Meteor changes Terms And Conditions?

Fresh Pots

iba wrote: »

Sorry, but Im a bit confused here; do we have to give the phones back or not. Anyone got a definitive answer on this yet?

From what I can gather it depends who you talk to. I got out of mine the last time they changed their terms and conditions and kept my phone.

First cs rep said I had to send back the phone, even asked the supervisor which said they same. The following day I rang and got switched over to payg straight away. No mention of the phone.

I'm now on three and very happy with the service.

Point is if they say you need to send back the phone, tell them you'll have a think about it. Then ring back up and hopefully you'll get a more helpful cs rep.

BionicRasher

OK - so I have had a totally different experience.
Both myself and my wife got out of our 18 month contracts last time around without any issues or even mention of handing the phone back. We both stayed with Meteor on a BillPay Smart Lite plan (rolling 1 month contract either 30 or 50 quid a month)
Mention that you wish to stay with them but just change your contract etc and see if that works

To be honest they couldn't have been more helpful it was all sorted within about 15 mins each and when my next billing period kicked in we were changed to the BillPay Smart Lite

There was one issue with my bills when they began to show up as 4500+ each month but after a bit of toing and froing they actually gave me 2 months free for the inconvenience. My bills still show up at the 4500+ each month but they systems seems to know what its doing and it credits me and I end up paying the correct amount (around 30 - 40 quid a month depending on usage)

So very happy to be honest

YumDeiseMum

Just rang Meteor, said i wanted to cancel due to change in t&c's etc. so she said i'd have to send back in the phone.

Told the girl, that i was happy enough with Meteor but wouldn't stay on my current price plan (€50 per month) with the new t&c's so she's now changed me to the €35 a month smart plan and given me an early upgrade

bungler

what upgrade did she give you? and how long have you been in contract?

YumDeiseMum

bungler wrote: »

what upgrade did she give you? and how long have you been in contract?

Was 10 months into a 12 month contract on the €50 per month plan. I had rang them a few weeks ago wanting to change to a lower price plan and they said i had signed a contract at €50 so HAVE to stay on that plan for the full 12 months, (whereas i had been told in store that i could change to a lower plan after 6 months!!) and they said i'd have to pay €150 to get out of that contract.

When I rang to cancel today, she was able to change me onto the €35 a month smart plan and put through an upgrade 2 months early no problem. I got the HTC Wildfire, cost me €50 for the handset which is the same as it would cost anyone just signing up to meteor going on that smart plan.

So its win, win for me, new phone and €15 cheaper each month

drunkmonkey

crazy chester wrote: »

LOOSELY!!!) when i was having problems with my E15000 bill

tui0hcg wrote: »

There was one issue with my bills when they began to show up as 4500+ each month

Is that a €15,000 euro and a €4,500 phone bill.

Are ye insane staying with them or what, that's just nuts.

crazy chester

All was fine with me up until a month ago when i got a msg sayin id exceeded my 50mb daily limit, even though my phone was on charge from the night before (12hrs+++). Rang them a few days later (it was friday when i got the msg so couldnt get through over the w.end) and was told my bill was just over 10,000 at that stage! And as for leaving them i was in a contract so id have to pay a cancellation fee until now! But they are still fluting around! Have all my bills up to date and called to cancel contract and sent email about same but now its to do with the phone, they cant cancel until i send back the phone (this only determined after numerous calls to, I cant even bring myself to say it................)CUSTOMER CARE! (what a joke!)
So now im awaiting a call from cancellations because i had paid some money towards my phone and no one can tell me whats the story with that! In my experience they are an absolute NIGHTMARE to deal with!

I was a very happy Meteor customer up until I had a problem.

And when you have a problem they dont care!

Ah-Watch

As an aside, Meteor are telling customers they must return the handset if you are leaving the contract even though they were the ones actually breaking it. Out of curiosity I rang ComReg and asked could they insist on the return of the handset and they told me no, and ya can lodge a formal complaint with comreg for this very matter as you should be able to leave your contract without "penalty" and by forcing one to give back the phone they are penalizing the customer. Take what ye want from that

jay93

wow im glad i lost that meteor sim of mine seems to be a joke of a network also went over my 50mb limit(dont know how this happened as i only was on boards.ie for a few mins.got ripped 8euro credit which was all i had in the phone .avoid anything that eircom own

iba

Ah-Watch wrote: »

As an aside, Meteor are telling customers they must return the handset if you are leaving the contract even though they were the ones actually breaking it. Out of curiosity I rang ComReg and asked could they insist on the return of the handset and they told me no, and ya can lodge a formal complaint with comreg for this very matter as you should be able to leave your contract without "penalty" and by forcing one to give back the phone they are penalizing the customer. Take what ye want from that

Guess what? Meteor are saying that ComReg are wrong and the handset must be returned.

Whats happening

Just rang Meteor on 1800222085, said i can cancel penalty free and once the account is closed their accounts would refund the security deposit owed to me, but i have to send the phone back which is an E72.
Other option was i could cancel as above but buy the phone for €249 minus the €79.99 i paid when i joined, so costing me a further €169!!

Anyway, why i was looking to cancel was my company wish to port my personal mobile to the company Vodafone plan, to exit my contract and port over not using Reg 17 as a get out was costing me €395 !!!

Blackdragon

Guys, they have no right to demand the phone be returned as they themselves have broken the contract.

Under Regulation 17 of the European Communities (electronic communications networks and services)(Universal Service and Users’ rights) Regulations 2003 an operator shall, not less than one month prior to the date of implementation of any proposed modification, notify its subscribers to that service of the proposed modification in the conditions of the contract for that service, and their right to withdraw without penalty from such contract if they do not accept the modification.

I would advise those being told they need to return the handset to advise the agent they wish to escalate the case and demand an official complaint number for tracking purposes. Explain to the agent that Under Regulation 17 no penalty can be applied and this is the reason for the escalation. Meteor policy does not apply here as company policy cannot override European law. Ask that a copy of the complaint also be forwarded to you via email and try to keep it to email going forward. CC comreg into it while you at it. No harm. Dont let them get away with that.

i don't recall reading of any cases of other Irish networks demanding the return of handset when a customer cancelled under Regulation 17

scudzilla

Blackdragon wrote: »

Guys, they have no right to demand the phone be returned as they themselves have broken the contract.



I would advise those being told they need to return the handset to advise the agent they wish to escalate the case and demand an official complaint number for tracking purposes. Explain to the agent that Under Regulation 17 no penalty can be applied and this is the reason for the escalation. Meteor policy does not apply here as company policy cannot override European law. Ask that a copy of the complaint also be forwarded to you via email and try to keep it to email going forward. CC comreg into it while you at it. No harm. Dont let them get away with that.

i don't recall reading of any cases of other Irish networks demanding the return of handset when a customer cancelled under Regulation 17

Has anybody had any joy with them yet about keeping the phones? I'm going to be calling them on Monday to cancel my 2 contracts

gopod

I followed a similiar thread back in August http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055977831&highlight=meteor+contract

Initially Meteor were asking people to give back the phones. Eventually they simply agreed to allow customers to switch to PAYG or Bill Pay Lite.

Bacchus wrote: »

Yes, just completed the process yesterday. I canceled over the weekend, got switched over to PAYG on Wednesday. I called into Meteor yesterday and signed up to a new contract, no problems. The lads in there knew exactly what I had done and it was no skin off their noses. I think Meteor have stopped all the scare tactics of "we'll take your phone", "you'll lose your deposit" etc. Now, I think they are simply trying to get people to resign up as quickly as possible once they leave.

Roy Rogers wrote: »

Just rang the cancellations dept. for this.

Girl was quite nice and seemed well used to the request by now, no argument or questions. She's swapped me from 18 month contract (Bill Pay Smart, €30/month) to Bill Pay Lite (€30/month).

Thanks to the OP, and everyone else in the thread, for the heads-up on this.

scudzilla

Just rang to cancel my 2 contracts, they said no problem but want the handsets back

Mentioned that Euro law that states without penalty but they said that's a monetary penalty.

Rang Comreg who said that they were entitled to the handsets back and there was nothing they could do.

Guess that's game set and match to the fcukers :mad:

Abelloid

Did you ask about buying out the phone? Seems to be a lot cheaper than replacing it.

jimmynokia

once you mention the eu law thing they back down if you go in to cancel without any info they will fill you full of speil and scare you into keeping contract:mad:

Dean_Mc

The laws is the law.

It says no penalty not no monetary penalty. This is abiguious for a reason to cover all eventuallities. The only way for them to put context on this is in a court of law and they are not going to damage their rep of it. Make a complaint in writting to comreg and keep your phone.

jimmynokia

http://meteor.ie/terms_and_conditions/notifications/mobile_internet_price/

here we go ive looked into detail in this one

so ive been on this thread and the last one ,and got out of 3 contracts ,ive sent them a concise detailed mail explaining to the point what are the positions for everybody so lets see of we hear from them and get conclusive answers
there is a good two weeks left for those who wish to leave now .

ffocused

I just called to cancel a contract from April this year (18 month) and was told my account will be credited €121 after I return the handset. I paid €200 so its not too bad. I asked about an upgrade and was only offered extra calls & texts. I quoted the eu regulation.

Sparky J

Hi,
Looking for some advice please.

Got a 12 month Connect 50 contract which is up in April but emigrating in January so just wondering do ye think it is better to downgrade to the connect 25 or just try to cancel in next 2 weeks.

Got a HTC Legend so would like to keep that and then would go on PAYG until I leave in Jan.

Also my account is paid on 15th of every month so if I cancel now will I be charged for a full month?

trad

Rang monday, handed back my phone tuesday, will be credited about €50 for it, got my iphone yesterday and it's gone live today. How do I move my contacts over? I kept the sim card but it won't recognise it.

jimmynokia

Sparky J wrote: »

Hi,
Looking for some advice please.

Got a 12 month Connect 50 contract which is up in April but emigrating in January so just wondering do ye think it is better to downgrade to the connect 25 or just try to cancel in next 2 weeks.

Got a HTC Legend so would like to keep that and then would go on PAYG until I leave in Jan.

Also my account is paid on 15th of every month so if I cancel now will I be charged for a full month?

you will be charged until the last chargeable call you made or text.
its a penalty free opt out so they cant charge you or keep you on the plan until the billing date.
you can just move to payg if you wish now or the other plan.
the choice is all yours .....use it to the best you can.

Head The Wall

Has anyone questioned Meteor about the amount you paid for the phone originally. If their T&C claim that they own the phone well then why do they actually charge you for the phone.

If someone hands the phone back do they refund you what you paid for the phone?

jimmynokia

yes they will credit you so much for the phone depending how much you paid if anything and as to how long you have left in contract

xason1

I believe that having paid for the phone (€180 in my case) and meteor's request that this be returned is the equivalent to a penalty. Surely asking me to drop the mobile into a store or to pay postage (mailing) would also equate to being a penalty - both involve an inconvenience by my part. When I called to cancel based on reg. 17 they told me that I had to do the above..

So I e-mailed comreg, response:

Thank you for your email.

In Meteors terms and conditions it states that the phone is the property of Meteor until the end of your contract. Even though you are cancelling due to not accepting the new terms you would still be bound by the existing terms of your contract which this would have been stated in.


If you cancel with Meteor under Regulation 17 then you can either choose the options given to you by Meteor, such as either returning the phone, accepting the new terms or paying for the phone.

.........
Written previously on boards.ie:

The exact wording in the contract is -

"The Meteor SIM Card remains our property at all times. All other Equipment (excluding the Meteor SIM Card) shall remain the property of Meteor until the expiry of the Minimum Period."

where the following terms are defined -

"Equipment" - The Customer's handset or other terminal (e.g. PDA/dongle for Mobile Broadband), the Meteor SIM Card and/or any other equipment which is pursuant to this Agreement in connection with the Services.

"Minimum Period" - The period of 12 months (or such other period as stated under the Application Form executed) commencing on the date of the Customer's connection to the Network, or from any re-execution or new execution of this Agreement or written acceptance of new terms.

Therefore it's quite straightforward IMO. For any minimum period to be extended as per Meteor's own terms in the original contract, they require a written acceptance of such. This doesn't mean that the contract ends if you don't write to them to accept the changes but it does mean that they cannot extend the minimum period. The pricing changes being introduced on August 22nd are sufficient to break the contract as governed by the EU legislation and thus bring about a premature end to the original minimum period as per the contract. So, on August 22nd the minimum period will end officially because the provider has breached the contract (as long as customers inform them that they are not willing to accept the new terms as per the EU legislation) and thus the contract will have expired, releasing the Equipment from any contractual ties. The Customer cannot be forced to suffer because the Provider chooses to significantly alter the terms of a binding contract. There is no provision for repayment of the Equipment under rental or hire/purchase agreement within the contract and all other ties have been severed, releasing the Equipment to the Customer without prejudice.
..........
In other words, because Meteor are initiating a new contract, both parties must sign this new contract (or agree/give consent to follow) - as was done originally in the store. Although the parts mentioned above are listed in the original and the new T&Cs/Contract - I would believe that contract law works in such a way that if one provision changes, a new contract would need agreement by both parties as the entirety of the old one, which was breached by Meteor, will be null and void.. This is why EU Reg. 17 allows us to opt-out of the contract without penalty.
bleaaaaahhhhhh I'm gonna call tomorrow and try to cancel. haaaaaa
It really is a big hassle for me to get the phone back to them!!!

jimmynokia

nice post they have changed terms again ,you have till the 29th of november to opt out there is another thread on it let us know how you get on

xason1

Where is that thread Jimmy??

Gave a ring to Comreg, talked to a foreigner who said it was well within Meteor's rights to request the handset back. When I explained that I had paid €160 he said he wasn't aware of how that would change the contractual terms so he told me to contact NCA. Rang NCA, they said they can request the handset back... when I said that I had paid x€ for the phone they said Meteor had to refund me in full for the phone or this could be seen as a penalty.. Meteor, on calling them, first said that I had to return the phone... they then asked a colleague re. phone deposit x€, and offered a refund of €137 given that I have used the phone.. I would have to call into a store, give the phone back, and call them while doing this... I said giving me less back than what I paid would be a penalty, she said no given that I used the phone for 2 mo., even though I'm slightly paying premiums on bill pay, I said I'll think about it...

She of course said that a Meteor legal team had already looked into this. Went on to blab about how the phone and the terms/conditions are two different things... I said it mentions the phone in the t/cs, how can they nit pick among the t/cs about how much they want to keep..etc, "Yes the phone is in the t/cs"(change of rhetoric) "These are changes meteor had to make", etc robot ****e.

Still unsure what to do... May put in writing tomorrow cancel me, registered post... see if they charge me for the phone - go to small claims court. Do I need a solicitor for that?? Or might they make me pay the opposing side's legal fees?

jimmynokia

meteor will refund you or else charge you depending on certain criteria

SlipperyPeople

meteor offered to give me an early upgrade during that last data change which i used last friday to get a new phone where i signed a new contract for 18 months...

just wondering am i within my rights to try and get out of the contract now? or even get switched to bill pay lite? only got a text today about the new price change and wouldnt have known about it otherwise.