Question re: cancellation fee for conference

[CommanderJameson]

Mrs J was approached by phone on Thursday (5th of March) about attendance at a conference; completely complimentary, all she has to do is get herself there. She signs up.

Turns out that the dates aren't feasible, and she wants to cancel.

The document on the company's website says "cancellation after 23rd Feb will incur a £500 fee".

How does this stand up, given that they only rang Mrs J on Thursday, which was 10 days after their cancellation deadline?

If Mrs J can't rearrange things and has to cancel, can we legally tell the company "you rang Mrs J up after your cancellation deadline, now do one"?

Edited by CommanderJameson on Saturday 7th March 17:28

[escargot]

Cheeky bds. Tell them to do one.

[Super Bad]

escargot said:

Cheeky bds. Tell them to do one.

Exactly!

[Parrot of Doom]

How did she sign up?

[CommanderJameson]

Parrot of Doom said:

How did she sign up?

Shewas called on the phone, and subsequently the forum company sent email with linky to web sign up. No card details or any other payment method offered or asked for.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Saturday 7th March 17:34

[DavidHM]

So it's free to go and £500 not to go.

Sounds like an unenforceable penalty clause to me.

Do they already have the credit card details?

[Chrisgr31]

What was the conference on? If they aren't charging you to go how can they charge you not to go?

Failing that where is the conference? Pay someone to go and pretend to be here!

[Brown and Boris]

I have seen some free Govt. conferences do this but usualy just £50, so that you don't take a place you don't intend to use or drop out on the day having been too busy or can't be bothered to attend.

I presume you have a cooling off period after an unsolicited call anyway? I preseum ethey didn't point out this penalty clause anywhere obvious on their site?

[Parrot of Doom]

CommanderJameson said:

Parrot of Doom said:

How did she sign up?

Shewas called on the phone, and subsequently the forum company sent email with linky to web sign up. No card details or any other payment method offered or asked for.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Saturday 7th March 17:34

I'd like to see them prove she agreed to anything. After all, wasn't your nephew playing on the computer that day?

Ignore it, don't even bother cancelling. fk them.

[CommanderJameson]

Brown and Boris said:

I have seen some free Govt. conferences do this but usualy just £50, so that you don't take a place you don't intend to use or drop out on the day having been too busy or can't be bothered to attend.

I presume you have a cooling off period after an unsolicited call anyway? I preseum ethey didn't point out this penalty clause anywhere obvious on their site?

The penalty clause is detailed on the delegate information PDF, and has the specific date of the 23rd of February 2009 mentioned - a full ten days before the unsolicited phone call!

Thanks for all the responses so far - I think a polite call on Monday is in order.

[CommanderJameson]

Result! Mrs J sent a polite email to the company advising them that she would be exercising her right to a cooling off period and that, as the arrangement had been made after the cancellation deadline, she thought she'd give paying them £500 a miss.

A response was received along the lines of a big pile of verbiage and then the priceless line, "although we have every right to collect it, we have decided to waive the £500 + VAT fine in this instance".

Yes, of course you have, poppet.