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]

O2 have obviously covered themselves legally so no customer has a leg to stand on, regardless of what all the armchair lawyers think.

The T&C's for the PUFFL contract state:

9 Changes to the Agreement
9.1 We may change this Agreement and the Charges at any time.Changes will be posted on our website www.o2.co.uk

Please  check this regularly for updates.
9.2 If we increase the Charges for the elements of the Service you are using or change the terms and conditions of this Agreement to your significant
disadvantage (in our reasonable opinion)we will give you 30 days'notice in writing before the changes take place.We will notify you as detailed in
paragraph 7 above or we may notify you by text (SMS)to your Mobile Phone number and/or by email where you have supplied your email address to us
for this purpose.

+

4.2 From time to time we may have to migrate your Account from one billing platform to another.In these circumstances we will notify you if migration of
your Account will affect the Service in any way.

[Thouky]

The terms and conditions you quote are clearly from the generic O2 terms and conditions, but the PUFFL contracts date from before O2’s existence, and were with BT Cellnet.

The generic BT Cellnet terms and conditions that accompanied the PUFFL contracts had similar clauses, but they were supplemented by PUFFL-specific terms and conditions. Where there’s a contradiction - which is obviously the case between “for life” and “change… at any time” - the terms for the individual product take priority. The PUFFL-specific terms and conditions are very clear that the benefits, of which the lack of monthly fee is the main one, are for the life of the contract.

O2 have tried repeatedly to end PUFFL contracts, and have always backed down. For now I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that they made a genuine mistake and forgot about the PUFFL contracts, and given them the opportunity to rectify it…

[Enlli]

Good luck.

What happend to the terms and conditions when some of you moved to changed to O2 Unlimited 30D 500MB?

Quite frankly you have all had a good run for your money....how long is it since Cellnet was a thing?

Everyone who signed up on on a low  cost tariff has been done over, and quite frankly account for a much bigger user base than those who signed when mobile communications were either analogue or early GSM

As suggested, band together and get yourselves a good solicitor. Will cost you more than a £1.80 rise though.

[Oxonian]

PUFFL contracts were on sale in 2001 @Thouky ; you probably paid £200 for yours ? 

The problem here is that BT Cellnet probably did not envisage customers hanging on to them for so long.

Have you thought of trying to negotiate with O2 ? My experience with large organisations is that you are more likely to make progress by discussion, say by asking for an ex-gratia credit on your account, than you are by suggesting legal action. 👍

[BarneyGPz]

I received the email and phoned Patrick at O2. 

They had no record of the communication and asked me to report as Phishing. 

Time will tell if we néed to start paying. 

£1.80 is only the thin end of the wedge, I'm afraid.

Once it's done once the charges will rapidly escalate. 

Our Pay Upfront For Life was entered into in good faith. 

To be fair, I signed up for 200 Mins off peak.

This is a lot less than Unlimited Mins, Unlimited Texts & 500Mb.

Nice, but I didn't expect or ask for them. 

[Oxonian]

I had forgotten that @BarneyGPz ; the free 200 minutes per month could only be used after 6.00pm and at weekends ! 

Glad that you think that you've done OK out of it. 👍

[jonsie]

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@BarneyGPz wrote:

I received the email and phoned Patrick at O2. 

They had no record of the communication and asked me to report as Phishing. 

Time will tell if we néed to start paying. 

£1.80 is only the thin end of the wedge, I'm afraid.

Once it's done once the charges will rapidly escalate. 

Our Pay Upfront For Life was entered into in good faith. 

To be fair, I signed up for 200 Mins off peak.

This is a lot less than Unlimited Mins, Unlimited Texts & 500Mb.

Nice, but I didn't expect or ask for them. 

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At a guess I think O2 would deem you have accepted new t&c's with the change

Beware Greeks bearing gifts!

[Mr_Alan]

"Quite frankly you have all had a good run for your money" -

Not the point. Life means life.

[Enlli]

Three did the same with data SIM pay upfront for life.

They got away with it right or wrong.

Best joining together and do a class action....it could get expensive 

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[madasaf1sh]

`To be honest o2 should just bung all these users £50 and just kill these contracts off.. and they could say take it up with BT as Cellnet was part of them at the time these stupid plans where sold...