Trying to cancel O2 sim only deal within 14 days cooling off period is proving to be difficult!

[Jameson78]

Hi Gaggers,

On 4th February, I received a phone call from Virgin media/02 and was offered a too-good-to-be-true offer which I gladly accepted.

I soon discovered that I was not getting what I agreed to.  Such as, Spotify and Disney + for the full term of the contract.  I did ask the salesman to confirm the deal in writing but he said that he couldn't and everything would be sent to me in an email, which I never received.

The SIM card arrived a few days later, I signed up for the O2 app on my mobile and discovered that I Spotify was not included.  I decided to cancel.

I went to the O2 store and they said that they could not help me as the sale was conducted over the phone and I have to contact O2 by phone.

Three times, over three separate days I have rung O2, by placing the sim in my mobile and dialling 202. 

After over 30 minutes wait to speak to someone I am repeatedly told that their system in down and it is bot possible to confirm close the account and that I should call back the another time. 

I am increasingly worried my 14 days is being run down to zero deliberately. 

I have about 5 days left of my 14 days cooling off period and wanted to reach out to CAG to see what else I could do to cancel this SIM only contract?

Their mobile phone app and website is designed to run a circle around you and not get you anywhere.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated - I thought I would contact CAG now and not after 14 days has passed and cancelling becomes much more tricker.

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

[whitelist]

Wait for more replies but if I were in your position?

Send them a letter to their head office giving formal notice to cancel. Send special delivery so you can prove they received it within the 14 day cooling off period.

Send a duplicate of that letter by email to their complaints/customer relations dept so you have email proof as well.

[Jameson78]

Thanks Whitelist,

I was thinking about doing that.  The Consumer Rights Act states that I should not be inconvenienced and by writing a letter and going to my post office and sending via recorded delivery, I will be! 

I will wait for other replies...

Thanks again for your reply

 

[whitelist]

This is where I will disagree.

If you need to elevate the dispute to the Regulator you will need to prove that you acted within the 14 day cooling off period. For that you will need a confirmed paper trail. For the cost of a signature on delivery it will save a lot of hassle down the line.

[Jameson78]

Fair point!  I don't think there is much else I can do other than a letter, sent recorded.

 

[Jameson78]

Would an email do?

 

From their website:  "you can contact our Complaint Review Service directly by email or post.

[email protected]

Would save me a lot of effort - as long as it's acceptable method of cancelation with the regulator?

 

 

[whitelist]

Up to you, but as stated previously, you need a paper trail

The more sources look better for you rather than get stuffed in a contract you cannot get out of.

It shows your commitment in trying to resolve the dispute by acting reasonably and leaves them little room to maneuverer.

[BankFodder]

As you are being advised, send the cancellation by letter and by email. Also take a letter into your local shop. That's perfectly adequate and you are being misled by a shop assistant who has got no idea what to do.
Get it done quickly.
I understand that you haven't been told your cancellation rights is this correct?

14 day cooling off period only begins from the time that you receive the goods or items that you have contracted for and you are informed in writing of your various cancellation rights.
You are saying that you want to affect the cancellation with minimum effort. You can't imagine the effort is going to take you if you don't manage to do this in time. Even now there is a danger that they will ignore you.
It takes effort to protect yourself –, by not falling for some telephone sales chatter and thinking that you're getting something too good to be true for nothing.
It will also take effort to protect yourself if the cancellation doesn't go through properly and you then have to deal with trying to challenge demands regular payments, references to debt collection agencies, black marks on your credit file, threatening letters, threats of bailiffs,.
Get the letter in straightaway. And quite frankly don't play primadonna by saying that you shouldn't be inconvenienced by sending a letter. We are here to help you you need to help yourself as well and be sensible.

 

[dx100uk]

legally you dont need to prove receipt.

you only need to prove a letter was sent.

use a 1st class stamp and get free proof of posting from any PO counter.

as for the letter do not forget to mention you are exercising your rights under the distance selling regulation as this was a telephone sale, which is now part of the consumer rights act. and that gave 14 days to cancel for no reason needed.

dx

 

 

[shandoli]

 

A few years ago, I got roped into a contract. I thought I was talking to a real O2 rep but it was some third party company pretending to be O2. My tarriff was completely different to what we agreed on the phone. Eventually, I had to threaten them with ofcom to cancel and get out of it.