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O2 Changing My Contract

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hey,

O2 have just text me this morning informing me that 0845 and some other calls will no longer be counted as inclusive minutes. Since I make 0845 calls a lot this is going to run up a bill for me. Problem is, I've only got a few months left of my contract (expires in November), and that at the end of my contract I could upgrade to a nice cheap retentions tariff if I threaten to leave.

But I could get out of my contract early now as I would have reasonable grounds to leave, I know they changed conditions last year and loads of people left their contracts. Decisions... decisions.

Are there any good 12 month contracts from any other providers at the moment? I may be convinced to switch allegiances. You never know, O2 may put me through to retentions anyway and offer me a great deal (but without 0845 numbers... it's just house phones and mobiles then - not brilliant is it? :()

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know you can void the contract if o2 make changes to the service and/or tarriff which put you in a bad or worse position so to speak (don't know the proper wording of it) Seeing as you make a lot of calls to numbers that now aren't included, I'd say that is reasonable grounds to void the contract :)

    Can't help you out on the other tarrifs though, sorry!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I might phone them up tomorrow when they're open and see if they'll upgrade me. But the phone I wanted isn't out until xmas. Decisions...

    Really naffed off though, whats the point of having free minutes if it doesn't include 0845 numbers?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    0845 numbers are now being charged for BUSINESS tarrifs.

    So if you're on a business tarrif, you can get out of it early a it's a definite change of t&c. However they won't do it on the phone, you have to write.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This is the bane of my life at the moment, I'm getting so much grief over this at work.

    Yes, we've started charging for 0845 numbers etc (calls to o2 Customer Service are still free though!) but this is just to bring us in line with the service providers - in other words o2 are currently the only service provider who offered these numbers in bundles anyway.

    You can indeed leave your contratc early due to this change - just call retentions and give 30 days notice. Legally, you'll have to do it within 30 days of you receiving that text though if you do want to go ahead and cancel.

    Not even speaking as an o2 employee who'll get 1000 notes paid into his bank account next spring if we're top of the Customer Satsifaction Index :razz: , but any other network will still charge for these calls - if you want to leave for other reasons then fine, but I wouldn't base it on this change IMO.

    Hope that helped a bit.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BritJamez wrote: »
    0845 numbers are now being charged for BUSINESS tarrifs.

    So if you're on a business tarrif, you can get out of it early a it's a definite change of t&c. However they won't do it on the phone, you have to write.

    Business tariffs and some older tariffs (which I assume ShyBoy is on)

    I'd call first, they can offers you a retention tariff and they'll also take a note of your intention to leave - this means that when you do put it in writing and if it took longer than 30 days then they've got a record of your call around this time when you said you wanted to end the contract.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bri-namite wrote: »
    This is the bane of my life at the moment, I'm getting so much grief over this at work.

    Yes, we've started charging for 0845 numbers etc (calls to o2 Customer Service are still free though!) but this is just to bring us in line with the service providers - in other words o2 are currently the only service provider who offered these numbers in bundles anyway.

    You can indeed leave your contratc early due to this change - just call retentions and give 30 days notice. Legally, you'll have to do it within 30 days of you receiving that text though if you do want to go ahead and cancel.

    Not even speaking as an o2 employee who'll get 1000 notes paid into his bank account next spring if we're top of the Customer Satsifaction Index :razz: , but any other network will still charge for these calls - if you want to leave for other reasons then fine, but I wouldn't base it on this change IMO.

    Hope that helped a bit.

    I didn't realise other networks charged.

    It just irks me that I've been paying £30 a month and have been calling 0845 numbers fine and now they want to charge me extra. I don't care what the competition is charging, O2 is my provider and they can't just start charging me extra.

    But yea, not having a go at you :) just a bit annoyed because I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I cancel I have to get another contract, if I stay on I pay extra. If I want to get out of the contract early I have to pay o2 the rest of the balance, if o2 want to stop providing what they've said then if I don't like it all I can do (if I'm lucky) is walk off. Really they should say until the end of my contract I still get 0845 numbers inclusive.

    Do you have any info on the retentions tariffs?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    I didn't realise other networks charged.

    It just irks me that I've been paying £30 a month and have been calling 0845 numbers fine and now they want to charge me extra. I don't care what the competition is charging, O2 is my provider and they can't just start charging me extra?

    I know, and the annoying thing is when customers say exactly that then there's not much of a comeback.

    To be honest, there's a clause regarding changes to your contract in your Terms and Conditions. I'm not as clued up on it as I could be because this only started last week and I've been in and out of meetings etc, but when I go back on Tuesday I'll find out more info for you :)
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    If I want to get out of the contract early I have to pay o2 the rest of the balance, if o2 want to stop providing what they've said then if I don't like it all I can do (if I'm lucky) is walk off. Really they should say until the end of my contract I still get 0845 numbers inclusive?

    Don't quote me on this, but from what I read I'm 99% sure that you can leave your contract without charge if this affects you. That's what a girl on my team mentioned in passing this week, but I'll have to check up on it.
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    Do you have any info on the retentions tariffs?

    Not specifically, but have you heard of the SIM only tariffs? Means you get to keep your old handset and just get a SIM on a tariff that's a lot better value because the cost of the new handset isn't factored in like it normally would be. You just need to give 30 days notice to end it (which might suit you seeing as you're waiting on a new handset at the end of the year)

    I think Retentions are pushing those tariffs to customers cancelling because of this 0845 thing, so keep an eye out.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my contract isnt up until november but if i call i can cancel it early coz of this?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Brian when I was at 3 there was something similar to this for UK customers a wee bit before you came along the scene.

    Something like a slight price change in international call and customers were allowed to cancel their contract no qualms, similar to this.

    I imagine O2'll be the doing the same trying to get some reason as to prevent you from cancelling but it's impossible given the circumstances of OFCOM etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    1983 wrote: »
    Brian when I was at 3 there was something similar to this for UK customers a wee bit before you came along the scene.

    Something like a slight price change in international call and customers were allowed to cancel their contract no qualms, similar to this.

    I imagine O2'll be the doing the same trying to get some reason as to prevent you from cancelling but it's impossible given the circumstances of OFCOM etc.
    OOOOO, I just called them and i can. Woop, didnt want the contract anyway. :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    1983 wrote: »
    Brian when I was at 3 there was something similar to this for UK customers a wee bit before you came along the scene.

    Something like a slight price change in international call and customers were allowed to cancel their contract no qualms, similar to this.

    I imagine O2'll be the doing the same trying to get some reason as to prevent you from cancelling but it's impossible given the circumstances of OFCOM etc.

    :yes:

    Remember when the 25 quid charge came in for downgrading your contract and all hell broke loose? I think there was a loophole in the T's and C's, but it WAS legal within the terms of the contract.

    I'll get all this clarified on Tuesday.

    Lisa, when you phoned up did they check your account and tell you that you were eligible? Or did you just mention the 0845 clause in general terms?

    What's the name of your tariff, cause it's only old and business tariffs this applies to?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I just said about the 0845 hun, and said can I cancel then coz this is what i use alot of my calls for. And he said yes and theres no extra to pay, just 30 days notice.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    GhostGirl wrote: »
    I just said about the 0845 hun, and said can I cancel then coz this is what i use alot of my calls for. And he said yes and theres no extra to pay, just 30 days notice.

    OK, so do you not pay for 0845 calls at the moment? It's only if they're normally in your allowance that you can cancel :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bri-namite wrote: »
    OK, so do you not pay for 0845 calls at the moment? It's only if they're normally in your allowance that you can cancel :yes:
    Yeah they are normally in my allowance. :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    droped mine to simplicity 20 - more minutes / texts but for less (and bearing in mind last months bill was £76 lol - more texts is good :))
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    droped mine to simplicity 20 - more minutes / texts but for less (and bearing in mind last months bill was £76 lol - more texts is good :))

    Ah good, also means you can get the new phone you want at the end of the year cause there's a 30 days cancellation period :)

    Was going to say re the 0870 thing, there's a website you can enter an 0870 number into and get a geographical telephone number (i.e a landline) for it, which would obviosuly be included in your minutes.

    www.saynoto0870.com
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