I got caught like this before - a phone I got off Telus on a 3 year contract malfunctioned after just over 12 months, but when they "upgraded me" (which cost me $100) they restarted my contract. Now my latest handset seems to have gone the same way and the last thing I want is an ETF or another useless handset upgrade.
My question is this: Normally when you sign a contract you have 28 days to get out of it. What happens if I go to the telus store, say the handset is broken and needs upgrading, let them restart the contract - and then cancel within 28 days? Can I legally do that and thereby escape the remaining 2 years or would they still be legally permitted to charge me 24 months worth of early termination fee?
Edit: Interesting answer, that "they would not have extended the contract if I had not let them". They were quite prepared to let the contract run without a working mobile phone at all, so this was an option for them but not for me.
Thanks for the advice about the prepaid phone though, that might be an option. It still doesn't answer my original question though: as they DID restart the contract, albeit with my permission, as it was a restart and thus a change in the contract, do I legally have 10 days under the consumer protection act 2002 to cancel without incurring an ETF?
My question is this: Normally when you sign a contract you have 28 days to get out of it. What happens if I go to the telus store, say the handset is broken and needs upgrading, let them restart the contract - and then cancel within 28 days? Can I legally do that and thereby escape the remaining 2 years or would they still be legally permitted to charge me 24 months worth of early termination fee?
Edit: Interesting answer, that "they would not have extended the contract if I had not let them". They were quite prepared to let the contract run without a working mobile phone at all, so this was an option for them but not for me.
Thanks for the advice about the prepaid phone though, that might be an option. It still doesn't answer my original question though: as they DID restart the contract, albeit with my permission, as it was a restart and thus a change in the contract, do I legally have 10 days under the consumer protection act 2002 to cancel without incurring an ETF?