Leaving Contract Early?

Mechanicus · 07-12-2006, 13:07

Hello,

I have decided I would like to leave Demon, because my speed is no higher than 1mb on a line capable of 5.5mb+
This is due entirely to Demon clogging the lines and overcongesting them.
I read in the T&C that I would have to pay for the remainder of the contract (4 months) if I were to leave now.

Do we (meaning all who are experiencing bad speeds) have any legal sway here, seeing as we are not getting the service we pay for, or are we all bound into the contracts until they expire?

Take a look at this from the Demon website:

Quote:

Q. Can I cancel my broadband account before the end of my contract period?

A. Yes, you may cancel your service at any time. If the broadband account has been active for over seven days you will be subject to a 30-day cancellation period and if you are still within your initial contract period you will be billed for the remainder of the period.

Do you think that means I have to pay for the remaining 4 months, or do I have to pay for the next 30 days of the cancellation period?

SnoopZ · 07-12-2006, 13:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanicus

Hello,

I have decided I would like to leave Demon, because my speed is no higher than 1mb on a line capable of 5.5mb+
This is due entirely to Demon clogging the lines and overcongesting them.
I read in the T&C that I would have to pay for the remainder of the contract (4 months) if I were to leave now.

Do we (meaning all who are experiencing bad speeds) have any legal sway here, seeing as we are not getting the service we pay for, or are we all bound into the contracts until they expire?

Take a look at this from the Demon website:

Do you think that means I have to pay for the remaining 4 months, or do I have to pay for the next 30 days of the cancellation period?

You always have to give 30 days notice to cancel, but seeing your still in contract you will have to pay the remainder of the 12 months unless you manage to wriggle out of it.

Good luck.

Mechanicus · 08-12-2006, 16:36

Well, I've written out a polite, formal letter to Demon, describing the situation and asking if anything can be done to help.
I doubt anything will happen, if they even bother to read the letter at all, but right now that's about the only option open to me.

Kevin Shirley · 15-12-2006, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechanicus

Well, I've written out a polite, formal letter to Demon, describing the situation and asking if anything can be done to help.
I doubt anything will happen, if they even bother to read the letter at all, but right now that's about the only option open to me.

I'm not sure if a slower than expected speed will work as a way of getting out of a contract. I daresay that their contract doesn't stipulate that you will get the full 5.5 mb but will get up to 5.5 mb, the up to part is what they will use as their get out. I used to be with AOL and although the speed could vary I was usually getting close to what I was paying for, around the 2 mb mark.

Good luck.

Kevin

Mechanicus · 15-12-2006, 10:57

If I was getting roughly the speed I was told I would be happy. However, most of the time I am getting 1.4mb (about 50kb/s - 100kb/s on downloads). Even at night and weekends it only gets as high as 2mb.

For example, I thought I would try SOE's EQ2 "Play the Fae" trial. It's going to take 75 hours to download it. And that is at a steady speed, so it'll no doubt take even longer than that.

Paul K · 15-12-2006, 12:02

Unfortunately most ADSL suppliers use the "Up to" description which means you would have to prove that you were not getting a proper service (ie: faults technical issues or no service at all) to get out of paying your contract out.

Kevin Shirley · 15-12-2006, 16:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Unfortunately most ADSL suppliers use the "Up to" description which means you would have to prove that you were not getting a proper service (ie: faults technical issues or no service at all) to get out of paying your contract out.

Another problem with ADSL that can affect speed is distance from the exchange and that's rarely 'as the crow flies.' You have to be careful with the 'up to' part of ADSL speed claims.

Kevin

Mechanicus · 15-12-2006, 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Unfortunately most ADSL suppliers use the "Up to" description which means you would have to prove that you were not getting a proper service (ie: faults technical issues or no service at all) to get out of paying your contract out.

Well, there are many of us who, once upgraded to 8mb MAX, have had incredibly bad speeds. A lot of those jumped ship because they had been with the company for over a year, but us who are still in the 12 months are screwed.