Mobile price increase anything I can do ?

Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2012
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4,080
I've just found out my plan has increased in price by 4.5% I'm a bit annoyed considering I signed up in mid-january I was also not informed about the price increase considering I'm on a plan over £70 and now i need to pay another 4.5% and I can't do anything about it. I've spoken to my provider and they have told me it's government mandatory so they can't do anything and it was in the terms and conditions.

Has everyone else's Mobile plan increased in price?

Is there anything that can be done?

It's so annoying to find out I need to pay more 2 months into my contract and in this climate.
 
Soldato
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Yeah standard across most contracts, think Tesco Mobile amongst the few that don't increase the prices with RPI plus the 30 day rolling contracts.
 
Soldato
OP
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Nobody gets told of the increase. It's in the small print. You might be able to get out of the contract if you say you weren't informed when buying it.
I did hoping they would do something after a few hours of holding and speaking to different people I got told the same thing.
we can't do anything, its in the contract, it's government mandatory.

So in other words too bad we are not doing anything.
 
Associate
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Having shopped around recently for phones/broadband etc., every single supplier has this price increase warning somewhere on their site very visible before you sign up, usually in the checkout page.

Some providers will increase prices in line with CPI, some increase by CPI+X%, and a very small amount will give a fixed price.

Should their be any price increases outside of this, then you can leave your contract penalty free within 30 days of the price increase.
 
Soldato
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12,096
I've spoken to my provider and they have told me it's government mandatory so they can't do anything and it was in the terms and conditions.
In the terms and conditions probably, 'government mandatory' complete rubbish!

The only thing the government is going to possibly mandate (presumably via OFCOM) is the maximum they're allowed to increase it by.

I think I'll stick with my £12.50/month 20GB SIM only with Tesco. I really hope that the £70/month is paying for something worthwhile.
 
Soldato
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Less mandatory, more allowed to charge so why miss the opportunity to make money.

Suppose this is one more advantage of getting the phone interest free with a SIM only plan as you avoid these RPI increases. Certainly can add up if you have a £70 monthly contract and take it out right before the increase.
 
Soldato
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3 Dec 2012
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I read this thread yesterday and my immediate thought was 4.5% seems excessive - I don’t recall any previous increase in my mobile tariffs being that high, it was usually around 1%. My other thought was I’m sure you were informed in the T&C’s.
I just got en email from Vodafone this morning regarding the April increase and they state a 1.4% increase in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI) - is that the same as CPI?
I always assumed anything above the index, no matter how small, entitled you to leave penalty free?
 
Soldato
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25 Apr 2007
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5,255
I always assumed anything above the index, no matter how small, entitled you to leave penalty free?

When CPI was at 3%, the increases were set at CPI to allow the Telcos to 'keep up with rising costs' (even if their staff were made redundant, got low payrises, or overall investment was low). Now that CPI is 0.7%, somehow the regulator is allowing them to increase contracts by 4.5% and the only logical reasoning can be 'to increase their profits'.

The brown envelopes must never have been fatter.

EDIT - this is the reason I'll never go on contract again.
 
Soldato
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this is the reason I'll never go on contract again.
Totally agree. It’s Sim Only for me and maximum 12 month contract at that if there’s a good enough deal going.
I have been Sim Only for almost 10 years with the exception of a 2 year contract I took out to get the Pixel 2XL - it was just to good to turn down at the time.

I also use a Sim Only data sim for my home broadband (that’s the Vodafone one currently) which is up next month. I’m considering getting the ID rolling monthly SIM when the time comes.
 
Soldato
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25 Apr 2007
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5,255
Always gets people when going into new contracts. Your wage packet doesn't rise every year does it so why should bills when you sign up to a contract stating it's XXX per month.

I would mind less if the increases were only on the airtime and data part of the plan. It's when your contract is £1200 over 24 months, made up from an £800 phone and £400 airtime, yet somehow the Telcos are allowed to charge you 4.5% per year on a handset they bought and provided at the start of the contract. Even if they're financing their own purchase of a few hundred thousand handsets longer term, it'll be at a rate way lower than 4.5%.

It's like a bank being allowed to increase your mortgage payments based on the capital appreciation of your house.
 
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