Contracts and terms

Austin_powers

Is there a law that states a company signing a customer up a contract at one price has to stick by that price for a set period of time before increasing it? As I have been looking to sign up to BT Fibre Optic Broadand and upgrading yet it is putting me off that a month into the contract they will up the price.
I think it is about time if they are offering contracts you must be given the price for the term of the contract eg 12 or 18 months or at least the price you signed up for should last for 6 to 12 months before increasing. As the contract is very one sided in there favour!!!!:(:(:mad:

Ypaymore

Its on Ofcom,s list of things they are looking at.
See: http://www.saynoto0870.com/cgi-bin/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1350664597

macman

Not unless it is a fixed price contract. Telcoms contract never are.

Buzby

You overlook a basic problem - as OFCOM will eventually find out. You contract is for SERVICE, and NOT price. The price you are charged is called a 'Tariff' and is totally separate from the contact, and is variable at the rate prevailing at the time you sign up - the service contract is not fixed by duration or cost.

Austin_powers

Surly though if your signing up to a service one month its rather un fair to up the price the next. Why have a contract at all as seems totally in there favour and not the customers. Surly it should be classed as an un fair contract term? anyway thanks for help

I am sole trader and would never do it to my customers.

macman

If the contract is not a fixed price, then they can increase the price at any time-the day after you make the contract, if they want to.
Unfair certainly, but perfectly legal under that contract.

lectrospin

macman wrote: »

If the contract is not a fixed price, then they can increase the price at any time-the day after you make the contract, if they want to.
Unfair certainly, but perfectly legal under that contract.

You could claim it was unfair under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, depending on what was discussed.

They're usually allowed to increase bills to a certain point in line with inflation.