31.25% April 2026 Price Increase from O2

PHK

If you bought your phone at a discounted price through a third party then you should check the terms and conditions carefully. 

Typically, the phone is discounted because the third party receives payments from the airtime provider which they won't receive if you cancel "early".

So the terms and conditions usually allow the third party to recover that discount from you. You should check the terms and conditions to understand if this is the case, how "early" is defined and what they will charge. 

PHK

l.c.elliott said:

I'm considering leaving amd going with another network, but I bought my handset through o2, so wouldn't this mean that my phone is locked to the o2 network?

It has been against the law to lock a handset since 2021. If you bought it since then it will never have been locked. 

flaneurs_lobster

PHK said:

l.c.elliott said:

I'm considering leaving amd going with another network, but I bought my handset through o2, so wouldn't this mean that my phone is locked to the o2 network?

It has been against the law to lock a handset since 2021. If you bought it since then it will never have been locked. 

Depending on the phone (doesn't happen on iPhones for instance) you might have O2 firmware that can sometimes hinder access to (eg) Wi-fi Calling, depending on which provider you move to. 

bjorn_toby_wilde

caper7 said:

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned banking safety in regards to receiving those one off codes. 
I have found cheap sim only deals with Sky, as they use the o2 network, would they be safe? 

They should be but ask if they have 2FA and if they require a PIN from you before they’ll give access to your account. That’s the minimum you should expect but not all companies do it.

Frozen_up_north

OFCOM today released a statement on the O2 price increase.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/ofcom-statement-on-o2-price-rises

AngelicKaty

l.c.elliott said:

My contract ends in august 2026. What happens to the remaining handset cost if I say to O2 i want to leave my contract now? Would they ask me to pay the remaining £96 so I can leave? Not affordable in one lump sum but seems unfair I have to be stuck in the contract with the price rises coming in april.

Yes, you will.  Read the email you received from O2 about this price increase - it says:

If you have a device plan and you do decide to cancel, you'll still need to pay this off in full

You can continue paying monthly, or you can pay the remaining balance in full

If you choose to pay the full balance, you’ll need to call us on 202 to arrange it

paddyposh

Planning to call O2 tomorrow to sort my wife’s airtime out but does anyone know if the right to cancel applies to iPad data SIMs too?

Frozen_up_north

paddyposh said:

Planning to call O2 tomorrow to sort my wife’s airtime out but does anyone know if the right to cancel applies to iPad data SIMs too?

Why don't you check the O2 site for tablet SIMs? Takes a couple of minutes, they currently state an increase of 75p next April, if that isn't what your OH signed up for, she might be able to leave without penalty, but considering the increase on the phone SIMs is £2.50, it doesn't look bad. 

paddyposh

It’s for our kids iPads, they don’t use the data (one is cheap and the other is a good bit more). Contract from 2023 states RPI+3.9%

Mike_from_Croydon

I agree with the original poster, it's absurd to have a flat rate increase regardless of the amount currently paid.  I was on a deal which follows on from one I got with Virgin (via MSE) paying £7.16 per month (10G and unlimited minutes, with roaming in Europe).  So my increase would have been 35%!  Whether or not this is a consequence of Martin Lewis' "good intentions gone bad", it has had the good effect of prompting me to transfer to another provider (Lebara on a comparable deal, obtainable until 7 Nov via MSE) which will be £1.99 to start - and even when it increases it will be £5.90, less than I was paying even before O2's planned increase!