Phones-4-u Outrage - Help

[peter534]

My girlfriend was coldcalled by Phones 4 u and to cut a long story short was persuaded to take out a new contract with Vodaphone.

When i came home about 30 minutes later i highlighted all the things to her that the salesperson didn't. She wasnt told that it was her responsibility to cancel her existing contract with orange (which still has 12 months to run) and that it would cost her approximately £400 to do so. There were some other issues that had not been discussed too.

She immediately called phones 4 u back to cancel the order - after about half an hour of them trying to convince her otherwise, they finally gave up and said that it had been cancelled and that it would take a day or so to update on their system. Why?

2 days later she signed for a parcell off Royal mail and low and behold, it was a shiney new phone.

She rang vodafone and phones 4 u and explained what had happened, and was told that a returns bag would arrive in the next couple of days and she could send the phone back. That was supposed to be the end of it.

No bag arrived, and when she was on internet banking she noticed that vodafone had set up a direct debit and also phones 4 u had set up a direct debit for insurance. THE NERVE!

She cancelled both direct debits straight away and checks every day to see if they have tried to set them up again.

She has received a letter from phones 4 u direct today thanking her for purchasing a new phone, and saying that now that she has connected to her new service she may wish to cancel any existing agreements. ***kers!

It has been over 2 weeks since she rang them after half an hour of accepting the contract to cancell it. No bag has arriver yet to return the phone. She hasn't even opened the box that the new phone came in.

Can anyone give us a clue what to do?

[OrangePrimate]

Get onto to them again QUICKLY!! even if a bag doesnt arrive if a returns address can be found, get it sent back by registered post (so it can be tracked) Make sure the notification to cancel is noted on the account from when your girlfriend first called in. as long as that is there you will be fine as the equipment/contract was rejected within the 7 days of distant selling regs.
If the dealer of network say you have had the phone now more than that 7 days and try to say they wont cancel, then you may have to tell them to get their heads out of their backsides!!
There might be a little battle but as long as the phone/sim isnt used and it can be returned asap you should get it sorted (eventually!) the longer the phone in your posession the more difficult it will be.

good luck!

[peter534]

Thanks for that, i will get her to call them first thing and make sure that the fact that she cancelled is on record.

I am not happy about having to foot the bill for special delivery back to them though.

[locutus]

You can always write them a letter giving them 14 days to refund the postage or you'll take them to the small claims court, 14 days time file on MCOL if they don't reply positively... I'd be surprised if they even tried to defend it, but you've acted reasonably and given them chance to pay the postage in advance so you'd have a very strong case IMHO

[SpiceBoy!]

Hiya...

When you give P4U a ring next (should be daily) ask them if the option to return the phone to a local store to cancel the contract is available as this will not only assure you that the equipment is returned, you can also get the agent to contact Vodafone there and then to get them to confirm that the phone has been returned to facilitate the cancellation of the contract....

Vodafone operate a 14 days return policy, but this only extends to phones that have been acquired direct from Voda...

BUT this also extends to P4U to cancel the contract, so they can cancel it u days after accepting the deal...

Would be worth putting everything you have said in the 1st post into an e-mail to Vodafone customer care, they have a quick turn around and are usually VERY helpful...

HTH

[WAVE_131]

I had a dispute with phones 4 u some years ago following the theft of my mobile. They also set up a direct debit which I had not authorused but was able to have reversed by my bank.

What shocked me was that nobody (police included) was interested in the activity of phones 4 u.