Can BT switch my contract without my permission?
QWhen BT installed Infinity-fibre broadband in my area I got a discounted rate. However, this year BT didn’t inform me that my contract was expiring and the monthly cost was going up. Can BT just go ahead without notifying me? Can we cancel if we’ve not been informed? Edmund Hobby
ANo, BT can’t sign Edmund up to another contract without telling him. In 2012, Ofcom banned this practice, known as automatic renewing, for home users (not businesses). It said companies had a duty to remind customers when their contracts are about to end. It also ruled that automatic renewing was anti-competitive because it deterred customers from switching providers.
BT has moved Edmund on to a basic rolling monthly contract, without the discounts he previously enjoyed. He can opt out at any time, without paying a fee, giving BT 30 days notice. Should he sign another 12-month contract, he can cancel it without any fee if BT fails to tell him about a price increase.
We may send Computeractive reader Barry Whitaker a ‘Congratulations!’ card because he managed to get a full refund from Hallmark Cards. In July, Barry upgraded his copy of the company’s card-making software Studio Deluxe to the 2017 version ( www.snipca.com/25899, pictured) for $35.95 (about £27). This was a good offer because buying the program separately would have cost £39. But after downloading it, he discovered that the designs were for US sizing (ie, imperial not metric), so he couldn’t use it. Hallmark does offer a 90-day money-back guarantee on its website, but Barry found it impossible to get through to anyone at the company.
Technically, like all customers, Barry had 14 days to reject the software for a refund, but only if he hadn’t downloaded it, which legally counts as the program being ‘used’. However, Barry could have argued that only by downloading it was he able to find out that it wasn’t intended for UK sizes. In the end he didn’t need to make this case. We contacted Hallmark in the US, and persuaded it to refund Barry in full.
If companies contact you about a new or updated product, it’s natural to assume it’s been designed for your country. We don’t blame Barry for making this assumption, although his case is a reminder that it’s always a good idea to double-check such details by contacting the company. You’ll find UK contact info for Hallmark at www.hallmark.co.uk/contact-us.