Getting out of a phone contract

Returnee

A friends wife got herself a phone from CPW on Friday. It's on talktalk - it's a rubbish deal, and she should never have signed for it.

Problems is she barely speaks any English, cannot read ANY english at all.

They sold her phone insurance and this 8.50 a month telephone package.

She can get out of the phone insurance with the 14 day clause, but the phone was bought in person at the store.

Her husband had no idea that she had bought it until this afternoon when she showed us at lunch.

What is the best way for her to get out of the contract if she can? Surely the company shouldn't have let her sign something if she didn't understand.
She had no idea what the insurance policy was that she signed, she thought the phone was cheap because it was 8.50 a month, she had no idea of the charges etc.

Any advice?

blue_haddock

Surely if she can speak good enough english to explain she wants a mobile phone then she is responsible for her own actions.

OneADay

The contract cant be cancelled (without specific issues of service).

The insurance you can cancel with a 30 days notice - see here http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/support/repairs-insurance-lost-and-stolen/lifeline-faqs

DarkConvict

As above, OneADay seems correct.

The only thing i could advise is giving your local CAB a call to see if there is anything about selling a contract in English to someone who does not understand it well. But i doubt it.

macman

How can she claim she didn't understand the contract? This wasn't a doorstep cold call, she went into the shop and presumably asked for a mobile phone, so they sold her one. I'm afraid that there is no chance of getting out of that contract.
Otherwise CPW would be full of people tryig to terminate their contract by saying that they couldn't read, and so couldn't be held to the contract they signed.

Returnee

We shall see.

I'll help them draft a letter stating that the CPW employee has sold her a contract which isn't fit for her needs.

They sold her the 8.50 a month Talk Talk one (24 months) when the 7.50 rolling contract was more appropriate.

Worst comes to the worst, she can pay more per month and get more minutes rather than paying over and above her 50 minutes of air time.

blue_haddock

Thats exactly what i was on about macman - spoke good enough english to get the contract but the moment they want to back out can hardly speak a word