• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • Gadgets
  • Mobile Phones
VM to increase prices - again
56up
11-06-2014
I had a letter yesterday to say that the cost of my mobile service is going up by 2.5%. So I ran them.
I have 2 year contract which I am bound to complete and I agreed a price at the beginning of it. If I cannot leave, then they have a commitment to provide at the price I agreed. At least until the contract finishes and then I have the choice of accepting the cost or leaving.
I received a woolly answer from a guy who said that I should not have had the letter and that mine is not due to rise.

We'll see when the bill arrives
alan1302
11-06-2014
Originally Posted by 56up:
“I had a letter yesterday to say that the cost of my mobile service is going up by 2.5%. So I ran them.
I have 2 year contract which I am bound to complete and I agreed a price at the beginning of it. If I cannot leave, then they have a commitment to provide at the price I agreed. At least until the contract finishes and then I have the choice of accepting the cost or leaving.
I received a woolly answer from a guy who said that I should not have had the letter and that mine is not due to rise.

We'll see when the bill arrives”

Check the small print on your contract - most allow the operator to raise the prices slightly sure the term of the contract.
iGeek2014
11-06-2014
Originally Posted by 56up:
“I had a letter yesterday to say that the cost of my mobile service is going up by 2.5%. So I ran them.
I have 2 year contract which I am bound to complete and I agreed a price at the beginning of it. If I cannot leave, then they have a commitment to provide at the price I agreed. At least until the contract finishes and then I have the choice of accepting the cost or leaving.
I received a woolly answer from a guy who said that I should not have had the letter and that mine is not due to rise.

We'll see when the bill arrives”

Which is why OFCOM are running a campaign in which fixed means exactly that.

You'll notice EE and o2 mention in the clauses on their website and adverts that each year line rental will increase in line with RPI.

If the increase is above RPI then I *believe* you can terminate your contract, penalty free. I'm not fully clued up about that so cannot comment further.

AFAIK Three, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone have all stated they won't increase line rental for the duration of your contract.
aurichie
11-06-2014
The best thing you can do is vote with your feet the next time your contract is up. Get your PAC code and tell them you're leaving to join a competitor who has committed to keeping prices fixed for the duration of your next fixed term contract. This small print permitting price hikes in line with RPI would soon disappear from mobile contracts if enough people took a stand.
Thine Wonk
11-06-2014
Originally Posted by iGeek2014:
“Which is why OFCOM are running a campaign in which fixed means exactly that.

You'll notice EE and o2 mention in the clauses on their website and adverts that each year line rental will increase in line with RPI.

If the increase is above RPI then I *believe* you can terminate your contract, penalty free. I'm not fully clued up about that so cannot comment further.

AFAIK Three, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone have all stated they won't increase line rental for the duration of your contract.”

Yeah, then O2 and Vodafone put up the out of bundle rates up a lot, in many cases 30% plus for some numbers!

Anyway, I'm going off topic - the mid contract price rises detail from Ofcom is here

http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2013/1...t-price-rises/

Have a read and it'll tell you the exact position you're in OP. In theory you can cancel without charge now OP.
JasonWatkins
11-06-2014
interesting. i get their VIP sim for £10 a month so we'll have to see if that goes up.
JasonWatkins
12-06-2014
got my letter this morning - going up by £1.50 a month.

assuming my discount still applies, i'll still be getting 'unlimited' everything for only £11.50 a month so i can't really complain i suppose.

might still give them a ring though and see if i can sweet talk retentions
iGeek2014
12-06-2014
Originally Posted by JasonWatkins:
“got my letter this morning - going up by £1.50 a month.

assuming my discount still applies, i'll still be getting 'unlimited' everything for only £11.50 a month so i can't really complain i suppose.

might still give them a ring though and see if i can sweet talk retentions ”

It's worth a punt.... Noticed my loyalty discount was expiring on the 17th of this month (cable broadband only) so spoke to them via live chat and am downgrading to 100Mb only (instead of 125Mb) for £24.50/month for 12 months.
JasonWatkins
13-06-2014
Originally Posted by iGeek2014:
“It's worth a punt.... Noticed my loyalty discount was expiring on the 17th of this month (cable broadband only) so spoke to them via live chat and am downgrading to 100Mb only (instead of 125Mb) for £24.50/month for 12 months.”

That's not bad. I'm actually debating on going to them for broadband only so maybe they'll do me an overall package deal. I've got two sim only contracts with them at the moment and do ideally want a third for my sister, so maybe they can work something out.
iGeek2014
13-06-2014
Originally Posted by JasonWatkins:
“That's not bad. I'm actually debating on going to them for broadband only so maybe they'll do me an overall package deal. I've got two sim only contracts with them at the moment and do ideally want a third for my sister, so maybe they can work something out.”

Let me know how you get on as I'm considering taking out a phone contract later on in the year. Cheers!
JasonWatkins
15-06-2014
Originally Posted by iGeek2014:
“Let me know how you get on as I'm considering taking out a phone contract later on in the year. Cheers!”

I did ring them in the end and the operator i spoke to said they couldn't discount my deal any further as they're not really allowed to discount VIP packages. She did offer me a credit equivalent to covering the price rise for 12 months though, which amounted to £18 quid so I accepted that.

It only means my next bill is paid for and the one after that will only be a couple of quid but it's better than nothing!
Resonance
15-06-2014
Not had a letter myself. I'm on a sim only tariff. 30-day contract, 250 minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB data for £10 a month.

Are they not increasing 30 day contracts, as people can just up and leave?
JasonWatkins
15-06-2014
Originally Posted by Resonance:
“Not had a letter myself. I'm on a sim only tariff. 30-day contract, 250 minutes, unlimited texts, 1GB data for £10 a month.

Are they not increasing 30 day contracts, as people can just up and leave?”

My contract is a sim only and that went up. my mum's is sim only and that didn't
Lyceum
15-06-2014
Originally Posted by iGeek2014:
“It's worth a punt.... Noticed my loyalty discount was expiring on the 17th of this month (cable broadband only) so spoke to them via live chat and am downgrading to 100Mb only (instead of 125Mb) for £24.50/month for 12 months.”

Going to try this. Not been in contract for a while now.

That's if I can ever get on to love chat. Been 'no advisor available' for about an hour now. Maybe they're not on on a Sunday.
Resonance
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by JasonWatkins:
“My contract is a sim only and that went up. my mum's is sim only and that didn't”

I only got mine about three months ago. Maybe recent sign ups don't get an increase?
JasonWatkins
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by Resonance:
“I only got mine about three months ago. Maybe recent sign ups don't get an increase?”

It's probably more to do with my mum's being on the bottom end of the scale of sim only deals they offer - hers is the £5 a month one with 250 minutes (i think it's 250), unlimited texts and no data.

I got it about a week before i left VM last year so got it with the full customer discount and it's stayed like that ever since.
Silent No More
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by Lyceum:
“Going to try this. Not been in contract for a while now.

That's if I can ever get on to love chat. Been 'no advisor available' for about an hour now. Maybe they're not on on a Sunday.”

How did you get on with the "love" chat?
Lyceum
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by Silent No More:
“How did you get on with the "love" chat? ”

Haha. I didn't get through yet. Obviously it's unrequited!
Lyceum
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by iGeek2014:
“It's worth a punt.... Noticed my loyalty discount was expiring on the 17th of this month (cable broadband only) so spoke to them via live chat and am downgrading to 100Mb only (instead of 125Mb) for £24.50/month for 12 months.”

Cheers for mentioning this. Just called and got the same deal for £22.50 for twelve months.
iGeek2014
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by Lyceum:
“Cheers for mentioning this. Just called and got the same deal for £22.50 for twelve months.”

Excellent!
jammie82uk
16-06-2014
Originally Posted by JasonWatkins:
“got my letter this morning - going up by £1.50 a month.

assuming my discount still applies, i'll still be getting 'unlimited' everything for only £11.50 a month so i can't really complain i suppose.

might still give them a ring though and see if i can sweet talk retentions ”

I got the same letter and likewise I get it for £10
While going up £1.50 don't sound a lot it actually works out at a 15% increase
£18 extra a year
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map