topic Re: PUFFL and annual price rises in Pay Monthly

PUFFL and annual price rises

Thouky — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:11:40 GMT

On 9th September my PUFL (Pay Up Front for Life) Alltime 50 contract was automatically transferred to an O2 Unlimited 30D 500MB contract with the description that is costs "costs the same at £.00* per month". At the time it was confirmed that there wouldn't be any monthly charge for the inclusive usage for the life of the contract.

However, I have just received an email that from 9th January 2025 this contract will be moved to new terms, with a £1.80/month price increase from April 2025. This is clearly not consistent with "Pay Up Front for Life" or the previous guarantees.

Is this contract change really being imposed on PUFL contracts?

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

MI5 — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:13:26 GMT

@Thouky

Unfortunately, O2 have decided to force everyone on to the new terms regardless of any previous agreements.

They have provided the option to cancel without cost, but that's your only choice.

Either pay the increase or leave.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Enlli — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:58:44 GMT

Everyone has had their guarantees trashed, it seems. Particularly people like yourself and those on the bottom end of SIM only contracts. £1.80 on my £8.00 contract, some light users only pay £6.00.

OFCOM changing the rules have given the networks the ability to charge what they like.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Thouky — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:08:24 GMT

Doing so would be a breach of contract by O2. The terms and conditions for the PUFL contracts stated:

"'For life' means that purchasers of a Pay UpFront for Life package will continue to enjoy all the benefits of this package, for as long as they remain connected to Pay UpFront for Life."

Given that the primary "benefit" was the lack of any monthly fee, with inclusive usage each month, changing the terms to introduce a monthly fee is breaking their own terms and conditions. There is no allowance in the contract for them to change these conditions unilaterally.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

MI5 — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:12:16 GMT

@Thouky

Hence why they are allowing free exit from the contract.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Thouky — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:22:38 GMT

No, that's not how contracts work. If it was, then they would have taken the original up-front payment and done something similar after the first year. It would have been a breach of the "for life" contact then, and it still is.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

MI5 — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:27:01 GMT

Then I suggest you engage the help of a solicitor @Thouky

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

October — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:31:59 GMT

I am with you on this one with a Pay Up Front for Life, rebadged as O2 Unlimited 30 D 500MB contract with a monthly fee of £0.

I have just contacted O2 by phone to query the announced monthly charge and have bee told that "the System will not indicate what will happen to my specific contract"

The recommendation is that I wait until April then contact O2 again if a charge has been applied.

Fortunately O2 supply a correspondence address on their website and I shall write to them to seek clarification before then.

Meanwhile I will revisit the community forum from time to time to see if others have and more news or advice.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Thouky — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:54:14 GMT

I didn’t bother phoning, but also posted a letter to the O2 Correspondence Team earlier. I highlighted the PUFL contract terms and asked whether the price increase email was a mistake, or otherwise for them to provide an explanation of how they consider it complies with the contract.

Like you I will be keeping an eye on this forum.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Silverider — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 09:23:47 GMT

I just got the email today about the £1.80 charge a month, we all must have a case with O2 who who took out this PUFFL contract, life is for as long as you have the contract, it can't be any clearer than that! I just wonder how many of us now still have this contract. I to will be revisiting the community forum from time to time to see if others have more news or advice. 🤔

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

MI5 — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 11:38:58 GMT

O2 have obviously covered themselves legally so no customer has a leg to stand on, regardless of what all the armchair lawyers think.

The T&C's for the PUFFL contract state:

9 Changes to the Agreement
9.1 We may change this Agreement and the Charges at any time.Changes will be posted on our website www.o2.co.uk

Please check this regularly for updates.
9.2 If we increase the Charges for the elements of the Service you are using or change the terms and conditions of this Agreement to your significant
disadvantage (in our reasonable opinion)we will give you 30 days'notice in writing before the changes take place.We will notify you as detailed in
paragraph 7 above or we may notify you by text (SMS)to your Mobile Phone number and/or by email where you have supplied your email address to us
for this purpose.

+

4.2 From time to time we may have to migrate your Account from one billing platform to another.In these circumstances we will notify you if migration of
your Account will affect the Service in any way.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Thouky — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 13:28:27 GMT

The terms and conditions you quote are clearly from the generic O2 terms and conditions, but the PUFFL contracts date from before O2’s existence, and were with BT Cellnet.

The generic BT Cellnet terms and conditions that accompanied the PUFFL contracts had similar clauses, but they were supplemented by PUFFL-specific terms and conditions. Where there’s a contradiction - which is obviously the case between “for life” and “change… at any time” - the terms for the individual product take priority. The PUFFL-specific terms and conditions are very clear that the benefits, of which the lack of monthly fee is the main one, are for the life of the contract.

O2 have tried repeatedly to end PUFFL contracts, and have always backed down. For now I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they made a genuine mistake and forgot about the PUFFL contracts, and given them the opportunity to rectify it…

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Enlli — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 13:50:24 GMT

Good luck.

What happend to the terms and conditions when some of you moved to changed to O2 Unlimited 30D 500MB?

Quite frankly you have all had a good run for your money....how long is it since Cellnet was a thing?

Everyone who signed up on on a low cost tariff has been done over, and quite frankly account for a much bigger user base than those who signed when mobile communications were either analogue or early GSM

As suggested, band together and get yourselves a good solicitor. Will cost you more than a £1.80 rise though.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Oxonian — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 17:42:10 GMT

PUFFL contracts were on sale in 2001 @Thouky ; you probably paid £200 for yours ?

The problem here is that BT Cellnet probably did not envisage customers hanging on to them for so long.

Have you thought of trying to negotiate with O2 ? My experience with large organisations is that you are more likely to make progress by discussion, say by asking for an ex-gratia credit on your account, than you are by suggesting legal action. 👍

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

BarneyGPz — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 19:56:09 GMT

I received the email and phoned Patrick at O2.

They had no record of the communication and asked me to report as Phishing.

Time will tell if we néed to start paying.

£1.80 is only the thin end of the wedge, I'm afraid.

Once it's done once the charges will rapidly escalate.

Our Pay Upfront For Life was entered into in good faith.

To be fair, I signed up for 200 Mins off peak.

This is a lot less than Unlimited Mins, Unlimited Texts & 500Mb.

Nice, but I didn't expect or ask for them.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Oxonian — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 20:22:55 GMT

I had forgotten that @BarneyGPz ; the free 200 minutes per month could only be used after 6.00pm and at weekends !

Glad that you think that you've done OK out of it. 👍

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

jonsie — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 20:29:14 GMT

@BarneyGPz wrote:
I received the email and phoned Patrick at O2.
They had no record of the communication and asked me to report as Phishing.
Time will tell if we néed to start paying.
£1.80 is only the thin end of the wedge, I'm afraid.
Once it's done once the charges will rapidly escalate.
Our Pay Upfront For Life was entered into in good faith.
To be fair, I signed up for 200 Mins off peak.
This is a lot less than Unlimited Mins, Unlimited Texts & 500Mb.
Nice, but I didn't expect or ask for them.

At a guess I think O2 would deem you have accepted new t&c's with the change

Beware Greeks bearing gifts!

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Mr_Alan — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:03:27 GMT

"Quite frankly you have all had a good run for your money" -

Not the point. Life means life.

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

Enlli — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:41:00 GMT

Three did the same with data SIM pay upfront for life.

They got away with it right or wrong.

Best joining together and do a class action....it could get expensive

Re: PUFFL and annual price rises

madasaf1sh — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 13:00:07 GMT

`To be honest o2 should just bung all these users £50 and just kill these contracts off.. and they could say take it up with BT as Cellnet was part of them at the time these stupid plans where sold...