cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

PUFFL and annual price rises

Thouky
Level 1: Joiner
  • 6 Posts
  • 1 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

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?

Just a retired tech designer wandering the cosmos in search of great food, the ultimate gig, and the perfect home automation setup
Message 1 of 27
1,219 Views
26 REPLIES 26

MI5
Level 94: Supreme
  • 151502 Posts
  • 649 Topics
  • 28836 Solutions
Registered:

@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.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.
Message 2 of 27
761 Views

Enlli
Level 68: Extraordinaire
  • 8767 Posts
  • 62 Topics
  • 1793 Solutions
Registered:

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. 

This is not O2 and we are all customers here similar to yourself and cannot answer account type queries.
Message 3 of 27
735 Views

Thouky
Level 1: Joiner
  • 6 Posts
  • 1 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

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.

Just a retired tech designer wandering the cosmos in search of great food, the ultimate gig, and the perfect home automation setup
Message 4 of 27
731 Views

MI5
Level 94: Supreme
  • 151502 Posts
  • 649 Topics
  • 28836 Solutions
Registered:

@Thouky 

Hence why they are allowing free exit from the contract.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.
Message 5 of 27
730 Views

Thouky
Level 1: Joiner
  • 6 Posts
  • 1 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

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.

Just a retired tech designer wandering the cosmos in search of great food, the ultimate gig, and the perfect home automation setup
Message 6 of 27
722 Views

MI5
Level 94: Supreme
  • 151502 Posts
  • 649 Topics
  • 28836 Solutions
Registered:

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

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.
Message 7 of 27
720 Views

October
Level 1: Joiner
  • 1 Posts
  • 0 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

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.

 

Message 8 of 27
676 Views

Thouky
Level 1: Joiner
  • 6 Posts
  • 1 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

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.

Just a retired tech designer wandering the cosmos in search of great food, the ultimate gig, and the perfect home automation setup
Message 9 of 27
667 Views

Silverider
Level 1: Joiner
  • 1 Posts
  • 0 Topics
  • 0 Solutions
Registered:

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. 🤔

Message 10 of 27
545 Views