Contracts Question

malolo

30 days notice is a pretty standard thing throughout the mobile industry. I personally don't think that it's unreasonable for people to take responsibilty for these sort of things themself... after all, thousands of people manage it without having to make an issue out of it and it's not exactly difficult to put a note in your phone or on a calendar etc.

Of course it's legal... do you not think someone else might have picked up on that fact before if it was illegal? It used to be the case (not sure if it still is) that Sky wouldn't let you change the package you had with them if it wasn't your exact billing date which is even more impractical than this situation.

I don't know how their computer systems work but I think that allowing people to send their notice of cancellation in whenever they feel like it is expecting too much... sure, they have computers but why should they load their computers, and spend more money, on something that really isn't needed?

For the sake of putting a note on a calendar I can't really see how this complaint is worth someone's time.

matrix999

Cardinal-Red wrote:

But would I not still be liable if that person defaulted?

An interesting proposal certainly!

The contract details would be changed to the new subscriber therefore if they defaulted on payment you would not be liable as the contract is no longer in your name.

Cardinal-Red

malolo wrote:

30 days notice is a pretty standard thing throughout the mobile industry. I personally don't think that it's unreasonable for people to take responsibilty for these sort of things themself... after all, thousands of people manage it without having to make an issue out of it and it's not exactly difficult to put a note in your phone or on a calendar etc.

Of course it's legal... do you not think someone else might have picked up on that fact before if it was illegal? It used to be the case (not sure if it still is) that Sky wouldn't let you change the package you had with them if it wasn't your exact billing date which is even more impractical than this situation.

I don't know how their computer systems work but I think that allowing people to send their notice of cancellation in whenever they feel like it is expecting too much... sure, they have computers but why should they load their computers, and spend more money, on something that really isn't needed?

For the sake of putting a note on a calendar I can't really see how this complaint is worth someone's time.

Malolo,

Thanks for your continued interest in this case!

I'm not doubting the legality of the thirty days. It's part of the contract I signed up to and I accept it. But to say it cannot be more than thirty days is ludicrous. To suggest they don't have the systems to deal with such a request is equally so.

On a personal note, the reason I'm so determined to do this is that o2 have simply pushed me too far, namely by:

- hanging up on my phone call when somehow my date of birth changed on their systems (it was fine a couple of weeks ago when I spent £79.99 on a new phone and upgraded to another twelve months);

- refusing to allow me to deal with the same person for the ongoing complaint therefore forcing me to go over old ground every time on their 40p per minute line;

- telling me that it was 'impossible' for them to phone me to discuss the matter at hand because they were an 'online company' therefore forcing me to absorb the entire costs of their inadequacies;

- leaving me without a phone for 2 weeks while they sorted out a new SIM card following the theft of my phone;

- sending my contract SIM to an address I moved away from 2 years ago, despite me confirming my current address details on the phone during the phone call in which I requested my new SIM;

- taking 4 days to activate my SIM card when it arrived;

- then locking down my current phone as soon as it was activated;

- refusing to supply settings details for my new phone;

- denying the existence of a phone call requesting a reduction to the lowest tariff and trying to charge me the fee at the higher tariff because they couldn't retrospectively alter tariffs (eventually conceding their error when I produced phone records showing the phone call to them which their agent had mysteriously failed to log)

I'm an enraged customer and their attempts to deny me my legal right to give notice of my intention to terminate my contract now is only further serving to irritate me.

This is not about practicalities or the path of least resistance.

malolo

I can see why you'd be frustrated with these on going issues but after reading about their incompetency (which doesn't surprise me as O2 aren't reknowned for their customer service) I'd wonder if they'd actually remember to cancel your contract at all or whether your contract would continue to run.

Yes, I can understand that it would be more convenient for you to 'hand in' your notice at this moment in time but in the long run would it not be easier to do it 30 days before you want them cancelled to avoid possible future mistakes with the cancellations? (for example, if they did accept your notice now and then they messed up and didn't cancel and you had to go through channels to get your money back)

bbb_uk

malolo wrote:

......It used to be the case (not sure if it still is) that Sky wouldn't let you change the package you had with them if it wasn't your exact billing date which is even more impractical than this situation.

Sorry to bring this slightly off the subject but was just to say that you can change your package with sky anytime they just charge you accordingly.

Going back to the subject, in a perfect world you be able to give them notice well in advance but we don't live in a perfect world. I'm currently getting insurance quotes and some companies have started adding in clauses that they will automatically renew the insurance at the end of the 12 months if they don't hear from you. I obviously said no but from their (insurance companies) point of view they're hoping that i'll forget or something and they'll rip me off at the next renewal. The same kind of thing could be said about mobile companies, they're hoping you forget to cancel your contract once you're outside it and therefore they continue to get your money. It's not in o2's (or any other network for that matter) interest to accept your notice so early when they hope you may forget to cancel at the end of it.

(sorry about going off subject but was using it as an example)