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??

[MI5]

Where did I say I could (or would) justify the increase? and who's doing the bashing? If you don't like it, leave when your contract is up otherwise, get over it !!

[Liquid]

http://www.o2.co.uk/mobile/prices

Little calculator:)

I can't understand the big Problem with 3% its a minuscule amount.

Customers whinge they can't get signal and that O2 should sort the network out. Where does the money come from to sort the network out? You cant improve somthing without costs.

Of course I don't like paying anymore but it happens ill have to get over it, just like everyone else.

@adytay why haven't you written price increases due to inflation into your contracts? Any project I write a contract up for that lasts over a year I write in a clause for inflation.

[perksie]

First increase I've seen in 4 years, for me it's 65 pence a month.

Nobody wants to see this happen but I would rather they stayed in business as the consequences if they didn't don't bear thinking about.

Loans for all companies are high and everybody wants more by way of better coverage and faster network speeds.

If only all companies increases were this low!

[Anonymous]

It not enough to say "you agreed to it when you signed the contract" it is very clear and undertsood by all that No-one can possibly read the small print in the contract and you certainly can't negoiate over it.  The general understanding is that you commit to pay every month for a fixed payment that you can rely on budget for.  (for example I lost my new blackberry one week after a new contract and I accept that I still have to pay for it for every month for 2 years thats was my commitment).  Whatever the small print may say O2's commitment is understood to be that is the fixed price for the contract period.

I ordered over the phone so didnt sign anything and can you find the contract anywhere on the website (and to you O2 apologists it may be here somewhere is deliberately tucked away if it is).

Also don't blame inflation - 1) the majority of the contract payment is for the supply of handset which is a fixed cost bourne at the start there is no inflation 2) its an automated service - the network, switches, routers and computers don't charge more so there is no inflation 3) the on going maintenance has a cost of course but this all anticipated and budgeted for and therefore is built into the contract so no inflation.

The only fair way is to make it reciprical - so yes you can change the price but I can leave the contract (only for that specific reason) and then to revise your prices for new contracts...

[Anonymous]

Companies should not be able to put up the cost of a tariff if you are still in your 12 or 18 month contract - the costs should be built in already.

Outside the contract is fair enough as customers can then choose to stay or leave

Should this be challenged in the courts as an unfair T&C ?

[perksie]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I ordered over the phone so didnt sign anything and can you find the contract anywhere on the website (and to you O2 apologists it may be here somewhere is deliberately tucked away if it is).

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The terms are in "Terms and conditions" at the foot of every page on the site.

The action of taking out the contract means you agreed to these.

It is after all a "contract" and that word doesn't appear for no reason.

[Anonymous]

good idea I think there is good prospect you'd win - courts have a very different attitude to retail customers than they do with business to business contracts (where it is recognised you can get advise and should read before you sign) - for retail man-in-the-street it is not enough to say "its in the contract" when its tucked away...

[perksie]

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@Anonymous wrote:
good idea I think there is good prospect you'd win - courts have a very different attitude to retail customers than they do with business to business contracts (where it is recognised you can get advise and should read before you sign) - for retail man-in-the-street it is not enough to say "its in the contract" when its tucked away...

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Have you any idea how often we see this written here, in four years of visiting this forum I can't say I have seen a response to a case against O2 succeeding.

Please let us know how your case goes!

[Liquid]

 I Wish law was part of the public education curriculum. Very few seem to understand it, considering the integral part it plays in our lives.

"It not enough to say "you agreed to it when you signed the contract" it is very clear and undertsood by all that No-one can possibly read the small print in the contract and you certainly can't negoiate over it. "

signing of a contract is a recognition that you've read and accepted the terms of the contract. In fact everyone can and should read the T&Cs as by signing the contract they have stated that they indeed have read and accepted them.

" Whatever the small print may say O2's commitment is understood to be that is the fixed price for the contract period."

the small print says exactly what your signing up to. ever heard the well known phrase about assumptions.

[Anonymous]

As I just took out a 24 month contract 3 weeks ago, this 3.4% rise, taken over the 3 weeks, leads to predict annual inflation of 76%...

Yeah. That's inflation. What gets me is they were happy to agree a contract with me 3 weeks ago at a set rate. Before I've even made the first payment they are taking the price up... as if they didn't know they were about to do so.