Vodafone

jane_adams_2

My husband has been with Vodafone longer than I've known him, so more than 16 years.

Last year he went over on minutes on his contract (he was job hunting at the time) so they said they'd put his tariff up. I wasn't a party to the conversation and he can't remember exactly what they said or what he thought they were saying, but basically it went up from about £20 a month to £33, massive difference.

He then got a new job which happens to be in a building where he can get no signal so he now can't use his phone most of the time. He spoke to them to ask if they would put his tariff back down but they refused saying that it's policy that you can put it up but not put it back down.

He's spoken to them again today. They've confirmed his contract is up April 2016 and if he cancelled today it'd cost him £125 (slightly less than the full £33 a month but not by much). They offered him an 'upgrade' although didn't say at what cost.

Does anyone know of any way out of the contract early at a lower cost or anything else we could try or is it a case of putting up with it until April and then telling them where to go?

forgotmyname

The way way to get the price lower is if your within the limits of an upgrade, but then you have a new contract to pay for.

jane_adams_2

Yeah, they mentioned upgrade but he doesn't really want to stay with them, because of the way they've treated him but also because it won't change the lack of signal at his office. He's going to ask though, just out of interest.

I'm sure in the past (although quite a long time ago and a different network) I was able to lower my tariff after increasing it but maybe things of changed or it's just Vodafone.

Maybe we'll just have to wait then.

20aday

If your OH can get a signal on EE it might be worth considering Virgin Mobile (who piggyback on EE's network).

I had a mail shot through the post from them (yesterday) and they pointed out you can upgrade/downgrade your tariff with them as many times as you like.

jane_adams_2

Thanks - EE was a network he was considering as he knows some people can get some signal with them. Will keep Virgin in mind too (I wasn't sure they were still around to be honest).

diamonds

The contract was for the minimum plan amount for xx months, it is a unfair term to not allow a downgrade to a (currently public available plan) of the same cost unless a new xx month term/handset was agreed to, which you state is not the case. Although a slight increase on £20 may be applicable for the yearly rise as per T&C on inflation, £13 is not inflation.

Contact Trading Standards, Vodafone staff wont be versed in your legal rights.


The networks need to stop Unfair terms, Ofcom as ever are leaving consumers to do it on a individual basis.