Contracts.

I HATE them. Is it just me or are they engineered to fall firmly in the writers favour. Their inflexibility and peoples unwillingness to deviate is enough to make me furious .

Contract 1:

I'm currently on a 21 month phone contract because I was phoned and told I could renew my 12 month contract 3 months early if I went on to an 18 month contract. They didn't tell me that the 18 months still *started* in 3 months time.

Contract 2

I signed up and paid a deposit to live in a 6 bed flat in Nottingham with three friends. The other 3 flatmates (all students) have stated that they will basically make the flat unlivable ("party house" which I cant do with a full time job. So I wish to leave the contract. Can I just find a replacement? No - the other house mates have to "release" me which means they get final say on a replacement. Bad terms means they wont do this. When/if they do then I will be paid my deposit less £75 for admin - i.e. printing off a clean copy of the contract to be resigned.

Contract 3

I rang my gym in december to cancel my contract as I now have a membership in Nottingham.. "you cant cancel now because youre in youre 7 month, ring back closer to the time". So with two months to go (it ends at the end of june) I ring up and I am told that there needs to be three months written notice so it wont finish until september. This is made worse by the fact I pay a joint membership for my brother who has just lost his job - so thats £190 extra I have to pay for these extra months.



Rant over.

inb4 - "read the contract" - just want to make it clear my rant is that contracts are specifically sold and engineered to make it extremely easy to cock up/hard to avoid some disadvantage to yourself

And its my birthday today

[Edited on 8/5/09 by cd.thomson]

[Edited on 8/5/09 by cd.thomson]

Hi Craig,

I've had very similar things - often if you firmly but politely ask to speak to someone more important (esp at phone / gym places) and let them know that you were misled or missold initially and you like them to release you from contract as an act of good will, you'll often get away with it... worth a try. If that doesn't work then canceling the direct debit at least makes them work for their money!

Chris

I'd look to see if there's an "unreasonable behaviour" clause in the contract for the flat - if they're going to mess around then that may be a way out.
Also, does the landlord know what they're planning? If not, you could make a suggestion to the 3 others about telling him. It all depends whether you want to remain friends!

It sounds like you will be evicted from the flat before the contract needs dodging so I wouldn't worry about that, I'm glad I don't live next door. You can cancel direct debits or close the account the money is coming out of and they will soon cancel your gym membership if they don't get paid.

not on the same scale and money but i wanted to cancel my mobile phone insurance... could i get hold of anyone to cancel it...no. As soon as the payment was supposed to go out and it didn't i soon got a phone call. It's a pi** take half the time.

Contract 1: Bugger they got you there! Btw most phones only have a 12 month warranty so be careful with that one.

Contract 2: Maybe a phone call to the police from a "neighbour" every time they start making excessive noise will work. Otherwise it might be time to sleep in the buff and get straight out of bed and ask them to shut the f**k up as you're sleeping

Contract 3: The worst they can do is chase you for the money, then send it to a debt collector. Most often if you call them straight away and give them an offer of 50-75% of what they're asking they'll take it.

From a while ago every contract I get I send my own one back for them to sign stating amongst other things:
My contract presides over theirs, if anything clashes my one rules.
I don't have to accept any changes to their contract and it doesn't mean they get cancelled.
If I'm not happy with anything I have the right to not pay them until it's sorted.

If they don't sign it's their tough...