Lebara mis-selling "monthly" plans?

goldendel

The Lebara promos recently run through MSE such as the exclusive-monthly-plan-440/p/441223 clearly advertise themselves as monthly plans both in the name "Exclusive Monthly Plan £4.40" and the rate "99p/month for 6 months".

Yet once you sign up and get the direct debit, it doesn't deduct on the same day each month, but every 30 days (29 in my case last month). 


This appears to be a clear case of mis-selling to me. I'd appreciate the opinion of other forum members and the MSE team on this.

Thanks for your help,

Tim

savergrant

Lebara clearly list them as '30 day plans' on the page before signing up.
https://mobile.lebara.com/gb/en/best-sim-only-deals/c/simo-contract

It is 30 days because months are not always the same length so this works out as the same charge per day.
There is a remote possibility that you will be charged twice in the same 'calendar month'. That would be approximately every six years or a little less often than 'once in a blue moon'.

Would you be happier if they followed a lunar calendar and charged you every time a new moon was sighted?

savergrant

goldendel said:

Yet once you sign up and get the direct debit, it doesn't deduct on the same day each month, but every 30 days (29 in my case last month). 

It isn't actually a direct debit, it is a card transaction. You have given them your card number and expiry date not your account number and sort code.
When you make a payment you pay for (the rest of) that day and the following 29 days. You will then automatically make another payment at midnight on 23rd August which will cover you until 2359 on 21st September. So your first 30 day plan will be a little shorter depending on what time of day you sign up.
If it were per calendar month someone whose plan renewed on 28th Feb would be seriously disadvantaged compared to one renewing on 1st march.

mgfvvc

You are paying for 5 or 6 days a year more than if it was a calendar month. That's about a pound a year. Not worth getting aerated over.

savergrant

mgfvvc said:

You are paying for 5 or 6 days a year more than if it was a calendar month. That's about a pound a year. Not worth getting aerated over.

Worth thinking that if you are paid monthly but at an hourly rate you are probably paid for 52 weeks a year, hence 260 working days out of 364.

FarmGirl78

I agree with OP, this is infuriating. Its now gradually skipped forward so far it's now actually before payday this month. I budget to within an inch of my life, and while it's not for a large amount it means the payment will bounce unless I put money into that account, taking the other one into overdraft. Just a pain. Grumble grumble grumble.

Cisco001

FarmGirl78 said:

I agree with OP, this is infuriating. Its now gradually skipped forward so far it's now actually before payday this month. I budget to within an inch of my life, and while it's not for a large amount it means the payment will bounce unless I put money into that account, taking the other one into overdraft. Just a pain. Grumble grumble grumble.

In that case, you turn off auto-renew, then manual top up and purchase the plan.