I suppose it is some comfort to me to know I am not the only one having to wrestle with this cowboy company to get the phone I have paid for. Faulty when bought in October. Still waiting for repairs while so called customer service gives me the runaround. Although they say they will consider replacement if a phone cannot be repaired within the month in fact they refuse to do so even when the estimated date of repair is over 5 weeks.

If you bought online or by phone, you will always have a cooling off period under the distance selling regulations. If a retailer is being awkward about this, you should put your cancellation request in writing and keep the dated posting receipt.

If you bought in a shop, there may well not be any cooling off period. In this case, you can look at the coverage maps and see if they correspond to your experiences. If they don't, you should start a dispute firstly by expressing your dissatisfaction in the store and then perhaps by writing asking whether there is some local fault causing the problem and, if so, when it will be put right. In essence, if the coverage maps are inaccurate, you have not received what you paid for.

hello, I got a contract from Phones4U today and have discovered the network coverage is awful at my house and work. They state they don't have a cooling off period - what can I do?

i have experience in phones4u , and phone shops and am happy to answer any questions you may have

thanks

... but there is a very nice lady who would like to look further into your complaint.

Phones 4 U has NO customer service, they are rude and unhelpful, they sold me a faulty BlackBerry Storm 9500 phone. When I took to their shop the phone was not in stock. I went to all Phones4U shops in Central London one said that the service is down so come after 3 pm, ther next one said they are sort of staff so can't do exchange, next one said I should go to the branch I have bought it from, next shop showed me a opened ex-demo box . A completely useless company for Customer service. When I called the head office they say all mobile phones box seals are opened to check. Complete liars and cheat. Once they had your money they do not care what so ever.

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your recent experience with Phones 4u.

It is important to us that you are happy with your purchase from us and we would therefore like to look further into your complaint.

I understand that you have been in contact with our customer services team but so that we can access yur details please could you email your full name, address and telephone number to talktous AT phones4u.co.uk

Kind regards

Phones 4u

Thank you maxsteam, I got a real belly laugh out of a variation of your standard theme... Christmas card.

Carry on maxsteam!!! Do you do stand up?

Do not stop the payments.

Your contract for the line rental is with the service provider (T-Mobile / Orange etc) NOT phones 4 u. If you stop the payments then the service provider will chase you and hold you to that contract.

Follow the advice of the Citizen Advice and go back to them at each stage of the disagreement. If this does come to the small claims court they will ensure you have all the preparation required for a good case.

Finally - having worked in large organizations non-standard issues can quickly become lost in the cracks. the key is to find someone with a bit of nouse to help you out.

1) Call up the Press Office and ask them to have their "expert" call you up to help out. Most companies have a process in place to quickly fix issues when the media call up. I have successfully piggy backed this process a number of times with good results

2) Similar to 1) above, write to the chairman at his home address (find out from companies house). This usually fast tracks your issue to the "expert" mentioned above.



Smala01

access:

the people to contact first are Otello and Ofcom

I stand to be corrected but I don't think either of these organisations have any jurisdictiction in this case.

I think its a Trading Standards issue and the OP would be better contacting Consumer Direct.

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/making-complaint/

Anyone who keeps up payment on a contract after 4½ months with no service because they are concerned about their credit rating has more money than sense, but it is an option, as is sending the supplier a Christmas card thanking them for everything.

"The first step, if you've not already done it, is to stop any further payments being taken by contacting your bank."

I assume you are contracted to a network who you are paying by DD? You won't have to worry about step two as my understanding is you will be well on the way to wrecking your credit rating.

In addition the people to contact first are Otello and Ofcom for advice by phone - they are helpful.

Legal action should only be used as a very last resort because getting justice in theory and practice are two different things especially with a company like this who may well muck you around for ever and remember a faceless company is mucking you around and there's just you the other end being mucked around. I've no idea of the point of sort of threatening a company that holds all the aces with the 14/30 idea.

Having said the above let me say that I find many of Maxsteam's posts very entertaining.

The first step, if you've not already done it, is to stop any further payments being taken by contacting your bank.

In your shoes, I would write a letter saying clearly why you have stopped the payments and how you want to calculate the refund (presumably paying for the contract up to the time that you took the handset back). You should state that they have clearly been unable to honour their side of the contract and ask to receive a refund within 14 days (or, if you feel generous, ask them to do this or get a phone to you within 14 days in which case you will reinstate payments). Without a suitable reply within 30 days, I would use the small claims court.

I would avoid a solicitor when free advice can be obtained from consumer direct, consumer focus, Citizens Advice Bureaux and so on.

I have been without my handset from Phones4U for 4.5 months now! I had owned it for about 2 months and the speaker was getting worse and worse. I took it back to the shop and they sent it for repair quoting 7-10 days. After a month - I did chase it but didnt get anywhere! - I was told it was back at the shop. It was, but it was no better! It was sent back again, that was the last I saw of it.

During the intervening months I was offered a replacement handset as mine seemed to have disappeared (following two emails and multiple phone calls - the emails were ignored!) - the first time I was offered this I was told 7-10 days. It didnt arrive so I rang up, only to find that they didnt have any handsets and had found this out 10 mins after putting down the phone to me - they should have rung back and offered me an alternative but they didnt. The young lady who dealt with me said that due to the inconvenience she would fast track the handset (which she located in the warehouse and assured me existed) and get it to me within 24-48 hours - the alternatives they were offering were all much older handsets ie 18 months old and not an Android phone which is what I am paying for within my contract. When it didnt arrive I duly rang up and was told that it hadnt been sent.

The complaint was progressed to senior management where it was looked into - I stated that since they couldnt send me a handset I would like to be bought out of the contract (as advised by trading standards) - they refused this and said they would send me another handset. I refused this offer and said I would seek legal advice. However, between saying that and seeking advice I received an email saying that my phone would be coming back to the shop from the repair centre. Off I went to the shop to see the guys there (who have been really helpful) - they couldnt find it and rang to find out what was going on - it was then discovered that my phone had been destroyed! The email was sent by mistake. I had yet another conversation during which I reluctantly agreed that I would accept a new handset - again I was promised 7-10 days and clarified that this was days and not working days! I stated that this was their last chance and if I didnt receive the handset I would expect them to cancel the contract immediately.

Saturday I should have received the handset - but I didnt! I rang them and went through the tale again, I was told it had been sent but that they could not give me tracking details - no help there. Rang them again this morning and was told that the handset had not been dispatched! The call operator said he could have one to me in 3-5 days - I said that I wouldnt accept that as I would just be making the same phonecall in 5 days time as he couldnt assure me that he physically had stock of the phone. Am now waiting for a callback from a senior manager - the call operator said that since I had a trading standards reference number the matter was now being considered serious!

So - do I pay the £90 that a solicitor wants to charge me to talk about the matter for 30 mins, do I go through the small claims court (about £30 as I remember) or does anyone have any better suggestion?

thanks!