Carphone Warehouse staff: 'We have to try and sell you insurance... it's the law!'

leitmotif

2½ years ago my girlfriend took out a phone contract the member of staff in Carphone Warehouse tried to read her a load of spiel about a phone insurance policy that he would clearly get commission for if he managed to sell it to her. She said she wasn't interested, but he insisted on reading it through anyway (which took 5 whole minutes) because, he said, it's illegal not to do so and he wouldn't be allowed to provide her with a phone if she didn't complete the process, so to speak. She ticked all the boxes on the paper saying she didn't want it. We complained to Carphone Warehouse HQ and they sent an e-mail apologising and saying it wasn't the law and customers shouldn't be put in a position where their time is being wasted. She got another phone contract this year, again through Carphone Warehouse (it's the only physical store near where we live) and this time a different member of staff pulled the same stunt, but did everything on a tablet (not much quicker). So, this policy of 'you've got to listen to our sales pitch or we won't give you a phone' - what's that all about? And do they all do it? (We have no experience of other shops.)

jb66

Going into CPW for a phone isn't very MoneySavingExpert. Any deal CPW can offer I can guarantee I could beat just by checking online

leitmotif

OK. What sites do you use?

[Deleted User]

It's Hardly surprising as Carphone warehouse are webbed up with Currys.

DCFC79

leitmotif wrote: »

OK. What sites do you use?

Loads of sites to use.

Ive only bought sim free phones so ive used Clove technology and Amazon.

If its a contract with a phone then theres the networks themselves.

Frozen_up_north

It's not just CPW, we bought a new car earlier in the year for cash, well debit card, and had the same load of bull from the dealer. My other half said to just keep quiet and let the guy waste 15 mins of his time.

He said it was an FCA requirement that they had to offer gap insurance, alloy wheel and paintwork insurance. We let him finish then told him to go whistle... Anyone else trying the same sales pitch won't get a minute of my time... We don't need finance or insurance when buying a car or a phone.

If enough customers challenge the jobsworths, they might get the message.

boatman

Go on holiday to Morocco, Egypt or India, you soon learn how to say no more forcefully!! Sadly too many sales people think it's their right to flog this stuff, I guess there are some who fall for it, it's how they make their money. Just hope enough of them get recorded and put on YouTube.

prowla

Actually, when I last upgraded from CPW I got a price match with them by taking in an online quote.

I'll probably do the same again when my contract is up for renewal next year.

boatman

prowla wrote: »

Actually, when I last upgraded from CPW I got a price match with them by taking in an online quote.

I'll probably do the same again when my contract is up for renewal next year.

Trouble is I can see a bit of up selling going on, before you know it, that good deal you found has morphed into a whole new deal with a nice little earner for the salesman. Perhaps it's why they say they price match, increase footfall and hope some are persuaded with a 'better' deal..

jb66

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/mobile-phones/

Ian011

One thing they must get a lot of, is people who have broken their phone and have no insurance, who then say they were never offered it. A substantial number of people are unaware of the full handset value, having paid nothing or almost nothing up front with a contract, and expect a replacement at almost no cost.

The store should be making you aware of the full value of the handset and the cost of insuring it with them, but hard selling is disallowed by FCA regulations.