MSE News: O2 to hike its prices by 2.7% - can you leave your contract penalty-free?

GolfBravo

AlwaysConfused wrote: »

Ombudsman still saying it's a commercial decision and refusing to expand further than the word 'commercial'.

How long did you have to wait for their first reply to your complaint?

Still waiting for their reply to my complaint (last Friday).

FacingReality

GolfBravo wrote: »

How long did you have to wait for their first reply to your complaint?

Still waiting for their reply to my complaint (last Friday).

I put in a complaint on Friday and received the cut and paste reply that totally ignored my points today.

AlwaysConfused

They've responded to the online complaints form within 2 days or so but upto now won't respond to any emails other than a auto response to say they got it.
To get another response out of them I had to fill in the online form again.
I suspect that's how they measure their 'performance', as long as they respond to the initial enquiry within a set period they are A1 super fantastic and doing a darn good job!
Follow up correspondence? who cares!!!
:):)

ChilliP2012

Had my response from the ombudsmen. Still saying it's a commercial decision.

Lifes_Grand_Plan

ChilliP2012 wrote: »

Had my response from the ombudsmen. Still saying it's a commercial decision.

See post 248, third paragraph.

To reiterate, you need to be firm with the ombudsman that you agree that the price rise itself is a commercial decision, it is their unwillingness to allow you to leave (which you are entitled to under the T&C's due to the price increase) that you are challenging - this part is NOT a commercial decision.

ChilliP2012

Lifes_Grand_Plan wrote: »

See post 248, third paragraph.

To reiterate, you need to be firm with the ombudsman that you agree that the price rise itself is a commercial decision, it is their unwillingness to allow you to leave (which you are entitled to under the T&C's due to the price increase) that you are challenging - this part is NOT a commercial decision.

Which is exactly what I'll be doing shortly. Was trying to find that bit of info, but thanks to your helpful post, I can arm myself with the info needed to go at the ombudsmen again.

parrysite

I've had a reply saying that I need a separate deadlock letter for my issue regarding 4G.

GolfBravo

This is a new one:

We have looked at the information you provided and decided that we cannot help with your complaint.
The ombudsman has provided the following comments:
“The new Ofcom guidance applies to contracts taken out by consumers and small businesses on or after 23rd January 2014. For customers who were in a contract prior to 23 January 2014, we cannot apply the new guidance.
O2 contracts stated:
“5.3 You can end this Agreement without having to pay the Monthly Subscription Charges up to the end of any Minimum Period you have left, if:
(a) we increase your Monthly Subscription Charges by more than the Retail Price Index (RPI) annual inflation rate at the date we notify you of the applicable price increase; or
(b) we increase any of our Charges (apart from for Additional Services) in such a way that would have increased your total bill for the immediately previous month by more than 10% (if the increase(s) had applied for the whole of that month).”
O2’s statement to customer states:
"O2’s price rise is in line with the Retail Price increase and therefore is permitted under the contract."
Therefore, we would not be able to investigate the complaint.
For confidential and impartial advice, contact Citizens Advice. Visit https://www.adviceguide.org.uk or call 08454 04 05 06.
For more information about Ombudsman Services visit our website https://www.ombudsman-services.org

I am speechless. Now the Ombudsman is claiming memory loss, and can't seem to recall anything prior to 23 January 2014.

Ofcom GC 9.6 prior to 23 January 2014:
The Communications Provider shall:
(a) give its Subscribers adequate notice not shorter than one month of any modifications likely to be of material detriment to that Subscriber;
(b) allow its Subscribers to withdraw from their contract without penalty upon such notice; and
(c) at the same time as giving the notice in condition 9.6 (a) above, shall inform the Subscriber of its ability to terminate the contract without penalty if the proposed modification is not acceptable to the Subscriber.

ChilliP2012

I guess we have to just keep chipping away at the ombudsmen until they actually see sense. Can OFCOM themselves not do anything?

GolfBravo

ChilliP2012 wrote: »

I guess we have to just keep chipping away at the ombudsmen until they actually see sense. Can OFCOM themselves not do anything?

Yes, indeed. I will use this Ofcom decision from October 2013 to refresh the Ombudsman's memory.