82% of store assistants gave the wrong information when prompted
Last month we reported on a new ‘fixed means fixed’ campaign from consumer watchdog Which? The campaign calls on phone companies to ensure that the price, and all aspects of fixed deals, remain the same for the full length of mobile phone contracts. Over the last month the campaign has really started to build momentum, with 20,000 people having now pledged their allegiance to a shake up (you can join here).
In short, there is a clause in the vast majority of ‘fixed’ UK mobile phone contracts that enables phone operators to increase prices during the term of the contract. So far this year, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and Three have all taken advantage of this clause, generating an extra £90 million in combined revenue. The problem with this is that not only are many consumers are aware of the clause, but are also misinformed when being sold a ‘fixed’ contract in store.
The under cover video below has today been released by Which? and shows the extent to which customers are being given the wrong information when shopping for a new contract. It may be a case that shop assistants themselves are misinformed and incorrectly assume that a ‘fixed’ contract is indeed fixed for 24 months, as opposed to purposefully misleading customers, but nonetheless people are being given the incorrect information too often.
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