Purchasing a mobile phone contract is painful rites-of-passage
most of us have had to endure, and the dreadful practice of
contract mis-selling only serves to make a difficult decision a
financially dangerous one too.
Thousands of us have fallen victim to dubious cashback schemes
that turn out to be more prohibitive and complex than a hundred tax
returns. While countless others have been misinformed about which
tariff they are actually subscribing to -ending up on a more
expensive one as result. And I'm sure that after being assured by
the salesmen that "the coverage is excellent," many of us have
risked life and limb teetering precariously on a dining room chair
desperately trying to get one bar of signal.
These forms of mis-selling are shameful and many people have
lost out on £100s as a result, but the good news is that these
sneaky sales methods finally being cracked down upon.
These forms of mis-selling are shameful and
many people have lost out on £100s as a result, but the good news
is that these sneaky sales methods are finally being cracked down
upon. Elliot Wright
New, mandatory rules from the media regulator Ofcom prevent
mobile phone providers and retailers from selling their wares using
"dishonest, misleading or deceptive conduct" (which I'm sure is in
the job description for certain mobile phone shops.)
If found to be in breach of Ofcom's code, then providers will be
liable to be fined up to 10% of their turnover.
In addition, a "try before you buy" scheme has been mooted to
let customers test the coverage on their new phones before
committing to a long-term contract.
So if you think you've been a victim of phone contract
mis-selling, don't suffer in silence. Contact the provider or
retailer and tell them they are in the wrong. If they refuse to
play ball then get in touch with their regulators. If you can prove
mis-selling occurred then the company in question is legally
obliged to remedy the situation.
If you'd like to know more about mobile phone complaints and how
to solve your mis-sold contract problems, then please consult
our free and helpful guide.
Claims Financial
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