BROADBAND bills are going up for millions, but hard-up customers are usually tied in to their pricey contracts for the long-run, no matter the hikes.
BT, EE and Vodafone are increasing bills by up to £74 a year in a further blow for families struggling with the rising cost of living.
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And while the cost of pretty much everything rockets, TalkTalk is hiking its prices by up to £30 for millions too.
But one TikToker has revealed how you can switch broadband mid-contract with no fees.
Switching can mean you enter a new, cheaper contract that’ll save you in the long-run – but you can face a penalty for leaving your existing one early.
In a 21 second clip, uploaded to the viral video platform early last year, personal finance enthusiast Aasha Thapa explained how customers can get out early – without paying a price.
The video was liked by over 476k TikTok users, as others looked to avoid the pricey exit fee too.
Usually when you enter a broadband term you’ll be obliged to keep paying the agreed amount for the services you’ve opted for, for a set amount of time.
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That could be 12 months, 18 months or even more.
If you try to leave any earlier you could face a penalty which means forking out extra money that you just might not have to spare at the moment.
But the Automatic Compensation Scheme means broadband and landline customers get their money back from their provider when things go wrong.
It also means if you’re justifiably unsatisfied with the service you’re getting, you could have means to get-out too.
In the video Aasha played out a conversation between a customer and supplier as he said: “Because my speed has been below your guarantee, you have to let me leave for free or reduce my prices.”
Aasha pulled out the move in his fake scenario acted out in the clip, as he explained how the scheme saves customers from being overcharged.
He explained that it’s worth keeping knowledge of your rights in your back pocket so you can leave when the service is truly of a bad quality, and save forking out any more in the process.
Broadband experts at MoneySuperMarket say: “Remember, your broadband service must be of satisfactory quality, as described, and fit for purpose.
“This means that if your broadband speed is much slower than it should be, you may be able to claim compensation or cancel the contract without penalty.”
Many providers have signed up to the scheme but it is voluntary so not everyone is included.
Those that are, though, include:
- BT
- EE
- Hyperoptic
- Sky and NOW Broadband
- TalkTalk
- Utility Warehouse
- Virgin Media
- Zen Internet
The code states that providers must give accurate estimates and provide a minimum guaranteed speed, but if they are unable to deliver, you have a right to exit your contract penalty-free.
If you don’t want to take quite such a drastic move, you can try to haggle down the cost of your current contract instead.
That way you’ll still be able to pay a cheaper price.
But there are other ways you’ll be able to terminate your contract early without being charged, too.
A price increase alone can be cause for leave, but you have to get moving quickly.
You’ll only get 30 days to decide to switch after you’ve been told there’s a price hike – after that you could still have to pay the termination fee.
If you move home you could be able to cancel a contract early too – that’s usually the case if your current provider can’t provide the same services at your new address.
There’s also a “cooling off” period that means once you start a new contract, you’ll get around two weeks to decide if it’s right for you before leaving.
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