Genie Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 16 minutes ago, Rds1983 said: @Follyfoot if they're putting your bill up you should be able to cancel your contract without paying a penalty: https://www.moneysupermarket.com/broadband/guides/cancel-broadband-contract-early/ "Sometimes, your provider may increase the cost of your monthly bill – even if you’re mid-contract. They should let you know about any price hikes in writing. Luckily, thanks to Ofcom rules, once you’ve been notified of a price change, you’ll have 30 days to cancel your existing contract without paying a penalty. It’s quite common for providers to increase their prices at least once a year. So, you can use this as an opportunity to leave your contract early." Over a year ago almost all of the telecoms companies wrote into their contracts that there would be inflation plus 3.9% rises in April each year. It’s only charges outside of contract terms that are a ticket to cancelling early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 22, 2023 Moderator Share Posted February 22, 2023 8 hours ago, Davkaus said: What I'm interested in is, in a world with GDPR, how do they know I'm a Virgin Media customer, and what lawful basis do they have to send me targeted advertising without any kind of relationship with me. Seems like the kind of thing they shouldn't be allowed to do anymore. Not at all, it isn't illegal to hold someone's details. Those details have to be kept securely and If you ask them to stop they have to and if you ask, to inform you where they got those details from but until that point, it's legal. As long as those details were obtained legally. Quote Do we need consent for postal marketing? If you’re sending direct marketing by post, you don’t need consent. However, if you’re putting someone’s name on a letter or flyer, you’ll need a lawful basis for using their personal data. This also applies if you know the name or other information which can identify the person you’re sending the marketing to. Make sure you’re clear and open about how you’ll use people’s information from the outset. As with all forms of direct marketing you also must stop sending direct marketing by post if the person asks you to stop. If you’re unsure about marketing and consent, you can contact us for more advice. ICO 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MakemineVanilla Posted February 22, 2023 Share Posted February 22, 2023 Never mind rising broadband costs rising at below the inflation-rate; what about the Heinz baked bean scandal, where Tesco are charging £1.15 for a small tin? There's a food bank near me who are expecting a ram raid any day now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Virgin are increasing my broadband and phone by 39% currently waiting to speak to someone 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 2 minutes ago, Seat68 said: Virgin are increasing my broadband and phone by 39% currently waiting to speak to someone Ignore the £2 off a month the first person will offer (probably Indian call centre). Hold out till the transfer you to the UK call centre, they should offer something better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 The issue I think is Virgin apply discounts to packages, which they have been doing to mine since I renewed with them years ago, but this increase is applied to the entire undiscounted price. So the increase is whopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted February 24, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted February 24, 2023 Great to see the free market ensuring the most competitive price for the consumer. They're so scared of losing you to the competition you don't even have to work for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 24, 2023 Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2023 25 minutes ago, Seat68 said: Virgin are increasing my broadband and phone by 39% currently waiting to speak to someone Press the button that says I want to leave, that puts you straight through usually to someone who has the power to give the discount back. I did it last year and got a faster broadband for over £30 a month less. There's no point waiting to get through, just hit the I want to leave option, anything else you do is a waste of time because you'll end up with that team in the end. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 On 22/02/2023 at 20:48, Genie said: Over a year ago almost all of the telecoms companies wrote into their contracts that there would be inflation plus 3.9% rises in April each year. It’s only charges outside of contract terms that are a ticket to cancelling early. It needs to be banned, honestly. A rise matching inflation alone is bs, imo, but writing in a default increase above that is 3.9% is completely unjustifiable, and almost certainly designed just to exploit those unable to keep on top of their bills. It's easy to see some people paying two, three times the going rate just because these parasites bump the price every year There was talk of a change to insurance regulations so that existing customers couldn't be offered worse terms than new customers. I'm not sure if it ever came in, but telecoms needs the same. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 HotUkDeals has a thread on who is raising prices and who is not Quote Which mobile providers are planning mid-contract increases for their customers? BT Mobile - CPI + 3.9 percent EE - CPI + 3.9 percent giffgaff - No increase planned iD Mobile - RPI rate. This is only for customers on 24-month handset plans. The increase will be in line with the RPI rate from February 2023 Lebara - No increase planned O2 - RPI + 3.9 percent. The increase affects just the airtime element of contracts. Customers who signed up before March 25, 2021 will get an increase only in line with RPI SMARTY - No increase planned Sky Mobile - No set price rise but "we may change the price of your Sky Mobile services". This includes during the minimum term but a person may be entitled to end their contract without paying early termination charges. Talkmobile - CPI + 3.9 percent Tesco Mobile - No Three - CPI + 3.9 percent for new and upgrading customers. This applies to those who took out a contract from November 1, 2022. The increase will be applied to customers' April 2023 bill. 4.5 percent fixed increase for existing customers. Virgin Mobile - RPI + 3.9 percent. This only applies to the airtime portion of the mobile contract for most customers Vodafone - CPI + 3.9 percent VOXI - No increase planned. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichfield Dean Posted February 24, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted February 24, 2023 1 hour ago, Genie said: HotUkDeals has a thread on who is raising prices and who is not Lebara rocks. I'm currently paying £1.99 for my SIM. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted February 25, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted February 25, 2023 The way to deal with these rises is go sim only on a 30 day contract then cancel if they raise the price and PAC your number over to another provider. If you need another phone then buy a new handset outright using an interest free credit card and spread the repayment for it over the interest free payment term. Then get a 30 day sim. I'm currently on IDmobile 30 day unlimited calls and texts and 200gb per month , £12. Talk with your feet, the virgin media technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 If your phone is still good after your contract ends, keep the phone, call your provider and ask for a deal, don't upgrade to a new phone which does exactly the same I was paying £52.00 a month, now pay £16.00, on the same deal as my phone is now paid for. They won't just reduce your bill, you have a call them when your contract ends, which is very bad consumer service I'd say. Most still paying full price out of contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted February 25, 2023 Share Posted February 25, 2023 14 hours ago, tinker said: The way to deal with these rises is go sim only on a 30 day contract then cancel if they raise the price and PAC your number over to another provider. If you need another phone then buy a new handset outright using an interest free credit card and spread the repayment for it over the interest free payment term. Then get a 30 day sim. I'm currently on IDmobile 30 day unlimited calls and texts and 200gb per month , £12. Talk with your feet, the virgin media technique. Im on a sim only deal and virgin have sent me a letter about this increase the bastards so gonna call them tomorrow and leave them. Gonna get another cheaper sim only deal. I had a look and samsung direct are doing a decent deal on tbe new samsing note. You can pay monthly interest free and spread the cost over. Whats also great is they will give me £330 off the phone so the repayment fee is actually very decent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted February 25, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted February 25, 2023 18 minutes ago, Demitri_C said: Im on a sim only deal and virgin have sent me a letter about this increase the bastards so gonna call them tomorrow and leave them. Gonna get another cheaper sim only deal. I had a look and samsung direct are doing a decent deal on tbe new samsing note. You can pay monthly interest free and spread the cost over. Whats also great is they will give me £330 off the phone so the repayment fee is actually very decent Virgin did it to me on cable, offered 50% reduction in the increase but I just so no, just stop the contract, they then offered me no increase at all. They have changed their terms and conditions and I think it impacts on your right to leave for increases like they have tried ...... don't go on a long term contract with them, they have you by the short and curlys if you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 I just saw this on another site, a text from o2 about the price rise of 17.3%!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted March 1, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2023 2 hours ago, Genie said: I just saw this on another site, a text from o2 about the price rise of 17.3%!!! I've had similar from Tesco Mobile 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 (edited) On 25/02/2023 at 06:10, tinker said: The way to deal with these rises is go sim only on a 30 day contract then cancel if they raise the price and PAC your number over to another provider. If you need another phone then buy a new handset outright using an interest free credit card and spread the repayment for it over the interest free payment term. Then get a 30 day sim. I'm currently on IDmobile 30 day unlimited calls and texts and 200gb per month , £12. Talk with your feet, the virgin media technique. Amen You don't even need a new phone. A refurbished one will do. A five year old iPhone will pretty much do 97% of what a new one will for about a tenth of the price. You're paying the extra £700-£1000 for a marginally faster processor, slightly better camera and screen. Not worth it* *IMO of course Edited March 1, 2023 by Xela 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 1, 2023 Moderator Share Posted March 1, 2023 12 minutes ago, Xela said: slightly better camera There last two incarnations of the iPhone have had vastly improved cameras I generally agree, I'm still on an iPhone X but I am considering an upgrade in the coming weeks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 11 hours ago, Genie said: I just saw this on another site, a text from o2 about the price rise of 17.3%!!! I had same from virgin mobile i called them and they just added a bolt on discount and the price wis now 40p cheaper a month. Go figure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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