Change of circumstances and lack of reception.

cath39

Since getting an orange monthly phone my life has completely changed and when I called them today they told me that even though I did not get proper reception where we live and that I was not using the phone I was only allowed to go down 1 tarriff.

However all orange have to do is write to it's customers with notice to change the terms and conditions and the costs etc......

I have been critically and chronically ill and when I explained this it made no difference, then I asked to speak to a Manager who was not at all pleseant to deal with, basically did not care at all.

I just want to have a mobile phone that I can afford now that I am not in employment, I have read about a deadlock letter which I may try to get but does anyone on here have a template letter to get out of contracts due to events that were not expected?

Thank you.

Herongull

Sorry to hear about your serious health problems.

AFAIK you cannot get out of phone contract due to changes in your circumstances, however distressing they are. Mobile companies operate on a commercial rather than on a charitable basis.

Phone contracts are not suitable for everyone because they are inflexible in these difficult situations. If you buy a phone outright and go PAYG, you avoid this problem. Too late for you now, but the best way forward in future.

Although the phone is deemed to be "free" and your contract is for airtime, in reality most of the money you pay each month goes towards the cost of the phone. So a phone contract is essentially like a loan that pays off the cost of the phone.

If your personal circumstances change, your credit card company wouldn't let you off the outstanding amount would they? And neither will the phone company.

The other way to look at it is that you have entered into a legally binding contract with the phone company. Does it say anywhere that the contract can be terminated if you have health or financial problems?

Why not try to sell the phone and use the money to help you pay the termination fee to end the contract early?

JJ_Egan

Write a letter to the networks head office . Explaining your circumstances and see what they will offer .
But as said its a contract so they are not obliged to do anything at all .


jje

Silk

Employment and illness are not reasons for contract termination ....If you have no signal at your primary location you need to concentrate on that aspect and ignore the illness and employment issues