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When “unlimited” has an end: Thousands of O2 customers lose their contract – and can do (almost) nothing
Actually, life is worry-free with an unlimited data plan – as long as the provider doesn’t suddenly cancel.
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O2 is terminating thousands of customers’ “unlimited” mobile phone contracts. They’re venting on social media. The company refers to the operations as a “standard process”.
Some O2 customers have been unable to believe their eyes for a few days: More and more contract terminations are arriving in the mailboxes. They all have one thing in common: They have booked the so-called “O2 Mobile Unlimited” tariff, which promises unlimited data volume from EUR 32.99 per month – and apparently used this freedom too generously. At least that’s what the industry magazine calls “Tel tariff” as a possible reason.
O2, on the other hand, shares that star on request with: “In our industry it happens again and again that mobile phone contracts are terminated by the provider within the existing notice periods. These are ordinary terminations according to the legal provisions of the TKG. Please understand that we are therefore obliged to not comment further on this standard process”. No word on the reasons. According to “Teltarif”, the first terminations are said to have been sent on May 22nd, gradually everyone affected should have received the mail.
“How much data volume does the UNLIMITED tariff have?”
Everything is going as usual for O2. It goes on to say: “With regard to the content of the contract, we maintain confidentiality between the customer and ourselves. Please understand that we therefore do not comment further on this standard process. In view of our almost 43 million mobile phone customers, we are talking about very few terminations in the low four-digit range per year”. However, customers who lose access to unlimited data volume at the end of the contract period face a crucial question that a user raises Twitter formulated like this: “How much data volume does the UNLIMITED tariff have?”
The company replies on social media: “Our Unlimited tariffs offer unlimited data volume”. On the hotline, however, O2 is said to have told the customer that so-called “heavy users” are not entitled to a contract extension. “Heavy users” are customers who use a service particularly often or intensively and do not always act in the interests of the provider. There were already terminations due to frequent use of Internet access when the first supposed ISDN flat rates came up.
As far as O2 is concerned, however, there is a lack of information. There is no mention of usage limits in the product information sheet, nor in the small print on the homepage. Also on request the company wants to dem star don’t define what “unlimited” really means at O2.
According to “Teltarif”, anyone who has received such a notice should no longer be eligible for such a contract in the future. O2 is said to have ordered corresponding blocks for customers for this tariff and to point out other offers from the company.
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Legally correct, but “highly customer-unfriendly”
To take action against the timely termination is pointless, said Thomas Bradler from the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer centerMirror“. Legally, that’s perfectly fine, even if it’s “extremely customer-unfriendly.” Bradler sees a connection with a fairly recent ruling by the Federal Court of Justice. There, Telefonica (O2) was forbidden to ban the use of SIM cards in domestic routers. In In such a scenario, however, the highest amounts of data are likely to accrue, since the SIM card has to serve as a replacement for a landline connection.
In fact, O2 does not explicitly mention the use of the SIM as the main access to the Internet. There it says for the most expensive tariff (O2 Mobile Unlimited Max): “500 MBit/s is ideal for all permanent surfers. Go online with the fastest data volume, start mobile hotspots for several end devices, use super-fast uploads and downloads or stream films and series on the go “. This is a nuisance for people who have decent mobile phone reception but do not have sufficient fixed-line Internet coverage. And white spots in terms of internet speed abound in Germany.
One way to return to an unlimited data plan would be to go through O2 partners such as Freenet or 1&1. If that doesn’t work either, Telekom and Vodafone will probably also ask themselves the question in the future: How limited is unlimited really? Telekom gives up Twitter in any case broad-chested and explains: “We have what the tariff name says”.
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