Deceptive upselling

[basilletts]

I have the same complaint as @Ruthwin. 

EE is scamming customers by signing them up for tablet contracts they didn't want or ask for.

When I signed up for my new phone contract in July 2021, I was told I could have a 'free' tablet with the contract at 'no additional cost.' I said I didn't want a tablet, but a member of the EE team (at the Watford shop) told me that I might as well take the tablet as it was free. 

I've not been rigorous at checking my bills, but am surprised to discover I've been charged £11.70 for this every month. The tablet was free, but it came with a contract I wasn't told about and certainly didn't want. 

At best this sales tactic, which is presumably commission based, is misleading. More realistically, it is a scam. I feel foolish for trusting a company I thought to be reputable and getting tricked. You just don't expect this from a well-known company.

I went into the Watford shop to query this and was told there is nothing that can be done because the manager of the store has changed since then. I asked if they still sell tablets in the same way using the language 'free' and 'no additional cost' and was told that this is the normal language used when selling bundles. 

Hmm 

[James_B]

Hi @basilletts,

Welcome to the EE Community.

Please get in touch with Customer Care so a member of the team can look into this for you.

They'll be happy to help.

James

[basilletts]

Hi James,

When I complain in store, I'm told to call Customer Care... when I call Customer Care I'm told to go and raise a complaint in store.

This is, of course, my fault for not reading the contracts I was signing carefully enough. But there seems to be quite a lot of people who are being tricked by EE sales tactics. I certainly don't feel like like I've been treated very well.

I suppose I will wait out this contract and switch supplier.

[James_B]

Hi @basilletts,

Another option would be to a complaint online at Make a complaint (ee.co.uk).

Hope this helps.

James

[Shams3]

The exact thing happened to me. I was told the tablet was free, not once was I told I am paying £11 for a second sim (tablet sim). But I am going through the full complaint process and requested my call recording under FOI. I was definitely misled!!!

[Being1]

Exactly the same has happened to me. It's shocking. I have another year to wait before I am free of paying for this tablet that I don't even use. I only found out that I'm paying for it recently when the yearly price increases came around and I asked EE why my mobile has a £3 increase instead of £1.50 and they said because of the tablet. I was told the tablet was completely free, just a gift from EE (when I upgraded my phone last year). The guy in the EE shop had already told me a monthly price for my upgraded mobile plan so I never questioned the billing, he even said stuff like 'oh, don't worry if you see a price for the tablet on the bill, it's just how they word it, but the tablet's free'. It's sickening that 1) I could have basically been paying half my monthly bill all this time just for the mobile and 2) I still have a year for this tablet that sits in a draw. It's disgusting to have been scammed like this, and I see many other people have too.