Sim-Only Upgrade / Renewal - What a joke!

[Yipster]

I called Vodafone last night to discuss my Sim-Only Upgrade / Renewal and was offered the same package (8GB data and entertainment) for £17.50 - I currently pay £16.78. 

After much discussion, the customer service agent then offered me £15.40 and went to seek authorisation... One minute on hold later, she tells me the best price is £19!!!  How did the price go from £17.50 to £15.40 to a final £19?!  What kind of bizzare negotiation is this?!

At £19, how do they justify a 13% price hike from what I have been paying? 

I'm currently waiting a call back from them to discuss.   I have been a loyal Vodafone customer for over 10 years but this clearly means nothing!  It's just so tiring to have to fight every renewal

[hrym]

There's no need to renew a SIM-only deal - after the contract period has ended, it continues at the same price (apart from RPI increases) on a rolling 30-day basis.   If you effectively take on a new contract, you'd be charged at the current rate, which might be more that you're paying now.   It does seem odd that there'd be a second price hike, but it's possible that there was an offer that had come to an end.

The full list of available deals is here.   I see that there's an offer of 20gb for £20, although that doesn't include the entertainment pack that comes with the 8gb tarriff (now £22)

[chistery]

It may continue at the same price, but if you have Spotify or one of the others it will end, and you won't get Global Roaming Plus until you upgrade.

I'd take out a new contract through a third party and pac out and back in, yes it's a bit of a faff, but worth it.

[Yipster]

Do i need to renew the Sim-Only deal if I was given a 40% discount on the 12m Red Entertainment originally? i.e. will the 40% discount and Spotify continue?

After a long drawn out online chat, they have offered £19.80 a month for the same package I have now (but with global roaming) and a £10 one off credit... with the line, "This offer is only available on this chat.", I had to get to a meeting so had to shut the chat down.

[chistery]

If you didn't renew, your discount would continue, but Spotify would end.