Early termination Fee - new contract less than 14 days

[Beckyart79]

Hello 

really disappointed with Virgin Media.  I called up today to cancel my new contract made on the 11th April as I’d found a much cheaper deal elsewhere. I was told however if I cancelled my new contract my account would straight away revert to the terms of the old contract and I’d be liable for over £730 in full?  I am so frustrated as I was not told this on the Whatts App chat when I said I was leaving Virgin Media.  I was trying to cut my monthly expenditures by asking if Virgin could lessen my package in the multiple times I contacted you I was offered packages that were even more expensive than I was currently paying and told there was no other options for me due to the price increase. I found a fantastic deal with SKY £38 for 18 months which was amazing, I told your call handler this and you offered me £80 a month !  He accepted the deal was too good with Sky and said services could be disconnected easily and they couldn’t make that price match.  Today my Sky installation was installed and I called you to cancel my services thinking it was within the 14 days cooling off period (which it was) however I was told by the cancellation team if I cancelled the new contract my terms would revert to the old contract and so I would be liable for the full years amount £60.92 x 12 ! Over £730 !! My jaw dropped and I can’t afford that so I’ve had no option other than to cancel my Sky services and stay with you .  If feels like I’ve been strong armed into staying with you when you did nothing to keep my custom! 

[Matthew_ML]

Hey Beckyart79, thank you for reaching out and I am sorry to hear this, also a warm welcome to the community.

Just to confirm we do have a 14 day cooling off period, did your contract start on the 11th April 2024?

If so this would mean you have until the 25th April 2024.

Please do let us know how you would like to proceed. 

[Beckyart79]

Yes a new contract started on the 11th April

but I am a long term customer and was told if I cancelled the new contract my old contract would be activated again and so I would incure the full payment of terminating that contract instead? 
surely this can’t have been correct.  I have had to cancelled my change to Sky now because there  no way I can afford over £730 .  Was this information incorrect? 

kind regards

[Matthew_ML]

If it started on the 11th April 2024 14 days would be until the 25thApril 2024.

With you still being in the 14 day cooling off period  this of course could of been cancelled without any charges.

What would you like to do re-cancel and re-order with Sky?

If so let us know and we can of course look into this for you.

[japitts]

If you exercise your 14days cancellation rights, you'll revert to whatever contract position you were in before. The price would be higher, but presumably you were outside your minimum term and could therefore cancel with 30days notice.

The early termination fees only apply when you are breaking your minimum term.

[Ernie_C · Accepted solution]

It sounds to me that the OP’s previous contract was still within the period when early disconnection fees are required to cancel early.

Asking for a new contract which you cancel within its cooling off period is not a way of getting out of contractual requirements.