MSE News: EE to hike out-of-bundle mobile charges by up to 60%

dealer_wins

Ian011 wrote: »

More than ever it is important to not exceed your inclusive allowance of:
- calls and texts to geographic numbers starting 01 and 02
- calls to non-geographic numbers starting 03
- calls and texts to mobile numbers starting 071-075 and 077-079.
Doing so has become incredibly expensive.

If you can avoid calling premium rate numbers starting 070, 084, 087, 09 or 118, and avoid calling or texting mobile shortcodes, there should be nothing further to pay for UK calls and texts.

Most landline providers offer equivalent inclusive 'anytime' deals for calls (including calls to mobile numbers) for around £8 per month. Now may be the time to cut your mobile usage and, shock! horror!, use your landline.

Calls to numbers starting 080 and 116 are free-to-caller on landlines and mobiles. It doesn't matter which method you use to call these numbers.

Whats wrong with these numbers, my number starts 07767, and no one gets charged for calling me?

My number was given to me by Vodafone over 3 years ago.

Ian011

dealer_wins wrote: »

Whats wrong with these numbers, my number starts 07767, and no one gets charged for calling me

There's nothing wrong with your number. It's a standard UK mobile number starting 071-075 or 077-079. As such it counts within inclusive allowances when called from landlines and from mobiles. Callers will be charged if they exceed their inclusive allowance, or if they chose to not have an inclusive allowance.

boatman

NittyGritty wrote: »

so again why isn't anyone using this option rather than material detriment?

'Additional Commitment Service’ an Additional Service for which You agree
to pay Us a monthly Charge for a minimum period of time.
This is not the out of bundle charges, so sadly does not apply.

The RPI element only relates to the 'core' subscription, i.e. your line rental.
This is how OFCOM interpret it, I've tried believe me..

I think its wrong, the other prices are just as much a part of the 'core' contract you have signed, but sadly they see it differently...!
Its wrong that the companies can increase oob prices to whatever they like while you are in contract, and yet its not thought of as a contract change you can accept or reject.

If you took out a car leasing agreement and the extra mileage charge went from 6p a mile to 12p a mile, I don't think you would be too happy, and i think you would have the right to leave and not accept that change.

A contract is a balance, you can't phone and say I'm going to pay you 50p a month less for the rest of the phone contract, so why should they be allowed to increase an agreed contract. The only reason they want to impose the new charges is profit, there are no regulatory or VAT changes. The decent thing to do is to change new contracts, and apply changes when people renew their contracts.
If they want to change it, they should be prepared for you not to accept the changes, regardless whether you end up paying 10p or £10 more, its still material detriment.

System

You are seeing obstacles where they don't really exist.
To whom do you have to 'prove material detriment'?

boatman wrote: »

By highlighting 'they' I was pointing out that EE seem to think they can choose, when in fact it is down to you to prove material detriment... Heng, you have very strange way of interpreting what I wrote, I think it's pretty clear what I think of the situation.

boatman

Heng_Leng wrote: »

You are seeing obstacles where they don't really exist.
To whom do you have to 'prove material detriment'?

If you ask to leave on the basis of the oob rises and EE refuse on the basis of you not having used them much, you may well have to fight your case with EE via the ombudsman or small claims.
An example of 'proof' would be a holiday booked abroad where the roaming rates had been hiked and you would suffer.

As far as I'm concerned the out of bundle prices increases are 'likely' to cause material detriment, as such, all customers should have the right to leave, but thats my opinion.

shauniebabe

So if I've spent approx £25 a month over the last 6 months on 08 numbers plus over £140 on roaming outside of Europe can I cancel under material detriment or get an upgrade of phone and contract?

boatman

shauniebabe wrote: »

So if I've spent approx £25 a month over the last 6 months on 08 numbers plus over £140 on roaming outside of Europe can I cancel under material detriment or get an upgrade of phone and contract?

Quite probably, sounds like EE have already got their money's worth out of you. Probably best to cut and run rather than upgrade with them.

System

You are looking at this from the wrong perpective.

Within the contract duration, increase of any service you are likely to use is of material detriment (to you). A court would look on the balance of probabilities - proof of future events is often unattainable.

EE are effectively proposing to modify the contract and will take the lack of objection as acceptance.

boatman wrote: »

If you ask to leave on the basis of the oob rises and EE refuse on the basis of you not having used them much, you may well have to fight your case with EE via the ombudsman or small claims.
An example of 'proof' would be a holiday booked abroad where the roaming rates had been hiked and you would suffer.

As far as I'm concerned the out of bundle prices increases are 'likely' to cause material detriment, as such, all customers should have the right to leave, but thats my opinion.

JetStream

Just called EE and tried to cancel 5 months early because of this (I tried the RPI thing) - didn't succeed. Any advice if it's possible?

JetStream

From reading the article on Vodafone http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2016/06/vodafone-to-increase-out-of-allowance-costs-next-month---but-you-may-be-able-to-dodge-the-hikes - and factoring in the fact EE increased the price plan by 1.3% already, technically if you've sent one picture message or gone over your call limit by one minute, it's exceeded 1.3%, even if it's by 0.01%...?