New EU laws on 12 month contracts.

cainez_2

I have been reading that phone providers must offer 12 contracts on phones, but not on all handsets. I spoke online to 3 today and asked for a 12 month contract on a galaxy s2. They replied they had no 12 month contracts on any handsets. I mentioned about the ofcom new law and was replied with the same answer. Is this legal?

savemoney

Google is this it?

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2011/05/uk-consumers-benefit-from-european-telecoms-law-changes/

From 26 May 2011, the tie in period for new phone or broadband contracts will be limited to a maximum of 24 months. And consumers and businesses must also be offered a choice of contract lasting no longer than 12 months.


Shorter contracts are likely to promote competition and enable consumers to switch providers more easily to benefit from better prices and services.

cainez_2

savemoney wrote: »

Google is this it?



From 26 May 2011, the tie in period for new phone or broadband contracts will be limited to a maximum of 24 months. And consumers and businesses must also be offered a choice of contract lasting no longer than 12 months.


Shorter contracts are likely to promote competition and enable consumers to switch providers more easily to benefit from better prices and services.

Yeah, im sure they should be offering a 12 month contract according to that, am i right?

GRM

Several 12 month contracts on this page http://threestore.three.co.uk/simonly.aspx

That probably ensures they meet the new requirements.

grumbler

cainez wrote: »

Yeah, im sure they should be offering a 12 month contract according to that, am i right?

Like many pointless laws produced by Brussels' bureaucrats, it doesn't say that 12 month contracts have to be offered for all handsets. "A choice" of 12 month contracts can consist of a few cheap handsets.

cainez_2

GRM wrote: »

Several 12 month contracts on this page

That probably ensures they meet the new requirements.

Yeah maybe, would like to find a more detailed description of the law. When i read the words phone, i think of a phone not a sim card. Thnks for the info.

grumbler

Generally, networks have no obligations to sell the handsets, like BT don't have to sell landline phones.

GRM

cainez wrote: »

Yeah maybe, would like to find a more detailed description of the law.

5. Member States shall ensure that contracts concluded between consumers and undertakings providing electronic communications services do not mandate an initial commitment period that exceeds 24 months. Member States shall also ensure that undertakings offer users the possibility to subscribe to a contract with a maximum duration of 12months.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:337:FULL:EN:PDF

spiro

cainez wrote: »

Yeah maybe, would like to find a more detailed description of the law. When i read the words phone, i think of a phone not a sim card. Thnks for the info.

The contract you take out with a phone provider is for the service (making calls etc) NOT the phone, therefore by offering 12 month contracts (sim only) they are complying.

If you expected to get an S II on a 12 month contract then I expect you would either have to pay about £300-400 upfront for the handset plus reasonable monthly charges or monthly charges plus an extra £40-60 per month to cover the cost of the handset.

As and when companies are forced to do something by a reguator or government, they will do the minimum required to comply with the law and that is exactly what they have done.

gjchester

cainez wrote: »

I have been reading that phone providers must offer 12 contracts on phones, but not on all handsets. I spoke online to 3 today and asked for a 12 month contract on a galaxy s2. They replied they had no 12 month contracts on any handsets. I mentioned about the ofcom new law and was replied with the same answer. Is this legal?

EU laws are not legally valid in the UK until enacted into UK law.

Has that heppened? Until the goverment puts it into the UK statute books it's not enforcable in the UK.