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Dear All
i have just found out that VM have a shady practice with regards to their tie in periods.
Basically if you take out a contract for services there is a tie in period, which as far as i can work out is legitimate.
However, if you change the level of service provision they automatically tell you that you have taken out a new 12 month contract with them.
Apparently their system does this irrespective of what the change to service provision is.
I have read through the terms and conditions, a hard copy they sent me recently and i can find nothing in the contract which allows them to do that.
If you reduce or remove services then as far as i can tell this is definitely not permitted within their terms and conditions. I think the automatic imposition of a 12 month tie in period is unfair and i have written to them telling them so. Depending on their response i will write to the OFT and see what they think shortly.
If you add to your services then they can impose a further 12 month IE in period, however, what is not clear is whether that applies to all of the services you have or only the new service.
My view is that if you had three service (broadband, phone and TV) as a package then its likely that a court would see any change to one element as a change to all three.
However, if you had a phone and then took the TV and were charged on the basis of individual services then i cannot see that as being acceptable.
So if you use VM and say drop from their XL TV to a L they will tell you that you are tied in for a further 12 months. If you are an awkward bugger like me tell them you don't accept it in case you wish to leave earlier.
Glenn
i have just found out that VM have a shady practice with regards to their tie in periods.
Basically if you take out a contract for services there is a tie in period, which as far as i can work out is legitimate.
However, if you change the level of service provision they automatically tell you that you have taken out a new 12 month contract with them.
Apparently their system does this irrespective of what the change to service provision is.
I have read through the terms and conditions, a hard copy they sent me recently and i can find nothing in the contract which allows them to do that.
If you reduce or remove services then as far as i can tell this is definitely not permitted within their terms and conditions. I think the automatic imposition of a 12 month tie in period is unfair and i have written to them telling them so. Depending on their response i will write to the OFT and see what they think shortly.
If you add to your services then they can impose a further 12 month IE in period, however, what is not clear is whether that applies to all of the services you have or only the new service.
My view is that if you had three service (broadband, phone and TV) as a package then its likely that a court would see any change to one element as a change to all three.
However, if you had a phone and then took the TV and were charged on the basis of individual services then i cannot see that as being acceptable.
So if you use VM and say drop from their XL TV to a L they will tell you that you are tied in for a further 12 months. If you are an awkward bugger like me tell them you don't accept it in case you wish to leave earlier.
Glenn
