Beware of entering into contract over the phone

I ALSO had reason to ask Cell C to retrieve the recording of a telesales call, arising from a bill dispute.

Arabia Riah Bux of Durban said she was told when she took out a R249 per month contract with Cell C telephonically in March that it would only become effective on April 21, and when she asked about capping the data usage, she was told that this could only happen after the contract took effect.

But on April 6 she was told that she owed the network R6 665.82 and, on complaining, she was told she’d be credited just R1 400.

I asked Cell C to retrieve the call in order to settle the dispute.

The response: “In order for a customer to activate a credit limit on an upgrade or a new contract, they must contact our call centre and activate their projected limit.

“In this case, the customer did not do that, hence her usage of R6 665.82.”

The limit has now been set, and “as a gesture of goodwill” Cell C has credited her account with half that high bill – R3 332.91.

No word about the recording or what was said or not said in that call – particularly about how to activate the credit limit – so I have no way of knowing if that response was appropriate or not. THE ADVICE In the absence of a guarantee that you will have access to a telesales call recording on request, I would recommend either avoiding entering into a contract over the phone altogether, or making your own recording of the call. Or make it a condition upon agreeing to the deal that you be allowed to listen to it without having to resort to a Promotion of Access to Information Act request. If they refuse, don’t proceed.