02 - They'll be paying me next !!!

[johnny_t]

Signed up for my wife's mobile phone 2 years ago, and it was £25 a month (or £300 total for the year) for 100 cross-network minutes and 100 texts per month.

Last year, I was given a better deal with 3, so signed up with them instead. Phoned up O2 to cancel and they offered me £15 per month for one year, half price for the first 6 months (or £135 for the full year), £25 per month after 12 months and a fancy-schmancy phone upgrade. Took this and cancelled the 3 contract (which went surprisingly hassle-free, all things considered).

This year I phoned up their cancellations department, saying that rather than me shop around, then they do a better deal, how about they just give me a good deal right off. So they have offered £15 per month, with £100 credited to the account (so £80 for the year) and I've taken it. Last year's phone (Nokia 3220) is still perfectly good, so no need for an upgrade.

Which means that I am now saving £220 per year, compared to if I had just done nothing and let the contract roll, which I guess many people do, and is in fact what O2 et al rely on to make their money.

Not bad for 10 minutes on the phone....

 

[notb665]

Yeah, always say you are thinking of leaving, or ask for the "retention department". You usually get a good deal.

 

[Bazdaa]

You might like this site as well.

www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk

Bazdaa

 

[notb665]

Yeah good site that. I also like http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

 

[Bazdaa]

Yeah good site that. I also like http://www.saynoto0870.com/search.php

Oh you beauty. Now I ownt need to pay when I phone them (free National calls).

Bazdaa

 

[AdamW]

I looked at getting an upgrade for my 3 phone: £139 for the only phone I was interested in. So I decided not to bother.

A couple of weeks ago, it died. Would have cost money to "reflash", and I would have lost all my phonebook anyway so instead I just took out a new contract. They were happy for me to do that!

So, halfprice for a year, and the £139 phone was "free". Meant getting a new number, but I saved £320 over the course of one year compared to if I had just kept the old contract and upgraded to my Nokia 6680.

As an added bonus, it now means that none of my ex's have my mobile number

 

[TexMex]

I have an interesting ongoing issue with NTL at the moment. My mother died in May of this year. She had an account with NTL so I called them to ask them to disconect the line and send me a final bill. They then informed me that I would need to transfer the contract into my own name BEFORE they I would be entitled to cancel the contract.

I then recieved a form through the post with an acknowledgment of the copy of the death certificate (that I had sent them).

I then called NTL again and pointed out that, the form they had sent me (should I complete it), would commit me to another full years service. Since my mother had already had this contract running for over two years, she had no such commitment outstanding. The girl on the end of the phone appologised but insisted, "this is the only procedure we can follow to give you the authority to cancel the contract".

No matter how much I argued the case, they still insisted that I would have to pay a penalty for early cancellation of this contract. Exasperated I finally told them "I'll tell you what, At the moment I have no responsibility for this account. Lets keep it that way. Send as many bills as you like, you'll not get another cent from my mother".

To this day the line is still active. (I call it now and again just to check). I dread to think what the bill is now. I cancelled their direct debit mandate back in June, so they now have no way of retrieving any monies on this account.

 

[Igorian]

I have an interesting ongoing issue with NTL at the moment. My mother died in May of this year. She had an account with NTL so I called them to ask them to disconect the line and send me a final bill. They then informed me that I would need to transfer the contract into my own name BEFORE they I would be entitled to cancel the contract.

I then recieved a form through the post with an acknowledgment of the copy of the death certificate (that I had sent them).

I then called NTL again and pointed out that, the form they had sent me (should I complete it), would commit me to another full years service. Since my mother had already had this contract running for over two years, she had no such commitment outstanding. The girl on the end of the phone appologised but insisted, "this is the only procedure we can follow to give you the authority to cancel the contract".

No matter how much I argued the case, they still insisted that I would have to pay a penalty for early cancellation of this contract. Exasperated I finally told them "I'll tell you what, At the moment I have no responsibility for this account. Lets keep it that way. Send as many bills as you like, you'll not get another cent from my mother".

To this day the line is still active. (I call it now and again just to check). I dread to think what the bill is now. I cancelled their direct debit mandate back in June, so they now have no way of retrieving any monies on this account.

Call your local trading standards office. They will soon end your misery.