Disgusting Price Increase!

[Cookyweb]

I've just had the email that you are now cashing in on the cost of living crisis by smashing a massive 14.4 % increase on my bill.

Its absolutely disgusting, at a time when people are struggling to eat and heat their homes you decide to hit us with that ridiculous increase, not just a few % you up it by 14.4%

Its sick and I'll never be using EE again when this contract ends, I'll also be going out of my way to warn other people from using you, there's absolutely no justification in a hike like that, its pure greed and you should be ashamed.

You're a disgrace!

[mark0804]

It's an utter disgrace. I've been with EE less than one month and yet they think hiking prices 14.4% is reasonable. Complaint going in to them and to Ofcom. What planet are they on.

[BM1217]

I have been an EE customer for around 25 years, I have an all inclusive contract plus I pay for wi fi for my 90 year old father, I have to say I am absolutely outraged at the EE price hike, it will cost me around £140 pounds a year extra when I am  paying top dollar for a service that is already very expensive, my contract ends in October and I will ending my association with EE and never coming back, how can they justify this exorbitant price rise.

# Fuming

[Mccabe81]

I got the price increase letter in today, I'm absolutely disgusted by this size of this price hike -  it's exploitative and frankly greedy and I won't forget that EE chose to go down this path at a time when people are struggling and securing wage increases which are a fraction of the rate of inflation. I've just been informed I would have to pay £802 to get out of my contract and they won't let me downgrade any aspects of the contract either, they absolutely have me over a barrel! Ofcom needs to do better here, MUCH better. 

I have been a customer since the days of orange, for decades and while I may have to wait until November 2024 until I can cancel my contract, I'll definitely be cancelling it. I don't care how good EE's network is, they clearly have no social conscience what-so-ever and I'm tired of supporting companies that think they can get away with this sort of thing. Yes, the can do it due to the nature of the contract, but it seems they never even considered whether they should do it, I'm appalled. 

[gjvhhvfyyujbfgh]

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 indicates:-

A term is unfair ‘if, contrary to the requirement of good faith, it causes a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations under the contract to the detriment of the consumer’. The fairness test thus includes the following main elements: significant imbalance to the detriment of the consumer and good faith. It must, however, be emphasised that the overall requirement is a unitary one – the question is whether a term is unfair. The elements of the test are recognised as being capable of overlapping with each other in their application to any particular set of relevant facts. A rigid approach to assessing fairness, involving an artificial exercise broken into separate parts, is not appropriate.


Also:

If a term could be used to force the consumer to accept unanticipated costs or penalties, new requirements, or reduced benefits, it is likely to be considered unfair whether or not it is meant to be used in that way.

This latter part looks a promising route for challenging as an unfair contract - with RPI having been running at < 6% since 1991 until around October 2021 it seems unreasonable for anybody who took out a contract before October '21 to anticipate an increase based on an RPI of over twice that figure.

[Christopher_G]

Welcome to the community, @BM1217. 

Many providers will change their prices at any time during customers’ contracts with them. We have been upfront about our price changes when customers agreed to their contract, and we are using CPI as a measure for these increases. 

Our customers rely on us for connectivity more than ever, it’s crucial we continue to invest in our networks, services and the latest technology.

Chris

[BM1217]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for your prompt reply, but as I said your price hike to people like me is simply way to much, at a time when all my bills are going up, how do you justify a rise of 14.4 % as I said I cannot afford this exorbitant rise on top of everything else and will be looking for a better deal in October when my contract ends.

Yours

Brian Moss.

Sent from my iPhone

[steviekit]

Please do share with us exactly how EE is going to spend that 14.4% increased revenue?  I presume you are getting a 14.4% wage increase?  Otherwise you're just as much a victim of your employers greed as the rest of us.

[uvarvu]

Bidding for football rights probably!   I hope Apple wipes the floor with them.

[steviekit]

Where I live EE is on the only 4G provider.  I can't get a connection indoor to other providers, hence have no choice but to have a contract with EE.

To this end the price gouging is a breach of Chapter II of the Competitions Act 1998 (18 section 2 Conduct may, in particular, constitute such an abuse if it consists in—(a)directly or indirectly imposing unfair purchase or selling prices or other unfair trading conditions;

I've logged a complaint with EE, if necessary I will be taking this to Ofcom and my MP.

[Andy_65]

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@steviekit wrote:

Where I live EE is on the only 4G provider.  I can't get a connection indoor to other providers, hence have no choice but to have a contract with EE.

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You may have answered your own question in your previous post @steviekit .

No-one wants to pay more for anything but I'd suggest that most are complaining because EE have to publish the increase and therefore it gets peoples attention. For example, I haven't seen anyone complaining about Sainsburys, who in the last 12 months have increased the prices of some of their own products by 35%. They get away with it because most don't even look at the prices.

EE could show some good will and reduce it but why should they? They're just applying the terms of the contract that we've all agreed to, like it or not. Don't forget though that we ALL have a choice, it might be a difficult one but we do have a choice.