless of when the services stop. My concern is that EE will argue that as my new service start date is on 11th, 3 days over the cooling off period, that I will need to pay £430 for the 3 extra days of using the crappy service. If that's the case, I'd rather them just stop the broadband on 8th. Can anyone advise on what I should do? I don't want to wait until it's too late, to be told i was lied to again and now I am liable for the termination fee. I have raised a complaint so the many calls, conversations and notes from the 2 EE advisers I have spoken to will all be on record stating I won't have to pay it, even if my new service starts on 11th.

12 REPLIES 12
Northerner
EE Community Star
EE Community Star

Hi @Sarahcharlie124 

You have raised a complaint and will need to wait for the outcome. 

Thanks 




To contact EE Customer Services dial 150 From your EE mobile or 0800 956 6000 from any other phone. You can call Freephone +44 800 079 8586 on Skype

EE standard opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 9pm - Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 8pm.

... yeah by which time I will conveniently be out of the cooling off period and be liable for the charge... 

My query is about the cooling off period, is it correct that as I have notified of intent to cancel within the cooling off period so even though my service ends 3 days outside of that, I won't be liable for the early termination fee as I notified intent to cancel withing the cooling off period.

JimM11
Brilliant Contributor
Brilliant Contributor

Thanks but I've already gone through that, that doesn't answer my question. It doesn't state if you have to stop using the service within the 14 day cooling off period. 

JimM11
Brilliant Contributor
Brilliant Contributor

@Sarahcharlie124 You cancel the service, the other ISP in your case SKY as you say you want to go back, they contact EE to say coming back, oops your open order is blocking the cancelation, you CANNOT cancel, there is nothing in place.

You need to call EE and cancel your service, this will automatically block any other ISP from taking over, for a period which may be up to 30 days, You have to listen very closely to what you are being told. You can cancel within the 14 day period, but this intent to do so does not cancel anything.

I don't have any open orders other than Sky. That's my point though. SKY couldn't set up the switch, so advised me to contact EE and cancel, which I have done and spoke to 2 different people who said I won't be charged as I've cancelled in my 14 day cooling off period - and have put in writing for me. Nothing is blocked from Sky, they have confirmed on 30th they will be live from 11th Oct as planned.

The issue is I've had nothing but errors from EE so far, I just want rid of them now smoothly and don't want to have to spend another day back and forth with them on the phone only to be told more lies and result in more mistakes from their end.

I think I will just call them AGAIN and just check they know I'm done with them AGAIN. Just for peace of mind. The only 'help' I've had here has sacarstic undertones and didn't actually answer my question. 

XRaySpeX
EE Community Star
EE Community Star

If you ordered by phone or online you have a statutory 14-day cooling off period to cancel FoC from the date of installation. You only need to tell the seller within the 14-day cooling off period that you don’t want it anymore. It does not matter when it actually stops.

If you phone the company to cancel, make sure you make a note of who you speak to and what was agreed. It's worth following up with a letter or email to confirm the cancellation too.

If you think I helped please feel free to hit the "Thumbs Up" button below.

To phone EE CS: Dial Freephone +44 800 079 8586 - Option 1 for Mobile Phone & Mobile Broadband or Option 2 for Home Broadband & Home Phone

ISPs: 1999: Freeserve 48K Dial-Up > 2005: Wanadoo 1 Meg BB > 2007: Orange 2 Meg BB > 2008: Orange 8 Meg LLU > 2010: Orange 16 Meg LLU > 2011: Orange 20 Meg WBC > 2014: EE 20 Meg WBC > 2020: EE 40 Meg FTTC > 2022:EE 80 Meg FTTC SoGEA > 2025 EE 150 Meg FTTP
JimM11
Brilliant Contributor
Brilliant Contributor

@Sarahcharlie124 The relevant information from the site, incase it is required for your needs.

cooling-off period – for your price plan, the period from the date the agreement is made until 14 days
after:
a. the loaned equipment (if any) is delivered;
b. the service start date; or
c. the day you receive your order confirmation;
whichever is latest.
for additional servicesthat have a cooling-off period, the period from the date the service is added
until 14 day after its start date.
early termination charge - the charge for leaving the agreement before the end of the minimum term and
which is based on the charges for what is left of the minimum term calculated as set out at point 11 and
on our website.

11. Charges for ending a service or the agreement early
a. You'll have to pay an early termination charge and/or a minimum term add-on early
termination charge if:
i. you end the agreement during its minimum term, except in the circumstances listed in point
11c below; or
ii. we end the agreement during its minimum term, in line with points 12b(iii) to 12b(xii); or
iii. you end a minimum term add-on during its minimum term, except in the circumstances listed
in point 11c below.
b. loaned equipment: Where the agreement is ended during the minimum term, you will have to return
the loaned equipment. If you do not do this on time we will charge you the non-return equipment
charge. If you return the loaned equipment but it is damaged you will have to pay the [name of fee].
These charges may be added to your bill or charged to a credit/debit card you have provided us details
of. Payment of the non-return equipment charge does not transfer ownership to you, the loaned
equipment belongs to EE at all times.
c. You won't have to pay an early termination charge or minimum term add-on early termination
charge referred to in point 11a if:
i. you end the agreement within the cooling-off period for the price plan or the service within its
cooling-off period as shown in point 10a;
ii. you end the agreement under point 20c;
iii. you end the agreement as a result of us breaking a significant term of the agreement;
iv. you end the agreement under point 10f as a result of faults with that service;
v. you end the price plan as a result of us breaching our obligations in a voluntary code;
vi. you end a service under point 22a as a result of us moving you to another service; or
vii. you move home and we cannot provide the price plan service at your new UK address.
d. The early termination charge or minimum term add-on early termination charge is calculated as
follows:
i. the sum of all outstanding charges for the service for the remainder of your minimum term,
factoring in any recurring monthly discount to which you are entitled, calculated at a daily rate;
ii. minus VAT at the prevailing rate;
iii. minus costs we save as a result of you leaving early, such as wholesale costs where applicable;
iv. minus a further 1%; and
v. with VAT at the prevailing rate added onto that final amount.
e. Whether you cancel the agreement during the minimum term or after the end of the minimum term
you will have to pay all charges you owe us for the services up to the date the cancellation is effective.

Thank you. I have spoken to EE who confirmed...

Sarah, I can see you have moved to a new provider and your new provider have raised a line takeover request and the transfer date is Fri 11 Oct 2024.
So, you can be rest assured after 11th Oct , it will be cancelled and you'll receive a FInal Bill.  

So I have it in writing for when they invetibaly add the early cancellation fee 😐. This whole ordeal has just been a massive headache.

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