It’s buyer beware

Man said he was sold cellphone package he didn’t agree to

Alocal man is asking the public to be wary of high-pressure sales tactics at trade shows and similar events after he says he was signed up for an upgrade to his cellphone contract without his permission.

Local resident Brad MacDonald stopped at a Telus booth at the Lethbridge Home and Garden Show to discuss upgrade options for his cellphone plan.

He said after discussing those options, the staff at the booth offered MacDonald a contract to sign. He declined.

“I said no, I just wanted to find out about phone prices,” he said.

“But they signed me up for the package anyways and sent an expensive new phone to my house.”

MacDonald said he was charged $400 for the phone and new package, and his cellphone contract was adjusted to reflect a new plan.

He said he has been trying to get the company to take back the phone and to remove the new contract ever since, but has had no success.

“I went back to them several times,” he said. “I have notes from the hours of conversations I’ve had to ask them (take back the phone).”

MacDonald says he has been told numerous times the company will resolve the issue of his contract once he sends back the phone. However, he has also been told a box was coming in the mail to safely ship the phone back to Telus. It hasn’t arrived yet.

“They don’t send the box, even though I keep calling them,” he said.

MacDonald has not made a payment for the phone or contract while he disputes it. He now says because of this, Telus has been threatening to cut off his service.

He has filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau in response to the issue and continues to try to work with Telus.

“Because of this, my charges are accumulating,” he said. “And when I call them, I ask them to help me out, and they say yes, but then they don’t follow through. “What do I do in this situation?” After being contacted by The Herald, Telus representatives were quick to get in touch with MacDonald in regards to the issue.

MacDonald confirmed he had spoken with the company, who had agreed to immediately clear up any confusion stemming from the issue and remove the outstanding charges.

However, a representative from Telus told The Herald via email the charges were actually related to data use, and not related to the issue MacDonald spoke of. They stated more communication should have been used by representatives at the trade booth, however:

“In speaking with Mr. MacDonald, it sounds like the Telus reps at the trade show could have done a better job of explaining the billing and the outstanding charges on his account, which contributed to the confusion.”

Ron Riemann, a Lethbridge contact for the BBB, said these types of issues do crop up from time to time. “It’s not common, but it does happen,” he said. Riemann said the best way to deal with the flood of information available when speaking to sales staff is simply to get a business card and tell them you will consider their offer. Take the information home so there is more time to go over it.

“Get their information, but don’t sign anything. If the business is reputable, they’ll let you sleep on it. And you can call them back, or they’ll call you back.”

MacDonald said he hopes people will think about how they interact with sales people in these types of high-pressure situations, and to be careful to be very clear with their answers.

Riemann said for customers involved in these types of disputes, it is important to keep the channels of communication open. Speak to the company daily, if necessary.

“It’s kind of a Catch-22,” he said. “If you just let it go, collection agencies will come knocking at your door. But it’s unfair to ask for fees for something you never signed up for.”