What should you do if your Phone Provider increases Prices Mid-Contract?

Discovering that your monthly phone bill has increased while you’re still in the middle of your contract can be frustrating.

You may be wondering whether your provider is allowed to increase the price, whether you have the right to cancel, or what steps you can take if you believe the increase is unfair.

Here’s what you need to know!

If you’ve hit a wall with a communications provider, CommsADR offers a FREE, independent route to a resolution – approved by Ofcom to settle non-regulated disputes between providers and their customers across the UK, whether you’re an individual consumer or a business with 10 or more employees.

> What to do before you come to us

> Complaints we can deal with

> Complaints Process

Can a Provider Increase Prices During a Contract?

Here’s the obvious answer you probably don’t want to hear: it depends on the terms of your agreement.

Many telecommunications contracts include clauses that allow providers to increase prices during the contract term. These increases may be linked to inflation or another pricing mechanism that was explained when you entered into the agreement. In these cases, the increase may be permitted under the contract.

However, if the increase was not clearly set out in your contract, or you believe your provider has not followed the agreed terms, you may have grounds to raise a complaint. The UK communications sector as a whole is heavily regulated by Ofcom – which means you probably have more rights than you think; make sure to do your research!

Check Your Contract

Before taking any action, review the terms and conditions you agreed to when you signed up.

In particular, look for:

Any clauses relating to price increases
– Take extra note of how much notice you’re owed in case of a price increase, and how
much the price may increase by!
How and when your provider can change prices
Whether you were told about potential price increases before entering the contract

It’s also worth checking any emails, letters, or text messages your provider has sent explaining the increase.

Even if your contract with the phone provider states they’re allowed to increase your price, if they’ve violated their own terms surrounding when and how they’re allowed to do this, you still have a case.

For example, thanks to Ofcom, if your contract doesn’t state how much the price can rise by, yet your provider has increased it (or increased it by more than what is stated in your contract), you’re entitled to:

30 days notice of the price rise
A 30-day window to exit your contract once you’ve been given notice, without any fees

For more information, please see Ofcom’s dedicated webpage on Telecoms Price Rises

What Are Your Options?

If you believe the price increase is incorrect or has not been applied in line with your contract, your first step should be to contact your provider and explain your concerns.

Many disputes can be resolved directly by discussing the issue and asking the provider to explain why the increase has been applied.

If you’re not satisfied with their response, you should then formally complain to the provider directly, following their published complaints procedure.

When Can CommsADR Help?

If you’ve been unable to resolve your complaint with your phone provider after submitting a direct complaint, your dispute may be eligible for FREE, independent escalation through an ADR scheme (such as CommsADR); no need to take the provider to court!

To use CommsADR, you just need to make sure you’ve fulfilled at least 1 of these conditions:

Received the phone provider’s Final Written Response
(otherwise known as a ‘Deadlock Letter’)
Given the provider 8 weeks to respond to your dispute

PLEASE NOTE: CommsADR can only deal with disputes concerning ‘non-regulated’ matters.

Not sure what ‘non-regulated’ means? Please see our article on this: Regulated VS Non-Regulated Communications Complaints: What’s the Difference?

If the above apply to you, hooray! You can submit your complaint to us cost-free, and we’ll handle the rest.

An independent adjudicator will review the evidence provided by both you and your provider before reaching a fair and impartial decision. Depending on the circumstances of the dispute, they may consider factors such as:

Whether the provider acted in accordance with the contract
Whether the price increase was communicated appropriately
Whether the provider followed its complaints process correctly
Any evidence submitted by both parties

ADR offers an alternative to court proceedings and provides an independent, stress-free way of resolving disputes when agreement cannot be reached directly.

Top Tips

If you’re disputing a mid-contract price increase, remember to:

Keep copies of your bills and any notifications about the price change
Save emails, letters, or text messages from your provider
Read your contract carefully before making a complaint
Raise your concerns with your provider as soon as possible
Complete the provider’s complaints process before referring your complaint to ADR

All of the above are useful tips no matter where you’re taking your complaint – to court, an ADR provider, or to the phone provider itself!