topic Re: Device/Plan seperate charges in Contracts & Billing

Device/Plan seperate charges

RobS1974 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:50:05 GMT

Where can I see the breakdown of cost for the device itself and the data/calls?

I thought they are 2 seperate costs i.e when you finish your contract, you've paid for the device so your payment amount reverts to just calls/data if you stay with the provider on the same airtime plan.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

XRaySpeX — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:03:37 GMT

No. EE's contracts have no concept of paying off the handset. You agreed to pay the same price for the full duration of the contract. There will however be a 10% discount 3 months after the end of min. term. You may always choose to upgrade your contract to a cheaper SIM-Only contract from the last 45 days of your contract term.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

RobS1974 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:18:59 GMT

I think you've missed my point.

Yes, I've agreed to pay the full amount for the entire duration of the contract. I'm not suggesting otherwise.

My question is what happens when I get to the end of the 24 months and decide to stay with E.E on the same data/calls plan. The price cannot remain the same as the device itself is fully paid for at this point.

I'm sure other providers illustrate the 2 costs seperately in the billing.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

XRaySpeX — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:29:49 GMT

I believe I have in a nutshell.

When you get to the end of the 24 months min term you've haven't then yet finished your contract. These mobile contracts don't just end, just the min. term expires. They are not fixed term contracts. After the min. term they just carry on at the same price on a rolling 30-days' notice basis until you explicitly cancel, upgrade or port your no. away.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

chistery — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:38:17 GMT

EE convinced OFCOM that a 10% discount, three months after the end of your minimum term was equivalent to a SIM only price and therefore they were not overcharging people.

If you don't have a device finance plan, at the end of your minimum term you need to do something, don't just keep paying the same price.

Makes you wonder why EE are dragging out device finance plans for new customers. 🤔

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

RobS1974 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:45:23 GMT

Ok. In summary, if I leave after (the minimum of) 24mths, presumably, the device must have been fully paid for but I'll continue to be billed the full £45 (approx.) indefinitely until I pro-actively change/switch. I didn't think you were allowed to do that anymore. Thanks for clarifying.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

RobS1974 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:49:02 GMT

Absolutely, thank you.

No way am I going to continue paying full price after I've effectively purchased the device over the 24mths. I thought that practice was eliminated years ago!

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

XRaySpeX — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:54:25 GMT

@RobS1974 wrote:

I'll continue to be billed the full £45 (approx.) indefinitely until I pro-actively change/switch.

Not indefinitely! After 3 months it will reduce to £40.50 (approx.) to simulate the handset cost being paid in full.

Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance & trust it is now sorted.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

Crispychris94 — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:02:12 GMT

But to most reasonable people, a 10% discount hardly simulates paying the device off in full. I have recently switched to network 3 and the end of minimum term savings I get by no longer paying the device plan is more than double what the 10% discount would be. My airtime plan is £30.82, device plan is £24.50- total £55.32.

Under EE's terms my reduced price would be £49.79.

Under network 3's terms my reduced price would be £30.82.

I would say that a 10% discount is an insult to their customers and people definitely need to get OfCom to review this policy and their previous decision on this policy.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

Chris_B — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:19:39 GMT

@Crispychris94 EE now have Flex tariffs where the airtime and device contract are 2 separate billing entities. Traditional contracts it was all billed as one. If you’re still on the traditional contract, then you’re still bounded by the T&Cs of that contract that you happily agreed to at the time of taking it out.

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

Jolly2010 — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 10:34:58 GMT

I have taken an Apple Watch with EE and based on this thread I’m not gonna be a happy bunny when I speak to them on the phone cause I want to settle the device early as it is only £249. If you’re right then even if I settle they will still charge me £20.90 a month for their airtime plan.

i hope you’re wrong on this because that doesn’t sound compliant with regulations

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

chistery — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 10:49:03 GMT

If you pay off the watch early, you can then subscribe to the EE monthly plan for £7 a month. Not sure I see the benefit though of settling early if you still want an airtime plan for it?

Re: Device/Plan seperate charges

Chris_B — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 19:24:23 GMT

@Jolly2010 your watch it’s not on a flex tariff. It’s phones only. If you pay off the contract it’ll terminate the contract.