Contract Implications - Moving from Gigafast to Non-Gigafast Area

[Schuck]

I am intending to upgrade to a Gigafast 900 contract from my existing Gigafast 500 contract. This will apparently trigger a new 24-month contract. However, there is a chance I may have to move house in the next year or so. I have read the Consumer Broadband T&Cs and they state that if you are still within your minimum contract term and you move to a new address, an early termination fee is due unless you agree to let Vodafone provide the service at the new address (and commit to another minimum term), unless of course they are unable to provide the service there.

However, there is a chance I will be moving to a more rural area in which the fastest available connection is the Superfast 2 (36.7 Mbps). As such, my question is if I commit to a new Gigafast 900 contract now and move to an area which cannot provide a Gigafast 900 connection, would I still be obliged to take on a new contract with Vodafone at a much slower speed at the new address in order to avoid an early termination fee at the old address, or would this be waived because Vodafone is unable to provide me with the Gigafast service at the new address which I originally signed up for at the old address?

Thanks in advance of any clarity anyone can provide!

[Amanda · Accepted solution]

Hey there @Schuck 👋 I'm sorry for the delay getting back to you - I just wanted absolute clarification before updating you. 

The great news is that if we're not able to provide Gigafast at your new home, (even if Superfast 2 is available), you wouldn't be liable to for the Early Termination Fee, as your contract would currently be for the Gigafast service. 

I hope that clears things up and that you'll still consider us in the future, if you do need to move 🏡 If you have any more questions, just let me know. 

[Schuck]

Fantastic - thank you for such a clear and unambiguous response. Much appreciated!

[Amanda]

It's my pleasure @Schuck - hope you have a lovely day 🌞

[Jayach]

@Schuck

I would take a screen shot of this thread and keep it safe, "just in case".

[ZG]

Hello, I am in a very similar situation at the moment. I have about 17 months left on my broadband ful Fibre 500 but I am being told the fastest speed they can offer me at my new home would be 63 mbps which is not even remotely close or sufficient for my household. Yet the are telling me if I want to leave it will cost me the early termination fee. Has any one confirmed this information or can site where in the T&C I can referance for my next conversation with a vodafone rep.

[Jayach]

If Vodafone are unable to offer you anything but FTTC at your new address, then it is unlikely any other ISP can offer more, unless you have Virgin or an AltNet available,

What does the Ofcom checker say is available.

View broadband availability - Ofcom Checker

[ZG]

Hello Jayach! Thanks so much for the quick response. I just used the Ofcom checker and it does appear that the only networks in my area are Openreach with FTTC as you stated but also Virgin with FTTP with more comprable speed options. 

I am mostly worried about larger expense of having to pay a large early termination fee with so many months left on my contract, but in order to have sufficiant speeds to do my job adiquatly at my new location I will be forced to terminate early. Which of course I would prefer not to do as I have been happy with Vodafone's service in the past but I appear to be somewhat trapped in this current situation.

[Ripshod]

Vodafone can't deliver your contracted service at the new address? You should be able to leave with no ETF. That's consumer law.

[ZG]

I just got off the phone with Vodafone after escalating the complaint I made. However after a bit of back and forth they did force me to pay an early termination fee. They said as long as they can provide some service to the area of any kind they reserve the right to charge an ETF. Apparently this is a new policy which became valid in October of 2023. Unfortunately, I felt a bit pressured on the phone so I finally said okay to paying the ETF. 

If there was a remotely comparable service available I would understand that paying an ETF would be mandatory however given how large the difference in available service is and the fact that they only offer FTTC and not FTTP at my new location, it certainly feels unfair. If I had known this in advance I do not know that I would have agreed to a 24 month contract.

If you know that this violates any consumer law I would love a specific reference, and then maybe I could return to vodafone with an additional complaint