EE and Plusnet to refund exit fees for some and allow others to leave penalty-free after failing to give key contract info – what you need to know

Below we explain what went wrong and who's due a refund. If you're looking for a new broadband or mobile provider, use our Broadband Unbundled and Cheap Mobile Finder tools to compare the latest deals.

What EE and Plusnet did wrong

Under telecom regulator Ofcom's rules – which took force on 17 June 2022 – providers of broadband, landline, mobile and certain pay TV services have to give you clear details of your contract BEFORE you sign up.

However, an investigation by Ofcom into the BT Group – which owns EE and Plusnet – found that the firms had broken these rules by failing to provide about 1.1 million customers with the required contract summary documents in advance, and the issue is still ongoing for some new joiners.

This includes failing to provide information on early exit fees – charges that apply when you cancel a contract before it's due to end. If a provider doesn't tell you about early exit fees, it means you don't have to pay them under Ofcom rules.

Those with a BT-branded contract are unaffected.

Who's due a refund

You could be owed money back if:

1. You took out a broadband, landline, mobile or TV contract with EE or Plusnet on or after 17 June 2022. As noted above, this is when Ofcom's rules about contract information came into effect.

   AND

2. You weren't given the key pre-contract information before signing up. This should've included the price, how long the contract is for, the speed of your service (for broadband) and any early exit fees.

   You should've received a short summary of these key terms, labelled something like "contract summary" or "pre-contract information" – if you're not sure, try to dig out the paperwork or check your emails.

   AND

3. You were charged an early exit fee for leaving or cancelling your contract.

You don't have to do anything for the time being – BT, the parent company of EE and Plusnet, says it will proactively contact both current and former customers who were charged early exit fees to offer them a refund. It has to do this within the next five months.

You should be contacted by email, phone or letter. The refund will be paid directly to your billing or bank account or, where that's not possible, you should be sent a cheque.

Who could leave penalty-free

If you meet the first two criteria above – in other words, you got a new EE or Plusnet plan on or after 17 June 2022 and didn't get the pre-contract info – but you're still with EE or Plusnet, you'll be offered the contract information and you'll have the right to cancel your contract early without penalty.

Again, you don't need to do anything for the time being – if you're affected, you should be contacted directly within the next three months.

If you don't hear anything but think you're affected, contact EE or Plusnet

You can contact EE's customer services via its online complaints form or by calling 150 from your EE phone or 07953 966 150 from any other phone. Plusnet landline and broadband customers can call its customer services on 0330 1239 123, while mobile users can dial 500. Alternatively, you can email mobile-help@plus.net.

The BT Group has apologised for "any inconvenience caused", adding that it is "working closely" with Ofcom to put things right.