£50 compensation for O2 Pay upfront for life package holders

haveagoade

Yes thats true I have just had a provisional decision on my case which was taken to OTELO and they have decided in my favour in that O2 have breached the T&C of the original contract for the BT Cellnet/O2 Pay up front for life package.

This package was widely available from places such as Argos about 3 years ago and promised amongst other things , a call package of 200 off peak mins to other BT/O2 users and landlines per month.

Well the other option of a transfer to a call package of 50 anytime mins to BT/O2 and landlines per month has been withdrawn......hence the copensation awarded to me.

Whats good enough for me should be good enough for any other holders of this package. The good thing about this package was the lack of any monthly subscription/line rental......so as I suspect lots of these packages were bought and may now be lying dormant in a drawer.

I shall be pressing OTELO to force O2 to write to all of its customers still on this package and inform them of their right to compensation.

Happy Times

GeoThermal

If I'm reading you right I think O2 got off lightly. £50 wouldn't buy a similar contract for a year never mind for life.

haveagoade

Yes thats what I though exactly.........but the thing is if they have to pay it to all the contract holders..........even dormant ones then it'll hurt O2.
I'm sure that will make em think twice about honouring the contract.....I must add this is only withdrawel of part of the contract. You still get the original option of 200 mins/month for life, its just you cant swap between the options any more.

I am gonna complain in two ways one £50 naint enough and secondly if thats all I'm gonna get then I'll make sure EVERYBODY GETS IT.

BarGin

I've been on the All Time 50 version of the Pay Upfront For Life package for a few years. Back in November I tried to change to the 200 mins off peak version but they put me on O2 200 by mistake.

Customer Services said they couldn't rectify their error as PUFL was now dead and they couldn't switch people to it.

I wrote to O2 complaints and they sorted it out and gave me free itemised billing in compensation. So I'm a happy bunny again.

BarGin

andy88_2

Sorry if I'm going a bit slowly

To totally split hairs, the leaflet says -
* Any one of the following inclusive options - every month for life

Is the compensation for the fact that the 4 tariff options cannot be switched? The dealer told me at the beginning that the option was not transferable, but I don't see it on the paperwork from BT Cellnet

I did ask about it last Jan, and they said no.

Thanks for any feedback

ps I think GeoThermal was assuming the contract was cancelled in which case £50 would be too little

I'd go for itemised billing free online if they'd offer but it doesn't apply

haveagoade

Hey LOOK andy and bar gin you have been TOTALLY duped by O2 over this matter.

THIS CONTRACT IS FOR LIFE........no line rental for life and a choice of two call plan allowances........why have you both rolled over and accepted the sop of itemised billing???????

I and my friend are still currently enjoying the 200 mins /month and have been allowed the take up of the additional option of text bundles and x network call allowances ( for an additional extra monthly premium)

Try this web site for full details for the call and package benifits

http://www.mobiles.co.uk/n3310c_p_up.html

It seems that there are indeed people who took the 50 anytime min allowance on purchase and who are still on in and disprove the statement from o2 that the package is no longer available.

I have the original BT Cellnet contract and it clearly states that there is the option to change between the packages once a month for life........and for life means for as long as the customer remains connected to the pay upfront for life package........ie for as long he/she wished/lived.

millie

I have a contract with them called PHN4LIFE MY X NET 200 (as quoted in their letter of confirmation to me) . I used to pay upfront for 12 months but when my contract ran out in August 2001 I was offered this deal, I could have had 200 minutes off peak, or 50 minutes peak. I have never had a terms & conditions contract so I do not know exactly what they are.

I have just got the letter out that they sent me confirming the change to my contract in 2001, and I would have thought the way the deal name is worded it would mean I would get X network minutes off peak, but I never have, only just noticed this.

I have a list of call charges sent to me in March 2004 after I queried what they were, because as I do not have itemised billing I did not know, and every time I phoned them to ask I was quoted different charges.

This morning I have had a bill from them and on the right hand side is a list of call charges, it has never been on there before so I dont know whether this is there way of telling me they are increasing or what. Can they just increase them like that? They have gone up by quite a bit I will list them. The old charge is first.

Peak Standard 35p/36p
Off Peak Standard 2p/2p Unchanged
O2 Mobiles Peak 20p/36p
O2 Mobiles Off Peak Evenings 5p/10p
O2 Mobiles Weekend 2p/10p
Call to other Networks Peak 50p/50p Unchanged
Calls to other Networks Off Peak30p/30p Unchanged

Its the calls to other O2 mobiles that have go that have gone up mostly, I have had no notification of this just the bill.

I intend to write to them about this because its a waste of time phoning all you get is the call centre and they just read from a script.

It appears to me that I should not be paying for the off peak X network calls anyway

haveagoade

Have a look at the link to which I refer. (above)

This deal ,pay up front for life, was a deal in which you paid £200 up front and this gave a life package with different call options ( 200 off peak or 50 anytime).

Point being there was no monthly line rental ever...........ie NEVER EVER
You only paid for call's over or outside the call package allowance.

A deal on reflection too good to miss.

Widely available in Argos about 3 /4 years ago........it came with a Nokia 3310 I believe.

And I was not stupid It was such a good deal I kept all the contract details in a safe place.

millie

Are they now asking for line rental, or is it just that you can no longer switch between packages

haveagoade

No there is no line rental its just the refusal to allow us to swap between the two packages..............we've uncovered the fact that O2 are lying cos they tell those on the 200min that the 50min is no longer available and withdrawn and those on the 50min that the 200min is no longer available and withdrawn............how stupid do they think we are .......D'oh

Thing is and more worrying is the fact they have lied to OTEL the ombudsman about it!!!!!!!!!

andy88_2

I still can't see what your point is; I haven't rolled over in accepting anything.

Yes it was a good deal and still is. The link you quote has no information on the extra benefits ie text messages and cross-net minutes that you mention.

They haven't lied as far as I can see. The package with its 4 not 2 options is no longer available for new sale, but the existing contracts continue.

You appear to be pursuing a line of reasoning that the continuation of the different options means that they have misled you, by saying they are no longer available; if you want to change to a different tariff, fine but it will cancel the original. It's an argument in semantics.

The fact that I'm on one option and you're on another doesn't itself prove we have the right to vary.

So unless you can prove your assertion that the original contract sets out that the option is continuously alterable, I still can't see what you mean. My original contract has the tariff name filled in by me and does not have a detailed list of all tariffs available.

Please support your assertion that alterable options exist. Explain possible inclusion of cross-network minutes (such tariffs were rare in those days). Lastly explain why you 'believe' that it came with a N3310 - can't you remember?

Millie's info is strange; I can't see why they might try to alter the tariffs (the olds agree with my paperwork, but I'm on Alltime 50; mine are ok for now but I shall look next month - bill date 15th. They had changes in the billing system a few months ago, and you might check the previous ones in case the errors date from then.

It's a pity it no longer exists; the 200 off-peak minutes would be just perfect for people visiting from America to call home.