@o2 O2 monthly contract

[nogger-01]

I have an O2 monthly contract but have recently come out of work and I am struggling with the payments at the minute, I contacted the customer service team around 2 months ago seeking some help with the monthly cost. I never use the 900 minutes a month and don't think I ever will so was looking to see if my price plan could be lowered to a more realistic monthly tariff after speaking with a agent who was very abrupt and un willing to help me I was basically told tough that's what you signed up to. I then received a call from a manager who informed me they could lower the tariff by £2 with will not help me.

 

Can O2 basically over charge me for minutes I never use, plus would it not be good customer service to make sure your customers are are the right tariff that suits the minutes they use on average per month.

 

I really need help with this as it is starting to get me down as I am struggling to find the money each month and in some cases cutting back on food in order to keep up the payments.

 

Any help would be appreciated

 

Thank you all

[sequenci]

Hello there.

 

Once you're half-way through the contract you're able to reduce the tariff by one rung at a time. You can also do this online. You're able to change tariff down once per month.

 

Although you don't use the 900 minutes you would have had a hefty subsidy on the handset by starting off with that tariff, I think I might be on the same one - £45 per month I pay. Well I used to.

 

Hope this helps!

[nogger-01]

I have been advised that by O2 but at the minute I cannot afford to wait until august to lower my tariff £36 a moth at the minute is a struggle to pay

[sequenci]

You're options are.

 

a) struggle to pay the current arrangement

b) see if anyone else wishes to take the phone and contract over

c) allow the account to be disconnected, you would then be charged out of the remainder of the contract but you should be able to negotiate a reasonable arrangement to clear the debt via affordable instalments. It's likely you'll lose your number doing this - unless they are happy to pop it on PAYG or something.

[locutus]

There is nothing stopping you requesting a PAC and moving your number elsewhere. They must provide this within 48 hours even if you owe them money. If your number is important to you, and you are not able to make payments, before they disconnect you ask for a PAC to port your number.

 

They will then charge you for the entire contract and put a default on your credit file. This is the crux of your decision. If you can live with the default on your credit file for 6 years, then there is no problem. If not you need to keep paying.

 

If you port your number across, you can then expect debt collection agencies phoning pretty constantly.

 

My opinion (and it seems to be the consensus on CAG) is that they really should only be able to charge you for their actual losses if you breach the contract, so there is very little chance of this ending up in court (which is what the debt collectors will try to persuade you) so mobile companies seem to prefer to trash your credit file and send DCA's threatening to call at your house or to take the money directly from your wages (which will not happen)

 

So, if you are prepared to put up with this hassle, Phone o2, request your PAC, move your number to a PAYG sim and put the sim into the handset. o2 rarely lock their contract handsets to their network but it will be worth checking this before proceeding.