how do i get out of a new vodafone contract

gareds

i,ve been looking for a new mobile so i went to carphone warehouse and had a look at a new lg choco bl40 it was £30 for 600mins unlimited txts and for £5 extra unlimited internet. i went home and phoned orange they could do same deal but it would cost me £140 for the phone, so i took out a 24mth vodafone contact yesterday on a new lg chocco phone at carphone warehouse, its £35 a mth. when i phoned orange today to cancel my old sim only contract they offered me a very similar deal the only difference is i get 400mins all the rest is the same for £20, i was not happy.
so i went back to carphone warehouse and they told me i could not get out of the contract, i thought i would get a 7 day cooling off period. thwey said it was on the back of the contract i had signed what can i do?

thanks gareth

dmg24

what can i do?

Read contracts before signing them?

DarkConvict

7 Day cooling off is for online orders only, as it is a requirement under Distance Seller Regulations.

By buying instore it is seen that you are given a chance to try out the goods before purchase (i.e. use the phone)

I'm sorry you cannot cancel, unless vodafone let you, which they won't as you will now have started using the handset.

gareds

DarkConvict wrote: »

7 Day cooling off is for online orders only, as it is a requirement under Distance Seller Regulations.

By buying instore it is seen that you are given a chance to try out the goods before purchase (i.e. use the phone)

I'm sorry you cannot cancel, unless vodafone let you, which they won't as you will now have started using the handset.

they put the sim in at the shop, to set up the phone i havnt used the phone.

gareds

dmg24 wrote: »

Read contracts before signing them?

it easy after the event

[Deleted User]

It's easier to read it before the event though.

gareds

dmg24 wrote: »

Read contracts before signing them?

i,ve learnt a valuable lesson, i,m going to phone vodafone and say tha i,ve got a very poor signal wher i live and is there any way i can change networks.

gjchester

gareds wrote: »

i,ve learnt a valuable lesson, i,m going to phone vodafone and say tha i,ve got a very poor signal wher i live and is there any way i can change networks.

Poor signal is not a valid reason to cancel a contract. You may get a goodwill gesture, but no mobile company guarantees a signal in all places. Unless you specifically asked and were told if there was a good signal at a set location (ie your home) you don't really have a case.

Good luck

dot111

I suspect Vodafone will know signal strength.

Recently I was considering changing to 3, I checked signal on line it wasn't good. Went into a shop and they checked and said it was excellent.

As others have said, read contract and do plenty of research. I think it's better to buy on line for cooling off period, you never know if you like a phone till you've used it.

student_84

gjchester wrote: »

Poor signal is not a valid reason to cancel a contract.

Actually it is a good reason to cancel as the phone wouldn't be fit for purpose under the sale of goods act, but mobile phone companies have very sophisticated signal strength maps at their disposal using typographic information to determine signal strength so they will only cancel is there is a very poor/ non existent signal.

for the future if buying a mobile phone in store make sure you play with the phone for a long time so you know what you are buying and with any legally binding contracts, read it before you sign it dont feel pressured to sign without reading who cares if the assistant has to wait 10 minutes you are locking yourself into paying x ammount of money over a set period.

gjchester

student_84 wrote: »

Actually it is a good reason to cancel as the phone wouldn't be fit for purpose under the sale of goods act,

Nope it's not a valid reason. Read your contract, NO ONE will guarantee a signal at all locations. It could be the house contstrucion, the location, even the handset with a fault, regardless unless you specifically said a location it should work you can't claim it's not fit for purpose. The phone can make calls, it's fit for purpose, it can't make them everywhere but then the contract specifically says that will be the case, again if it had been read before signing the OP would know.

The only time it's ever even been partially tested in law is the bloke who took orange to the small claims court as he got no signal. Orange didn't defend it so he was given (I think) £500 and the ability to cancel his contract, however thats small claims, and as such not a legal precident.