MSE News: T-Mobile to hit pay monthly users with price hikes

Novicelandlady

Wonder if someone could help me!
It is related to T-mobile and these new charges come in the story as well but at the end!
I've been with T-mobile for as long as I can remember. Maybe around 10yrs now.
In summer 2010, when I was due for a handset upgrade, I chose not to get a new handset and for that they gave me £15 loyalty discount of my monthly contract bill. I was very happy with that as my total monthly bill was £10 or less with VAT and I had £5booster included for calls&txts in Europe (I have been studying in Europe since Aug 2010, so it came in very handy).
In Nov-Dec 2011, I really wanted a new phone (Xperia Ray) and I could upgrade earlier and cancel that loyalty discount and get a new phone BUT T-mobile did not have the phone yet, so I couldn't do it.
When I came back home for Xmas, I could, however, get an offer from Tesco for Xperia ray, £15 pcm contract, free handset and contract, surprise surprise was with T-mobile.
So I got it. Very happy.
I should also mention, I was I guess lucky? and T-mobile perhaps stupid, or maybe I still don't know something!
printer was broken in Tesco store, so I never actually signed the contract for this new phone and additional line. I have a copy of email with contract attached, but I never printed, signed and sent it back as requested and they never chased it.
I am a student and yes, I pay late quite often, but I always do pay the bills in the end.
So, to sum up: i have 2 contracts with t-mobile. 1 at £10 with loyalty discount
and another 1 at £15.
this month I get a really high bill, i look into it and find out they have now cancelled my loyalty discount! Making my 1st contract £21 now!
I called up about it, 1st they said, the loyalty discount was only for 6 month. I said it was BS! Then they tried to claim I did actually take out a new handset when was due for an upgrade in summer 2010 AND they gave me loyalty discount as gesture of good will!
I should not think they are THAT generous. 30mins on hold.
turns out, because I have been paying late, they have now decided to take this loyalty discount off, which I got for not upgrading and getting a new phone and NOT for paying bills on time!
so now my questions are: Should they give me a new handset then if they cancelled my loyalty discount?! Is this even legal to do - to cancel my loyalty discount and make me pay double on top of these 3.7% as well when I actually never got a new handset for this contract + I only use the booster and nothing else from this contract, so £21 + 3.7% is definitely too much!
secondly, can I cancel/stop paying for 2nd contract (pay off outstanding amount only) since I never signed the contract, therefore it does not exist?
Also, I have insurance for 2nd contract, which I have been paying since December. Do you get the payments back if you cancel it or not really?
Apologies if this is in the wrong threat but I could not see where else to place this!
all the advice/help will be appreciated!

OneADay

Novicelandlady, Hard to follow .... but if you are after a new mobile because your loyalty discount was cancelled because you failed to pay your bills promptly, no chance. You can't go back and start renegotiating a contract.

Insurance - no you do not get your past payments back if you cancel it - you can cancel it no doubt with 30 days notice to the insurance ocmpany.

Fulham_Mark

I know that this topic has been discussed lots. But when I got my T-mobile contract, the phone salesman discussed the total cost of three different deals over the fixed 2 years.

I.e. "the total cost of deal X is £506"
This is different from just stating the current monthly rate.

So in terms of how T-Mobile were selling the contracts they were unaware of any price rises that the T&Cs allowed.

I was defintely promised a total cost over 2 years! That now won't be met.

Any good complaining on this?

gjchester

Fulham_Mark wrote: »

Any good complaining on this?

Do you have that in writing?

Verbal contracts carry the same legal weight as written ones but proving them is a whole lot harder.

grumbler

Fulham_Mark wrote: »

I.e. "the total cost of deal X is £506"
This is different from just stating the current monthly rate.

I don't see any difference unless the monthly rate was different from £506/24

Novicelandlady

OneADay

main questions are right at the end. I know this will never happen - me getting a new mobile because they cancelled my loyalty discount, but the question is can they cancel the loyalty discount because I have been paying late? since it was given instead of me upgrading for a new mobile in the first place?

and the 2nd question about 2nd contract - I never signed the actual contract, therefore should be able to cancel/void it?

Thanks for the insurance info

OneADay wrote: »

Novicelandlady, Hard to follow .... but if you are after a new mobile because your loyalty discount was cancelled because you failed to pay your bills promptly, no chance. You can't go back and start renegotiating a contract.

Insurance - no you do not get your past payments back if you cancel it - you can cancel it no doubt with 30 days notice to the insurance ocmpany.

mani56_2

I did not receive the letter, they sent me a text advising of price rise!!

banger9365

mani56 wrote: »

I did not receive the letter, they sent me a text advising of price rise!!

your lucky ,no letter,text or email here
so is mine going up or not

grumbler

Novicelandlady wrote: »

and the 2nd question about 2nd contract - I never signed the actual contract, therefore should be able to cancel/void it?

No. It doesn't have to be printed and signed.

Novicelandlady

grumbler wrote: »

No. It doesn't have to be printed and signed.

So there is no way I can get out of it now?