Hello and Help Please....

cklass

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

Aren't mobile phone companies etc meant to be checking if their customers are on the correct tariffs etc?

No, they're a business, they're not going to stop you from buying something you don't need if you're willing to buy it. It's your responsibility to make sure you're buying something you need and can afford to pay for.

If you're in debt or in a position where you could easily find yourself in debt, a mobile contract just isn't for you. It's essentially a loan with a hefty interest rate, so in pretty much every case, you'd be significantly better off buying a phone you can afford to buy outright and getting a PAYG or rolling sim only plan, that way you're not paying interest, you're not locked into a contract you're struggling to pay for and you can adjust your allowance according to your usage so you're not wasting money.

If it's any consolation, this price increase will only amount to an increase of about 20p-30p per month depending on your currently monthly airtime charge, so it shouldn't hit you too hard.

dealer_wins

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

Seems some forgot the "be nice to newbie" rule here!
Just to clarify - I did happily take out the contact and have no problem paying for a service. I have had many contracts before, rarely do I regret having one because I do get a free phone AND usually good deals.

HOWEVER... When in debt up to my eyeballs, with little money coming in; I am a bit narked by paying arond £45 for not even half what I used to get...

And to clear up the data thing, I don't have internet at home. But am out a lot using emails (mostly) and social media. I use hardly any of the call allowance I get, and my texting is nowhere near what it once was. Aren't mobile phone companies etc meant to be checking if their customers are on the correct tariffs etc?

Or is that something else I shouldn't be asking about, seeing as it ALL seems to be my fault? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Which begs the question.. why did you take the plan out??????

gcn504

If it was a year ago I presume it was an O2 Refresh contract which splits the phone cost and tariff cost.

So the £45 would be split between paying off the phone (lets say £20 for the phone and £25 for the airtime). The phone is actually sold to you interest free.

With an O2 Refresh contract you are free to leave if you pay off the remainder of the Phone Contract (so say 12 x £20) - you are then free to get a better airtime deal (eg: sim only deal etc) or indeed leave for another operator (the phone is yours because you've paid it off).

One other option, if it is an O2 Refresh contract, is that you are free to upgrade with O2 at any point to another phone. The way this works is that, as above, you pay off the remainder of the phone part of the contract: basically you part-exchange your current phone to a new one. So your phone may still have a value which would clear the outstanding amount or a large part of it (as a rough idea you could check at https://www.o2recycle.co.uk). So if debt is an issue you could get a new contract with a less expensive phone and a new tariff which is more affordable

As for O2 making sure you are on a better tariff that usually happens at the end of the contract but again these things are in your own best interest to investigate nearer the time for obvious reasons.

mobilejunkie

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

Seems some forgot the "be nice to newbie" rule here!
Just to clarify - I did happily take out the contact and have no problem paying for a service. I have had many contracts before, rarely do I regret having one because I do get a free phone AND usually good deals.

HOWEVER... When in debt up to my eyeballs, with little money coming in; I am a bit narked by paying arond £45 for not even half what I used to get...

If you have no problem paying for a service but are in debt up to your eyeballs you've clearly got a lot of things wrong. That's not the network's fault - it IS yours. They have no obligation to inform you of a cheaper tariff (that's energy companies and quite recent) and, even if they did, you couldn't switch to one until you have fulfilled your side of the bargain which you freely entered into.

It's not nice feeling the walls closing in, but blaming everyone else instead of taking personal responsibilty and concentrating on what you can do to work your way out will only make things a lot worse.

Techhead_2

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

Seems some forgot the "be nice to newbie" rule here!
Just to clarify - I did happily take out the contact and have no problem paying for a service. I have had many contracts before, rarely do I regret having one because I do get a free phone AND usually good deals.

HOWEVER... When in debt up to my eyeballs, with little money coming in; I am a bit narked by paying arond £45 for not even half what I used to get...

And to clear up the data thing, I don't have internet at home. But am out a lot using emails (mostly) and social media. I use hardly any of the call allowance I get, and my texting is nowhere near what it once was. Aren't mobile phone companies etc meant to be checking if their customers are on the correct tariffs etc?

Or is that something else I shouldn't be asking about, seeing as it ALL seems to be my fault? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

The point you are missing is that it was your choice to take out this contract. You chose the tariff, minimum period, handset and allowance. If it is no longer suitable then it's a mistake on your part. (If flexibility was important then why commit?)

It isn't O2's fault that your pattern of usage has changed and your financial circumstances have altered.

How can you be "narked" and "mad" when it was your decision?

The sensible thing to do is understand that your phone contract is part of your wider debt issue. Seek professional debt advice to resolve this (the Money saving expert debt articles would be a good place to start).

cklass

gcn504 wrote: »

If it was a year ago I presume it was an O2 Refresh contract which splits the phone cost and tariff cost.

So the £45 would be split between paying off the phone (lets say £20 for the phone and £25 for the airtime). The phone is actually sold to you interest free.

They tend to bump up the cost of the phone, though, so you're nonetheless paying for the privilege of paying monthly. Anyway, that's just my personal bugbear with these types of contracts - 'interest free' but still costs you about 8% more than buying outright...

NicsWriter1

dealer_wins wrote: »

Which begs the question.. why did you take the plan out??????

Because at the time - a year ago (24 month contract) I was fine and dandy.
Planning how to get saving and stuff with my life.
I had the debt for longer BUT was managing to pay it off, and my almost £40 pm contract was not a worry...
Then life went wrong, threw me a curve ball and I lost a great chunk of my regular money that was coming in - yes contracts are good if you want the shiny new phone and you life never changes.
But nothing is ever that clear cut.
How can you know in two years time if your life will still be the same?
Surely only those with loads of money and dead-certs of a job are the only ones who could be so sure about their futures in 24 months?
On a side note, wouldn't it be far better (especially these days) to go back to 12 month contracts?

DCFC79

OP in future look at sim only contracts eg three do sims with all you can eat data for less than what your paying now, there's texts and calls included.

No you can't know if your life will be the same in 2 years time but you certainly don't need to spend £45pm on a phone contract and get yourself a sim only plan and buy a sim free phone.

I'd look at selling the phone to be honest and get yourself 1 of the motorola phones you can get from Tesco for less than a hundred.

augustusgloop

Hi nicswriter1,

I think it is appalling that you have been made to feel like you have to explain yourself.

The ' holier than thou' attitude attitude on here really annoys me. You are in a situation and you need help that's it.

Why you took out the contract and why you can't afford it later is NOBODY ELSE'S BUSINESS!!!!! If people don't want to help just stay quiet!

The best advice so far seems to be if it is a refresh deal explore paying of the phone, selling it and seeking out a sim only alternative with a cheap phone.

If you bought direct from o2 it might be worth approaching them by phone and explaining what is going on - they may be willing to lower your tariff if you get the right department - especially you have been a customer for a while and are paying so much money.

If you bought from a different supplier I think selling the phone is probably your only option to recoup something.

Once again, I am sorry you have been bullied into sharing information you didn't wish to. Good luck.

Techhead_2

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

Because at the time - a year ago (24 month contract) I was fine and dandy.
Planning how to get saving and stuff with my life.
I had the debt for longer BUT was managing to pay it off, and my almost £40 pm contract was not a worry...
Then life went wrong, threw me a curve ball and I lost a great chunk of my regular money that was coming in - yes contracts are good if you want the shiny new phone and you life never changes.
But nothing is ever that clear cut.
How can you know in two years time if your life will still be the same?
Surely only those with loads of money and dead-certs of a job are the only ones who could be so sure about their futures in 24 months?
On a side note, wouldn't it be far better (especially these days) to go back to 12 month contracts?

When taking out any commitment it's sensible to think "What if my circumstances change?"

The money saving expert advice is to build up a buffer of savings so that if something goes wrong you have some time to sort yourself out. Say three to six months.

I stand by my advice that you need to consider this as part of your whole debt position.

On your side note, you could have taken out a twelve month contract or even a thirty day contract.