o2 Trying to Rip Me Off for £££s

Elle00

EDIT: Have Checked Statements

Hi all, advice would be really appreciated please.

In April 06 my contract with o2 was due for renewal so I rang to cancel and requested a PAC code so I could transfer my number to another network. I was transferred to the department that releases PACs (I now realise they're actually rententions) and the guy asked why I was cancelling. I said I couldn't afford it and was changing to PAYG; he offered me a new tariff of £15 per month for 200 minutes and 50 texts saying I wasn't using all my texts anymore anyway and I happily accepted this (previously, in 2005, I had 50 minutes and 500 free texts which including calls was costing me around £25 per month).

This year I rang 24 May for an upgrade but didn't like any of the phones so accepted a £100 credit on my bill instead and kept my old phone for the third year running. I thought this would be the end of it.

I checked my online account early this week to ensure the credit was on there but just saw that my account was £53 in credit with no trail of this alleged £100 coming in.

I have spoken to o2 via email and been told that this is because my first bill has already been taken off and that also, the £53 showing is less VAT??? But they also said last month's phone bill was £47!!! What from £15 every month it's now £47 is it? I hardly use my phone.

I emailed back and got a reply to say that my usual tariff is online 200 and that last year I received a discount that has been taken off my account with effect of May 2007 when my contract was renewed. I was told I could not cancel because I am past the 14 day cancellation period and that if I wish to continue to do so regardless I will have to pay 11 months x £30 - so £330!!!

I have since emailed back to say that this is unacceptable because no "discount" has ever been mentioned to me and that if this was the case then someone should have alerted me to this fact on renewing my contract on both occasions. I have also pointed out that whereas I previously received 500 texts and 50 anytime minutes for my £25 a month this was changed to 50 texts and 200 off-peak minutes for £15 a month which therefore surely consitutes a change of tariff - not a discount.

Having just now checked (and printed off) all of my statements since July 2005, when they are available online from, I can confirm that I was on Online 50 for £17.99 per month up until April 06. So where's the £30 figure come from? Well it appears that they changed my tariff differently to what they told me over the phone. They told me they were REDUCING my add-ons to give me a cheaper tariff of £15 per month (it's all coming back to me now) and YES they DID change the tariff. But what they are now arguing it seems is that the new tariff I was offered last year was at a reduction for a fixed period - but this was never mentioned to me nor did I receive any letters to say as much.

In fact the letter I have received this renewal says absolutely nothing about what tariff I am on or how much they are charging me which I believe they did deliberately to ensure I didn't "catch on" during the 14 day period in which I would have been eligible to cancel.

How can they reasonably argue I agreed to something I have never seen in writing and clearly do not even understand? I was NOT told I was receiving a 12m discount on a higher tariff I was told I was being offered a lower tariff because I'd been a loyal customer. Am so upset, really cannot afford this. Please help.

matrix999

Elle83 wrote: »

EDIT: Have Checked Statements

Hi all, advice would be really appreciated please.

In April 06 my contract with o2 was due for renewal so I rang to cancel and requested a PAC code so I could transfer my number to another network. I was transferred to the department that releases PACs (I now realise they're actually rententions) and the guy asked why I was cancelling. I said I couldn't afford it and was changing to PAYG; he offered me a new tariff of £15 per month for 200 minutes and 50 texts saying I wasn't using all my texts anymore anyway and I happily accepted this (previously, in 2005, I had 50 minutes and 500 free texts which including calls was costing me around £25 per month).

This year I rang 24 May for an upgrade but didn't like any of the phones so accepted a £100 credit on my bill instead and kept my old phone for the third year running. I thought this would be the end of it.

I checked my online account early this week to ensure the credit was on there but just saw that my account was £53 in credit with no trail of this alleged £100 coming in.

I have spoken to o2 via email and been told that this is because my first bill has already been taken off and that also, the £53 showing is less VAT??? But they also said last month's phone bill was £47!!! What from £15 every month it's now £47 is it? I hardly use my phone.

I emailed back and got a reply to say that my usual tariff is online 200 and that last year I received a discount that has been taken off my account with effect of May 2007 when my contract was renewed. I was told I could not cancel because I am past the 14 day cancellation period and that if I wish to continue to do so regardless I will have to pay 11 months x £30 - so £330!!!

I have since emailed back to say that this is unacceptable because no "discount" has ever been mentioned to me and that if this was the case then someone should have alerted me to this fact on renewing my contract on both occasions. I have also pointed out that whereas I previously received 500 texts and 50 anytime minutes for my £25 a month this was changed to 50 texts and 200 off-peak minutes for £15 a month which therefore surely consitutes a change of tariff - not a discount.

Having just now checked (and printed off) all of my statements since July 2005, when they are available online from, I can confirm that I was on Online 50 for £17.99 per month up until April 06. So where's the £30 figure come from? Well it appears that they changed my tariff differently to what they told me over the phone. They told me they were REDUCING my add-ons to give me a cheaper tariff of £15 per month (it's all coming back to me now) and YES they DID change the tariff. But what they are now arguing it seems is that the new tariff I was offered last year was at a reduction for a fixed period - but this was never mentioned to me nor did I receive any letters to say as much.

In fact the letter I have received this renewal says absolutely nothing about what tariff I am on or how much they are charging me which I believe they did deliberately to ensure I didn't "catch on" during the 14 day period in which I would have been eligible to cancel.

How can they reasonably argue I agreed to something I have never seen in writing and clearly do not even understand? I was NOT told I was receiving a 12m discount on a higher tariff I was told I was being offered a lower tariff because I'd been a loyal customer. Am so upset, really cannot afford this. Please help.

Send an e-mail to peter.erskine@o2.com

He is the CEO and his team will call you back to sort this problem out.