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If you’d like to cancel your broadband plan with TalkTalk but you’re concerned about the hassle involved or whether it will cost you, then don’t worry. Leaving TalkTalk is a simple process, which we’ll guide you through here. We’ll look at whether you’ll have to pay a fee, the process of leaving and how to find a new broadband provider so you can decide whether leaving TalkTalk is the best option for you.
Before you cancel, you’ll first need to find out when your TalkTalk contract ends. This is important, as if you leave before the contract is up, you’ll most likely have to pay an early cancellation fee.
To check when your contract ends, you can:
The easiest way to cancel your TalkTalk contract is to switch broadband providers to another member of the Openreach network (such as BT, Sky Broadband, or Plusnet). All you have to do is tell your new provider that you’re with TalkTalk and it will sort out the cancellation for you, making the switch seamless.
If you’re switching to a provider that isn’t part of the Openreach network, such as Virgin Media, you’ll have to handle the cancellation yourself.
To do this, call 0345 172 0088. You’ll have to answer a few security questions before letting TalkTalk know that you want to leave.
TalkTalk will put you in contact with a member of its retentions team and try to convince you to stay. If you aren’t sure about switching, this is a good time to ask for a better deal. You’ll likely be offered a cheaper deal or perks such as faster download speeds, so it’s worth knowing what you can get from competitors to give you an idea of what you can bargain for. Otherwise, just let TalkTalk know that you want to leave.
You can also leave by writing a letter. You’ll need to provide:
Bear in mind that after sending the letter, TalkTalk will contact you to discuss leaving, so it may be easier to just give them a ring in the first place.
If you have TalkTalk TV as part of your broadband and TV bundles, then your TalkTalk TV Hub will be disconnected when you cancel, so bear this in mind. If you have a TalkTalk mobile plan in your bundle, you’ll be able to keep this service, but you may have to pay mobile charges since the company’s plans are only available to customers.
If you decide that you want to leave before your contract is up, you’ll most likely be charged an early cancellation fee. The amount you’ll have to pay will depend on the package you have – for example, whether you’re on a basic ADSL deal or one of TalkTalk’s fibre packages – and whether you’ve paid for any extras. This will usually be a set amount for every month remaining until the original contract end date.
This table shows how much you’ll have to pay in fees for some of the basic TalkTalk broadband packages:
| Broadband package | Cost per month |
|---|---|
| Fast Broadband | £10.80 |
| Faster Fibre plans | £10.20 |
| Fibre plans | £10.20 |
The best way to find out exactly how much you’ll be liable to pay for cancelling your contract is to contact TalkTalk yourself. TalkTalk’s early termination charges can be found on its website.
In short, yes. Under Ofcom rules, if service providers raise their monthly prices higher than the RPI rate of inflation during the term of a contract, then customers are allowed to leave without any penalty fees, but only if the provider didn’t clearly outline potential mid-contract price rises in the terms and conditions of the contract. Customers should be notified before any price rises, and they have to give 30 days’ notice to let their provider know they’re leaving.
If you can prove the speeds that you’re receiving are considerably below what was promised when you signed up and TalkTalk isn’t able to do anything about it, then you may be able to leave without paying a penalty.
However, remember that speed tests must be done from a computer that is attached to the router via an Ethernet cable because wifi cannot provide as fast a connection as a wired one.
