Can C I get t a PAYG refund from Vodafone?

QI had a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) account with Talkmobile. When it ceased providing this service in August (after it was bought by Vodafone) Talkmobile refused to refund my credit of £9.61, suggesting I take out a Vodafone PAYG deal and get £10 credit. What are my rights here? Aileen Dunnett

AThat’s a question and a half, and one that’s been asked by several Computeractive readers who feel cheated by Talkmobile. Untangling it meant digging deep into Ofcom’s rules about PAYG services, which we think should be made clearer.

You may remember that in 2014 Ofcom told Vodafone to refund customers who had a PAYG dongle, after the company changed how often it had to be used from every 180 days to every 30. Ofcom said this broke the rules on changing terms mid-contract.

As such, moving customers to a new service when the previous one closes breaks Ofcom’s rules only if the contract changes unfairly. This isn’t the case with Vodafone transferring Talkmobile customers.

However, there are no specific rules covering unused money marooned in an account that closes (an area of law that needs tightening in our view). This means Vodafone doesn’t have to refund customers unhappy about moving from Talkmobile. But perhaps sensing a PR disaster, the company did refund Aileen, as well as Geoffrey Squires whose case we covered in Issue 507.

Both were owed less than £10, which probably made it easier for Vodafone to agree to a refund. It was more reluctant to refund reader David Holden, who got back his £45 credit only after taking the company to the Ombudsman Services: Communications ( www.snipca.com/26296).