Vodaphone overcharging 85yr old after contact ended

frible

Advice on tactics talking to vodaphone. My elderly mother took out a 2yr iPhone contact with vodaphone in 2018 for £30 p.m.

She just called to say they increased it to £40 per month. She didn't realise she was still paying. 

Her usage is minimal as she is mostly at home.

I'm sure they would have contacted her at some time, but this seems very unfair to charge the full rate for the past 4 years. 

Has anyone got advise on how best to try and get some of the charges refunded. 

Thanks

Mine

PHK

It’s a two year minimum contract, after that she can either continue on a monthly basis or cancel. 

Yes , they would have sent reminders that she was out of her minimum term (post and text)

I don't think you’ll have much luck because she has continued to use it. 

Perhaps help her to contact them and move to amore appropriate contract. 

Hoenir

frible said:

Has anyone got advise on how best to try and get some of the charges refunded. 

There's no justification at all unfortunately. Communications would have been sent. 

400ixl

Sorry to here this, but you are not going to get the news you want to hear. As people have commented, the contract has not ended and it has returned to its non discounted rate.

Mobile and broadband contracts tend to be monthly rolling contracts where you enter into a discounted minimum term. At the end of that term the price returns to the non discounted rate unless you re-enter another discounted period or cancel. They will have sent out communication that the minimum committed term was ending and the price would return to the non discounted rate along with the options. They are not obligated to do that more than once so if it was missed those years ago they don't have to repeat it, although most do send offers every so often.

They have done nothing outside of their T&C's which would have been signed up to and as such there is no claim for any refunds.

How did she think the phone service was still connected if she wasn't continuing to pay Vodafone?

Alderbank

Since she is now out of minimum term your mother can quickly and easily move to a sim-only contract for much better value.

If she doesn't use much data, MSE's current recommendation is 5GB monthly contract with Lebara which will give her completely unlimited voice calls for the equivalent of £3.23 a month.

Lebara uses the Vodafone network so she should notice no difference with calls etc.

She doesn't even need to speak to Voda if she doesn't want to

eDicky

No doubt Vodafone and other networks obtain a large part of their revenue from customers on pricy handset plus service contracts who neglect to do anything when the contract's minimum term has ended, despite being notified, allowing the contract to continue on a rolling monthly basis at the same or even increased price. But whether the term 'overcharging' can be applied to this situation is somewhat debatable. An automatic reduction or termination of phone service at the end of the minimum term, in the case of inaction by the customer, could have very adverse results.

Olinda99

what's they are doing is continuing to charge for the handset even after it has been paid off

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-41679408.amp

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-12050843/amp/Million-overpay-mobile-deals-phones-theyve-paid-off.html

frible

I hear what everyone is saying, in essence she should have left at the end of the contract. However I do believe they have a duty of care and they have been ripping her off for 4 years. So I will speak to them, that costs nothing and at least I feel better trying. 

flaneurs_lobster

frible said:

I hear what everyone is saying, in essence she should have left at the end of the contract. However I do believe they have a duty of care and they have been ripping her off for 4 years. So I will speak to them, that costs nothing and at least I feel better trying. 

I hope your (probably futile) conversation makes you feel better although you are probably pushing the definition of "duty of care" a little too far. Unless you have some legal provision to manage your mother's affairs, or to speak for her, they will probably not discuss this matter with you in any case.

Perhaps it would have been of more practical use if you had talked to your elderly mother 4 (or 6) years ago about her mobile provision.

la531983

frible said:

I hear what everyone is saying, in essence she should have left at the end of the contract. However I do believe they have a duty of care and they have been ripping her off for 4 years. So I will speak to them, that costs nothing and at least I feel better trying. 

Why do you believe they have a duty of care? Not every 85 year old is senile and doddery. They don't know she is vulnerable unless someone has previously told them. 

PHK

They did notify your mother in writing and by text. They can't force your mother or whoever looks after her affairs to take action.  And you've said she continues to use it.