O2 price rise email says £1.80, contract says RPI+3.9%

liviboy

samwardill said:

The email says that "because of these changes, you have the right to end your airtime plan in the next 30 days".

They recognise that the increase is not as per the contract and therefore you have the right to cancel. For me the increase is 20% and it applies to five contracts so I will be cancelling.

samwardill said:

The email says that "because of these changes, you have the right to end your airtime plan in the next 30 days".

They recognise that the increase is not as per the contract and therefore you have the right to cancel. For me the increase is 20% and it applies to five contracts so I will be cancelling.

Just received this email a minute ago…

My £19.99 is still a good deal (particularly when accounting for roaming) with the £1.80 increase this year and next.

But the £9.99 is going and I’ll find a cheaper deal…it’s just a wee line for my son so absolutely no need for anything special or fancy! 

speedysaver

I guess Ofcom are just discovering the unintended consequence of their decision.

Ironically that means that those of us with RPI+ contracts have gone from a position of relative certainty to a position where O2 can hike the price completely arbitrarily…. In my case it’s a 26% increase.

Is it only O2 that offers free EU roaming?

speedysaver

speedysaver said:

I guess Ofcom are just discovering the unintended consequence of their decision.

Ironically that means that those of us with RPI+ contracts have gone from a position of relative certainty to a position where O2 can hike the price completely arbitrarily…. In my case it’s a 26% increase.

Is it only O2 that offers free EU roaming?

Just answers my own question - Talk Mobile offer roaming so I’ll be switching to them through the MSE deal.

liviboy

speedysaver said:

I guess Ofcom are just discovering the unintended consequence of their decision.

Ironically that means that those of us with RPI+ contracts have gone from a position of relative certainty to a position where O2 can hike the price completely arbitrarily…. In my case it’s a 26% increase.

Is it only O2 that offers free EU roaming?

O2 and a few supermarkets and giffgaff I think…

Why the regulator got involved like this is anyone’s guess.

If they wanted to actually be a regulator they would have said that minimum term contracts stay at the contractual price for the minimum term rather than these silly mid term increases anyway…

But this has really hacked me off even more than the annual increase! 

fwor

speedysaver said:

Ironically that means that those of us with RPI+ contracts have gone from a position of relative certainty to a position where O2 can hike the price completely arbitrarily

I guess, but... wasn't the 3.9% that they added to RPI completely arbitrary anyway? There wasn't anything to stop them arbitrarily changing that to RPI+9.9% (or whatever), was there?

speedysaver

fwor said:

speedysaver said:

Ironically that means that those of us with RPI+ contracts have gone from a position of relative certainty to a position where O2 can hike the price completely arbitrarily

I guess, but... wasn't the 3.9% that they added to RPI completely arbitrary anyway? There wasn't anything to stop them arbitrarily changing that to RPI+9.9% (or whatever), was there?

Yes, the 3.9% on top of RPI was arbitrary but it was known - I signed up to it comfortable that it limits price rises (I wouldn’t have signed up to a contract for RPI+9.9%).

£1.80 is arbitrary, unexpected and, in my case, a 26% increase. Surely not what Ofcom intended?

in practice, I guess what this also demonstrates is that mobile contracts can be varied with 30 days notice and, if you don’t like the changes, you have to leave.

Narrowboatsarefun

samwardill said:

The email says that "because of these changes, you have the right to end your airtime plan in the next 30 days".

They recognise that the increase is not as per the contract and therefore you have the right to cancel. For me the increase is 20% and it applies to five contracts so I will be cancelling.

Have you actually tried cancelling? I spent an hour on the phone with Customer Services this morning. Everyone I spoke with said I would still have to pay the early termination fee, even though its a change to my Ts & Cs and their letter even states I have the right to cancel.

I'm not sure where to go from here. I've sent an email to their complaints address and hope this might get me somewhere.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has managed to cancel while in contract and avoid the early termination fee.

flaneurs_lobster

Narrowboatsarefun said:

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has managed to cancel while in contract and avoid the early termination fee.

Had a look at the O2 Community Forum, always full of happy folk extolling the joys of O2 customership.

They say "You can get in touch with Payment Management team on 0800 902 0217"

But then see the following post, noting the happy ending (eventually)

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Pay-Monthly/Leaving-contract-early-and-porting-number-out-due-to-contract/m-p/1779582/highlight/true#M287738

Narrowboatsarefun

Thanks @flaneurs_lobster. I’m not sure I have the stamina for another mammoth phone call. I think I’ll wait to see whether my complaint goes anywhere. I always have the ombudsman as a back up. 

flaneurs_lobster

Narrowboatsarefun said:

Thanks @flaneurs_lobster. I’m not sure I have the stamina for another mammoth phone call. I think I’ll wait to see whether my complaint goes anywhere. I always have the ombudsman as a back up. 

Doesn't the email from O2 say you've got 30 days to (try and) cancel? The Ombudsman will only consider a complaint after 8 weeks of a formal complaint being acknowledged. It shouldn't matter but Ombudsman complaints take months to resolve and you probably want this sorted soonest.