Paying hidden VAT charges on my contract?? Very misleading - cannot be legal?

[Anonymous]

This cannot be legal... At no point did anyone say to me when I took out a iPhone 6 contract, that I would be paying nearer £40 than the £33 that I signed a contract for!

Look at the documents I have received and tell me where, anywhere, it says that this hidden VAT charge is being added.

I have called O2 directly this morning as soon as I received the ridiculous statement - he was horrendously unhelpful.  Just told me to 'go instore and sort it out' - I am not going out of my way, paying train fare/parking, to sort out O2's misleading contract details.

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:
This is a terrible practise!

Is this an O2 thing, or do all companies do the same? If so I will try and request a cancellation as this is a joke!

I have never, ever paid for something in the UK, and then to have a hidden charge slapped on the end of it, it just seems to apply to 'contracts'? This isn't USA, where you can go into any shop, see a price, pay at the counter, and then VAT is attached.

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I have to agree, it does come across as a hidden charge. I did mean to include the US practice of adding vat at checkout..... but this is the UK.

I would not go into a shop to buy a new washing machine at the price advertised and then find they slapped Vat on it when I flourished my debit card to pay........

I thought I was a pretty savvy shopper...:smileysad:

[Anonymous]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:
This is a terrible practise!

Is this an O2 thing, or do all companies do the same? If so I will try and request a cancellation as this is a joke!

I have never, ever paid for something in the UK, and then to have a hidden charge slapped on the end of it, it just seems to apply to 'contracts'? This isn't USA, where you can go into any shop, see a price, pay at the counter, and then VAT is attached.

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I have to agree, it does come across as a hidden charge. I did mean to include the US practice of adding vat at checkout..... but this is the UK.

I would not go into a shop to buy a new washing machine at the price advertised and then find they slapped Vat on it when I flourished my debit card to pay........

I thought I was a pretty savvy shopper...:smileysad:

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It definitely is a hidden charge though, as this is not a normal practise in the slightest.  I would love to call up O2 again and see what they can do but as they run off a script I doubt they will be any more help than the useless guy this morning.

[jonsie]

Your next bill will be for £33 including vat dependent on

1. You are not a business customer

2. You have stayed within your allowance without sending picture messages or calling 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers and other regionalised numbers not covered by your allowance.

[jonsie]

Charges for out of allowance numbers : Special Numbers - O2

[Anonymous]

right, as mentioned on all above posts , all prices are advertised including vat, but on the bill it will show all charges exluding vat and then the vat is add.

So for example a £33.00 per month deal will be £33.00 including vat, but on the bill in will show 26.4 line rental + 6.60 vat - total 33.00

But I wish I could see the description on tariffs, can u do a print screen?I've just done a calculation but need to see tariff and minutes, can u make a print screen of those please?

[Anonymous]

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@jonsie wrote:

Your next bill will be for £33 including vat dependent on

1. You are not a business customer

2. You have stayed within your allowance without sending picture messages or calling 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers and other regionalised numbers not covered by your allowance.

£33 including VAT means, £33 right.  Not £33, + 20%?

Can anyone confirm is this is an O2 thing, or do all companies do the same?

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[jonsie]

I'm not sure how I can make this any clearer...£33 including vat.

All companies charging vat have to show charge before vat, vat and the total of both...now I give up

[Anonymous]

I think I know how to explain it but need some inf of the tariff description and  the minutes option...

[Cleoriff]

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@jonsie wrote:

I'm not sure how I can make this any clearer...£33 including vat.

All companies charging vat have to show charge before vat, vat and the total of both...now I give up

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Oh don't do that @jonsie I was learning from all this....

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

right, as mentioned on all above posts , all prices are advertised including vat, but on the bill it will show all charges exluding vat and then the vat is add.

So for example a £33.00 per month deal will be £33.00 including vat, but on the bill in will show 26.4 line rental + 6.60 vat - total 33.00

But I wish I could see the description on tariffs, can u do a print screen?I've just done a calculation but need to see tariff and minutes, can u make a print screen of those please?

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I have screen grabbed everything I have - my O2 contract email which states unlimited Mins, Texts and 1GB Data, and my latest MYO2 statement.  Is there something else to look for?

I have attached the Tariff screenshot from my O2.