Dodgy Mobile Phone Contracts

More of us here in Somerset are reporting dodgy or misleading mobile phone deals. In the past year, our Trading Standards team have received over 150 complaints. And loads more of us have called Consumer Direct.

Among the most frequent complaints are unclear terms and conditions,  getting signed into deals without our consent and even contractors passing themselves off as representing another company.  So Heart's been speaking to Somerset's Trading Standards to get some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.  They suggest..

Get it in writing.  If the cold caller says that's impossible, forget the deal.  If as an alternative they direct you to their website, read the terms and conditions, then print them off with a date attached to them.

In writing, we should get a breakdown of the contract charges including regular payments, as well as any fees to be paid if we chose to cancel the contract early.  We should also get details of what services are included (free calls and text messages etc).

Make sure we get details of when the contract will begin and notification of it's length. 

Once we agree to a deal on the phone, we should get details of it sent in the post or online shortly afterwards.

The caller must always say which company he is representing.  If in doubt, ask.