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

ZhugeEX

TwistedAngel wrote: »

Whilst I am not happy about the price rise this year (and next year by the sounds of it), I am less happy that I found out about this increase via an article on MSE and not through an email or communication from O2. I only upgraded last August (after much deliberation about other networks) but can't see me staying with O2 one this contract is up

O2 won't be sending out letters/emails until February 2014.

NittyGritty

there maybe hope for people to cancel , the key note is

"From 1 March, O2 is also upping the cost of certain out-of-bundle texts and calls, as well as international call costs.
UK voice calls will increase from 35p a minute to 40p a minute, with texts going up from 12p to 15p. "

this as nothing to do with RPI figure, so if you make quite a few calls or txts outside your bundle, then you could quite easily argue it is of material detrement or even use that as an excuse to cancel.as it is a price hike, and under the terms you can use this as a way out

Zebrdee

Will O2 pass on this 2.7% increase to Tesco users who use their network?

Tony5101

Zebrdee wrote: »

Will O2 pass on this 2.7% increase to Tesco users who use their network?

O2 can't impose a price rise on Tesco customers.
Tesco buys airtime wholesale from O2. This price rise has absolutely nothing to do with the wholesale cost - this is O2's retail customer cost that is being raised.

Regardless of this - I believe that Tesco is one of the companies that have pledged not to raise their contract prices mid-term. So even if O2 intended to charge Tesco more, Tesco wouldn't pass this rise on to their customers.

IMO this is suicide for O2, in light of the current focus on mid-term price rises, however people also need to vote with their feet.

matthewfelgate

Damn, !!!! O2. Hidden in the !!!!ing small print. It may not be illegal but it's bloody unfair. Nothing I can do about it :-(. Going to switch providers when my contract expires, trouble is i'm on a 24 month contract...

V_For_Verminator

I've been with o2 for 14 years since before they even took that name and year after year, I've grown more and more disillusioned with them. The network is fine and the customer service is excellent, but I don't feel valued as a customer anymore. It's all about them making as much money out of the individual as possible.

I've always thought the whole RPI was a con and this is just a cheap way to get however much extra per month. I'll be looking at about 90p a month extra. It isn't a big deal, but I am going to pursue a complaint. With 11 months left on my contract, I am not complaining from a position of strength but I feel strongly about this - they are basically seeking to increase their costs every year and if you sign a 24 month contract you could in theory get hit by 2 cost increases as I have been, because I got stung last year as well.

It won't get anywhere because they aren't stupid and it will be watertight, but I can't just accept that without at least making a complaint I'm afraid.

NittyGritty

I think some people are missing the key info here,
"From 1 March, O2 is also upping the cost of certain out-of-bundle texts and calls, as well as international call costs.
UK voice calls will increase from 35p a minute to 40p a minute, with texts going up from 12p to 15p. "

the above is a price hike, that as nothing whatsoever to do with the the RPI, in which case under the terms you can if you wish cancel under the guise of Material detrement. if u so wish, failing that you simply take them to CISAS,

terms clearly state :
5.4 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 apply an increase to your Monthly Subscription Charges other than an RPI Change; or
(b) we increase any of our Out-of-Bundle Charges in a way that would have had the effect of increasing your total bill (based on your usage in your bill in the month prior to our notification) by more than 10% if the increase(s) had applied for the whole of that month's bill.
5.5 If you want to end the Agreement because of one of the circumstances in paragraph 5.4 you must give us Notice that you want to within 30 days of our Notice. If you don't give us Notice within 30 days, you accept the new Charges and the Agreement will continue with the new Charges.



this is what I did with tmobile last year and won plus I got compensation for the trouble. with their botched attempt to hike prices with the RPI

V_For_Verminator

So does this apply to all mobile usage?

For example, I have (I think) 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB of data and I'm on a business tariff.

Would I be able to argue (although I never go anywhere near all 3 limits) that it is still material detriment? I don't know the laws on that but I do know that I would never notice the 35-40p and the 12-15p increase on calls and texts respectively.

NittyGritty

the above terms are for pay monthly,

weather you use out of bundle or not its a price hike outside of the RPI
u have a choice if you so wish to cancel as stated in the terms.
quite clearly states
you must give us Notice that you want to within 30 days of our Notice. If you don't give us Notice within 30 days, you accept the new Charges and the Agreement will continue with the new Charges

if they fail to release you, then you simply just go to CISAS, and point out the above, if you do go down that route, make sure you put a claim in of between £50-100 for compensation for the trouble, stress, contacting 02 etc, to make it worth while. (I put £75 in if I remember right last year, and won not only compensation I requested but also cancelled my contract penalty free due to CISAS siding with me

matthewfelgate

NittyGritty wrote: »

I think some people are missing the key info here,
"From 1 March, O2 is also upping the cost of certain out-of-bundle texts and calls, as well as international call costs.
UK voice calls will increase from 35p a minute to 40p a minute, with texts going up from 12p to 15p. "

the above is a price hike, that as nothing whatsoever to do with the the RPI, in which case under the terms you can if you wish cancel under the guise of Material detrement. if u so wish, failing that you simply take them to CISAS,

terms clearly state :
5.4 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 apply an increase to your Monthly Subscription Charges other than an RPI Change; or
(b) we increase any of our Out-of-Bundle Charges in a way that would have had the effect of increasing your total bill (based on your usage in your bill in the month prior to our notification) by more than 10% if the increase(s) had applied for the whole of that month's bill.
5.5 If you want to end the Agreement because of one of the circumstances in paragraph 5.4 you must give us Notice that you want to within 30 days of our Notice. If you don't give us Notice within 30 days, you accept the new Charges and the Agreement will continue with the new Charges.



this is what I did with tmobile last year and won plus I got compensation for the trouble. with their botched attempt to hike prices with the RPI

Thanks dude. Who do I write to: O2 or CISAS..?