O2 - Enforcement & Termination Notice

justasimpleton

 Hi.
This morning I've received an Enforcement & Termination Notice from O2 relating to the handset following me porting my O2 number to Lebara.

I took out a contract 2nd November for 30day rolling SIM and an iPhone (daughter's birthday) and I was going to keep the O2 SIM.

My contract/order was for the following:

Airtime plan Unlimited Data Plus, Unlimited UK Minutes, Unlimited UK Texts, 25GB RLAH Data, monthly contract £39.99

   -   100% Airtime Discount for up to 3 Months Apple -£39.99

iPhone 17 Pro 256GB 36 months £32.29

Upon activating the SIM I found the signal extremely poor, so contacted O2 but nothing could be done.

As the SIM was on a 30day rolling contract, I decided to port the number to a cheaper alternative that I knew worked perfectly, Lebara.

I've spoken to O2 on 0333-321-3436 (opt1 then 2).
Who insists that I must pay the full amount of the handset as once I ported my number the account was marked for closure.
They stated that despite being on a 30day rolling SIM contract, I should stay with O2 for the full length of the handset contract.

I've asked them to raise a complaint but are unable to due to no number currently being associated with the account or complaint system.

Can someone advise as to what my rights are here.

I'm paying monthly for the handset and have not missed any payments.

flaneurs_lobster

It's down to whatever the conditions were when you signed the agreement. Not surprised they want you to keep that airtime contract, it's outrageously expensive and probably why the phone is (relatively) cheap.

The airtime contract is quoted as a 30 day rolling, so I'm assuming that yes, you can give 30 days notice on that with no penalty but that the credit deal on the phone would have to be settled as part of the phone deal's terms.

Can you afford the £1162 less whatever you've already paid? It's not a bad price for that phone, currently £1099 direct from Apple.

I've done exactly what you've done with O2 in the past, taken a phone and airtime deal and then immediately cancelled the rolling airtime but this was a deal with a hefty discount on the phone for taking both and the phone was taken with 95% paid upfront.

It was a misprice that O2 grudgingly honoured, don't think they've made that discounting mistake again.

justasimpleton

Unfortunately I can not afford to make an out right payment to clear the balance.

I'm also surprised that I was allowed a contract when my credit report shows multiple defaults and current DMP.

TheComplaintGuy

An “enforcement termination” from O2 usually means the account has been closed for a specific internal reason, but they don’t explain it well in the message they send out. It could be something simple like a billing error or a system flag on the account, but it can also relate to things like incorrect details on the application or a failed verification check. The important thing is to pin down the exact reason rather than guess.

It’s worth asking O2 to confirm, in writing, what code or reason has been recorded against the account. They should also tell you whether anything has been or will be reported to your credit file, because a termination only affects future credit applications if it’s actually recorded with the agencies, and in many cases it isn’t.

If you’re planning to take out another phone contract soon, it’s sensible to check whether O2 have marked the account in a way that blocks you from taking out future services with them. Sometimes these markers are internal only, and other providers won’t see them.

If O2 can’t give you a clear explanation, or the decision doesn’t seem fair based on your account history, you can raise a formal complaint. They have to respond within set timescales, and if you’re still not satisfied, CISAS (their ombudsman) can look into it. These cases are usually resolved once the underlying reason for the termination is clarified.

If you’re able to share the exact wording of the letter you received, people here can help you interpret what O2 are likely referring to.