vodafone have changed my price plan

bogeys

Hi,

vodafone have changed my price from 125 mins and 250 texts to 100 mins and 50 texts. They say they have written to me to tell me but have recieved nothing. I am 6 months into an 18 month contract. My bills are usually around £25 but the past two months have been around £50. They can't go back on a binding agreement can they?

Chrissybh0y

I know vodafone are changing the prices of calls from the 1st of september

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1055893

But as for changing you call plan then i dont think they can just change it if you have a contract with them, id look over yer contract to make sure there isnt anything sayin they can change it when they want etc

Cavey

bogeys wrote: »

Hi,

vodafone have changed my price from 125 mins and 250 texts to 100 mins and 50 texts. They say they have written to me to tell me but have recieved nothing. I am 6 months into an 18 month contract. My bills are usually around £25 but the past two months have been around £50. They can't go back on a binding agreement can they?

Usually there is something in the contract that allows them to do this, BUT they have to inform you in advance and you are allowed to cancel the contract without having to pay any money as it is they who are changing the terms. You need to find your contract ("Airtime Agreement") so that you can refer to it directly. It's probably clause 10.2, see here (also included below).

The usual contact is "We are changing your service plan, if you want to cancel let us know, failure to do so implies acceptance of the new terms" (or a letter to that effect). HOWEVER, if they have not contacted you, you should still be able to withdraw from the contract as you were informed of the change when you noticed the mistake in your bill.

If you have made sure Vodafone have not contacted you, I would contact Vodafone and state that you were only informed when you found that your bill was higher and that they have changed the terms of the agreement to your significant disadvantage without your consent. You therefore want to cancel your contract without penalty, that this is your 30 day notice and that you would like your PAC code. I'd then follow it up with a letter with the same information in writing (get it in the post asap, preferably signed for).

I have no doubt they will claim that they have informed you by X letters and possibly by phone on a number of occasions, but I would continue to insist that you have not had any such communication. I would not speculate on why you did not receive it (ie the dog ate it, house-mate stole it, rain washed it away) as all that matters is you did not receive it and if you had you would have cancelled immediately.

If they wish to claim they have not informed you and it's still your luck out, I would claim breach of contract on their part for not informing you (see clauses 5.1 and 5.3 for the termination clauses). It is important that you check your contract and see what options are available to you and see how things are worded.

10.2 Vodafone shall be entitled to change the terms of this Agreement to the extent that such changes are necessary (in Vodafone's opinion acting reasonably) as a result of alterations made to the Network, the manner in which it operates, or changes to the way that Vodafone provides Products, provided that such changes affect at least 90% of Vodafone's customer’s and such changes to the terms are limited to the extent necessary to take account of such alterations. Where changes are made in these circumstances, Vodafone shall advise Customer of the change at least 30 days in advance of it taking effect by supplying Customer with an Amendment Notice. If Customer is materially disadvantaged and objects to such change, Customer shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement affected on 30 days written notice. Such right to terminate shall cease 30 days after the date that the change became effective. For the avoidance of doubt, for the purposes of this change, Customer's consent to the change is not required for the Amendment Notice to be effective. Vodafone shall not be liable to Customer for any claims by Customer as a consequence of such changes.

dot111

I had same plan, they wrote to me, I rang complained it was a joke, why would I want to change to that plan. They said I could cancel contract, which I did, then had retentions on the phone. Got much better deal, 150 mins 350 texts....N95, £25 per month.

bogeys

cheers for that, I have contacted them on a number of occasions, threatened them with the small claims court and that i cancel my direct debit but they are not budging.

Cavey wrote: »

Usually there is something in the contract that allows them to do this, BUT they have to inform you in advance and you are allowed to cancel the contract without having to pay any money as it is they who are changing the terms. You need to find your contract ("Airtime Agreement") so that you can refer to it directly. It's probably clause 10.2, see here (also included below).

The usual contact is "We are changing your service plan, if you want to cancel let us know, failure to do so implies acceptance of the new terms" (or a letter to that effect). HOWEVER, if they have not contacted you, you should still be able to withdraw from the contract as you were informed of the change when you noticed the mistake in your bill.

If you have made sure Vodafone have not contacted you, I would contact Vodafone and state that you were only informed when you found that your bill was higher and that they have changed the terms of the agreement to your significant disadvantage without your consent. You therefore want to cancel your contract without penalty, that this is your 30 day notice and that you would like your PAC code. I'd then follow it up with a letter with the same information in writing (get it in the post asap, preferably signed for).

I have no doubt they will claim that they have informed you by X letters and possibly by phone on a number of occasions, but I would continue to insist that you have not had any such communication. I would not speculate on why you did not receive it (ie the dog ate it, house-mate stole it, rain washed it away) as all that matters is you did not receive it and if you had you would have cancelled immediately.

If they wish to claim they have not informed you and it's still your luck out, I would claim breach of contract on their part for not informing you (see clauses 5.1 and 5.3 for the termination clauses). It is important that you check your contract and see what options are available to you and see how things are worded.