Broadband 2024 Annual Price Hikes

Midori_UK

I just received an email from Vodafone advising they will be grabbing an extra 8.4% on my monthly debits for their broadband - which is half way through my 24 month contract.

I decided to warn them they are breaking our written contract and thereby giving me the right to cancel without penalty. I sent my warning to several of their email addresses including chairman because the email sender hello@ was a no reply basis.

My reply draws Vodafone's attention to the two detailed Contract Terms and Conditions to which we are bound for 24 months. One was 12 pages, the other 2 pages and I relish reading small print.  I pointed out to Vodafone that nowhere in either document does it mention any adjustment to price or reason to do so.

The email addresses were:-
hello@message.vodafone.co.uk, GroupMedia@vodafone.com, ukmediarelations@vodafone.com, ahmed.essam@vodafone.com

hello@...  the initiator, will bounce of course.

Ayr_Rage

I'll bet you will find an annual increase of inflation + x.x% clause in that contract.

It took me two minutes to find this !

I have Vodafone Home Broadband

From 1 April 2024, the price of your Home Broadband will increase by 7.9%. This reflects the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 4% as published on 17 January 2024, plus an additional 3.9%.

Depending on your joining date you may have swerved the increase in your first year but are liable this year.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/pricechanges#broadbandpricechange

EDIT : Reading the Ts and Cs it also directs you read the PRICING conditions which are additional but also apply.

iniltous

Its quite surprising given the publicity around this that some are unaware, this CPI/RPI +3.9% has been part of most mainstream providers T&C’s for quite a while , certainly before the OP ‘signed up ‘ , it’s going to be replaced, so in the future a typical contract will say ( for example ) £35 , going up-to £38 in April , then £41 the April after , if the contract is taken in April for 24 months , someone may avoid one or the other of these increases…but as stated , the current increase based on an inflation + formula, doesn’t give the OP an way to exit the contract penalty free as it was in the terms and conditions when they signed up , chances are it was also prominently displayed on the website ( if they signed on line ) or was told  to them by the customer service staff if they signed up on the phone it’s probably also in the confirmation email they sent 
 

Neil_Jones

iniltous said:

Its quite surprising given the publicity around this that some are unaware, this CPI/RPI +3.9% has been part of most mainstream providers T&C’s for quite a while , certainly before the OP ‘signed up ‘ , it’s going to be replaced, so in the future a typical contract will say ( for example ) £35 , going up-to £38 in April , then £41 the April after , if the contract is taken in April for 24 months , someone may avoid one or the other of these increases…but as stated , the current increase based on an inflation + formula, doesn’t give the OP an way to exit the contract penalty free as it was in the terms and conditions when they signed up , chances are it was also prominently displayed on the website ( if they signed on line ) or was told  to them by the customer service staff if they signed up on the phone it’s probably also in the confirmation email they sent 
 

People only read T&Cs when something happens that they don't agree with, and then decide its everybody else's fault but their own when the clause is drawn to their attention...

The OP put up a big post last year claiming the rises were illegal and were going to have an argument in small claims about it (no update was ever provided) so I fail to see how they can possibly not be aware that their prices are going up.

Midori_UK

There were no such terms per "Ofcom Requirements" in my contract, but of course your's may be different.  I have the right to either pay their hidden hikes or exit Vodafone without penalty.  

OFCOM finally ruled "that suppliers may not have made it clear... ", and "suppliers may have no right where is was not mentioned prominently in the Fixed Price offer."     ( I love their OFCOM polite useage of the word 'may')
Below is cut-and-paste of  OFCOM text & the URL of the OFCOM ruling.

UNEDITED OFCOM WORDING

"Stating the price variation term during a sales journey does not, by itself, mean that a term has been made sufficiently prominent and transparent. Throughout the course of this programme, we identified several ways that providers could have communicated their price variation term more clearly to their customers. While we did not consider that these issues required further investigation, we have shared our findings with the relevant providers and have strongly encouraged them to review their current terms and conditions and sales journeys to consider whether any improvements can be made.

In a small number of instances, providers may not have given customers sufficient information about the price variation term during certain sales journeys and did not give those customers at least one month’s notice and the right to exit their contract without charge before applying the price increase, giving rise to potential compliance concerns under the relevant General Conditions. As a result of informal engagement around these concerns, we have secured some remedial action, including refunds for some affected customers. We will continue to engage with providers about any remaining concerns, escalating to separate, targeted enforcement action if necessary.

Looking forward

We are now closing this enforcement programme, which has been looking at providers’ compliance with the rules that were in force between 1 March 2021 and 16 June 2022. The rules changed on 17 June 2022 and communication providers are now required to give relevant customers contract information and contract summary documents, containing key information about the products or services on offer, before the customer enters into a contract.

Ofcom is now consulting on new rules and guidance prohibiting inflation-linked in-contract price rises. Our proposals include new requirements for providers to draw customers’ attention, at the point of sale, to any price rises that are written into contracts. We encourage any interested parties to engage with this consultation."

END OF CUT & PASTE

The full document viewable here..  (Oh, I have to be around a while longer to post links) 

So google this:-        ofcom bulletins  enforcement  closed-cases   cw_01264"

Neil_Jones

First of all that's not an Ofcom ruling, its just a bulletin.

Second of all if you're halfway through a 24 month contract then your contract started April 2023.  Which is outside of the dates of the window you're highlighting about.

As to the rest of your post, if you don't like it, find another provider.  the online T&Cs will almost certainly replace all previous copies and editions, otherwise you'd just have two of three of them and nobody would have a clue what's in force and what isn't.  If you think you can get out scot free, put your money where your mouth is and pick somebody else.