O2 Contract Changes

stephenday1987

I've received an email from o2 confirming contract charge changes as I believe many have. I have spoke to them on the phone and they've confirmed to me I am able to cancel my contract due to the likelyhood of additional charges impacting me. This is all clear, however what they are telling me is that they can only "disconnect the line", meaning I would receive no PAC code and my phone number would effectively be gone for good. I've had this number for many years so don't wish for that to happen. 

What are my legal rights here? I wish to cancel the contract but I am happy to do so by providing 30 days notice as my contract suggests. o2 however are telling me that if I do that I will have to pay the full termination fees under the contract and I'll lose my right to cancel immediately without charge due to the contract changes. This very much seems like a way of steering people away from cancelling due to their contract changes and I can't believe they have the right to effectively hold me ransom for a PAC code.

m-holland

What exactly are they holding ransom?

powerful_Rogue

stephenday1987 said:

I've received an email from o2 confirming contract charge changes as I believe many have. I have spoke to them on the phone and they've confirmed to me I am able to cancel my contract due to the likelyhood of additional charges impacting me. This is all clear, however what they are telling me is that they can only "disconnect the line", meaning I would receive no PAC code and my phone number would effectively be gone for good. I've had this number for many years so don't wish for that to happen. 

What are my legal rights here? I wish to cancel the contract but I am happy to do so by providing 30 days notice as my contract suggests. o2 however are telling me that if I do that I will have to pay the full termination fees under the contract and I'll lose my right to cancel immediately without charge due to the contract changes. This very much seems like a way of steering people away from cancelling due to their contract changes and I can't believe they have the right to effectively hold me ransom for a PAC code.

Do you have all this in writing? If so, ask for a letter of deadlock and goto CISAS (https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/)

The shouldn't be holding your mobile number to ransom.

ThisnotThat

powerful_Rogue said:

stephenday1987 said:

I've received an email from o2 confirming contract charge changes as I believe many have. I have spoke to them on the phone and they've confirmed to me I am able to cancel my contract due to the likelyhood of additional charges impacting me. This is all clear, however what they are telling me is that they can only "disconnect the line", meaning I would receive no PAC code and my phone number would effectively be gone for good. I've had this number for many years so don't wish for that to happen. 

What are my legal rights here? I wish to cancel the contract but I am happy to do so by providing 30 days notice as my contract suggests. o2 however are telling me that if I do that I will have to pay the full termination fees under the contract and I'll lose my right to cancel immediately without charge due to the contract changes. This very much seems like a way of steering people away from cancelling due to their contract changes and I can't believe they have the right to effectively hold me ransom for a PAC code.

Do you have all this in writing? If so, ask for a letter of deadlock and goto CISAS (https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/)

The shouldn't be holding your mobile number to ransom.

It's not their number though.

2.3 We'll allocate you a number for use of your Mobile Phone or certain other Equipment on the Network. The number does not belong to you and may be transferred to another service provider only in certain circumstances. The details are available on our Website and from our customer services team.

Aylesbury_Duck

Is it really such a pain to change number?  We all dial or text names nowadays, it's a good opportunity to purge people or companies from whom you don't wish to hear, and for all the sites where you need to change number, it's a good time to refresh login credentials, which you should be doing regularly anyway.

powerful_Rogue

ThisnotThat said:

powerful_Rogue said:

stephenday1987 said:

I've received an email from o2 confirming contract charge changes as I believe many have. I have spoke to them on the phone and they've confirmed to me I am able to cancel my contract due to the likelyhood of additional charges impacting me. This is all clear, however what they are telling me is that they can only "disconnect the line", meaning I would receive no PAC code and my phone number would effectively be gone for good. I've had this number for many years so don't wish for that to happen. 

What are my legal rights here? I wish to cancel the contract but I am happy to do so by providing 30 days notice as my contract suggests. o2 however are telling me that if I do that I will have to pay the full termination fees under the contract and I'll lose my right to cancel immediately without charge due to the contract changes. This very much seems like a way of steering people away from cancelling due to their contract changes and I can't believe they have the right to effectively hold me ransom for a PAC code.

Do you have all this in writing? If so, ask for a letter of deadlock and goto CISAS (https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/)

The shouldn't be holding your mobile number to ransom.

It's not their number though.

2.3 We'll allocate you a number for use of your Mobile Phone or certain other Equipment on the Network. The number does not belong to you and may be transferred to another service provider only in certain circumstances. The details are available on our Website and from our customer services team.

The same could be said about many things, however ofcom are quite clear about mobile numbers and there was a big change around a decade or so ago to make it easier and simplier to move 'your existing number' - Ofcoms language not mine.

EDIT - 2018 - Here's what ofcom said.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/we-fight-for-your-right-to-port-a-number

ThisnotThat

powerful_Rogue said:

ThisnotThat said:

powerful_Rogue said:

stephenday1987 said:

I've received an email from o2 confirming contract charge changes as I believe many have. I have spoke to them on the phone and they've confirmed to me I am able to cancel my contract due to the likelyhood of additional charges impacting me. This is all clear, however what they are telling me is that they can only "disconnect the line", meaning I would receive no PAC code and my phone number would effectively be gone for good. I've had this number for many years so don't wish for that to happen. 

What are my legal rights here? I wish to cancel the contract but I am happy to do so by providing 30 days notice as my contract suggests. o2 however are telling me that if I do that I will have to pay the full termination fees under the contract and I'll lose my right to cancel immediately without charge due to the contract changes. This very much seems like a way of steering people away from cancelling due to their contract changes and I can't believe they have the right to effectively hold me ransom for a PAC code.

Do you have all this in writing? If so, ask for a letter of deadlock and goto CISAS (https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/)

The shouldn't be holding your mobile number to ransom.

It's not their number though.

2.3 We'll allocate you a number for use of your Mobile Phone or certain other Equipment on the Network. The number does not belong to you and may be transferred to another service provider only in certain circumstances. The details are available on our Website and from our customer services team.

The same could be said about many things, however ofcom are quite clear about mobile numbers and there was a big change around a decade or so ago to make it easier and simplier to move 'your existing number' - Ofcoms language not mine.

EDIT - 2018 - Here's what ofcom said.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/we-fight-for-your-right-to-port-a-number

And end-users don't own their numbers.

The OP isn't porting.  They're cancelling.

powerful_Rogue

ThisnotThat said:

powerful_Rogue said:

ThisnotThat said:

powerful_Rogue said:

stephenday1987 said:

I've received an email from o2 confirming contract charge changes as I believe many have. I have spoke to them on the phone and they've confirmed to me I am able to cancel my contract due to the likelyhood of additional charges impacting me. This is all clear, however what they are telling me is that they can only "disconnect the line", meaning I would receive no PAC code and my phone number would effectively be gone for good. I've had this number for many years so don't wish for that to happen. 

What are my legal rights here? I wish to cancel the contract but I am happy to do so by providing 30 days notice as my contract suggests. o2 however are telling me that if I do that I will have to pay the full termination fees under the contract and I'll lose my right to cancel immediately without charge due to the contract changes. This very much seems like a way of steering people away from cancelling due to their contract changes and I can't believe they have the right to effectively hold me ransom for a PAC code.

Do you have all this in writing? If so, ask for a letter of deadlock and goto CISAS (https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/)

The shouldn't be holding your mobile number to ransom.

It's not their number though.

2.3 We'll allocate you a number for use of your Mobile Phone or certain other Equipment on the Network. The number does not belong to you and may be transferred to another service provider only in certain circumstances. The details are available on our Website and from our customer services team.

The same could be said about many things, however ofcom are quite clear about mobile numbers and there was a big change around a decade or so ago to make it easier and simplier to move 'your existing number' - Ofcoms language not mine.

EDIT - 2018 - Here's what ofcom said.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/we-fight-for-your-right-to-port-a-number

And end-users don't own their numbers.

The OP isn't porting.  They're cancelling.

That's the issue. o2 have breached the contract, so are allowing the OP to leave the contract early. However they are not allowing the OP to port their number.

OP, get a letter of deadlock and contact CISAS.

user1977

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Is it really such a pain to change number?

It would be at the very least a PITA for the likes of me, who has had the same number since their first mobile in the last millennium.

Sandtree

powerful_Rogue said:
That's the issue. o2 have breached the contract, so are allowing the OP to leave the contract early.

Why do you think they have breached their contract? Normally long term contracts have a variation in terms clause which includes a right to terminate for material changes

powerful_Rogue

Sandtree said:

powerful_Rogue said:
That's the issue. o2 have breached the contract, so are allowing the OP to leave the contract early.

Why do you think they have breached their contract? Normally long term contracts have a variation in terms clause which includes a right to terminate for material changes

Because if they hadn't, they wouldn't be allowing customers to leave penalty free.

O2 seem to be allowing customers to leave early regardless. A material change is more difficult to prove. Regardless of terminology, OP should be able to get a PAC.