O2 Forcing All Customers onto the New Price Rises

[Enlli]

O2 has confirmed to ISPreview that they’re also emailing existing mobile customers to forcibly move them to the new pricing policy, albeit with a right to exit their contract as a result. This is as opposed to the usual approach, where such changes only occur for new customers or via natural re-contracting at the end of a contract term. We don’t think VMO2 are going to win too many adoring fans with this one

Personally I hope for a mass exodus

[madasaf1sh]

That is the only downside of Spusu, and its something that affects a number of Virtual Networks as well.. 

Another good option is another EE MVNO Mozillion or even Lebara, I got a sim for 42p for 50GB data for the next 9 months...

[bb101]

I received the same email yesterday, saying the terms of my mobile contract will change on 9 March 2025. The same wording as "you have the right to end your airtime plan in the next 30 days".

I texted for my PAC, and got a message back saying I have a £36.15 early termination charge!

I rang 202, spoke to someone who doesn't know anything about any emails, thinks I'm trying to invoke a "Right to Exit"(?) and won't budge on any early termination charge.

Why can't the staff at O2 get this right?

[Enlli]

Contact Payment Management is my advice 

You can reach the Payment Management team on 0800 902 0217.

The opening times are:

Monday to Friday – 8am to 8pm

Saturday – 8am to 6pm

Sunday – 9am to 6pm

[bb101]

Thanks. I called the Payment Management line, which seems just to be standard 202 line. I asked the lady is she is Payment Management and she said "yes I am also".

She looked into the email, and also said "yes you can terminate your contract, but you will have to pay an early termination charge". Also wouldn't budge.

Is this right, that O2 are changing terms of our contracts, telling us we have 30 days to cancel and sticking us with an early termination charge if we do?!

[MI5]

@Dave-O2 

As stated on other threads - This needs addressing urgently.

[bb101]

So I thought I would give it another go, and managed to get through to a lady at Retentions. She confirms that they had a meeting about the new terms that morning, and whilst the PAC SMS is showing an early termination charge, it won't get charged.

I asked her for some proof just in case it does get charged, and the only thing she could do is make a note on my account that it was agreed that there is no termination charge. I suppose we'll see.

She was very nice, and asked if I would stay with O2. Unfortunately all the clueless customer service ping-pong this afternoon has made me want to leave O2 more than I did this morning!

[gmarkj]

I got my normal bill text today.
It included the statement about the price increase being £1.80 from April...

[Dave-O2]

Thanks for the tag @MI5 

@bb101 I do also have your PM, however it now sounds like you have managed to get this sorted 👍

Sorry for the confusion and I'll get these conversations flagged to the relevant area to improve our services for future 😊

[bb101]

Thanks Dave. I was really surprised at how the customer service people I spoke to were all saying different things, and no-one seemed to know anything about the terms change email that must have gone out to a lot of people. A big fail by an organisation as large as O2.

The SMS I received last night from O2 -- "if you decide to use your PAC code" -- still lists an early termination charge, even though the Retentions lady promised there will be none. I don't really feel like going through this kafkaesque process again when it's time to complain and get an early termination charge refunded.

[elbo03]

Same here, used the number mentioned earlier and got transferred 4 times (one to virgin 😅)  and all wouldn't budge on the cancellation fee.. one of them even said the email doesn't mean I can cancel without fee 😔