3 mobile have signed me up for a contract didn't ask for or want.

meloplayer

Hi, I have a 1 month rolling contract with 3 mobile on an Iphone 4. I rang to ask for a pac code last week because we don't get a reception on 3 at home. Instead, in order to retain my business, they sent me a home signal box last week with a free phone (HTC Wildfire S) which I agreed to try. The basis for this was that, if it worked, my partner could use the HTC (she is also on 3) and we'd both be happy. The contract was for £13 a month all-you-can-eat data.

The box has already stopped working. On phoning them today, I have just discovered that they have signed me up to a 24 month contract with this new phone. Although I was aware that I would be paying £13 a month under the new arrangement, no mention of 24 months was made. I thought it was a free phone incentive and I was happy to pay the increase every rolling month on my existing iphone.

I want to send the equipment back and cancel my contract but they are refusing to send me some returns bags because it has been used. I'm not sure where I stand. I have gone from giving 3 a chance to keep my business by trying this home signal box out to tying myself into a new 24 month contract I never asked for. Is the 14 day cooling off period not applicable because I have used the equipment? Should I just cancel my Direct Debit with my bank?

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

grumbler

meloplayer wrote: »

Hi, I have a 1 month rolling contract with 3 mobile on an Iphone 4. I rang to ask for a pac code last week because we don't get a reception on 3 at home. Instead, in order to retain my business, they sent me a home signal box last week with a free phone (HTC Wildfire S) which I agreed to try. The basis for this was that, if it worked, my partner could use the HTC (she is also on 3) and we'd both be happy. The contract was for £13 a month all-you-can-eat data.

The box has already stopped working. On phoning them today, I have just discovered that they have signed me up to a 24 month contract with this new phone. Although I was aware that I would be paying £13 a month under the new arrangement, no mention of 24 months was made. I thought it was a free phone incentive and I was happy to pay the increase every rolling month on my existing iphone.

Word 'naive' springs to mind. It makes no sense whatsoever for '3' to give away a new phone and a box on 1-month rolling contract.

I want to send the equipment back and cancel my contract but they are refusing to send me some returns bags because it has been used. I'm not sure where I stand. I have gone from giving 3 a chance to keep my business by trying this home signal box out to tying myself into a new 24 month contract I never asked for. Is the 14 day cooling off period not applicable because I have used the equipment?

DSR say 'unused'. '3' internal policy says the same: http://www.three.co.uk/Privacy_Cookies/Code_of_practice

Should I just cancel my Direct Debit with my bank?

You don't have to, but you can if you don't care about your credit history and debt collectors knocking on your door.

Any help would be much appreciated.

If you don't have anything in writing from them (you should have made sure that you have), then your only hope is demanding the record or the transcript of the phone call. If nothing was said about a new contract and 24 months, then it is a clear case of misselling.

amiehall

They have to explain the terms to you for them to be binding. If they genuinely didn't tell you that a new 24 month contract would be started, write to them asking for the phone transcript.

I'd be surprised if they hadn't done it though. Whenever I've ever spoken to them, they're very overzealous about making sure it's all read out.

meloplayer

Thanks both for helping (esp Grumbler :rotfl:)!

Amiehall answered my query quite succinctly. I think I need a transcript of the original recording made last week. I agree, anyone giving up a £10 1 month rolling contract on an iphone 4 for a 24 month contract HTC Wildfire must be quite mad. Obviously the '24 month' bit was not mentioned at the time, not even I'm that naive

Wish me luck.......

KTF

meloplayer wrote: »

The box has already stopped working. On phoning them today, I have just discovered that they have signed me up to a 24 month contract with this new phone. Although I was aware that I would be paying £13 a month under the new arrangement, no mention of 24 months was made. I thought it was a free phone incentive and I was happy to pay the increase every rolling month on my existing iphone.

There is no increase as you now have 2x contracts. The existing rolling 1 month one and a new £13*24 contract for the Wildfire.

What is wrong with the home signal box? I got one as well as the signal at home was useless and after a few minutes of waiting for it to sync it works great and hasnt failed yet..

meloplayer

Thanks KTF. What you have said there re: 2 contracts is alarming as I don't recall discussing an additional contract. I think myself and the 3 csr must have been talking at cross purposes, which means the transcript request is even more vital to resolving this. Home signal box worked for about 3 days then has stopped. I'll wait and see on the reliability of this thing although when I took it out of the box, the sim card hadn't been put in properly and there's something rattling around inside the unit!