02 and the Iphone debacle!

Doeboy

Firstly Hi, newbie here


Come October, 02 will be changing the allowance from unlimited data to 750MB, when asked if I can cancel my contract because they are changing the terms I have been told as long as they offer alternatives customers have no rights to cancel. Their idea for alternatives being paying for extra data?!?! Something wrong here I thinks!

Still with me? Good.

Now I only found this out while on the course of looking for the best deal and best method to update to the iphone 4 (32 GB). This limited data is coming into being on all networks, so heavy users watch out!

This is where it gets complicated...remembering I was initially looking for the best and most cost effective way to change phone.

Currently I have 13 months remaining of an 18 month contract with 02. At the time as part of the contract I purchased an iphone 3gs 16 GB. I pay £45 per month for 1200 mins, a good amount of texts and unlimited data.

02 will allow me to cancel my current contract by way of paying £20 for each month
Remaining (£260) but only to upgrade, or rather take out another 18 or 24 month
Contract. Otherwise it’s £585 (45 x 13) to cancel and leave them completely. This
Penalty makes it pointless at looking at other providers. Now, 02’s new tariffs, in this instance for £45 only offers 900 mins per month and the 750mb of data which will be forced upon me in October anyway

Initially I thought I could pay my way out of 02 for £260 and move to Tesco mobile on a 12 month 750/min 1GB data contract for £35 per month and pay £299 for the phone. Total cost of £559 minus circa 200 for my old Iphone. Better, shorter contract with more data. But that was before I found out the total buy out cost with 02

So basically 02 have me over a barrel, upgrade with them (£175) and be locked into yet another 18 month contract with 300 less minutes for the same price each month or Stay where I am and ride out my contract and have the data allowance dropped to 750mb

I could buy the phone outright and sell my old one, total cost around £400 but i don’t want to spend that. Think i might ride out my contract and go down the route of buying a phone outright and taking a monthly contract, whichever is best value at the time.

Can anyone see anything I can’t from this? Specifically their response about not being able to cancel the contract, I suspect that’s a lie the agents have been told in order to palm us off.

Chimpofdoom

Well they're correct in saying you can't cancel because of a change in the terms. The new Terms and conditions only affect those taking out new contracts/renewals. Existing customers with "unlimited" data, still receive that.

If you want to keep that, you would be best selling your iphone and buying the new one PAYG, pop the new sim in.

OR

continue with your contract and wait for the iphone 5 to come out, we all know it will happen..

iphone 4 is buggy for lefties... :money:

Doeboy

Checked with 02 again, as i suspected my current contract will stay unlimited as long as i don't change tariff.

Otherwise they have to serve 30 days notice to change the contract which you need to agree the changes otherwise they are in breach.

Seems the confusion lay with new contracts from 25th june will change in october from unlimited to limited which will be covered in the new contracts..