Four UK mobile operators agree to stop enforcing mid-contract price hikes

http://reut.rs/1arXoMY via @reuters

o2 join in! Lost/stolen phone bill cap also.

My Orange contract finishes next April, could I get out of it today? I have had 2 price increases in my contract life .

It's a shame they couldn't all agree, but then they never do. Good on EE, Vodafone, Three and Virgin though, shame O2 didn't just sign up. it is really an in or out thing, not something that needs a lot of debate.

So if your on a 24 month contract they can't put the price up until renewal? Brilliant news

Tesco Mobile and Utility Warehouse made this pledge ages ago. Which is embarrassing for the network operators given that both are MVNOs.

Ofcom are going to sort out O2 eventually......


http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2013/10/23...t-price-rises/

Not on the basis of this change. It comes into effect in three months, and would then apply to price rises from that point I believe.

What is even more interesting is those same 4 networks have also pledged to support the EU commission plans to get rid of EU roaming charges. It isn't a big surprise that O2 hasn't agreed to that.

the thing that has always annoyed me about the cost of calls made on a stolen phone is that 90% of it is profit.

O2 will wait until they are threatened with legal action that will cost them money. Then they will move. They can save money in the mean time by delaying implementation dates.

Agreed Telefonica are not in a good position at all at the moment lack of money from roaming charges will hit them pretty hard I imagine.

My understanding is they can increase the prices mid-contract if they wish, but in doing so the customer is allowed to cancel their contract without penalty...

which effectively means it wont happen because they are not going to let you walk away with your handset.

Well it's not like EE Vodafone Three or Virgin voluntarily did anything good for the customer.

As mentioned above, all providers are being forced to do this by the regulator. They're just dressing it up in some fluffy marketing blurb when reality it is being enforced on them and they would end up getting fined if they didn't. Same as the whole roaming charges shenanigans - "We're reducing roaming charges so everyone can feel comfortable using their phone on holiday!" - no, the EU regulator is forcing you to reduce roaming charges so people don't feel ripped off.

O2 will be doing the same thing, because they are subject to the same rules.

See above. Those same 4 networks aren't voluntarily supporting said plans, they're pretending to because they have no choice. They've openly and vocally opposed said plans in the past, right up until they realized they would not be able to overturn them:

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/26511/cc.aspx

I know that but at least Three,Vodafone,EE are willing to at least now work with the system. Clearly O2 are still trying fight it.

Roaming charges was always going cripple networks but honestly they brought it on themselves. If they hadn't been so much in the first place there would of been no where near as much call to get rid of them.

I admit the timing is likely not the best for Telefonica as they are in serious debt at the moment putting themselves in even more with the O2 Germany thing. No idea how they even managed raise the money for that they were already around 50 billion in debt.

The eu have legislated for roaming charges,and at the same time put a stop to increased plan prices within 24 months of contract,so all uk networks have no choice but to comply.

As long as the consumer notifies the network within 30 days, otherwise they lose the chance to cancel without penalty.