O2 Upfront for Life - Free Upgrade

Garetha

saver190 wrote: »

I tried upgrading yesterday. I didn't see an option to keep existing tariff or retain existing tariff.

That's what I found
I also tried the O2 shop
Finally 202 customer service gave me £100 credit to stay with current tariff :T I did double check this with them and have had an email which seems to confirm. Cos we don't want to lose our PUFFL tariff

insight101

Has anyone had any luck in the last few weeks.
No luck online and on phone.
202 says Puffl I am not eligible for a upgrade not even a credit.:( and I shouldn't of had a upgrade last year.

wakeupalarm

Has anyone had any success with this recently?

JamesU

Garetha wrote: »

That's what I found.
I also tried the O2 shop. Finally 202 customer service gave me £100 credit to stay with current tariff I did double check this with them and have had an email which seems to confirm. Cos we don't want to lose our PUFFL tariff

Had a letter from O2 this month and they seem to be forcing a switch from mobile PUF (corrected from PUFFL see below) up front line advance packages to a monthy simplicity package. Have a few months to run on last year's upfront package. Pretty sure O2 are not allowed to do this according to T+Cs. Anybody else still on one of these contracts and had the same letter, and is there a way around this? Usually it is a tedious yearly ritual with O2, so any feedback from OPs still on PUFFL would be welcome.

Note: PUF (pay upfront line advance) not the same as PUFFL (see below posts!)

JamesU

colinicky

Well I still have 2 phones on PUFFL but not had any letters ever from O2 so will await the postman !

Wintermute

JamesU wrote: »

Had a letter from O2 this month and they seem to be forcing a switch from mobile PUFFL up front line advance packages to a monthy simplicity package. Have a few months to run on last year's upfront package. Pretty sure O2 are not allowed to do this according to T+Cs. Anybody else still on one of these contracts and had the same letter, and is there a way around this? Usually it is a tedious yearly ritual with O2, so any feedback from OPs still on PUFFL would be welcome.

JamesU

I know in their current T&C they have a clause allowing them to withdraw products & services at any time, I'd imagine they've always had something like that, but of course you will have the option to cancel if you want.

colinicky

Trouble is who is liable to have a copy of the original T&Cs laying around ?

virgo17

We have two of them in this household and have never taken the offer of updated handsets, although the SIM's have been moved to more modern phones. So not having changed anything with O2 since they were issued it will be interesting to see if they try to force us off the original deal.

Will post again, if and when it happens.

JamesU

Wintermute wrote: »

I know in their current T&C they have a clause allowing them to withdraw products & services at any time, I'd imagine they've always had something like that, but of course you will have the option to cancel if you want.

Doubt if changed T+Cs at O2 can go as far as allow them to renege on PUFFL (5. "For Life" means that purchasers of a Pay Up Front for Life package will continue to enjoy all the benefits of this package, for as long as they remain connected to Pay UpFront for Life.). If contested, O2 would be found to be at fault contractually for sure. But obviously increased pressure from O2 to try it on irrespective by wearing people down over time. Some 10-12 years ago it was really expensive to set up the PUF, payupfront line advance (and the mobiles pretty chunky!). So much so, that in addition to paying up front in advance, you were also given a free 2 night weekend break at a five star hotel (evening meal excluded). Since then of course Cellnet/BTcellnet/O2/Telifonica have evolved and now the last company does not care about customer loyalty, is confident to renege on T+Cs without the contractual right to do so, and in the case of PUF (payupfront advance line rentals, note: not PUFFL) more preoccupied with the supposed cost of freebies such as the odd free handset (which were paid for at market rate in any case, as the cost of the line rental was not covered on the later 50/75/100 anytime line advance packages if you took a phone).

For anybody that needs them in relation to any continuation and/or contractual issues with PUFFL, some additonal links that may be of use below:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/125142

http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17871

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/8950
(see haveagoade and the posts on T+Cs/deadlock/compensation)

Pleased to know that there are at least a few more dinosaurs out there apart from myself still on the old contracts. Regarding the forced switch to their Simplicity deals on PUF (note: NOT PUFFL) as of this month, whatever they are or may be, on my side as a point of principle, no sense in staying with a company that reneges on T+Cs. This is the way things have gone unfortunately, it is all about commission, exotic packages and overly extended contracts now. Interestingly, switching provider will provide an opportunity to text (received a few over the years, but never able to send one out on this contract) and even connect to the internet.

JamesU

ilikepoints

No they cannot force you off PUFFL.

It's worth noting that it's for the "life of the handset" in the terms and conditions, so best keep hold of the old phone.

Perhaps if one day in the future there is some sort of 5G network that a 3310 cannot connect to and requires a video phone then they may be able to get rid of us, but until then there's nothing they can do.

edit - perhaps people are confusing "line advance" and PUFFL. With line advance don't you just pay for a year's line rental and get a free phone. In that instance presumably they can do whatever they want after 12 months.

PUFFL is a different deal altogether whereby people bought a crap phone for 200 quid but no rental to pay ever again.