Online contract cancellation

Pikachu47

A friend has a beer52 subscription that they use to get beer delivered to their house. They signed up through the website.
They now want to cancel and they have had to ask me to do it as clicking on the cancellation link on the site brings up a popup telling you to phone a number to cancel. You can't cancel any other way.

My friend is deaf and can't therefore do this. I've done it for them now but surely Beer52 is breaking some kind of rule by not allowing cancellations by the same method the subscription was started.

Any ideas?

LABMAN

Their customer services are available via an online webchat 9-5.

Fosterdog

There’s nothing to say that cancellation has to be by the same method as sign up, otherwise everyone who every signs up to something in a shop, would have to physically go back there to cancel.

Providing a phone number for cancellation is a perfectly standard proceadure, you can’t cancel digital tv packages any other way, most ohone contracts have to be cancelled by phone, and many more.

The info on how to cancel is made perfectly clear on their site, under the T&Cs that your friend has most likely ticked to say he has read, understood and agrees to. I would suggest if he can’t use the phone for such things he is more careful in the future about what he signs up for, reads what he is agreeing to and maybe even emails ahead to explain and see what the company suggests, then keep the response as proof for when he does cancel.

85_East

Is there a postal address given in the website? If so I would cancel in writing.

Most companies don’t have an online cancellation system as they want to be able to try and talk you into staying, it’s annoying but they are allowed to do it.

DCFC79

Try via online chat to cancel, no harm in trying is there ?

Could he not tell you the password and you phone up as him ?

sheramber

If he is a BT customer he might find Text Relay useful. He types in his words and they are relayed to the other person by an assistant .

https://btplc.com/inclusion/HelpAndSupport/DocumentsandDownloads/Communicationchoices/Fordeaforhardofhearingpeople/Communication_Choices_Deaf_Hard_Hearing.pdf

dj1471

Fosterdog wrote: »

I would suggest if he can’t use the phone for such things he is more careful in the future about what he signs up for...

Wow... No. Definitely not.

The Equality Act requires businesses to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities. In this case it would be reasonable for the company to accept the customer's cancellation by live chat or e-mail given that they're unable to cancel by phone. Refusal to do so is likely to be unlawful.

Fosterdog

dj1471 wrote: »

Wow... No. Definitely not.

The Equality Act requires businesses to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities. In this case it would be reasonable for the company to accept the customer's cancellation by live chat or e-mail given that they're unable to cancel by phone. Refusal to do so is likely to be unlawful.

I actually 100% agree with you, I’m partially deaf myself so I know what a struggle it can be, the companies should certainly allow other ways in such circumstances, that is why I also said to contact them first to find out. How can you expect a company to know that you have a disability that means you can’t contact them by phone unless you contact them some other way to tell them?

If however OPs friend doesn’t want to use other methods of contact, as he hasn’t in this situation, instead requiring OP to step in and do it for him, then it is a perfectly sensible suggestion to check before signing up.

Anything I ever sign up for I check cancellation methods because I really struggle with phone use even with my hearing aids in so I try to use places that mean I can avoid phone use altogether if possible. If they only deal with people by phone then I decide on each individual basis whether or not to go ahead knowing I’ll have to phone them, contact them via email, live chat, or contact form first to make other arrangements, or just not use them at all.

sharpe106

I am sure if you had sent them an email stating he was deaf then they would have looked at a different way., or failing that just cancel the direct debit or standing order with bank so they can't carry on charging you.

dj1471

sharpe106 wrote: »

just cancel the direct debit or standing order with bank so they can't carry on charging you.

Yes, but you'll still owe the money each month because you haven't cancelled the contract... Not a good idea.

Rover-man

Fosterdog wrote: »

I actually 100% agree with you, I’m partially deaf myself so I know what a struggle it can be, the companies should certainly allow other ways in such circumstances, that is why I also said to contact them first to find out. How can you expect a company to know that you have a disability that means you can’t contact them by phone unless you contact them some other way to tell them?

If however OPs friend doesn’t want to use other methods of contact, as he hasn’t in this situation, instead requiring OP to step in and do it for him, then it is a perfectly sensible suggestion to check before signing up.

Anything I ever sign up for I check cancellation methods because I really struggle with phone use even with my hearing aids in so I try to use places that mean I can avoid phone use altogether if possible. If they only deal with people by phone then I decide on each individual basis whether or not to go ahead knowing I’ll have to phone them, contact them via email, live chat, or contact form first to make other arrangements, or just not use them at all.

Basically regardless of what they put in the terms and conditions they are required by statute to make reasonable adjustments. If they insist that the contract they created absolve them of this responsibility then they are breaking the law. Generally speaking statute trumps contract.

The onus is not on the disabled person to read the terms and conditions, it's on the company to comply with the law. Therefore they should be expecting disabled people to use their services and they shouldn't put stuff in their terms and condition that is likely to discrimiante against people with for example characteristics that re protected in the Equality Act.