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Standard User adslmax
(eat-sleep-adslguide) Sat 21-Feb-26 12:09:16
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: seb] [link to this post]
 
UnchainedISP my former ISP who used to charge £43.20 cease fee but it now no longer from 13th January 2024.

Cease Fees

Update: 13th January 2024

After careful consideration we've made the decision to simplify our pricing structure for broadband services and have stopped passing on cease fees as a result of this change. This only applies to broadband orders placed after January 13th 2024 and to those on the new pricing structure.

Existing customers on the old pricing structure will still have to pay cease fees if they choose to cancel their service with us. Our suppliers charge us £43.20 including VAT in the event a customer chooses to cancel their service with us, in this case, we'll pass this on at cost.
Standard User PCJM40
(fountain of knowledge) Sat 21-Feb-26 13:34:26
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: adslmax] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by adslmax:
UnchainedISP my former ISP who used to charge £43.20 cease fee
You do seem to pick all the ISPs who charge a 'cease fee' in addition to their monthly charges being high to go with it.

I do think the initial installation costs should be separated out from the monthly charges and maybe you could still pay them off over the first contract term (separated out on the monthly bill) thus the second contract term should be cheaper because no installation charges are included.
Standard User jpm
(fountain of knowledge) Sun 22-Feb-26 12:59:11
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: seb] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by seb:
I could see argument to push the cease costs on to install but on install charges/contract periods, it seems reasonable to offer people time to pay these rather than having to pay a huge setup fee which may sometimes apply. Setup charge could discourage some people from switching.

I don't see why cease costs should be a thing unless there's engineering effort involved to recover equipment or disconnect things. I don't think it comes from Openreach, it's a product put there by some wholesale networks.

On the point that install charges might introduce barriers to switching, there are costs associated with someone doing the work of laying the fibre through your garden, supplying and fitting an ONT etc. and I don't think it helps anybody to pretend they don't exist and to hide them in the monthly fee. If e.g. £80 up-front is too much then as suggested, the option to spread it over the contract term could be welcome.

I don't agree with Ofcom that the most important thing about regulating the broadband market is to remove barriers to switching, my preference is for fixed pricing over the contract term with services then moving to monthly rolling with no price increase (because costs haven' changed) - not trying to attract customers with free installation, contract buy-out promotions, only to then lock people in for 24 months with a 12% increase every April


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Administrator seb
(founder) Sun 22-Feb-26 15:46:14
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: jpm] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by jpm:
I don't see why cease costs should be a thing unless there's engineering effort involved to recover equipment or disconnect things. I don't think it comes from Openreach, it's a product put there by some wholesale networks.


I would tend to agree with the principle that they should apply where there's a cost. I think it is Openreach who charge cease charges. Maybe other altnets don't but I do believe it comes from OR, although not 100% sure (it could be BT Wholesale but I don't think it is)


In reply to a post by jpm:
On the point that install charges might introduce barriers to switching, there are costs associated with someone doing the work of laying the fibre through your garden, supplying and fitting an ONT etc. and I don't think it helps anybody to pretend they don't exist and to hide them in the monthly fee. If e.g. £80 up-front is too much then as suggested, the option to spread it over the contract term could be welcome.


Providers are free to build them how they want. The fact they avoid setup costs comes down to the fact most people dislike paying them. There's nothing stopping providers in a competitive environment doing that.

Evidence is there's a lot of "first X months at £y then remainder at £z" deals which shows people look at initial cost more.. Arguably not allowing price increases beyond inflation would probably be a better way to protect consumers.

The way companies are valued comes down to recurring revenue, so if you charge free setup and a higher monthly it's probably worth more to the providers' too and investors like that. I imagine that's driving a lot of this too. The 'new customer' deals are also just that - an acquisition cost to get a customer on board.

As for running fibre - the charges may apply even to just re-activating an existing fibre.. Maybe for simplicity.

I personally prefer paying setup and lower monthly without contracts - I generally don't contract long for most services but I don't switch because of a tiny saving either.. as long as service is good, etc.

I don't think cease charges make sense for many reasons including incurring them when you move house, etc. As for setup vs monthly I think that's for market really. I'm more worried about price increases mid-contract for consumers.


seb

Sebastien Lahtinen
[email protected]

The author of the above post is a thinkbroadband staff member. It may not constitute an official statement on behalf of thinkbroadband.
Standard User DFScale
(experienced) Sun 22-Feb-26 21:03:52
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: seb] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by seb:
As for running fibre - the charges may apply even to just re-activating an existing fibre.. Maybe for simplicity.


There is a big distinction to be made between the costs of reactivating a fibre and those for installing it in the first place. The problem with leaving charges is that it obscures that distinction, because the charges for the first customer leaving are not so obviously related to the cost of the initial installation, leading to subsequent customers [or the same customer with a different ISP] on that line being gouged for the cost of a shift, but at the rate for a new install.
Standard User Chrysalis
(legend) Sun 22-Feb-26 21:37:16
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: jpm] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by jpm:
I think customers should pay installation charges that cover the costs of the installation, rather than providers having to recover them through monthly charges or contract duration.

This would ensure people paid attention to the requirements of the installation as it was no longer "free", and hopefully result in pushing back where poor quality installation work was performed as there would be an aspect of "I just paid £80 for that!" attached to shoddy work.

If FTTP providers want to charge a cease fee then it should be to remove the fibre lead-in from the CSP and remove the ONT for reuse/recycling. If customers don't want the equipment removed then there should be no cease charges.


This sounds quite reasonable to me and also reduces the argument for needing excessively long contracts as well. As there is no setup charges to recover.

Standard User FibreBubble
(fountain of knowledge) Sun 22-Feb-26 21:56:44
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Aquiss


[re: adslmax] [link to this post]
 
Good to see UnchainedISP joining the providers who are selling the overwhelming majority of services that people are buying which offer no cease charges.

Perhaps the thread should be retitled "Please BANNED Cease charge by Aquiss"

If it's not you moaning then it's probably me

Edited by FibreBubble (Sun 22-Feb-26 21:57:25)

Standard User candlerb
(knowledge is power) Mon 23-Feb-26 08:06:40
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: jpm] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by jpm:
I don't see why cease costs should be a thing unless there's engineering effort involved to recover equipment or disconnect things. I don't think it comes from Openreach,

Interesting. The Openreach FTTP price list is public, and indeed, cessation fee for GEA FTTP has been zero since 2017. Hold-to-term charges also don't apply, since the minimum term was reduced from 12 months to 1 month in 2021. And for SOGEA it's also zero cessation fee.

So perhaps Aquiss' complaint is indeed against BT Wholesale?
Standard User PCJM40
(fountain of knowledge) Mon 23-Feb-26 09:38:24
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: candlerb] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by candlerb:
So perhaps Aquiss' complaint is indeed against BT Wholesale?
Isn't the real question why only those ISPs charging the largest monthly costs seem to be the only ones applying the 'cease fee' at the end? Does it really matter if its Openreach or BTW, the fact is the cheaper ISPs absorb the cost and the more expensive ones don't.
Standard User XGS_Is_On
(experienced) Thu 26-Feb-26 10:44:06
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Re: Please BANNED Cease charge by Openreach


[re: adslmax] [link to this post]
 
In reply to a post by adslmax:
Do anyones agree with me to banned rip off cease charged passed onto ISPs by Openreach for SoGEA, SoGfast, FTTP.

Most ISP charged up to £45 for cease charge!


Gotta love it. Openreach haven't charged a fee for ceasing FTTC or FTTP since 2017.
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