Brad and I have been best friends for years since Uni, lived together several times.
In 2023 we moved into a flat on a 12 month contract, plan to let it roll on afterwards. All rent and bills split 50/50. Brad requested I signed up for Broadband as they had previously used an offer, so we signed up for the best deal at the time on an 18 month contract.
After 12 months our plans had changed and we both wanted to move into different places, I was able to purchase a house, they needed a flat closer to their job. All bills were cancelled instantly, however the broadband required a £200 cancellation fee due to leaving 6 months early. Brad was adamant they wanted to avoid this fee.
After a lot of back and forth, he insisted he move the broadband into their new flat with James (a mutual from Uni) to avoid the fee. I was hesitant but agreed, with everything other than the email being fully transferred to them. The deal was that they would use the last 6 months, then close the account and get a new contract under their name. I was only to be involved if they needed me to phone at all to help with this.
Fast forward to now, we have lived separately for over a year and I hadn’t given it any thought as it supposedly all went to plan. Brad recently changed jobs again and is now moving into a new place in a city several hours away. It was then revealed that the same broadband account was actually still running, as they had renewed the 18 month contract with it now due to expire in September 2026.
I asked Brad about this, they insisted they were equally surprised and said it was James who dealt with the broadband. After contacting James, they sent me screenshots of the chat from the renewal where Brad said it was fine to renew the contract and that worst case I would receive a call.
I let them know that this wasn’t okay, as I had no knowledge of this, and didn’t like a contract for a flat I’ve never lived in being taken out under my name. I insisted that unfortunately I have no choice but to contact them myself and close the account, despite Brad insisting I once again let the contract run out.
Brad and James are now accepting that the contract needs to be cancelled, but think it’s only fair for me to "pay at minimum 1/3 of the cancellation payment as the contract originated" at the flat with Brad and I.
I’ve currently refused to pay this, as I had no knowledge or consent of this new 18 month contract being taken out in my name. I was extremely willing to pay the cancellation fee originally, but only went down this path on Brad’s instance to avoid it. I’ve mentioned how I was surprised by Brad, a close friend who had unexpectedly let me down on a promise made, and then lied about knowing it was going on.
Am I the asshole here?
>After contacting James, they sent me screenshots of the chat from the renewal where Brad said it was fine to renew the contract and that worst case I would receive a call.
So one of them committed fraud by impersonating you when they renewed the contract? Tell them to sort it out or you will by reporting the fraud, and **do not pay anything!**
No, you are not at all. You have to make it absolutely clear to the broadband provider that you had no knowledge that anyone had renewed that broadband service in your name, that you never lived at that location.
NTA. You didn’t use it since the renewal, so you don’t owe anything.
NTA
tell them: YOu will report them, for identity theft – they made a contract in your name. IF they pay in full, you won’T need to.
Info: how was the broad back being paid for at their new address? Despite being under your name, was it a direct debit from their accounts? Because if so, the internet provider can just take the cancellation fee from there too… then it’s handled.
For me, since you had agreed and you saved your half of that original $200, you could chip in $67 now to avoid unpleasantness – but only after they actually close the account.
NTA
They committed fraud when they renewed. They can pay the fee or you can report the fraud.
NTA, say in exchange for not reporting fraud you can pay the cancelation fee. the time to put in your name was when the last one expired…
If you listed them as a couser then you would have to take this to small claims court. If they were not authorized cousers then they committed fraud.
NTA – This isn’t what you agreed to. As others have said, they have been using your identity without your permission.
If they want to avoid this situation entirely, then they can probably contact the Broadband company in question and have the account transferred into their names. Most telecoms are eager to keep customers and unlikely to charge fees for people who are staying on.