vodafone started new contract without me agreeing

[spidey41]

i had a contract with vodafone which ended on 27th june this year , i called them on the 28th to get the unlock code for my phone and got a 40p out of contract call fee for this , at this time my phone showed emergency calls only .

 

today i had an email from vodafone stating i was 41.00 in arreas on my new contract at 18.00 per month ( it was only 8.00 a month when it expired ) ,

 

i contacted vodafone today and they told me as i never asked to not renew the contract it was automatically rolled over at a new rate and i would have to pay it , the person i spoke to would not answer why i got a 40p fee for an out of contract call or why i could only get emergency calls on the 28th

 

, i put a new sim in the phone on this day with bt so have not been able to see if i had any messages from vodafone ,

 

surely this is illegal pushing a new contract onto somebody after theres has ended without a signed agreement to it

[BankFodder]

 

I'm not sure what the rules are for automatically starting new contracts after the expiry of the old one for consumers. I thought that they were opt in rather than opt out but maybe if you have a look at the website of the communications regulator, you can find out for us and let us know.

However, what does concern me is that even if they are allowed to roll the contract over then it should at least be on the same terms and so to start a new contract which is clearly radically different because the cost is a huge increase cannot be acceptable.

 

Finally, of course, it is clear from the information you have given us about the other contract fee and the fact that they were no services available for a while that they allowed the contract to lapse. On this basis, whether they are entitled to rolling contract over or not, I don't expect for a moment that they would be entitled to start a new contract after the original contract had ceased.

 

you have got a new SIM card in the phone so you have a service so one could say that you are not being particularly inconvenienced by Vodafone at the moment other than they are treating you as if you are in debt to them and presumably at some point they may decide to blight your credit file.

 

however, as the matter is not screaming urgent you could decide to start a complaint through the communications Ombudsman which might produce a result. Alternatively you could become a bit more heavy-handed and start a county court claim against them. the county court route would be more effective in my view but of course it will all take about 6 months or so. This is likely to be about the same delay as a complaint to the regulator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AndyOrch]

https://support.vodafone.co.uk/Account-bill-and-top-up/Leaving-Vodafone/Pay-monthly-leaving/38902825/What-happens-at-the-end-of-my-commitment-period.htm

 

But.....

 

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/20/vodafone_ee_and_three_are_overcharging_customers_after_contracts_expire/

[spidey41]

so continue as normal after commitment ends , not double in price , which is what they have done to me

[BazzaS]

Check your original contract.

 

If it says “£18.00 per month, discounted to £8.00 for the first 12 months” (or similar, for the period up to 27th June), then they can charge the higher rate.

Regarding “imposing a new contract”, they can’t set a new minimum term, but can continue billing you until the existing contract is ended : they’ll say “of course we continue providing service so we don’t cut customers off”, and, providing service they’ll expect to be paid for it.

 

Solution, set a reminder a month before your contract is due to end, and get a PAC (if you wish to keep the number, serve notice instead if you don’t). Just remember to use the PAC, as if unused the contract will continue. It is using the PAC, not requesting it, that ends the contract.

[spidey41]

there is still the fact though that the day after my contract expired i could only make emergency calls and had a charge to actually call vodafone from my vodafone number so it was not really continuing as it it had ceased and was restarted at a later date ( which i do not know ) as i switched to bt mobile later that day

[BazzaS]

Did you port your number to BT mobile?

[spidey41]

no i got a new number from bt mobile and just decided to use that one

[spidey41]

this is still ongoing with these idiots , they are adamant i did not cancel the new contract

 

i have had several conversations with them uptil mid november at which point i had had enough and filled in their official complaint form , never heard a word more till

 

last thursday when i got a leter from moorcroft ,

since thursday i have had 3 phone calls ,

another letter ,

4 emails and

3 voicemals from moorcroft ,

 

so this has now already become harrasment in less than a week