Virgin Broadband - Are the T&C's legal?

[Simon]

I've read on a couple of forums lately about Virgin Media's Broadband service not offering a 'Cooling off Period' whereby you can cancel the service within 7 working days of being connected under the distance selling act shown here:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/buyi...ing/index.html

In Virgin Media's T&C's for the broadband service they list this clause:

By law, you have the right to cancel this Agreement within seven working days of entering into it (the "cooling off period"). In the event of cancellation during the cooling off period, this Agreement is treated as if it had not been made. However, please be aware that you will lose your right to cancel under this clause during the cooling off period once we have commenced activation of the Service or you use the Service, whichever is the earlier. Therefore, you may cancel your application by calling our Broadband Customer Support number between the date of your order and receipt of your confirmation email from us without incurring any Charges for the Service. However, if you have already received a confirmation email from us accepting your order, we will do our best to cancel the Service as soon as possible but we must warn you that we may have to process the Charges if we, in turn, have been charged for work undertaken in connection with activation of the Service. Where you cancel pre-activation and Virgin Media has provided Equipment free of charge, we reserve the right to ask you to either return the Equipment or to pay the standard charge. .

Essentially this means once you receive notification of your order you are tied into the service for the 12 months unless your prepared to pay all charges. Even Sky offer a cooling off period once your connected.

I bet order confirmations are rushed out within a matter of days. How on earth can this be legal?

Yet another reason to avoid Virgin Media.

[Keiran2K8]

I would suggest "Ofcom" but in Geds post, It seems they dont have no real control over things.

[GedNE]

I would suggest "Ofcom" but in Geds post, It seems they dont have no real control over things.

Which poses the problem.. who DOES have power over braodband ISP's??

[NewsreadeR]

The impression I got when I spoke to OFCOM was that they were powerless to act, unless 100's of people all reported the same scenario.

They certainly would take no action on my complaint, and made it quite clear, that I had to do all the legwork.

That has to be wrong.

[GedNE]

Mmmm.. certainly makes you think. Yeah I read the article in question and it was a tad enlightening and I was pretty shocked by it... it seems to be that the ISP's have it kinda easy then...

You would just think a regulations body would be able to do something, but like you say if there is not enough peeps complaining about it.. then its a case of sorry we can't help... crazy!!

[Keiran2K8]

Its like that "Unlimited Broadband" clause went straight through Ofcom and il sure its going around a petition to the MP's!

Sorry for taking your post Off-topic @Simon.