Phone Contracts

[Nyff 0]

Recently started off a new Phone contract with Vodafone. Got my new phone but unfortunately lost it a couple of months later. Now I have some shit phone and vodafone aren't going to replace my old one at all. Gave them a call to ask about cancelling the contract, but was told about having to pay the remaining months + line rental, which came to around 700 quid.

 

But then she mentioned it was a 24 month contract, which I queried because I only ever remember signing up to an 18 month one. She told me that I had to send an e-mail with my details, which I've done, and they should be looking into it now. If it turns out that I've been put onto a 24 month contract without being informed then what are my rights? Do I have the right to cancel the contract if it turns out its been mis-sold to me?

[JawD 99]

Generally difficult to get out of if you signed up. Was it done over the phone or in a store? If its in a store then it will all be down on paper. They are right about the phone though. Much of the cost of the phone they recoup over the life of the contract. So you cant start a new contract, get the phone and leave. Your best bet might be to bite the bullet and buy and sim free phone and use that. Or claim on your house insurance.

[Besty 4]

Doubt you could cancel because of that, they'll probably just lower it to 18 month and that'll be that!

 

Could ask on MSE and they might be able to help?

[Nyff 0]

Was all done over the phone. Isn't there something illegal about misinforming me of the contract I'm signing up for? And I have a police reference number that I got from reporting my phone as lost/stolen, so can near enough prove that I don't have the phone any more.

 

EDIT: The woman did say that what would possibly happen is they would lower it to 18 months and include a 'gesture of good will', but got knows what that could be...

Edited November 12, 2010 by Nyff

[JawD 99]

Was all done over the phone. Isn't there something illegal about misinforming me of the contract I'm signing up for? And I have a police reference number that I got from reporting my phone as lost/stolen, so can near enough prove that I don't have the phone any more.

 

EDIT: The woman did say that what would possibly happen is they would lower it to 18 months and include a 'gesture of good will', but got knows what that could be...

 

If its a verbal contract they may have it recorded. Many companies do that and a verbal contract is binding in this way but there is a cooling off period. Course, you'd have to return the phone

[ewerk 31259]

If you lose the phone and you've no insurance then there's not much you can do, I wouldn't have expected them to replace it.

[Gemmill 46277]

I tend to just get the insurance these days. It was never worth it in the past, but with the price of replacing a decent smart phone these days, and the functionality you lose if you use a cheaper non smart phone, 7 or 8 quid a month seems fine.

[Nyff 0]

If you lose the phone and you've no insurance then there's not much you can do, I wouldn't have expected them to replace it.

 

Yeah, it has more became a case of clutching at straws to see if there is any legal way of ending the contract, i.e it was mis-sold to me.

[wykikitoon 20956]

You should have contacted the police, made some bull shit story up, got a crime ref, phoned up took out phone insurance, 3 months later cancel it,

[Nyff 0]

I do have a crime reference number from reporting it as lost anyway. Unfortunately had already told Vodafone it was lost by then and didn't think about doing things that way round!