My wife bought an Acer PC from Currys and because it had an hdmi display port had to buy a TV to use with it. The salesman attempted to sell her an insurance/service contract with it which she refused. He then said he would give a COMPLIMENTARY months cover on a contract in case she had any problems connecting the two, by the way I am an IT professional hence the original declining of a contract.

The item was paid for via a credit card and the amount verified by PIN was correct. A month later a charge of £6-50 appeared on her credit card which it transpires is for payment for insurance/service plan. Referring back to the now fading thermal receipt issued at the time there is an entry headed "Monthly Card Mandate" for £6-50. Above this are other entries of a debit followed by a credit for Customer Support Agreement. She never entered into any form of agreement with Currys and did not expect to find entries regarding "Monthly Card Mandates" on what was expected to be just a receipt for purchase of equipment and for which the total verified by PIN agreed with the purchase price of the equipment.

Is this all totally legal? After an agreement has been refused and then a complimentary month offered is it right to expect to be tricked into further payments in this wat without any from of signed documents covering the agreement?

All thought welcomed.

They always do this at currys pc world.

I resigned to the fact that I pay cash when I buy anything from them to avoid being given "free" insurance.

there is a card mandate/direct debit form to sign. if your wife didnt sign this and they dont have the paperwork to prove it, then yes this is against the law.

if she did sign it,even without reading it, if its her signature on the paperwork, its dodgy but legal.

as a former sales advisor i used to get told to use the phrase "can you sign here for the use of your card".

hated doing it, got my bluff called a few times and got out of sales asap.

Firstly,

your wife should contact her card company and cancel any future payments, otherwise the same amount will be taken every month, forever.

Secondly, cast your mind back to the purchase and see if you can remember signing the form.

If it was signed, then, as a previous poster said, it is legal, even if you didn't read it.

For the amount involved, it wouldn't really be practical to take it to court I don't think.

However, what I would do is go to the branch, ask for a manager, and explain what's happened.

Trust me, you are DEFINITELY NOT the first person in this situation.

Keep calm, talk to the manager on the his level, don't go ranting and raving, tell them you "feel let down", and you've "always trusted Currys", and that it's "left a bad taste" and you "feel like not shopping here any more".

Play it right, blow smoke at him a little, make him feel important, and although you probably won't get your money back, he will quite likely offer you some small gift or incentive, or a percentage off a future purchase "to restore your faith in the company".

Play it right and you will walk away with something of more value than the £6.50 you have been charged.

Go in there shouting and talking legal and they will probably just show you your wife's signature on the form and give you the middle finger.

Your choice... Best of luck.

It's free for the first month, then you have to cancel. I always take, especially when taking things home in case of accidental damage on the trip or getting it in the house. Then I cancel it a few days later. I'm covered for the month and then it doesn't renew the next. Simples.