Is It Legal For Prices To Go Up Mid-Contract?

[scousemouse 10]

I took an 18 month contract out with sky recently, I spoke to someone yesterday and its going by £6 a month on 1 April, surely a contract means just that?  Is it legal to do that?  Any SF members know?

Edited March 12, 2021 by nikki-red

[arrowhead 23]

My understanding is yes  it is. BUT you can leave (effectively cancel your contract) if you are not happy to pay the increase.

Sky are the worst for doing this. Mine seems to go up by a few quid every 6 months. 

[Magilla 510]

6 minutes ago, scousemouse said:

I took an 18 month contract out with sky recently, I spoke to someone yesterday and its going by £6 a month on 1 April, surely a contract means just that?  Is it legal to do that?  Any SF members know?

Most likely, if you check the T&C's...

 

...You should have had a letter regarding the increase, offering the option of doing nothing (and thus accepting it) or leaving.

[sheffbag 229]

The contract includes the clause in it. They will have written to you informing you of the new payment. You then have the option to break your contract if not happy. If you have recently taken the contract out it was likely you were told of the proposed rises when you spoke to them. 

[MrAllen2K21 0]

49 minutes ago, Magilla said:

Most likely, if you check the T&C's...

 

...You should have had a letter regarding the increase, offering the option of doing nothing (and thus accepting it) or leaving.

That's the thing though, nobody reads the Ts & Cs when they sign up for stuff!

 

 

[iansheff 88]

Look at what Martin Lewis has to say about it.

 

Sky to hike broadband, TV and home phone prices by up to £72/yr (moneysavingexpert.com)

[andyofborg 11]

54 minutes ago, MrAllen2K21 said:

That's the thing though, nobody reads the Ts & Cs when they sign up for stuff!

 

 

thats their fault innit

[apelike 10]

1 hour ago, scousemouse said:

I took an 18 month contract out with sky recently, I spoke to someone yesterday and its going by £6 a month on 1 April, surely a contract means just that?  Is it legal to do that?  Any SF members know?

It depends on what package you have so look at the link provided by iansheff above. It's also worth noting that many ISPs are also hiking their broadband only packages including BT, Plusnet, EE and some others and will be doing that on a yearly basis now and linked to inflation + an extra charge. Just moved mine from Plusnet to TalkTalk as they are still guaranteeing no price rises during the whole 18 month contract.

Edited March 12, 2021 by apelike

[iansheff 88]

52 minutes ago, apelike said:

It depends on what package you have so look at the link provided by iansheff above. It's also worth noting that many ISPs are also hiking their broadband only packages including BT, Plusnet, EE and some others and will be doing that on a yearly basis now and linked to inflation + an extra charge. Just moved mine from Plusnet to TalkTalk as they are still guaranteeing no price rises during the whole 18 month contract.

I have EE for my BB, when I first had fibre over 3 years ago they said it was fixed for the contract and it never went up as they said. I renewed my contract, surprisingly the monthly charged dropped by £4 I think, again they said it was fixed but last April it went up about 22p pm.  I asked why it was rising when I had been told it was a fixed price they said it was the annual rise they are allowed to charge but it did say I could leave for free. This year it is also going up,  seems strange that they can do it if they say it is fixed for the period of the contract.

[MrAllen2K21 0]

2 hours ago, iansheff said:

Look at what Martin Lewis has to say about it.

 

Sky to hike broadband, TV and home phone prices by up to £72/yr (moneysavingexpert.com)

 

I'd cancel my contract but I wouldn't touch Talk Talk TV with a 10 metre Cattle Prod and I can't get Virgin!

 

[apelike 10]

4 hours ago, iansheff said:

I have EE for my BB, when I first had fibre over 3 years ago they said it was fixed for the contract and it never went up as they said. I renewed my contract, surprisingly the monthly charged dropped by £4 I think, again they said it was fixed but last April it went up about 22p pm.  I asked why it was rising when I had been told it was a fixed price they said it was the annual rise they are allowed to charge but it did say I could leave for free. This year it is also going up,  seems strange that they can do it if they say it is fixed for the period of the contract.

IIRC the new price reviews were only announced in January so you should have been informed about that happening if in contract and then given the option of leaving without a penalty. Most T&Cs on contracts have clauses which allow them to alter prices during a contract providing you agree to it but they have to notify you first. The new contracts with BT, EE and Plusnet now have reviewed terms and conditions and no longer include fixed priced contracts for the duration, but not all ISP are doing that. Some like TalkTalk are still guaranteeing  no price hikes for the duration of the contract. 

[Anna B 1,414]

6 hours ago, andyofborg said:

thats their fault innit

You can say that, but they don't make it easy do they? In fact I would say they deliberately make it as hard as possible - long, small print, and linguistically challenging so that you would need a lawyer to go through it to check for legal traps and ramifications. 

They know that most average people aren't up to it, and why rich people have to employ said lawyers to do it for them.

Pretty disgusting really, but not surprising in the times we now live in.