May 26, 2023, 11:37 am | Read time: 3 minutes
If customers are dissatisfied with their cell phone contract, they can cancel it after the minimum contract period has expired. However, what many don’t know is that mobile providers have this right too. The network operator O2 has recently exercised this right and terminated thousands of customers. But why?
The data appetite of Germans has grown enormously in recent years. As a result, so-called unlimited plans have become very popular. With them, you can surf the internet on your mobile without any limits. O2 offers several of these plans for different usage scenarios. However, O2 has now terminated many customers who subscribed to these unlimited plans.
Overview
O2 sends termination to customers with unlimited plans
The unlimited plans with true flat rates include O2 Unlimited Basic, Smart, and Max, which mainly differ in the speed offered and are specifically designed for smartphone use. The network operator also markets so-called HomeSpot plans as an alternative to DSL or cable connections. The O2 my Home S and M also offer unlimited data volume and are implemented via mobile networks.
A whole range of customers who subscribed to one of the mentioned unlimited plans from O2 have now been terminated, as reported by the telecommunications portal teltarif. According to the information, around 3,200 users are affected. The termination letters were reportedly sent out on May 22.
If the notice period has expired in the affected cases, the provider is also allowed to terminate ongoing contracts from its side. It only needs to adhere to the notice period agreed upon in the contract. The one-month period stipulated in the current Telecommunications Act, abbreviated as TKG, applies only in favor of the customer. Existing contracts can still be used as usual until termination.
O2 does not need to justify the termination of the unlimited plans. Therefore, the reasons for this decision can only be speculated upon.
Cost Trap Ahead! What to Consider When Using Your Phone on Vacation
O2 Updates Prepaid Plans–Here’s What Customers Get Extra
Have users surfed too much?
It is suspected that the customers affected by the termination may have overused their unlimited plans. In short, they surfed too much. In its terms and conditions, O2 reserves the right to extraordinary termination if there is a justified suspicion that customers are misusing the services. This can include, among other things, if they
- maintain voice or data connections permanently or
- use the connection for automated data exchange between devices (machine-to-machine, M2M).
As mentioned, O2 does not publicly comment on the reason for the termination of the unlimited plans in these cases. What the customers did to prompt O2 to terminate their contracts is therefore unclear and may vary from case to case. However, the number of terminations issued by the network operator in one go is striking. We have inquired with the provider about this.
In a statement, O2 only mentioned that it is common in the communications industry for mobile contracts to be terminated by the provider within the existing notice periods. “These are regular terminations according to the legal provisions of the TKG and thus a standard process,” the company said.
Can affected customers challenge the termination?
Those affected are free to complain about the termination of their unlimited plans by O2 via the phone number 0800 5111444. However, whether a complaint will lead the provider to continue the contract is doubtful. According to the information available to teltarif, both customer service representatives and store employees are instructed not to reverse the termination under any circumstances and not to offer affected customers a new unlimited plan. However, switching to alternative offers is likely possible.