Help with a vodafone contract problem

Champy

Hi all, am hoping someone can help me, I am not very savvy with forums, so apologies if this isn't the place to ask. 

I have just been to visit my uncle, I usually support him with ringing people, sorting out bills etc.
He has recently had to reduce his hours at work and therefore is earning less, and is looking to lower his outgoings.
He said today, could I look at his Vodafone bill as he pays £70 plus a month and its a big bill. 
After logging onto his my Vodafone, I noticed he was paying for 3 mobile accounts. He also has insurance, and these total around £77 a month, so I called them to query why he has 3 mobile numbers on his account. 1 was his mobile, which is fine, as soon as the contract ends I will try and get him a better plan for less money. 1 is his tablet, which again is fine, we know he uses this and he's happy with that payment. The 3rd though, is a tablet he had in 2014. Neither him or myself can recall him having another tablet, but lets agree that he had it. I explained to the guy on the phone that he no longer has this tablet or uses it and could we cancel? The guy said yep, that's fine, the contract on that tablet ended in 2016 anyway, so I will cancel that for you and after this month he wont have to pay for this anymore. 
I did ask straight away, if there would be a rebate if the contract ended in 2016, but was told no. I was pretty stressed at the time, so I left it and have since come home and thought about it.

Is he able to get a rebate for this? If they say the contract ended in 2016, how can they still charge him? I must admit I have no idea about mobile phone contracts and how they work, but i don't understand how this is possible to charge someone when a contract has ended? He has been paying £27 a month for this line since 2016. It seems ludicrous to me that this is possible. 

Anyway, if anyone can help explain how they work, or advise me how to move forward I would really appreciate it.

Many thanks, Marie

Neil_Jones

Contracts in this sort of regard are just another word for "deal", typically a discount or something which ends when that "contract" does.  They roll over at that point onto a new tariff  which almost always doesn't have an exit fee itself, often at the cost of being most expensive in the first place.

Unfortunately its not the provider's responsibility to check the customer still wants the service on the tablet after the contract ends, that has to be the customer's responsibility to terminate it if they no longer want it.  This has not happened, and so it continues.

You can ask but don't expect to get.  You may get a goodwill gesture/offer but don't expect five years worth of payments to be returned.  Vodafone have provided the service, if the customer hasn't made use of it because they forgot they had it in the first place, that falls under "not Vodafone's problem".

You may want to check your relative's other bills too.

matelodave

Generally mobile phone contracts have a minimum or contract period, especially if they also include the provision of a device (phone, tablet, dongles etc) and then just roll over and continue indenfinitely until they are actually cancelled by the purchaser.

It's therefore really important that you understand the terms and conditions and dont end up paying over the odds, either for a contract that's not being used or the extra cost for the equipment once it's been paid for. 

Getting a contract phone for instance, will have two parts, the cost of the phone and the cost of the service and you should always check and review what you are paying for at the end of the minimum period to make sure that you dont keep paying the extra for the cost of the phone.

There have been changes in the legislation to compell providers to notify customers that their contracts are ending and notifications for those that have ended but are still rolling, HOWEVER if you (or your relative) havent been using the service then they might find it difficult to contact you if the device or service is the one with your contact details (ie if you get a new mobile phone number or e-mail address) taking out another contract, even with the same company doens't automatically link the two so it's still up to the customer to put some effort in.

have a look here https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/end-of-contract-notifications-broadband-and-mobile/#:~:text=In line with new legislation,around for a better deal.

note this paragraph from the above

How will I receive my end of contract notification?

Regulations stipulate that providers communicate with you in the manner of your choosing. So this could be by post, email, or text message.

So keep an eye on your inbox and be sure to always read messages from your provider so that you don’t miss out on important information

Champy

Brilliant, thanks to you both for replying. 
 
I had no idea as he's never mentioned his mobile before and I assumed [silly me!!] that it was ok! 
I will certainly be more on the case in the future.

Its only because of him looking to save money that he mentioned the phone bill, who knows, he could of been paying that for a few more years yet! Such a shame that we don't remember him getting it, maybe I should of been more alert to his contract and the ending of it, and would of caught this sooner, but there you go! 

Thanks so much for replying! 

Marie

pmduk

Whenever entering a deal,  I always make a diary entry approx 30 days before the expiry to consider cancellation. That, together with regular checking of my list of Direct Debits, has saved me some money over the years

eDicky

Mobile contracts don't 'end' as such, they reach their minimum term after two years or whatever, after which they continue monthly indefinitely unless cancelled, amended or ported away from. Your father needs to do one of the latter, he's missing out on huge savings.