3 PAYG rate increase

smt37

jon81uk said:

smt37 said:

Having a similar experience to others on this forum. I topped up when rates were still being advertised as 3-2-1 rates for PAYG. Very shortly after they announced a massive price hike (100's of percent increases) to texts, minutes and data at very short notice. This means credit that should have lasted me 3-4 months (and was bought in good faith) will probably last me maybe two months at most. I feel cheated. They should at least leave people with unused credit on the old rates for as long as the credit lasts, then increase it. Or offer to refund any unused credit as long as the customer switches prior to the increase (like electricity and gas companies have to do). I have tried contacting Three and they haven't budged on giving me a refund, so that has now turned into a complaint with Three, which I'm now waiting for them to respond to. In the meantime I have tried e-mailing MSE for assistance (though hopefully they will respond to our comments on this forum as well). I wanted to go down the OFCOM/ombudsman route, but they can only assist me after Three has tried to resolve my complaint with them. This is all very unfair what they are doing. Time is also running out - if you feel strongly about this matter - please contact Three to discuss and maybe they will eventually choose to do the right thing if enough people complain.

But they have given a months notice, so they've stuck to their terms.
"4 Variations to your agreement or prices 4.1 We may vary any of the terms of your agreement, including our Packages, Add-ons or prices, on the following basis: (a) any updated Packages and new terms will be available on our website and on request to Three Customer Services; (b) we will let you know at least one month in advance if we decide to: (i) discontinue your Package; or (ii) make any variations to your agreement which are (in our reasonable opinion) likely to be of material detriment to you. 4.2 You are free to stop using Three Services if we make such variations, but if you carry on using Three Services after any variation or change commences, you will be deemed to have accepted the variation."

Yes, thank you. I did notice that, yes. In fact I read most of the terms and conditions, especially the parts making mention of materially detrimental changes, and what happens to unused credit. Section 4 says I am free to stop using their services and that they can change prices with one month's notice. But then in 10.1c it says the agreement can be ended within a month of a materially detrimental variation being announced, and in section 11.2 it says that if the agreement ends due to my CONDUCT (not the case here), any unused credits and allowances are forfeited. It is vague on the matter of what happens if you end within a month of the variation being announced. I feel it's strange that they make particular mention of materially detrimental variations (as opposed to any other reason why you might decide to cancel) if there isn't a particular recourse to go with it. I guess I'm fighting this on what I view to be a contractual technicality/lack of a clear contractual term to deal with my particular situation, and the fact that it is just plain wrong to keep unused credit that you have allowed your customers to purchase only weeks prior, having lured them in telling them it will only cost them the 321 rates. Even if I switch away from Three's network immediately I still can't avoid paying extra and that's what's wrong about it. That credit on my account was purchased to last 3-4 months and now will only last probably 2 months. Borderline, if not actual, mis-selling in my opinion. Imagine if you got to the supermarket checkout and they suddenly charged you more than the labels said for some of the items? At least in the supermarket you can put the items back and not pay - with PAYG credit, the phone company holds all the credit and therefore the power. Also, imagine if you have £300.00 credit on your gas or water account and then they put prices up - the regulator forces them to let you switch without paying the increased charges (as long as you do it right away) and forces them to refund you unused credit - again with PAYG credit this isn't the case for some reason and the phone company holds all the power.

Phones4Chris

eDicky said:

HoofeHearted said:

"You only need to send a text or make a call every 6 months."

This is correct (any chargeable event including data use) - disregard what the O2 website states.

I can also second/third that It's been raised on O2 forums too but some quote from the website, some from experience. O2 were made aware but I wonder why the haven't altered the wording. The cynic in me says that people will top up so O2 have more of our money!

For those thinking of changing from "3", this site MAY be helpful https://payg.pythonanywhere.com/ , I don't know how up-to-date everything is (it looks like it is). Don't forget some of these supposed PAYG are bundles, you have to purchase monthly, not real PAYG in my book! And don't forget to check you can get a signal before you change.

Yorkshire_Pud

Junaid26 said:

You can still get the O2 classic 3-2-1 SIMs, and just move over once your credit does finish. There's a deal for it over on HotUKDeals.

A message on O2 website says you can’t switch to the Classic tariff. If you are already a Classic customer you can continue. So is this a case of an unscrupulous seller offloading old SIM cards that can’t be activated? Or at the very least you can’t port your existing number over but can activate the SIM with the number that comes with the SIM?

Phones4Chris

Yorkshire_Pud said:

Junaid26 said:

You can still get the O2 classic 3-2-1 SIMs, and just move over once your credit does finish. There's a deal for it over on HotUKDeals.

A message on O2 website says you can’t switch to the Classic tariff. If you are already a Classic customer you can continue. So is this a case of an unscrupulous seller offloading old SIM cards that can’t be activated? Or at the very least you can’t port your existing number over but can activate the SIM with the number that comes with the SIM?

Apparently not, he claims they are genuine and guaranteed by O2. You would be protected by eBay selling rules in any event. When I went to look they were 20p   99p with a discount at checkout as mentioned in my previous post about it on p3 in this thread.

Chino

Phones4Chris said:

Apparently not, he claims they are genuine and guaranteed by O2.

I think the concern is less about whether these SIMs are genuine and more about whether they can be activated by new customers. One would imagine not.

AndrewJB

I'm not sure if this has been posted -

6. Tariffs no longer on sale (“Legacy Tariffs”)

6.1 If you’re on a Legacy Tariff that is no longer available to buy or switch to, these Tariff Terms also apply to you. Whilst the Legacy Tariffs are not in general available to buy or switch to, a small number of customers may acquire and activate a Legacy Tariff SIM via our indirect channels. These customers will remain on the tariff until further notice. If you switch away from a Legacy Tariff you will not be able to return to the tariff at a later date. Legacy Tariffs include, but are not limited to: 

• Classic Pay As You
  https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/our-pay-as-you-go-tariff-terms#tariffs
  

GiraffePC

If you rely on Three being EE, please be aware that Asda, as mentioned up thread, is changing from EE to Vodaphone.
My signal with EE is OK but is poorish with Vodaphone; don't yet know about O2.
https://mobile.asda.com/help/network-coverage/asda-mobile-network

jon81uk

GiraffePC said:

If you rely on Three being EE, 

Three is not EE, it is its own network

Roger1

merchcon55 said:

... i tend to use my 3 number more for incoming calls or when you need to give a mobile to register for something. ...

Yes, me too, especially to receive codes etc when mobile banking.  I'll keep the 3 SIM going for a while but  I guess I will ultimately bite the bullet and change.

AndrewJB

I've received my O2 Classic sim from an eBay seller, not the one mentioned on this thread. Mine says that it must be activated by the 7th December 2021.

I've registered an account with O2 and arranged the transfer of my old number without having to add any credit. The transfer should go through on the next working day and I'll top-up after that. The tariff in my account is definitely showing as 3p a minute for calls, 2p for texts, and 1p a MB for data.

I suspect that O2 will also increase their prices in time, but hopefully not for a while or by the same amount. Three's service had been patchy for me recently and the only reason I'd stayed was because of the tariff. I only have a couple of pounds of credit left so it seems like a reasonable time to move.