Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert has issued an update regarding a legal claim that could earn millions of Brits a payout of over £ 1,000. The four biggest mobile phone operators – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone were taken to court in 2023 for overcharging customers.
Justin Guttman, former head of research and insight at Citizens Advice, brought the claim on behalf of 4.8 million people who bought mobile contracts that include a phone and services such as data, minutes, and calls. It alleges that the operators overcharged customers once they had reached the end of their contract and their handset was paid off.
It claims that the company should have moved customers to the same price as a cheaper SIM-only deal once their contract ended.
As a result, the claim aims to recoup more than £3 billion on behalf of those affected, which could mean a payout of up to £1,800 per person. Money Saving Expert (MSE), which reported the case in 2023, has recently provided an update.
It said: “Justin Guttman’s legal claim against EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone has been approved by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which means it can now proceed as a class action case. But even after getting the green light similar cases have taken years to resolve.
“Since publishing, the claim’s eligibility requirements have also changed. Now, if you took out a contract between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2025, you may be eligible to participate and, if the claim is successful, receive compensation – though there’s no action to take at present. Previously, the case had hoped to include those who’d taken out.”
If you live in the UK, entered into a least one combined handset and airtime contract with EE, O2, Three or Vodafone between 2015 and 2025, and at the end of the contract, you could have paid less on a SIM-only deal, then you are likely to qualify.
According to MSE, You do not need to do anything to be included in the legal claim, nor do you need to pay anything to take part. If the claim is successful then you may need to come forward to claim your share.
MSE explained: “Even if the group claim gets the green light, it’ll still take a long time to proceed through the legal system.
“Similar cases in the past have taken many years to resolve, especially as they almost always get appealed up to Supreme Court level, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a resolution until 2026 at the very earliest.”
