Orange increasing contract prices!

[jim]

I'm just thinking - I started a new contract a couple of months ago, and never signed any documentation regarding it.

Presumably I am deemed to have continued under exactly the same terms and conditions that I accepted when I started my previous contract? Thing is, how can that be enforceable when I made nothing other than a verbal agreement to start the new contract, and no mention was ever made of any T&Cs?

[Biscuit]

I know about the CSO and ONS, etc, but really, forget that and concentrate on the actual meaning of what it's saying.

Surely "All Items Index of Retail Prices" is pretty self-evident. It's an index of retail prices of "all items", as opposed to a selection of items, like oh, foodstuffs, or petrochemicals. And, as an index of retail prices compiled by some statistical office, surely it's pretty clear it's some kind of inflation measure?

I mean, seriously, is it not fairly obvious? I mean that literally, and it's a genuine question, Biscuit. I'm an economist by training, and an accountant by vocation, so it's certainly obvious to me, but then it flipping well ought to be. But as a genuine question, is it not obvious more or less what they're referring to?

I don't mean that you need to understand the differences in various inflation measures, or the distinction between the CSO and ONS, or whatever it's called this year, but the broad point that Orange may (or may not) increase prices, and if in line with a 12-month inflation figure, it doesn't void the contract.

Because it seems clear to me. There may be a modest price increase, in line with inflation, and you've agreed to it in the contract. I can't read that para in their T&Cs without clearly understanding the general effect, even if I don't understand the exact mechanism.

Once its been broken down it makes sense, but as a complete sentence in the midst of the T&Cs, i wouldn't have immediately thought, 'oh that's inflation then'. Maybe I'm just particularly blind when it comes to these things as all my mind sees is a condescending suit staring at me yapping away legal words. If they just threw the buzzword 'inflation' into the title, i would have had something to work from.

Maybe i am alone in though so dont take my word as the word of the entire public

[Behemoth]

I'm just thinking - I started a new contract a couple of months ago, and never signed any documentation regarding it.

Presumably I am deemed to have continued under exactly the same terms and conditions that I accepted when I started my previous contract? Thing is, how can that be enforceable when I made nothing other than a verbal agreement to start the new contract, and no mention was ever made of any T&Cs?

Did you walk into a store and ask to take out a contract ? If so you've agereed verbally if you've signed something or not, might be weaker but a contract can be verbal aswell as written. Could be argued that paying your line rental every month is accepatance of a contract too.

[Hicks12]

Would the same apply in regards to, i walked into phones 4 u managed to get them to do a deal for £17p/m, i didnt agree to them about an increase and was told it was £17 p/m but then i guess you can say the contract is with orange not p4u .

[Saracen]

Would the same apply in regards to, i walked into phones 4 u managed to get them to do a deal for £17p/m, i didnt agree to them about an increase and was told it was £17 p/m but then i guess you can say the contract is with orange not p4u .

Well, you say you didn't agree to an increase, but I'm betting at some point you signed a contract. If you did, and that contract contains that provision and you didn't read it, then yes, the same would apply.

The simple moral is .... never sign anything unless you have read and understand what you are signing, because if it's a contract, you can and likely will be held to it.

So if in doubt, don't sign, take a copy away (or get it from the web), read it, be sure you understand it, get advice if need be and only then, sign it, if you're happy with what you're committing to.

For anyone that doesn't do this, you're begging to get stung sooner or later, and be grateful if it's for as little as this is for.

I had Sky knock on my door a couple of years ago, and breaking the rule of a lifetime, I let the girl in and we discussed a package. She was not impressed when I insisted on reading, carefully, the voluminous small-print on the back of the agreement before I'd sign it. She told me I could read it later, and I pointed out it's be too bleeping late to read it once I'd signed it.


Oh, and another tip for anyone interested. When reading the small-print, the first thing to check for is the details of any cancellation clause. Do you have one, if so for how long, and under what (if any) limitations. It's nice to know you have an escape clause, should you need it. That came in very useful with Sky when their engineer said he couldn't install the equipment where I wanted it, and the cables in the way I required.

[Hicks12]

My post was kinda sarcastic but as always tone of messages is lost . But yeah i tend to read contracts but this is actually the only one i havent read, sods law! The only agreement was the DD being setup for £25 p/m(p4u giving cashback) but yeah again reading the contract should have been done. If im honest i read it for about 10minutes, its hard to read every section when its in size 1 font that they give you but next time i will be looking for the those clauses in particular!.

But regardless of me not fully reading it etc i wont be going back to Orange when i finally finish this contract, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me comes to mind as they screwed me a couple times before so i shouldnt have given a big company the benefit of the doubt... which seems exactly right!

GiffGaff or something when i finish as if its a 30 contract im not fussed, 30 days is nothing compared to 24months .