Ending a contract

[pbc123]

I am currently paying for somebody's mobile phone contract every month, I want to stop doing that, if I just cancel my direct debit what would happen? Is there a way of doing it without stopping my direct debit? There are 9 months left on a 24 month contract.

[XRaySpeX]

If you cancelled your DD & other person did nowt they would start running up a debt with EE, resulting in service being suspended, bad credit history & debt collectors chasing them.

The other parson needs to set up a DD replacing yours.

[Chris_B]

@pbc123  Who is the account holder of this contract? Ie who took out the contract ? Whose name is it under ?  If this is you you are responsible for the payment, if the account is in their name they are responsible for payment not you.    

[pbc123]

OK, so cancelling a DD is not a good idea.  The other person cannot afford the DD. So, can I buy out the contract?

[pbc123]

That doesn't really help, I am well aware that I responsible for the contract, I want advice on how to bring it to and end

[bristolian]

It is the account holder who's responsible for the contract and its liabilities - which includes regular payments. If you're not the account holder, you bear no responsibility and the fact you've covered some payments until now, is immaterial.

The account holder can give 30days cancellation notice from the 24th month of their minimum-term contract.

[XRaySpeX]

@pbc123 : As @Chris_B asked, in whose name is the contract (not necessarily the DD)? Who took it out with EE?

My previous reply assumed it was other person & you were just bankrolling it for them.

[pbc123]

I took it out and I have responsibility for the contract. I just want to end it early. Somebody else has said I can only do so from the 24th month. So, as I am only in the 15th month of a 2 year contract,  it appears I cannot end the contract. Is this correct? I had thought that I could buy it out (to e.g. ensure the phone was fully paid for) but apparently not.

[bristolian · Accepted solution]

You can give disconnection notice at any time, but if you do so before the final month of your minimum term, then early termination fees will apply.

They will amount to your remaining monthly cost x number of months left, minus a 4% discount. EE have no concept of a phone cost vs airtime cost on traditional contracts, you have one single monthly fee and early termination requires payment of that fee. Whether you pay that each month and have mobile service, or pay it in one go to terminate early - is your decision.

https://ee.co.uk/help/profile/leaving-ee/early-termination-charges-explained 

[XRaySpeX]

Yes, if it's in your name it is entirely your responsibility & what I said about the consequences of cancelling the DD will fall upon yourself.

You should phone CS to cancel the contract & you will be asked to pay the Early Termination Charges in a lump sum. It will basically be months left x monthly charge - 4%.