Problem with vodafone(Please do not direct to vodafone forum)

wicklaman83

I'm wondering if someone can give us advise due to a problem we are having with vodafone.We had a sales rep out to our house and spoke to my mother and sister about changing from eircom landline to vodafone landline.She said it was €20 cheaper and no contractual agreement was necessary and if we weren't happy we could change back no questions asked.The only form that had to be signed according to the rep was to give permission for the bank to give the money from the account so it was my sister that signed it and gave her bank details as she is not a big saver through the bank etc.
The connection was made to vodafone and straight away there was problems so my mother rang them and after some experimenting they decided the modem was at fault and they sent out a new modem.This did not fix the problems so she rang them again and she said she'd be moving back to eircom as it wasnt worth the hassle.Vodafone now say it will cost €247 to cancel the contract.When my mother said there was no contract signed they said there was and that all customers must sign one even though the rep said there would be none.We are now thinking that the permission slip for the bank was actually some form of contract.
Can vodafone do this and is there anyway we can get back to eircom.Thanks

P.S The problem is with the signal.this was never an issue with eircom.

The Lovely Muffin

darren254 wrote: »

She said it was €20 cheaper and no contractual agreement was necessary and if we weren't happy we could change back no questions asked.The only form that had to be signed according to the rep was to give permission for the bank to give the money from the account so it was my sister that signed it and gave her bank details as she is not a big saver through the bank etc.

Who said there was no contractual agreement? To my knowledge, when you sign up for broadband/phone etc. there is always a contract. I have never, ever heard of a company that doesn't require a signed contract.

Also, did your mother or sister read the form and information that came with it before signing it? If not, then frankly, it was a very, very stupid thing to do. I apologize for being harsh, but you should never, ever sign anything without reading ALL of the information before signing.

Has your mother or sister got a copy of the contract or form that was signed? If they do, then read it ASAP and scrutinize the small print.

It looks to me as if that 'form' was a contract, your sister signed it and now your sister/mother is tied to a contract which will cost €247 to get out of.

In future tell your sister and mother to read everything before signing on that dotted line and if there is anything they don't understand, ask questions and if they are still unsure, don't proceed.

foggy_lad

One way out is to keep complaining every day there is no or poor service make a complaint and make it official so they can't ignore it! Mark your complaint "Formal Complaint" and ask for a complaint reference which they are obliged to provide. They will have to reimburse you for day's without service but may insist on doing this at the end of their investigations.

Send a copy of the complaint to the regulator ComReg. You will find all their details online. If Vodafone don't resolve the issues within a reasonable time contact ComReg and get them to intervene.

First thing I would do is to stop all Vodafone direct debits with your sisters bank, this should not be a problem as the bank must not pay any disputed amount when instructed not to by the account holder.

RoboRat

To be honest if your mother signed something and didn't read it then there is not a lot that can be sone on that front. But there is hope... If they are paying for a service and the service isn't available they can cancel the contract as long as they have made attempts to rectify the situation. Keep a file with all contact made and if the situation is not rectified then just pull the plug. If they threaten to bring her to court over the cancelation fee then just file with the small claims court and be sure to point put that you have tried to get the situation resolved but it hasn't been resolved - you cannot be expected to pay for a service that is not available.

MOH

How long is it since this happened?

According to the NCA, they've got a minimum of 7 days to cancel:

If a salesperson / trader calls to your home (or workplace) uninvited - and if the goods or service they are selling you will end up costing you €50 or more - you must be given a written cancellation form and a cancellation notice. You have at least seven days in which to cancel the contract.

They're also supposed to give you a copy of the contract and a written cancellation form. If they didn't, your mother might have a case there.

It also states:

You are also entitled to be dealt with fairly and in good faith by the salesperson or trader and not to be misled about the nature of the product or services being provided.

It might be difficult to prove that the salesperson lied about the cancellation option, but probably worth lodging a complaint with the NCA.

The above all assumes it was a cold call by the sales rep, if they invited the rep out to discuss moving it may not apply.

wmpdd3

Would there be a right to cancel because it was your sister (not the account holder) that signed the sheet? Maybe you could argue this.

lala88

MOH wrote: »

How long is it since this happened?

According to the NCA, they've got a minimum of 7 days to cancel:

They're also supposed to give you a copy of the contract and a written cancellation form. If they didn't, your mother might have a case there.

It also states:


It might be difficult to prove that the salesperson lied about the cancellation option, but probably worth lodging a complaint with the NCA.

The above all assumes it was a cold call by the sales rep, if they invited the rep out to discuss moving it may not apply.

They could just a easy get rid of the copy they got (if they did get one) and clame they never got it