Tmobile price increase

50Twuncle

Is there anything to stop us from changing our contracts for cheaper options ?
ie If someone was paying £20 per month - reducing it to a £15 per month contract ?

grumbler

The T&C?
Unless they say that you can downgrade at some point, this is at T-mobile's discretion whether to allow you downgrading or not.

Buzby

The contract is not the issue - there is no monetary value stated on any contract. Changing from one tariff to another should be easy UNLESS they have a term that explicitly prevents this.

T mobile do, but others will allow an increase (but not decrease) in a chosen tariff. This isn't as unfair as you might think, as punters used to go for the most expensive tariff to obtain a free phone, then drop down to a minimum level and still kept the phone. This disadvantaged those to knew their limits and paid whatever the phone cost was on the lower tariff.

To save the hassle, some networks said no downward changes in the minimum term, or restricted you to reduce by one level every 3-6 months.

anna2007

gjchester wrote: »

Sorry I suspect you won't like this but the T&C state that prices can raise by anything up to the RPI without giving you a cause to cancel. You agreed to the possibility of this when you signed up to the contract.

Did you read the T&C when you signed up? Most people skim through them but not really read them, hence why this often comes up on the boards. Contract prices are not (and have not been) fixed over the term of the contract, they can rise either if the company wished to increase them for inflation or any external reason (like the change in VAT).

T-Mobile are increasing prices by 3.3%, stating they have used the Retail Price Index, currently at 3.3%. This rate is incorrect; the latest figure on the ONS website, released on 19 March, is 3.2%.

Clause 7.2.3 of T-Mobile’s terms and conditions allows the customer to terminate the agreement within the minimum term without having to pay a cancellation charge if: "The change that We gave you Written Notice of in point 7.1.4 is an increase in Your Price Plan Charge (as a percentage) higher than any increase in the Retail Price Index (also calculated as a percentage) for the 12 months before the month in which We send You Written Notice and You give Us notice to immediately cancel this Agreement before the change takes effect. (7.2.3.3)".

As the price increase of 3.3% is higher than than the current RPI percentage rate of 3.2%, you are entitled to terminate the contract without penalty, provided the written notice you received from T-Mobile is dated April 2013.

gjchester

anna2007 wrote: »

T-Mobile are increasing prices by 3.3%, stating they have used the Retail Price Index, currently at 3.3%. This rate is incorrect; the latest figure on the ONS website, released on 19 March, is 3.2%.

The rise was announced on the 1st of March and Februarys RPI was 3.3%, hence the 3.3% rise.

Silk

gjchester wrote: »

The rise was announced on the 1st of March and Februarys RPI was 3.3%, hence the 3.3% rise.

I think that the point Anna is making is that it applies if you get the notification in April

provided the written notice you received from T-Mobile is dated April 2013

Which could be interesting thinking about it ???

gjchester

Silk wrote: »

I think that the point Anna is making is that it applies if you get the notification in April.

Which could be interesting thinking about it ???

I understood the point however, the rise was announced in March when RPI was higher, T-Mobile have to give you 30 days notice and the rise is planned for the 9th of May, hence why notification are going out now.

anna2007

gjchester wrote: »

I understood the point however, the rise was announced in March when RPI was higher, T-Mobile have to give you 30 days notice and the rise is planned for the 9th of May, hence why notification are going out now.

Does it matter when the rise is announced, if t&c's state the applicable RPI rate is the one in place in the month prior to the written notice being sent? There's nothing in the terms about the date of a price rise announcement, so the way I see it, the RPI rate at that time is irrelevant.

Silk

gjchester wrote: »

I understood the point however, the rise was announced in March when RPI was higher, T-Mobile have to give you 30 days notice and the rise is planned for the 9th of May, hence why notification are going out now.

Fully agree

It may be worth pondering the implications of the figures being correct at the time the notification goes out and whether they may have missed the boat.???
Had they increased 3.1% it wouldn't be a problem

powerful_Rogue

Just trying to get my head around all this!

I received a letter 3 days ago from T-Mobile dated April 2003 stating from the 9th May 2013 my price plan will increase by RPI percentage which it states is currently at 3.3%.

If the RPI is currently at 3.2% and has been since the 19th March -then wouldnt the T&C come into play.

7.1.4. We can increase any Price Plan Charge. We will give You Written Notice 30 days before We do so. The change will then apply to You once that notice has run out.

7.2.3.3. The change that We gave You Written Notice of in point 7.1.4 is an increase in Your Price Plan Charge (as a percentage) higher than any increase in the Retail Price Index (also calculated as a percentage) for the 12 months before the month in which We send You Written Notice and You give Us notice to immediately cancel this Agreement before the change takes effect.