Where are the new contracts? [15 November 1998]
CWC and the OFT have been negotiating, for over a year, over new contracts for ex-Videotron subscribers. Which? (November 1998; not online) describes what has been going on in detail. In summary, the existing Videotron
contracts are 'riddled with unfair terms':
- A number of clauses which allowed Videotron (and then CWC) to change services are too widely drawn.
- The contracts lock subscribers in for a minimum period of twelve months.
As Videotron have been 'dead' for over a year the second problem is no longer relevant ... but remember the line rental increase and other changes early in 1998? The OFT were particularly unhappy about those, as subscribers who had signed up less than a year before the changes
were made could not register their disapproval by leaving until their twelve months had expired.
And, a few months back, I had several cases of people who were being forced to pay CWC line rental, even though they had moved house to a non-CWC area,
because they were locked into a contract which was still enforceable ... although irrelevant!
Anyway, the OFT have ordered CWC to issue the new contracts; no sign of them yet ...
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