Re: Amount stated in contract
 

What, you expect a weak little consumer and giant corporation with expensive lawyers to be on the same legal footing? Pfft.

Contracts are almost always biased one way or another. The reality in the business world is the bigger you are the more s*** you can get away with. In some industries it's pretty much the norm for bigger companies to routinely breach contracts and screw over small suppliers on a daily basis. Because they can.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

But is it legal?

I could put anything in a TOS etc and do it, doesn't mean it is legal though.

And that is the thing, is their ability to change prices on the fly even mid contract actually legal for them to do so? Probably not which is why they give you the option to leave without paying a fee when they do.

---------- Post added at 09:23 ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 ----------

I didn't even know this, not like its plastered everywhere for people to know.

VM being sneaky again?

Don't remember that being said on any letter or email about price changes that you have 30 days while in a contract to not agree but carry on with the contract.

Hmmm. Need to dig out the letter and check.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

These were the two parts in the letter:

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

"• If you are on a promotional offer we will honour it. Some of your increase may therefore happen at the end of your promotional offer. Visit virginmedia.com/better to find out more."

I was told the opposite by VM CS, that my increase of near £6 a month would apply on top of my 12 month promotional offer when I signed up to VM last May. I rang up specifically to ask about this and was one of my reasons to complain.

I'm now seriously confused.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Depends on the offer what happens.

For instance:

If you're on a half price offer, that continues but it'll be half of the new price, not the old one
If you're on a fixed price offer e.g. £5 for six months, than that won't change until the end of the six months.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Ah, I was told something different.

I was told my offer of 12 months half price would stand, but the extra £5.xx would apply on top of that, and would not be half of the new price like above.

I even said on the phone if the situation you described above applied I would be fine but was told the half price offer was an absolute monetary value and wouldn't increase along with any price rises.

As I wont get another bill for a few weeks I can't say for sure what's going to happen but some clarification on how these rises actually affect those on introductory offers and promotions would be very welcome.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Ben was talking about the 30 days to disagree with the price increase but to carry on with the current price of the contract that is still running.

Not the how to leave without paying a fee.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

That doesn't exist, and that wasn't what I was talking about.

Your legal options during the 30 days are to cancel without penalty or not. That's it.

Virgin Media may offer you a new price to stay but that's their own choice not a legal right. And if you do accept a new price, it's a new contract which may then shorten your exit options (new contracts are subject to 14 days right to cancel which would supersede any remaining part of the 30 days)

Section J3 of the terms and conditions, which is the same section which gives you your cancellation rights:

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Everything is legal unless there's actually a specific law against it.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Well there is, is there not, to stop companies from making TOS that is very one sided and in favour to them only.

Or perhaps it is most them don't actually hold up in court if that is the course of action someone takes.

I can't remember exactly, but in Scotland there is a Unfair Contract Terms Act that stops this kind of thing.

---------- Post added at 19:50 ---------- Previous post was at 19:49 ----------

Oh was just going on what was said to you and what you replied earlier in this thread.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

No.

Unfair contract terms legislation does not stop this kind of thing because it is not unfair. Unfair contract terms legislation is actually what led to the creation of these terms in the first place.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Just checked up more on it, there has been court cases where contracts were unfairly heavy for the business and not for the customer, so wasn't balanced.

And the customer has won most of the cases.

But that's in Scotland, not sure about the rest of the UK though.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Different contracts are different. Go figure.

Allowing a customer to leave without penalty is not 'unfairly heavy for the business'.

The Consumer Contracts Regulations (and its predecessors) are UK-wide implementation of EU directives, they are not specific to Scotland.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

But it can be seen as unfair if they can change prices you originally agreed upon for a set time frame.

Re: Amount stated in contract
 

Not by the courts it can't.