Service provider has changed a clause in their T&C without notifying customers.

nyermen

Quite often they can write what they want, but whether it can be enforced is another matter.  
However, if a customer phoned up and said "i want my rights", and are told no see T&C, I thought it was an offence to mislead people of their rights?

Btw I assume that the "customers" are consumers ie. the contracts are business to consumer rather than b2b?

prowla

A company's T&Cs cannot override the law; many try it, but they'll lose.

However, I don't see anything in the law that says a company can't limit the level of partial refunds it issues against a given plan/product, other than to the total amount paid.

Customers-wise, they can walk away from the product on completion of their contracted period, or sooner if there are appropriate conditions (such as the product demonstrably doesn't work).

Me_2

nyermen said:

Quite often they can write what they want, but whether it can be enforced is another matter.  
However, if a customer phoned up and said "i want my rights", and are told no see T&C, I thought it was an offence to mislead people of their rights?

Btw I assume that the "customers" are consumers ie. the contracts are business to consumer rather than b2b?

Yep, consumers.

Best I can do is advise customers to pursue their grievance with Trading Standards I suppose and let the right people handle it.

Ectophile

Me_2 said:

nyermen said:

Quite often they can write what they want, but whether it can be enforced is another matter.  
However, if a customer phoned up and said "i want my rights", and are told no see T&C, I thought it was an offence to mislead people of their rights?

Btw I assume that the "customers" are consumers ie. the contracts are business to consumer rather than b2b?

Yep, consumers.

Best I can do is advise customers to pursue their grievance with Trading Standards I suppose and let the right people handle it.

They will be very disappointed if they try that.  Like all council departments, they are massively under-funded.  Simple contractual disputes will be ignored.  Unless babies have been poisoned, it isn't important enough.

born_again

Me_2 said:

nyermen said:

Quite often they can write what they want, but whether it can be enforced is another matter.  
However, if a customer phoned up and said "i want my rights", and are told no see T&C, I thought it was an offence to mislead people of their rights?

Btw I assume that the "customers" are consumers ie. the contracts are business to consumer rather than b2b?

Yep, consumers.

Best I can do is advise customers to pursue their grievance with Trading Standards I suppose and let the right people handle it.

T/S do not speak to the public. Citizens advice is now the contact point.

TBH. If you feel that strongly. You have 2 choices. Walk away from the job. Or everytime someone calls. Make them aware of the changes & tell them to complain.
Pretty sure the latter will end up with you getting in trouble at work. 

Me_2

Since I posted the original thread we have had a lot of complaints. Essentially what the customer service guys have been told to say is to pretty much state the position and maintain that no refunds will be issued regardless of what angle the complaint is from and to not be drawn on any discussion.

 A bit of a brick wall tactic that so far 'getting rid' of complaints. With no regulatory body or ombudsman in place, and if Trading Standards or CA are toothless, I guess you can get away with anything. Lesson learnt - a very sad state of affairs.