What is the point of a mobile phone contract?

RSTime

O2 recently decided to change the terms and conditions of my (18 month) contract,  particularly with respect to roaming. Basically I can either cancel the contract or accept their new terms.

I followed this up and apparently O2’s Mobile Contract Terms (Section 1.2) state that "while we aim to maintain contract terms as agreed, we may need to make adjustments due to regulatory, operational, or business reasons. These changes are made in line with our terms and conditions and are communicated in advance to ensure transparency."

I am frankly surprised that companies are allowed to include such broad terms in a contract, any change can be described as a business reason. It means that whilst I would be penalised for cancelling my contract, O2 can make virtually any change they want. O2 are more than happy to tie customers into long-term contracts. Is this not the sort of thing that regulators should be scrutinising?

pramsay13

If you don't like the new terms you can simply cancel and you won't be penalised even though you are cancelling the contract early. 
As an aside ID Mobile offer great roaming benefits. 

Olinda99

All contracts have terms and conditions

This one has "we can do anything but you can't. If we do do something we will let you know and give you the option to end the contract without penalty"

You agreed to these terms and conditions when you signed up - you didn't have to, you could have gone elsewhere

jbrassy

If you can cancel the contract for free and move elsewhere, what's the issue?

RSTime

The issue is that I suspect other mobile companies have similar terms and conditions. As a consumer you basically have no protection if companies are allowed such broad clauses in their terms and conditions. Would anyone in business agree to such a clause when setting up a contract, I suspect not? My point here is that surely the regulator should provide some protection for consumers and ban such broad clauses, which allow companies to make any changes they so wish to a (agreed) contract.

mrochester

RSTime said:

The issue is that I suspect other mobile companies have similar terms and conditions. As a consumer you basically have no protection if companies are allowed such broad clauses in their terms and conditions. Would anyone in business agree to such a clause when setting up a contract, I suspect not? My point here is that surely the regulator should provide some protection for consumers and ban such broad clauses, which allow companies to make any changes they so wish to a (agreed) contract.

Your protection is that you can leave the contract early penalty free if the terms and conditions change substantially. All mobile companies will let you do this. 

flaneurs_lobster

mrochester said:

RSTime said:

The issue is that I suspect other mobile companies have similar terms and conditions. As a consumer you basically have no protection if companies are allowed such broad clauses in their terms and conditions. Would anyone in business agree to such a clause when setting up a contract, I suspect not? My point here is that surely the regulator should provide some protection for consumers and ban such broad clauses, which allow companies to make any changes they so wish to a (agreed) contract.

Your protection is that you can leave the contract early penalty free if the terms and conditions change substantially. All mobile companies will let you do this. 

This "protection" is only afforded if the company in question (in OP's case, O2) allow this early exit penalty-free.

Recent threads on here have reported that O2's customer service reps are denying any knowledge of such terms and are stating that early exit fees are payable, despite O2's own email to customers reiterating exit terms being quoted to them.