Help - O2 are a nightmare

Thesausagedog

I bought a 2 year sim only contract with O2 and never used it. The number wasn't assigned to a phone and eventually I got around to cancelling the direct debit after over the 2 year mark. Tried to call O2 but to let them know but they seemed to want me to use the number and I didn't know it , it hadn't been added to a phone etc. So I cancelled my direct debit instead. I was out of contract so didn't think there would be a problem. They have sent me a bill which I thought was a mistake and if they looked at my account they would see I was out of contract and had actually been gifting them £30 plus a month for over 2 years without using services. I have now received a letter from a debt collection company. I called O2 - they have said I was on a rolling contract, I didn't know that and they wont call off the debt collector or cancel my contract until I pay them the £70 they say I owe for something I have never used.  So as they wont cancel the contract they are going to keep adding a  monthly charge for a service I don't use and my credit rating will be affected.

elsien

All phone sims go onto a rolling contract after the end of the contract period. It’s up to you to contact them to end the contract. Cancelling a direct debit does not end the contract, hence the debt. 

You need to be much clearer as to exactly what happened when you phoned them the first time to try to cancel, but you would still have had to give 30 days notice at that point. 


As an aside, it does beg the question as to why you’ve been paying for a contract for two years without ever using it. 

Mark_d

So you took out an O2 SIM-only contract but never used the SIM card?  The phone number associated with the SIM card would be on the paperwork that came with the SIM card.
Cancelling the direct debit yourself puts you in breach of contract.  Whilst the minimum term of the contract was two years, a lot of contracts roll-on on a monthly basis when the minimum term expires.  You need to give notice if you want to cancel a contract.
I don't know why you took out a £30 per month contract for something you never used.  I suggest you cancel the contract and pay the amount you owe.
For someone who has been wasting £30 per month for 24 months, paying £70 now shouldn't be a difficult decision to make

Thesausagedog

Thanks for your comment - it isn't particularly helpful, same tone as the woman at O2. I am looking for a solution not a lecture. Sadly I have had a very difficult few years, my husband suffered a cardiac arrest at home with our children able to hear me and then the paramedics trying to revive him. Maybe that answers your question about why I have been paying a contract and not using it. My ability to keep track and manage things of this nature have been badly affected. I have stacks of paperwork to attend to but my mind  struggles to concentrate.

oldernonethewiser

You could contact them and explain that you mistakenly thought cancelling the direct debit would cancel the contract.  They might agree to cancel or reduce the outstanding amount but ultimately you currently owe them money.  

If they wont budge then pay what you owe and ensure that the contract is cancelled and get written/email confirmation. 

savergrant

If you have a note of when you called o2 to notify them you were ending your agreement and that you were notifying them in accordance with the t&c's of that agreement you could respond to them saying that they have failed to action your termination request, and that you understood that you had acted correctly and there was nothing more to pay.
To be honest because of the risk of identify theft the best ways to end a phone contract are either through your online account or by calling or texting from the sim you want to cancel. If you have lost the sim or it is damaged you need to prove to them that you are the accountholder, which may be difficult.