PUFFL and annual price rises

[Thouky]

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?

[MI5]

@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.

[Enlli]

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. 

[Thouky]

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.

[MI5]

@Thouky 

Hence why they are allowing free exit from the contract.

[Thouky]

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.

[MI5]

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

[October]

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.

[Thouky]

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.

[Silverider]

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. 🤔