Post Office phone customers face price hikes of up to £42/yr

Can I avoid these price rises?

If you do nothing, the price hikes will affect you from Monday 2 November, assuming you have a call plan, or use a Post Office landline to make outgoing calls. But there are a couple of things you can do to avoid the price increases:

Beat the hikes 1 – leave penalty-free

If you're affected by the hike, you can leave penalty-free as long as you tell the Post Office within 30 days of receiving the notification about your price increase.

Remember to compare prices elsewhere before leaving to make sure you can get a cheaper deal. Our Broadband Unbundled tool lets you compare broadband, phone line and TV deals.

Beat the hikes 2 – haggle, haggle, haggle

If you're willing to stick with the Post Office, this is a chance to haggle a better deal – especially as you'll have the right to leave penalty-free if it doesn't give you one. You can call 0345 373 0042 (though bear in mind that while this is free from an active Post Office home phone, you'll need to pay if you're calling from a phone with another provider).

See our Haggle with Service Providers guide for detailed tips, but for starters here are a few...

• Benchmark the best deal elsewhere. This helps you ask for a realistic discount.
• Use charm and be friendly. Aggression or anger will just put their back up.
  
• Don't panic if they call your bluff. If they say they'll disconnect you, regard it as a way to negotiate further. If you really don't want to leave, tell them you need to discuss it with a family member or friend and that you'll call them back.
• Problems mean discounts. If you've had issues with the Post Office in the past – eg, slow broadband – politely tell it when you haggle.
• Never go with the first offer. Chances are it's not the best deal. Remember, be firm.
• The salesperson may push you to agree because it's a 'limited-time offer'. Don't feel pressured into agreeing to the new price or deal unless you're certain.
• Vote with your feet. If you don't get what you want, you should seriously consider leaving.