Questions Of Cash: New T-Mobile rate taints 12 years

Mobile contracts: not always child's play

Q. I have been a T-Mobile customer with the same account for 12 years. Last year, T-Mobile increased its fees substantially - raising texting costs by 30 per cent - without notify me in advance. It says the old tariff structure has been discontinued, but I know someone who is still on my old charging system. GF, Watford.

T-Mobile says it introduced the new pricing plan to match "current market rates", which involved some "slight" price increases. The company is adamant that it cannot offer you your old tariff structure and that it is not possible for you to know someone who is still on that pricing plan.

I took out two mobile phone contracts with Phones4U on the understanding that I would get a rebate of £220 after six months, providing I sent the documentation. I did, but after six weeks I am still waiting.
NM, Watford.

A. Phones4U has now sent you the full rebate.

Q. Early this year, I subscribed to Wanadoo - I have still not been connected. I want my account closed and my pre-payment returned.
JP, Hastings.

A. Orange, Wanadoo's new owners, has closed the account and sent you a full refund.

Q. In February, you featured my letter about the 3 phone network, which demanded payment of £180 through a debt collector for old bills I refused to pay because of poor service. You advised me to take my case to telephone ombudsman Otelo, which has now upheld my complaint.
JL, by e-mail.

A. 3 argued that its claim against you was genuine and justified. You claimed that 3 had held your handset for repair for more than a year and that you were unable to access your 3 account. 3 claimed that your former boyfriend had taken the phone in for repair and that it had notified him that the phone had been left for collection after these repairs.

Otelo now requires "3 to remove the outstanding balance on both accounts and ensure [JL's] rating has not been affected, in recognition of the poor service received, [and] 3 is then required to send a letter of apology to [JL] and to confirm her balances are zero and that her credit rating will not be affected by this situation". We invited 3 to comment, but it did not reply.

Questions of Cash cannot give individual advice. Please do not send original documents. Write to: Questions of Cash, The Independent, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; cash@independent.co.uk.