Thread: Hello from a newbie :) - Advice needed re mobile broadband contract

Hi, i've had vodafone Mobile Broadband for a month now and have basically had no signal at all since.

vodafone have asked me to try another replacement dongle and if this doesn't work, they have offered to cancel the contract as they have broken their airtime agreement as they cannot provide a service.

I've no problems with Vodafone's customer service, they've actually been really helpful... but i ordered the mobile broadband through The Link and when i contacted them today to let them know of the problems, i've been told if the contract is cancelled by Vodafone, i will have to return the laptop i got as part of the deal to The Link.

I'm not at all happy with this as i've had all of the software i use for work added to the laptop and it's the general inconvenience of it all really.

I have offered to sign up for a new mobile phone contract with The Link, at the same monthly cost as i was paying for the broadband and instead of one of the free gifts i could choose, i asked if it could be arranged that i keep the laptop instead but they won't allow it

I also offered to continue paying the monthly line rental for the mobile broadband but that's not acceptable either, basically once the Vodafone contract is cancelled, the laptop goes back and that's it.

Any advice?

Thanks

Lisa

It's probably due to the fact that the laptop was supplied as a "gift" for taking out the mobile broadband, and one goes in hand with the other - you need the laptop to access the internet. But if the contract with vodafone is cancelled, there isn't any contract in place governing your possession of the laptop - and I suspect the laptop is only free if you take out mobile broadband.

In another example, if you buy a new car you may get a free accessory - but if the car has multiple faults in the first month, you would (usually) want a replacement - but the accessory would have to go back as well. Many terms and conditions state that if a product is returned or cancelled, then all associated "gifts" would have to be returned as well.

To be honest, if you add up the price over the minimum term that you would have paid for mobile broadband, it will more than likely be a good way to getting a nice spec laptop with no contract and no problems.

Thanks for the reply

I'm just stuck really as i can't afford to buy a laptop outright and am in the process of clearing my debts so a laptop on finance is a no-goer.

If the new dongle doesn't work, i'll have to tell vodafone it does and then save up to buy myself out of the contract as soon as possible.