O2 offering free minutes and texts after threatening to cancel contract?

SarahLou

I'm baffled - my partner has had a contract with O2 for about three years now and his latest 18 month contract has recently come to an end, he had been paying £25 a month to receive 200 free minutes and 200 free texts a month. Obviously this is extortionate now in comparison to other networks so he phoned up to cancel his contract. He had no interest in getting a new handset, no interest in any reduced rate or anything. He simply wanted to cancel. He has a works phone now so he simply doesn't need to be on contract anymore. Soooo when he phoned up to cancel they obviously tried to keep him on their books and offered a variety of cheaper packages, etc. He kept saying "no, I just want to cancel" so in the end he was offered (wait for it!).....

FREE 200 minutes and 200 texts per month for a further 18 months so long as he didn't want a new handset. So he kept asking "whats the catch? Nothing in life is ever free!" but they were insisting it was entirely catch-free. Supposedly only offering existing customers this if they want to cancel as O2 are trying to keep customers from going over to other networks. Has anyone else heard of this? We're worried that there (more than likely) will be a catch and he'll end up with a large bill in another couple of months time. We don't have anything in writing - it was solely done over the phone. What do you think? Surely it can't be free?

Apparently at the end of these 18 months, he won't be forced to stay with O2 either.

Toastie

You might get phone calls every night?

Maybe he would need to top up or something?

Seems strange, use the dame handset and get FREE 200texts + minutes. Or is that for the entirety of the 18months a i wonder

I haven't a clue. Very strange. Keep us updated - could be a good Grab it while you can post in the making!

SarahLou

Yes I wondered the same about it maybe being free minutes and texts over the entirety of the 18 months!:rotfl: My other half assures me they said "each month" but we'll see. Will keep you updated!

sparxuk

o2 have done the same for me for the past 2 years, i was adamant about cancelling so they gave me the deal mentioned above. it is every month, not over the lifetime of the contract, i havnt paid them a penny in the last two years! after the first year was up i called to cancel again and i was again offered the same deal. I explained it was a second phone and wasnt bothered about having it but it seems they just want numbers on the books, and i think the call centre guys get commision for keeping you.

sparxuk

by the way they do it by giving you half price line rental for the term of the contract and then crediting you account with enough money to pay every month, so u must cancel or renew at the end of the contract or you will have to start paying as your credit will have run out, and if you go over your minutes, or use additional services such as wap and premium texts, they will also eat into the credit and towards the end of the contract u will start paying.

SarahLou

Thanks for the info - will pass it onto my fiance!:D