TalkTalk’s wide range of broadband packages should mean that there is a deal to fit almost any household. It offers standard broadband, standard fibre and full fibre deals, plus a TV option and landline bundles. However, TalkTalk broadband is often not the cheapest option on the market, and it does not offer the comprehensive entertainment packages you can get from Sky or Virgin Media. So what should you do if you decide to cancel TalkTalk broadband for a cheaper deal or a bigger package? In this article we explain how TalkTalk cancellation works and whether it will cost you any money to leave.
How to cancel TalkTalk broadband if you’re out of contract
It is free to cancel TalkTalk broadband once you are out of contract. Most contracts with TalkTalk last for 24 months, but check your online account or with TalkTalk directly to find out when your deal ends. Once you are out of contract, cancelling TalkTalk and switching to a new deal can be a simple and easy process. You may not even need to inform TalkTalk yourself that you are leaving.
When a customer signs up to a broadband deal powered by the Openreach network, they do not need to cancel their existing deal if it is also on Openreach. Instead, the new provider will inform the old one that the customer is leaving. If you are out of contract and want to cancel TalkTalk broadband, you could simply sign up with a new Openreach provider and wait for your service to switch over. TalkTalk does suggest you inform customer services that you are leaving in order to confirm your account is closed correctly, but you do not need to if you are switching to another Openreach deal.
You can find out more about the process of switching broadband provider by reading our article ‘How to switch broadband provider’.
If you need to cancel TalkTalk broadband in order to switch to a package that is not connected by the Openreach network, you will need to contact TalkTalk directly. You will have to do this if you are switching to Virgin Media or a mobile broadband provider, or if you are disconnecting your home broadband fully.
Cancelling TalkTalk broadband by phone
The easiest way to cancel TalkTalk broadband directly is by calling customer services and giving 30 days' notice that you will be leaving. The number to call is 0345 172 0088. Be prepared for a sales pitch, as internet providers will almost always try and retain you as a customer by offering a discounted deal.
Cancelling TalkTalk broadband by letter
Another way to cancel TalkTalk broadband is by writing a letter to TalkTalk Correspondence Dept, PO Box 675, Salford, M5 0NL. TalkTalk will send a response to the registered billing address and call you to confirm the cancellation, so it will be much quicker to just call customer services and save yourself a stamp.
How to cancel TalkTalk broadband if you’re still in contract
If you cancel TalkTalk broadband while you are still in contract, you may need to pay an early termination charge. This is because when you sign up for a broadband tariff, you are agreeing to pay your provider every month for a specified period of time. If you want to withdraw from your contract by cancelling, you will need to pay a release fee. The amount you pay is usually calculated in one of two ways. The first is by multiplying your monthly fee by the number of months remaining on your deal, minus the money saved by the provider not having to supply your broadband. The second – the policy of TalkTalk and some other providers – is slightly more generous and involves paying a fixed fee that will likely be lower than your usually monthly cost, per month remaining on your contract.
Sometimes cancelling TalkTalk broadband while you are still in contract will not cost you anything. One scenario is if you are still in your ‘cooling off period’. Internet service providers must let you cancel within 14 days without penalty, even though you are still in your contract. The TalkTalk policy is slightly more generous than the required minimum, so you will have 20 days from your order date to leave without paying an early repayment charge. You will still need to pay for any time your broadband was connected for.
You can also cancel your broadband for free if you are hit by a price hike, unless one is listed in your contract. Most TalkTalk deals will include an annual price rise of 3.7% above the rate of inflation every April, but older deals may not include this clause. Check your paperwork or contact TalkTalk to find out if your price is due to increase. If you are told by TalkTalk that your bill is going up and you think it is unfair, make sure to query it within 30 days. You should be able to leave without penalty if the hike is not listed in your contract.
Another reason you can cancel TalkTalk broadband without paying a penalty is if your internet speed is below the guaranteed minimum speed you were offered when you signed up.
How to cancel TalkTalk broadband if it is too slow
TalkTalk will include a minimum speed guarantee when you sign up, which is the lowest broadband speed your home should be getting. If your home is unable to receive this minimum speed or faster, you should be able to leave without paying an early termination fee. This policy is part of Ofcom’s optional ‘Broadband Speeds Code of Practice’, which TalkTalk has opted in to.
Once you have notified TalkTalk that you think your broadband speed is too slow, it has 30 days to assess your connection and make repairs. If it finds that your speed is in fact too slow and it cannot make the necessary adjustments to its network to speed it up, you should be able to cancel TalkTalk broadband for free. You will need to go through this process in order to be able to cancel without the early termination fee and you should not cancel your direct debit until after you have paid your final bill.
Keep in mind that the broadband speed supplied to your home will be based on what the engineer measures, not what you see on an online internet speed test. This is because the minimum speed guarantee is based on the speed supplied to your property, not what reaches your devices. What reaches your phone or laptop will be affected by where you are in your home, the quality of your router and how many devices are connected to the Wi-Fi simultaneously.
Our article ‘What broadband speed do I need?’ has more information on how to find the right broadband speed for your household.
Before you cancel TalkTalk broadband
One of the most important parts of a broadband deal is how much it costs. If your TalkTalk package is too expensive for your budget, you are right to think about cancelling. However, it might be worth trying to haggle your bill down first. Broadband providers will almost always offer you a discount to try and keep you as a customer, rather than lose you to a rival. If you are happy with the speed and service you are getting from TalkTalk, but want to pay less, you should compare the best broadband deals from a range of providers to see what the cheapest packages on the market cost. You can then call to cancel knowing what price you can get elsewhere, then negotiate down to get the bill you want. If TalkTalk customer services say no, you could choose to switch over to the cheaper competitor.
It can also be valuable to have a look at the ‘Ofcom broadband checker’ to see what broadband speeds are available in your area. Network upgrades are happening all over the UK as 5G mobile internet, cable broadband and full fibre are rolled out across the country. You may find that there is a new type of broadband connection available to your household, opening up a whole new range of speeds.
Your TalkTalk TV deal will end when you cancel TalkTalk broadband, so make sure you are happy to switch your TV package provider too. Most of the services you can watch through TalkTalk TV are via additional subscriptions with entertainment providers – such as Netflix or Disney Plus – so you will still be able to access these accounts on other devices if you cancel TalkTalk broadband.
If you are still on the fence about TalkTalk broadband, read our ‘TalkTalk broadband review’ to see the pros and cons of signing up to a new deal.
How to compare broadband deals
You can compare a range of providers by using a comparison service such as Uswitch* to find out exactly what is available in your area. It is worth comparing broadband deals online via a comparison site prior to cancelling TalkTalk broadband, so that you know what price you could be paying elsewhere. Comparison sites help you to compare the best deals from multiple broadband providers at once. Results can be filtered by personal preference, usually with options to tailor results by factors including price, speed, reliability, Wi-Fi coverage and customer service. If TalkTalk is then not able to match that price, you could cancel and switch to the cheaper deal.
After you cancel TalkTalk broadband
You may need to return your TalkTalk equipment – such as your router or TV box – within 42 days of your service ending. TalkTalk may not want your equipment back if it is out of date, so contact customer services to confirm.
