Earliest possible date to give cancellation notice

[Shell15]

The minimum term of my contract is due to end on 21 November. I am required to give 30 day notice to end the contract.

If I am calculating correctly, the latest date to give notice is 22 October.

Can I give notice before 22 October? Thanks.

[Shell15]

I have just been in touch with the retention team on live chat. They said they would cancel my account manually, rather than placing a cease. I will only be notified after the contract ends, rather than almost instantly, as others have received cancellation confirmation email. I am confused. Would you mind looking into it for me please?

Here’s the relevant part of or transcript:

Presious: Thank you for confirming, I will be raising an escalation for you and this will be to cancel this order on this date. The cancellation request I have raised will be cancelled on the 21 November 2024

You: Will I be notified of the results?

Presious: Yes, we will send you this when the order is fully cancelled.

You: How long does it take for me to know?

Presious: After the 21 November.

Presious: Or on the 21 November

You: That doesn’t sound right, I should be able to know this well in advance

You: If the cancellation is again rejected, the contract will carry on after 21 November 2024

Presious: I understand I have limited resources to send hence it will be triggered by the systems once the account is disconnected. I do apologize for the inconvenience. Please be rest assured it will not be cancelled as we did not place a cease on the account but rather submitted a manual request to have the account cancelled to the back-office team.

You: So you are already able to confirm now that the contract will end exactly on 21 November 2024, with no early termination fee charged, nor out of minimum term fee charged, is that correct?

You: Are we still connected?

Presious: Yes we are.

Presious: Yes the account will be cancelled on the 21st November as I have already raised an escalation.

Presious: You will not be charged as your contract is coming to an end.

You: Thanks for confirming.

[Shell15]

Thanks Arne. I have raised the issue with TT.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi Shell15

I have checked and the cancellation request unfortunately rejected, this may be because it was a request for 60 day cancellation.

Sorry 

[Shell15]

I rang TT today and was able to place the cancellation for 21 November. However, I haven’t received any confirmation email from TT. Would you mind double checking for me whether the cease date of the contract is 21 November? Thanks.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Hi Shell15

The minimum time is 30 days, not 60, 

I have fedback on the agent who told you 60, that is incorrect.

Sorry for the confusion. 

[Gliwmaeden2]

Thanks for that update, @Shell15.

It's very odd that this seems to contradict what we have previously been told.

I'll flag it up for @Arne-TalkTalk to reconfirm, as we need to be absolutely sure.  

[Shell15]

Thanks everyone who left a comment. I rang TT earlier today and was confirmed notice can be given up to 60 days, and was advised to ring them back in a couple of days so I fall within the 60 day period before 21 November. 

[Gliwmaeden2]

@EveFTTalk, Talktalk is quite clear about the 30 days' notice in Ts&Cs, and also how the period is calculated from receipt of the letter:

 

See paragraph 19.3.

The cancellation instructions are also clear:

https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/Cancel-your-TalkTalk-service/ta-p/2204737

 

The system will only cope with 30 days, so nearing the end of a contract one might stray into one or two pro rata full price days, if you haven't calculated it exactly right. And anything ahead of 30 days is going to automatically stray into early termination fee territory. Very difficult to get a neat, perfect finish.

Phoning is always recommended, and you can simply double check on the forum with staff to confirm the cease date.

@EveFTTalk, if you need to follow your case up on the forum, please start your own thread by going back to the message board and clicking on start a topic.

The information above is useful also for the OP, but to check your own cease date, you must start your own thread. 

[ferguson]

So if you want to cancel and avoid any early termination fees, ring them up when you are in the last 30 days of your current contract. 

[EveFTTalk]

I gave perhaps 2 mths notice via letter.  Neither the letter nor the subsequent phone call informed me that NO MORE than 30-days can be given (I was in contract).  As I thought the letter vague, I phoned again and the lady informed me that it is 30-days notice exactly.  If you give more, it won't register.

I am ending all services and not going to another provider, as I no longer need any services, so it is more tricky.

I have received 2 letter implying that I am moving to another provider, even though I am not and this was made plain more than once on the phone.

[Arne-TalkTalk]

Its not possible to schedule a cancellation, Sorry.

[Gliwmaeden2]

I think not.

Ring 03451 720088 to check.

[Shell15]

Thanks for your reply. I would like it to end exactly on 21 November. Is the system unable to process cancellation notices longer than 30 days?

[Gliwmaeden2]

Not without paying an early termination fee, @Shell15.

But if you leave it much later, 30 days' notice takes you beyond the discounted minimum term rate. A few days at full price pro rata would probably still be less than termination fees, but it's worth doing the maths.