Early contract termination: faulty phone & bad service

londonerryan

Hi,
I have a 36-month mobile contract with Tesco. I still have 13 months left on it. I won't be renewing it because the customer service in store is appalling: just your typical clowns taking the mick out of customers and talking nonsense in ear-shot of customers. I won't be stepping foot in their mobile shop again because of it because it's like dealing with a bunch of monkeys. I'll have to phone a customer service number to deal with my issue. 
I have ready plenty on this topic and it seems difficult (impossible, even) to get out of a contract early without paying fees. Also, it appears poor customer service isn't a 'valid reason' for early termination. 
So, basically, i pay roughly £9 per month for the handset and £9 per month for the service. My handset is starting to die so i'll likely need to get a new one before the end of the year. I don't see why i should pay them for a phone that isn't working properly but i can't 'upgrade' for another year.
In such circumstances, what are my options? 
I was thinking of emailing them to say i refuse to deal with their staff and explain why. And, that i want my contract reduced (e.g. the handset part) because i will need to buy another handset. I will explain that i don't want another handset from them as i have no intention of stepping foot in their phone shop again. In fact, i was even thinking of going into the store with a hidden camera to show them just how terrible their workers are and how they act/talk around customers. I thought that might help my case (and perhaps others). 
Cheers. 

frederick1950

The contract for the phone and the contract for service are totally seperate and this is one of the problems with taking out contracts longer than the warranty that comes with the phone.
No phone provider will entertain finishing a contract 13 months early without charging you for the remaining months .
Buy a cheap phone that you can use with the sim until the 13 months is up.
You are being unrealistic in your demands.

ballyblack

What make model is your handset?

What exactly  is "starting to die" mean?

What is the fault?

giraffe69

Assuming you don't want to deal with the staff in their phone shops can't you either but the phone online or go into a Tesco supermarket which sells phones stored in the aisles? I'd buy a cheap new phone to cover the remaining months of the contract and then switch away from Tesco. Don't end your direct debit, if that is how you pay, because of you do a world of pain follows!

londonerryan

ballyblack said:

What make model is your handset?

What exactly  is "starting to die" mean?

What is the fault?

It's a Samsung Galaxy A6. It's just slowing down and some of the letters just don't work as well as they did. I find all of these fancy mobiles start dying after a couple of years (or maybe it's just mine). 

londonerryan

When i find a spare moment i think i will email their CS team to complain about state of phone, inform them i'll need a new one, and explain that their staff are so abysmal - i mean seriously... i've seen them waffling on and taking the mick out of customers behind their backs and whatnot... i mean, teenagers, yeah sure, but adults in work place, no - that i refuse to deal with them and that i regret renewing my contract with them (i've been with them for years). Depending on reply, i might inform them i plan to record their employees because their behaviour is so awful and contrary to the standards that Tesco no doubt hopes their customers perceives of them, and that i will escalate my complaint because i'm actually incapable of getting the most out of my contract because of their staff.

ballyblack

Have you tried a factory reset on the phone??
That is the first thing to try!

londonerryan

ballyblack said:

Have you tried a factory reset on the phone??
That is the first thing to try!

No. I'll give it a whirl. Will it delete all of my apps? Most of them i'm not that bothered about, but some of them are quite useful. 

ballyblack

off course it will delete everything , just sign in again and restore

d123

ballyblack said:

off course it will delete everything , just sign in again and restore

Probably worth adding "back up" to the start of the those instructions.