topic Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM in General Chit Chat

Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Nixy1 — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:32:31 GMT

Hi, hope this is the correct place for this...

I know this is an EE forum - I am with EE but hoping for some community advice. My partner was cold called by a business called comparethenetworks.com who claimed to be a 'partner' of 3 mobile. They caught him at a time when he was busy at work and also unhappy with his current phone which had started playing up. He came home and gleefully told me it was all sorted and he was getting a new phone. My heart sank as I said to him - NEVER agree to anything where someone has phoned YOU! Too late, he has signed a business contract. He was certain all was ok and wasn't too keen on my negativity initially. A really 'knowledgeable' and nice guy on the phone told him no worries, you can keep your number, we will pay off your existing 3 contract, the new one is 18 months and bob's your uncle everyone is happy! I immediately googled them - not great news. Trust pilot has some horrendous reviews but overall the score is fine, mainly because the reviews all look like they've been written by the same people and are fake. Companies House shows them as a dissolved company. His new iphone 15 phone did arrive - from Amazon! I looked at the contract - it's three years not 18 months. He was also not aware there is no cooling off period on a business contract. Needless to say they have not paid off his existing contract or ported his number - they never even asked for a PAC. My partner now has two phones, two numbers and two contracts and has no idea what to do other than suck it up and put it down to experience - or stupidity. This company are scammers - AVOID.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

bristolian — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:55:30 GMT

@Nixy1 wrote:

He was also not aware there is no cooling off period on a business contract

This is not strictly true. Different rules apply for business-to-business sales, but if your partner is a consumer - then whatever label the retailer or network may choose to apply to that plan, consumer distance sales rights apply.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

UrsulaJ — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 10:41:55 GMT

I will need to look up consumer distance rights.
I’ve had a similar situation.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Rob_T — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 19:11:51 GMT

Hi, this exact scenario has just happened to me but I have 4 sims on my account. They cold called me and I was reluctant to entertain the sales guy called Kieron. He seemed to know alot about my account with EE saying they are a partner of ee. I told him that I'd recently altered my plan on some of the devices so dont think i can change anything atm. It also coincided with really poor signal issues with the phones which was becoming a real problem. He told me he could change our sims and provider for £12 each per month unlimited data and calls with network 3. Because I was reluctant he said we can have a 14 day cooling off period to test the new network. If I wasn't happy with signal he could swap everything back. I agreed SIMS came and he called following day to do the pac codes. I gave him my ee log in and that's when he discovered we was actually in contract till 2026 on 2 devices. I wasn't aware of this but had told him on the first call I had know idea where we was up to contract wise with ee. He told me to call ee and see if I could leave mid contract. Ee said that would cost me £1000, but if my signal issues was down to there network I'd have a case to leave foc. Ee sent me a new sim and did some tweaks etc but I had to go along with the testing ee wanted me to do. I told kieron to pause going over to 3 till I knew if I was able to leave ee. He didn't and now I have 4 three sims and my original ee ones. I've requested all call records and have put an internal dispute in with compare the network who have found they haven't done anything wrong (no suprise). Now I'm putting the case together for the Onbusmen to review.

So annoyed with myself as I never do things over phone which is what I kept saying to him but he made it all sound risk free!

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

E444_frazer — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 19:29:15 GMT

It's definitely not a scam, If it was a scam why would they post you a mobile phone?

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

HappyMan3 — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:51:16 GMT

Because they tell you on the call that the contact is shorter than the contract that they send to you. Because they say they are going to get you out of your current contract with your current company (buy you out).

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Leanne_T — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:47:55 GMT

Hi there @HappyMan3

Thanks for posting.

Have you been contacted and had a new contract set up? If so, is the contract with EE?

Leanne.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Azimuthimages — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:22:14 GMT

I've had three of these in the last 2 days. I've reported the numbers to www.who-called.co.uk

The ones so far include:-

01743 817244

01955 698340

01743 817235

Steev

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

chrisjp1 — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:06:49 GMT

It may not strictly be a scam but it is certainly high pressure selling, with claims made that cannot be realised

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Peter_W — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:21:33 GMT

Hey @Azimuthimages, thanks for flagging this 😊

None of these reflect the numbers we would call from, so if you haven't already I'd recommend reporting them here, too:

Report a scam call | BT Help

Peter

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Azimuthimages — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:28:04 GMT

Well I tried but that web site wants me to play the 'select all the squares' game.

This human refuses to try to convince a computer I'm human.

This Captcha stuff needs to end.

So much as I'd like to - I won't

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

trixyyy — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 23:31:40 GMT

Hi Rob

Did you come right with the Onbusmen?

I am in a similar situation as yourself but more along the lines of Nixy1's case as its only the one contract, sim only.

They made me give my PAC number over the phone which i did, i wasn't aware that this shouldn't have been done. I am how ever with O2, which i phoned straight after the call with these people as i received a message from O2 after i had requested my PAC that i shouldn't give this out. I was then only aware that i wasn't on the phone with O2 and was in fact on the phone with CTN scum. O2 have no idea who they are so they told me its definitely a scam.

I have contacted CTN and told them i want to cancel and as they've said to everything 1 that there is no cool off period and that there is a cancelation fee of over £750 that i will need to pay before the next 14 days.

I really dont know what to do. Do i call their bluff and take the risk that its all real and true and that i have no leg to stand on and get my self into trouble for cancelling the debit orders and not paying the monthly fee,
or
do i just go ahead with it and stick with these idiots for the next 36 months?

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Peter_W — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:25:49 GMT

Welcome to the Community, @trixyyy.

Was it an EE SIM that was sold to you in this situation?

If your number hasn't already ported, we can usually cancel the switch so your O2 account doesn't close.

Either way, based on what you've mentioned I would always suggest trying to deal with the networks involved directly via the contacts on their website.

You can find our contact details here:

Peter

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

trixyyy — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:50:04 GMT

Hi Peter_W

Thanks for your response.

It wasn't it was to stay on O2. As i thought the whole time i was talking to an O2 representative, only right at the end did i they ask if i was happy with signal with O2 cause if i wasn't that i could change to EE which made it more confusing.

I now know to only do it online, but i am still stuck with what to do now.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

Peter_W — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:08:20 GMT

One thing to remember @trixyyy is that any online or over the phone order is protected under the distance selling regulations (DSR) that state you can change your mind and send back any order within 14 days.

I appreciate this is tough when you fear that the company that offered this are less than above board, but is should be something you're able to action.

Peter

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

trixyyy — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:43:22 GMT

even though that it sates in the contract thats its a business to business contract and there is no cooling down period

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

bristolian — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:48:03 GMT

@trixyyy wrote:
even though that it sates in the contract thats its a business to business contract and there is no cooling down period

If you are purchasing goods as a consumer, then no amount of T&Cs can override your statutory rights.

Disreputable companies may claim otherwise to attempt to put you off. They may, sadly, achieve this with some unfortunate people.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

trixyyy — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:14:57 GMT

would you say that id be safe then canceling any payment s and debit orders and that things can't legally happen as this wont be eligible for court?

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

bristolian — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:23:34 GMT

I think you need to take independent legal advice before going any further.

My previous post was just pointing out that a company claiming you're exempt from the statutory 14days cancellation rights, does not mean you are.

Re: Comparethenetworks.com SCAM

trixyyy — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:23:18 GMT

thank you i appreciate that, i shall do that.