Why didn’t EE stop charging me for my phone?

Q

My Blackberry Priv phone recently stopped charging. However, when I called my provider, EE, I found not only that was I out of contract, but also that I’ve been paying the same amount (£37 per month) that I was before it was paid off. Can I get my money back? Dorothea Scott

A

Sadly, no, Dorothea can’t get her money back because she never changed her contract with EE. Dorothea’s D not alone. She’s one of Ofcom’s O estimated 1.4 million customers c who haven’t moved to a cheaper deal after their contract ended. e The regulator claims UK customers c are overpaying by around a £182m every year as a result. r

Thankfully, most networks have signed s up to Ofcom’s new ‘fair deal’ d voluntary guidelines, which oblige o them to automatically move m customers on to better deals when w their contract ends. Only

Three has refused, saying it will deter people from shopping around for a different deal. However, this scheme, which comes into force in February, doesn’t apply retrospectively, so Dorothea can’t claw back what she’s been overcharged.

Additionally, the Government has pledged to honour new EU rules banning split contracts that separate your bill in two: for the airtime (calls you make), and for the cost of the phone. If this becomes UK law after Brexit, customers who are still paying off the phone after 24 months can switch to a different network without penalty - though they will have to pay any outstanding monthly payments.