Insurance Tele Sales-are The Contracts Legally Binding?

[sue]

Hi, can someone advise me- my son age 18 was contacted by the Halifax in December by a telephone sales person and and was somehow talked into taking out a Personal accident policy at £5.95 a month-he was under the impression that they would send him the forms to sign and return, so to 'get rid' he probably agreed to anything!
However, it works the other way round-they send you the documents and you have 14 days to cancel.
I don't like this kind of sales tactic, I think it is very underhand.
But the bottom line is IS IT LEGAL?
If so how can they get away with it?
Whats more is that both the £5.95 instalments that the bank have taken have incurred a £30 bank charge!!

[craigwalton]

Yes it is legal I'm afraid. As he was approached there is a 14 day cooling off period. Tell your son just to hang up next time, and never agree to anything unless he knows what he is agreeing to (oh, and reclaim the charges from your bank)

[sue]

Many thanks for your reply craigwalton-I thought as much.
Still pretty disgusted at the underhand tactics of the Halifax, do they really need to use these kind of methods!