Increase in Tariff Cost

[Anonymous]

Can someone please clarify for me.....

I have received an email to say that the tariff i am on will soon increase in cost.  I took out a 24-month contract with O2, so am shocked to see that the cost is increasing!!  Does this not completely go against the point of having a contract??  All of the terms are clearly stated (i.e. the cost per month, the term, who and when...) and then signed. 

Unless someone is about to copy and paste the tiniest piece of smallprint in the world, i think we're all being had!!  If O2 can increase is by 50p today, can they increase it by £50 tomorrow??

And, if they can make changes, can i change my contract duration to say, 1 month??

[Anonymous]

Hi

Sorry but a question for everyone who has posted to say that they are going to leave O2.

What company are you going to move your mobile phone account to? 

All the major networks have used inflation as a reason to increase costs over the past year or so.

Alex

[Anonymous]

The fact that other providers may or may not have done the same doesn't matter - O2 could have made a vertue of being the one not to do this.  Also, as we all know, the one time you can negotiate over your tarfif is when you join a new supplier so moving can in responce to this can be very sensible.

It is also perfectly reasonable to move simply 'cause it makes you feel better! so to the O2 apologists posting away in responce to our chat on here leave off eh? - moving is the least we can do...

[darrengf]

Thats one thing that people have and thats the choice to stay or go when the time comes.

No one would stop you doing that. There are plenty of other tariffs out there and that what good for the UK, we have choice and plenty of it.

However O2 like every other supplier need to make money to stay in business. If they didnt then they would go out of business, it would be one less mobile company and one less choice for the consumer which then isnt good.

Like you said, O2 could be one of the suppliers that choose not to add the 3.2% increase on, however they have just like all the other mobile networks. No one likes increses, I  dont but like ive said, I can move if I want or stay and at present ive choose to stay.

[perksie]

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@Anonymous wrote:

It is also perfectly reasonable to move simply 'cause it makes you feel better! so to the O2 apologists posting away in responce to our chat on here leave off eh? - moving is the least we can do...

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Silliest response I've seen yet!

Moving of course to another company that has done this already, more than once in some cases.

Frayed logic there.

[jonsie]

So in conclusion people will move every time a provider puts up prices. Pretty much have to change 4-5 times a year then? Yes O2 have put up thier prices but they have done well in the past to keep charges the same whilst everyone else has raised prices annually.

Don't forget, actual call and text charges remain the same and P&G cusomers aren't affected at all.

[darrengf]

So to the people who are leaving, Lets shed some more interesting facts in all this.

O2 Announces that a 3.2% Price increse will take affect on the 28th Feb 2013

2013:

O2 Price Increace 3.2%

2012:

Orange in January raises prices by 4.34%

T-Mobile in May by 3.7%

Three in March by 3.6%

Vodafone in November by 2.4%

O2 Anounces to raise prices in 2013 by 3.6% (Only anounced but no increase in 2012

2011

Vodafone in October rounded every ones bill to the nearest 50p and causes massive outrage

I know ive missed others,  but this gives you an eyeline view that all the networks are doing this and o2 have been the cheapeast. Vodafone rounded bills up in 2011 and then increased in 2012 so this is more than the 3.2% roughly of o2.

However if people feel the need to leave then be aware that networks from what i can understand can increase once a year!

[Anonymous]

We are talking about a fairly small increase, in terms of cash.

£20 per month tariff will increase by 64p

£25 per month tariff will increase by 80p

£30 per month tariff will increase by 96p

£45 per month tariff will increase by £1.44

£50 per month tariff will increase by £1.60

When you think along the lines that the Sunday Times for example costs £2.50 or a box of grapes £3.20 or a Total Greek yogurt £1. It doesn't seam that much!

[Anonymous]

I have just had my O2 increase email and have been with then for about 12 years now. I have read the posts here and this is what i think:

1. it doesn't matter if the increase is 64p or 64 pounds it's the principle that matters

2. everyone knows that until this started to happen, fixed was thought to mean fixed. A £20 a month contract for 24 months meant exactly that.

3. No one from O2 has ever pointed out an 'inflation increase' term in the contract in all the times I have taken out contracts with them or renewed them

So while I agree that they are right in law, and that everyone else does it, I am left with the feeling of being conned, which means that i will cancel and leave O2 when my two contracts are up.

[sheepdog]

Think we've covered #2 & #3 already. It's always been in the T&C's on all contracts on other networks going way back to the 90's and it has always been up to the customer to read through and then decline if they didn't agree. With o2, you've always had something like 14 days to reject (now 7) which is ample time to read the contract. Which I must also point out, that if you sign any credit agreement you have a cooling off period of the same time in order to consider the terms of what you're committing too. 

What confuses things is that whilst a mobile contract is a credit agreement, its not a credit loan with fixed payments. Its a subscription to a service but comes under the credit regulations. 

[adamtemp64]

I have never in all my years with o2 seen it described as a fixed cost contract only a minimum term contract.

It cannot be a fixed price contract as other costs apply non included calls sms mms etc