Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums banner

Best way to cancel Shaw?

57K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  x katt x 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I finally pulled the trigger and signed up for Telus Optik. I am transferring my phone, tv, and internet from Shaw. My install date is October 8.

I am currently paid up to October 7 with Shaw. Telus told me I could cancel my tv and internet with Shaw in advance but not the phone. It seems that if I cancel with Shaw now then it should be pretty seamless for the switch to telus.

The problem is that if I cancel the phone after October 7 I think I have to pay for a whole other month with Shaw. Or will Shaw only bill me for a couple of days for the phone?

Telus also said they will cancel the services for me when they install my service if I want (I have to sign something). Is there any benefit to this?

Any advice will be appreciated! I just don't want to give Shaw any more money than I have to!
 
#2 ·
I thought it was 10 days notice that Shaw wants. You should only have to pay for the 10 days, not an entire month. It may be a good idea to cancel Shaw right after the Telus install just incase something goes wrong with your install date. That will give you 10 days to compare the two.

The advantage to having Telus cancel your account with Shaw is not having to get transferred around all of their retention departments if you don't want to hear what they will give you to stay now that you are leaving.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the Victoria flock,there is a Victoria thread.

I gave Shaw a months notice on July 30th last.
I understood from somewhere that this was normal.
Anyway it gives them ample time to cut me off on August 31st.
I stopped payment from my bank account after Optik TV installed.
So far I have not heard a peep out of them.Nothing.
Don't think they are concerned.

I am on my fourth week with Optik. No complaints.
HD and SD both good or better than Shaw.


Got automated phone call regards an area upgrade on Sept 16th
 
#4 ·
The day that I had my Optik TV installed, I called and cancelled my Shaw cable. I had just paid them a month in advance a couple of days earlier. The guy I spoke with said they require 10 days notice but I would be getting a refund for the difference.....I'll believe it when I have the cheque in my hand.

Just a warning though.....I had one hell of a time trying to cancel with Shaw. They really don't make it easy and they will do everything to talk you out of leaving.....at least that was my experience.

Oh ya, I just noticed last night that Telus added about 4 new channels. With Shaw it seemed like they were always cancelling channels. I've been on Optik TV for almost 2 weeks now and I'm still happy with it.
 
#5 ·
Shaw used to require 30 days notice. Here is their current policy:

Joint Terms of Service

Last updated: May 13, 2010

9. Customer-Initiated Termination

You may terminate the Services for any reason at any time by notifying Shaw of your desire to terminate. Such termination shall take effect upon the expiration of the then current billing cycle. Since you would have paid for the Services you are terminating in advance up to the next billing cycle date, no credit or refund will be payable in respect of such terminated Services and you will remain responsible to pay any charges due and payable as of the date of termination.
If you don't want to pay for an extra month be sure to get your cancellation in before the billing cutoff.
 
#6 ·
Summit
Telus also said they will cancel the services for me when they install my service if I want (I have to sign something). Is there any benefit to this?
Not sure, but I believe it has some thing to do with keeping your phone number, and Telus will make that switch for you, but I would contact them for verification!
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the replies so far! Telus mentioned that Shaw needs 10 days notice but the terms of service doesn't say anything about that.

I think I might call Shaw tonight to cancel the tv and internet for the end of this billing cycle (Oct 7). I signed up for 3 years for Optik so I'm committed to the switch.

Not sure what to do about the phone still. Telus said don't even mention to Shaw to cancel it because they need it active for the switch. I think it has to do with keeping my phone number. But if the terms of service is correct then if I cancel the phone after the telus install I have to pay for the phone for an extra billing cycle.
 
#10 ·
A few years back when I canceled my Shaw service, I called them to downgrade my service the the most basic, then a few days later, called again to cancel my service. End up getting some refund back. Of course it works only if you want Optik now insteading of waiting until end of the billing cycle.
 
#11 ·
So I signed into the Shaw chat tonight to ask about canceling. This was the response:

"when you are wishing to cancel with us - you'd need to phone customer service - (250) 475-5655 - they are open daily from 8-8 and when you place that call to make that happen - we need 10 business days before the account is closed and off-billing - if there were any # of days remaining in your billing cycle and any $$$ was due in a refund we would certainly send that to you."

Looks like I have lots of time to cancel the tv and internet. I guess I will end up paying them some extra money for the phone (the 10 days) since I can't cancel that until Telus switches it over.
 
#12 ·
I just finished the switch. When they tried to tell me I needed to give them notice I told them that I never signed a contract agreeing to that. They then told me they had that posted on the internet. I told them I didn't care what they posted on the internet I didn't agree to it. They agreed to credit me.
 
#13 ·
Shaw where are you

After service from Shaw since 1972 and since disconnecting service I have not heard a peep out from them either to thank me for my ahem! "loyalty" over the years or to ask me why I left them.
I did mention to the person at Shaw I was leaving the country when I gave them the months notice.
Maybe this had a bearing on their non-response but I doubt it.
 
#14 ·
After service from Shaw since 1972 and since disconnecting service I have not heard a peep out from them either to thank me for my ahem! "loyalty" over the years or to ask me why I left them.
I did mention to the person at Shaw I was leaving the country when I gave them the months notice.
Maybe this had a bearing on their non-response but I doubt it.
You're lucky! I can't get them to stop sending promos addressed to Current Occupant at one of my properties. Its wasteful and I've asked to be removed from their lists, but the adverts keep appearing sometimes as often as once a week.
 
#16 ·
When we cancelled our Shaw a couple years ago, Shaw made it incredibly difficult to do so easily. Aside from having to go through several transfers on the call, the day of cancellation we received an automated call that Shaw would be coming to do an installation. Knowing this was incorrect I called them, and was told that they were sending a "courtesy tech" to "ensure Telus' wiring is correct" and they were "providing this free" for us.

(The day before when we had our Telus TV installed the installer (a friend's husband) told my husband that he'd heard of Shaw doing some crazy things, messing with Telus' wiring and such, and that we shouldn't let them in if they showed up. We thought it sounded a bit ridiculous, but sure enough, they called to come over afterwards.)

Thanks to the tech's warning I argued against a visit. The Shaw cs even told me they would come and check my wiring even if I didn't let them in, that they had access to the wiring room, etc...most bizarre. For about 2 weeks afterwards we'd have Shaw business cards pushed under our door (we're in a highrise condo), and handwritten notes to call a tech's phone number for a free re-install with Shaw "I'm always around - call me", all which made us a bit nervous and somewhat angry.

As a bonus Shaw had sent us a digital box right before we cancelled (we hadn't ordered it) and we had them take it back (their tech picked it up); a month after the pick-up (which was a week after our service ended) we received a bill for the equipment. We called, but they denied picking it up. My husband had insisted on a receipt from the picking-up tech, and even faxed it to them, but still they insisted they'd not received it. We then started receiving collection calls, and contacted the Better Business Bureau over it; they sent back a letter a month later saying Shaw refused to respond to their inquiries.

Two months of constant collection calls, us calling Shaw over and over, and finally I reached a cs who manually looked into the files and found their copy of the reciept. Finally they credited the account and closed it. Over a year later we received an apology letter from Shaw.

To this day we receive personalized letters from Shaw monthly with ridiculously cheap packages being offered. They won't stop sending them.

Bottom line: if you're cancelling your Shaw service, make sure you get receipts for anything you give back to them (even if they say you don't need paperwork - thank goodness we'd insisted), and if they want to come 'check out' Telus' wiring, say no. Emphatically.
 
#18 ·
Well I called Shaw the other night and canceled the tv and internet for the end of this billing cycle. I left the phone because telus needs it active to port my number. The shaw guy didn't make it easy. Asked me a million questions on why I was canceling. Told him I was switching to Telus. He didn't like that!

I have a digital box on a free promo and he said shaw has to pick it up so they are coming on Oct 8th after the Telus install.

I'm pretty excited about Optik. I never liked the Shaw guide and it was so slow changing channels. I've never had HD before either. Can't wait!
 
#20 ·
Summit, make sure you get a receipt when they pick up the box; my husband had created a receipt (basically a small letter for the Shaw guy to sign), and when the guy said we didn't need a receipt my husband pulled out the letter to sign. That's when the Shaw guy went down and got a receipt book and came back to give one before my husband gave him the box. Call it a gut feeling, but man, can't imagine what we'd have done without the receipt (hard enough even with one!).

And when they come to get it, I strongly advise you to not let the Shaw guy look at any of your wiring or your set-up.
 
#21 ·
The port over process takes 10 days to get a phone number from shaw to telus. If you cancel the phone, the port over wont work.

typically, this alone would cancel the phone portion of things on the shaw side. However, telus can now act as your agent to cease TV and Internet services with shaw by collecting information from your shaw bill and getting you to sign a document when the tech visits. Then you just have to return the shaw equipment within 10 days. (Weird they said they have to come pick it up. Last time I was with shaw, I just dropped it off at their office. )

Despite this process, I don't like leaving loose ends. I would still call shaw once telus has done the install to cancel. They want to keep you, so of course they will try to save you/ try to make you feel bad for going with their competitor but at least you know it's over.

Obviously, it's a terrible idea to let your service providers competition mess with your set up and that goes both ways. Sounds like a conflict of interests.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top