Distance Selling Regulations

[RichRobX]

I recently received a call telling me that the phone company 3, had picked 100 phone numbers to receive free video phones and my number was one of them. I ended up making the mistake of agreeing to a one-year contract to receive the phone. However I was told that this was a special deal and found out later the same deal could be obtained from any phone shop. Under the Distance Selling Regulations (http://www.consumer.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/ecomm.htm) I found out that a consumer is entitled to cancel a contract within 7 days if it was agreed upon over the phone. However I am not sure if this contract qualifies to be cancelled as the company (blue communications) have undoubtedly covered themselves against this. Can anyone offer a suggestion as to my course of action? Also if the Distance Selling Regulations do not apply here is there any other way I can escape the contract? R.A.Homer Contract was agreed verbally on 26/7 and I am set to receive good within 7 days I am 17 but the contract was confirmed with my mum

[andy hughes]

Your best bet is to contact the company, and get their head Office address. Write to them giving the details of the contract, dates, agreements, etc., and state that you wish to formally recind the agreement(s) fortwhtih, with effect from (today's date). Send it Recorded Delivery, keep a copy, and request an acknowledgement, and confirmation in writing that the contract is cancelled. That should do the trick. If you hear nothing, write again (Rec. Delivery & copy) and advise that you have formally notified termination of the contract, and regard all such contratcs as void and uneforceable. Request an acknowlefgement, and then you can forget about it. These companies are far too busy chasing up people who they can screw money out of, they don;t bother pursuing anyone who has changed their minds, but this will give you some peace of mind.

[Mattk]

i thought legally nowadays that every contract had a 'cooling off' period built in ?

[BenDToy]

It may be worth calling them up and telling them you don't want the phone. As andy says, they probably have better things to do than chase you for it. And if it all turns against you, deny the conversation ever took place. After all, a verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on. ;-)

[IndieSinger]

Yep, by law there is a "cooling off period" with any contract agreed verbally on the tephelone. It's often 14 days, too, and I'm sure there's no WAY it would be less than 7 days. Also, this is your RIGHT to cancel within these days - even if you have no good reason to or if the company has done nothing wrong. So even if they have sold it you under false pretenses, they're legally obliged to cancel your contract immediately. They cannot "cover" themselves against that.

[ruthlesjack]

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2000/20002334.htm - read the The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 very carefully - There is no clear rule...