Sold house - what to do with utility providers.

We recently sold our home and are currently deciding on a leaving date - some time in May.
I rang Vodafone to see what my options were. Bear in mind we are moving in another family member until we find another house to buy.
Vodafone informed me that i will still be liable to their line rental fees until such time that I reconnect with them as I am contracted with them until Jan 2014.
Is this right??? We won't be in the house, won't have need for phone / broadband until we buy elsewhere. If I want to opt out of the contract there's approx €340 to pay.

As this is the first utility provider I rang does anyone know if this is going to be the same for Elec ireland, bord gais etc etc.
thanks.

Hi Tired Paul congrats on selling your house . With regards to your electric and gas account you have to ring them and tell them you are moving , you then submit a final meter reading to them .
You will be then issued with a final bill. Best off to ring them now to clarify but when i moved that's all i had to do .
Could you not tell Vodafone that you will be reinstating your broadband and phone when you get a new place and if they charge you an exit fee that you will not be using them again ,customer loyalty and all that .

Hi Tired Paul

You could find out from them if they will provide service for you in the house that you are moving to. With Eircom there used to be no charge for transferring a line from one house to another , perhaps its the same with Vodafone.

I've since been onto all our providers (bins, electricty & gas, sky) and they all have no issue.
Just bloody Vodafone. Will try reddanmm suggestion with them.
The house we're moving to on a tempory basis is my fathers house and he's with Eircom at the moment so i wouldn't expect him to switch just for our sakes.
i'll keep ye posted.

They might be able to provide your phone line at your fathers house even though there is a line there already.

If you are in contract with them until Jan 2014, then it's most likely you only signed-up/changed some element of your contract in January of this year, in the process agreeing to a new 12 month contract. This is all clearly stated in the terms, so you can't really blame them for enforcing a contract you signed up to, perhaps even in the last two months.

Hi Paul,

have you tried asking whether they will allow the payment as a credit on your account or something - i.e. you pay the €340 now and then when you get settled they treat it as a repayment when you reconnect with them?

As you are in contract they don't have to let you off at all but might do the above as a goodwill gesture/to keep a customer.

DID you in fact sign up until Jan 2014? When I left O2 mobile after about 15 years they charged me several hundred to exit a contract I hadn't agreed to at all - turns out the lady who rang me a month previously to try and get me to agree to a contract had signed me up even though I clearly refused. From the responses of the person who dealt with me when I rang to sort it out I got the impression it happens a lot.

Re getting a second line in your father's house - we recently did this at home - the second line came in to the ducting at the front door but to connect it and activate it and it cost over €100 (can't remember exactly how much. Might be worth looking into if you're going to be there for a while.

Second line is not an option.

I did change details of the contract in Jan 13 which I know and agree does bind me to contract until next year.
I will contact them again and try Mrs Vimes option. Sounds good to me !!!