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Paying 2 year contract for over years!

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  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,681 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    boatman wrote: »
    The companies just need to keep proof they informed the customer, up to them how they choose to do that.

    I worked for a network that recorded on its CRM when a letter notifying a change had been sent. Customers regularly denied receiving or reading them.

    On those rare occasions no record had been made of the letter, the change was reversed, albeit temporarily until the next wave of letters was sent and unsurprisingly the same customers denied receiving or reading the letters.
  • boatman
    boatman Posts: 4,700 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    pmduk wrote: »
    I worked for a network that recorded on its CRM when a letter notifying a change had been sent. Customers regularly denied receiving or reading them.
    On those rare occasions no record had been made of the letter, the change was reversed, albeit temporarily until the next wave of letters was sent and unsurprisingly the same customers denied receiving or reading the letters.
    That's for the ombudsman or small claims to make the final decision if they are happy with the proof.
  • boatman
    boatman Posts: 4,700 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Perhaps OFCOM ought to ban free or heavily discounted phones to be sold within mobile contracts, that would solve the problem. To only have phone credit agreements and line rental agreements.
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,681 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 2 February 2019 at 11:52AM
    boatman wrote: »
    Perhaps OFCOM ought to ban free or heavily discounted phones to be sold within mobile contracts, that would solve the problem. To only have phone credit agreements and line rental agreements.

    When we only had Cellnet and Vodafone neither were allowed to sell handsets or contracts direct to the public, everything had to go through third parties, companies such as Phone People and the like.

    Once 121, then Orange came along there was considered enough competition for networks to be allowed to sell direct and the dreaded upgrade was born. (Which as an aside, is where most of the blame lies IMHO).


    I think we're finally at a point we can agree, though it's unlikely to ever happen. Perhaps a phone credit agreement with a SIMO deal, perhaps with a post-contract sweetener (refund or credit on next deal) for remaining with a network and paying bills on time?

    ETA I doubt whether Ofcom in its current format has the bottle to take such a major step. It would need Government initiative and our current lot don't seem very good at organising even themselves,
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,681 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    boatman wrote: »
    That's for the ombudsman or small claims to make the final decision if they are happy with the proof.

    It's my personal knowledge that the ombudsman concerned accepted this on several occasions. We never let a case go that far if our records weren't 100%, even if we felt the case had no merit.
  • stragglebod
    stragglebod Posts: 1,324 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Why don't Ofcom just force mobile phone companies to send customers a free calendar and biro with every contract?
  • mobilejunkie
    mobilejunkie Posts: 8,460 Forumite
    'Cause then there'd be a clamour to reduce the cost at the end of the minimum term to cover it.
  • boatman
    boatman Posts: 4,700 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 4 February 2019 at 8:57AM
    The mobile companies are international, they pull the same stunt in other countries too. Its up to regulations to keep them under control..
    Just like the banks, think they can get away with murder unless challenged. The fact they claim they didn't realise/it was an error and all the other rubbish they come out with, when in fact there is every chance they have already been pulled up for it in another country. Its all just their ruthless pursuit for cash, they don't give a stuff about staff or customers.
  • pmduk
    pmduk Posts: 10,681 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    boatman wrote: »
    Its all just their ruthless pursuit for cash, they don't give a stuff about staff or customers.

    All the more reason for consumers to take control of their own contracts and not rely on the 'nice' networks to do it for them.

    The OP mentioned being a loyal customer. This whole site is founded on being disloyal where your money is concerned!
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,730 Forumite
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    boatman wrote: »
    The mobile companies are international, they pull the same stunt in other countries too. Its up to regulations to keep them under control..
    Just like the banks, think they can get away with murder unless challenged. The fact they claim they didn't realise/it was an error and all the other rubbish they come out with, when in fact there is every chance they have already been pulled up for it in another country. Its all just their ruthless pursuit for cash, they don't give a stuff about staff or customers.

    What “stunt” of the networks are you referring to now?
    ====
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