Candy Telecom is a pretty new kid on the mobile block, and what it does best is 30-day SIM-only deals with unlimited calls and texts.
Because they only operate on a one-month basis, you can stop your plan or switch it for a higher data tariff whenever you like, so long as you give 30 days' notice. Plans range from having no inclusive data at all right up to 20GB per month. Right now, you can get the 2GB plan for £8 cheaper per month - only when you sign up through broadbandchoices.
Operates on Vodafone network.
- mixmixi
Important term and conditions
"A £20 cancellation fee applies to all service cancellations unless during the first 7 working days of your contract."
This is not what you would call a normal 30 day contract.
- eslick
NO CREDIT CHECK - Candy only do a ID check (on the card & matching account address) which you make the order & first £6 months payment in advance - this is a top notch deal for payg users and contract users alike, will help to build credit files up too as reported via Vodafone.
Just dont go over the 2GB data as Vodafone data run on rates are expensive!
- seaniboy
Latest comments (69)
fryitup
9 Mar 17#69
Good to know. Me too
psmith1958
9 Mar 17#68
sorry, i didnt update
got my money back, and first thing i did was cancel standing order
cheers for info though
fryitup
9 Mar 17#67
My advice is:
Please do the following re candy telecom:
1) Cancel any direct debit IMMEDIATELY
2) Report Candy Telecom to ofcom:
Phone or internet service complaints: 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040
2) Contact your bank to claim back the money that has been fraudulently received from you. I got the money back.
fryitup
9 Mar 17#66
Reported it to Ofcom.
As you said they are keen to hear from others in same situation.
The fact that candy seem to be continuing to operate is strange... I wonder why ofcom dont tell VF to cancel their MVNO.
psmith1958
26 Jan 17#64
just checked my bank, they have today taken ANOTHER £6 via visa, bloody fuming
no sim recieved
bank are investigating
fryitup to psmith1958
9 Mar 17#65
After no SIM received I cancelled the direct debit.
I will check now that no further payments were taken and take steps to recover the lost £6.
Update... Halifax have refunded me and have put a block on any future attempts at taking money by Candy. I'll be sticking to known providers from now on.
chiefmojo_123
23 Jan 17#61
yeah already contacted ofcom and had a similar response as you, BC were very defensive I guess they can't ignore now though. also my bank Halifax are looking into it.
chiefmojo_123
19 Jan 171#59
Im another one whos been scammed by candy, thought as it was promoted by broadband choices it was legit. Live chat worked whilst i was signing up and i asked who provided tge network and was told three, other people have been told or read that its vodafone.
Anyway off to the bank tomorrow to see what can be done.
In the mean time ive also emailed broadband choices aswell as ofcom.
seaniboy to chiefmojo_123
23 Jan 17#60
Still no sim, early last week (Tuesday) I contacted Ofcom as there was a few breaches of regulations Complaints Code of Conduct & Alternative Dispute Resolution. Ofcom were not even aware the company existed as not on their telco listing and neither Ofcom approved ADR has Candy registered, Ofcom confirmed.
Thus I sent a email with all this to HR @ BC with all the details and asked why BC did not ensure the company were meeting all regulations before advertising them - and they have been pulled from BC.
BC in their email back admit are now reviewing "our provider listing procedures to identify how they might be improved. We will also highlight potential improvements with the provider as to their own website"
Ofcom have contacted Candy about its breaches.
Ofcom are keen to hear from other people about this matter.
defgimp
17 Jan 17#58
Has anyone actually ordered and received a SIM card?
chanp
16 Jan 17#57
Broadband choices still promoting this offer. Also live chat of Candy Telecom is back. Anyone got any updates?
psmith1958
13 Jan 17#56
email sent to broadband choices
Paul Smith
Jan 12, 10:33 GMT
Candy mobile: Dear sir/madam
I took out a sim only deal with candy mobile going through your site, i recieved no sim, but they took my money and set up the direct debit (which i have now canceled)
I emailed them through thier site, but no reply, i phoned them on numerouse occations during normal office hours only to get an answer machine, the picture below shows what they say is offered for contact, the live chat does not work at all.
If you look on hukd web page thier is a thread for a deal in your company name to take you to the candy mobile deal with lots of other complaints on it.
Would you please contact candy mobile and update me
Regards
Paul smith
maj1
11 Jan 17#55
I emailed Broadband Choices and received the following reply. As they say they have not received any complaints people may want to consider complaining to Broadband Choices and using the email given to contact Candy.
Thank you for contacting broadbandchoices.
I am sorry about the problems you have been experiencing with Candy Telecom.
Let me assure you that for any provider to show their deals on our site, they go through an extensive vetting process to ensure the validity of their business practices.
It certainly seems odd the experience you have had with Candy Telecom as, up until Monday, we had not received one complaint about the way Candy have been conducting their business.
I appreciate the fact that you have already tried to contact Candy directly, however my suggestion would be to try again by emailing this address with your query directly:
Candy have assured us that someone will respond within 24 hours. If after 24 hours you have still not received a response concerning your query then please get back in touch with us, and I will investigate the matter further.
Thanks,
Graeme
Jan 9, 21:13 GMT
Candy Telecom: Dear Sirs
You have an offer for Candy Telecom on your website. i am concerned by how this company operate. I have taken out and cancelled a sim with them through your website. They have note yet refunded my money they took and when i rang their office was closed during normal working hours - it went to a voice mail.
What concerns me more is that the Company seem to be flouting UK consumer law.
On their website it states that the cancellation period is 7 days and they refer to:
These regulations were repealed in 2014 and as you know consumers have 14 days to cancel.
This is misleading customers and you are promoting the company - they have a 6 pound per month special offer on your website.
They also seem to suggest on their website that you cannot cancel within the cancellation period if their service has been used - this is incorrect as you only pay for what you have used.
I wanted to bring this to your attention as you may not know about the Company's practices.
Yours faithfully
Hws
11 Jan 17#54
Exactly the same happened to me!
Hws
11 Jan 17#53
I ordered a sim on 29th December still hasn't arrived. They have taken £6 ... emailed twice no reply.... live chat link on website doesn't work and no phone number. Have cancelled direct debit and writing to cancel contract!
I thought this was a GREAT deal and decided to share it with you all.
However as the days pass I'm beginning to get more and more suspicious with this DEAL and might even vote COLD for my own post.
I signed up with CandyTelecom on the 27th of December 2016. It has now been nearly 2 weeks and I still have had no SIM card delivered.
The £6 was charged to my credit card and the D/D was setup but no funds taken out. I have already sent 3 messages over the last week but have had no reply.
LIVE CHAT does not work.
I'm going to email them again today and wait for a response. If I haven't heard from them by tomorrow then I'll cancel my D/D and raise a dispute with my credit card for the REFUND of my £6.
I will keep you all posted. :disappointed::disappointed::disappointed:
Anon32
10 Jan 17#42
The normal price of this is £14 a month! But you get unlimited mins and texts and 4gb for £10 on plusnet and plusnet will not go bust like this lot as they are owned by BT!
chanp to Anon32
10 Jan 17#44
Where can I find this deal? In Plusnet web it is £15
psmith1958
10 Jan 17#43
just emailed them to cancel
another warning sign is, on thier web site you can email, write to them, it also says it has live chat ..... it dont work BEWARE
DaveRay
10 Jan 17#41
No, it's been in the terms and conditions for ages. They will only charge you if you're stopping broadband on the line permanently, i.e. not just for switching to another provider.
As for this deal, if it looks too good to be true...
seaniboy
10 Jan 17#40
They have been on the go for months, ordered, second sim for peanuts, Voda & TEE-Mobile sim, given both share networks with o2 & 3 should have coverage most places. Already have FreedomPop for wifi/spare phone, all in unlimited data mins & texts between 3 services for £20pm.
And a £1 Argos Anywhere sim in a £1.49 o2 Alcatel 20.45X for emergencies. Covered.
Went via Quidco for a possible Brucie Bonus, £22, could not see anywhere/thing on the Quidco app page that it was excluded.
EDIT: Heat added OP, thanks very muckle
seaniboy
10 Jan 17#39
Ofcom will take the PAC complaint and forward it to Candy
sidesey
10 Jan 17#38
Is this a new thing? Left plusnet few months ago and never got charged a cancellation fee I don't think. I will double check now said it though. Cheers
Mandroid578
10 Jan 17#37
Sounds fishy
snoopy18
9 Jan 17#36
Looks too much of a scam for me
maj1
9 Jan 17#35
You actually get a vodafone sim. No Candy branding on it at all.
johntugwell
9 Jan 17#1
Vodafone 4G too, anyone have any experience of this company?
soulman123 to johntugwell
9 Jan 17#34
the plague
chanp
9 Jan 171#33
BE AWARE COULD BE A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ordered this SIM on 22nd Dec and they taken money out from my debit card straight away, so far I havent got anything and no response for the emails sent. Looks like a scam.
swfarrington
9 Jan 17#32
'tis my intention :smile:
kiish
9 Jan 171#16
It's run by some random bloke who has bought a mail forwarding address (109 Vernon House
Friar Lane
Nottingham
NG1 6DQ)
Is this actually for real? Not even a proper office or anything.
maj1 to kiish
9 Jan 172#31
I'll second that - I don't think this is a real deal. I took the deal out on the 20th December. They said it is activated in 4 hours and one day for porting the number over - which you have one chance of doing when ordering online.
A couple of days later and no activation and no port over.
The offices seem to be closed at the weekend - I think I read it in their terms and conditions so no customer service at the weekend it seems.
What concerned me more was that they are still referring to the old 7 day cancellation period under the old Customer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 which I understand were repealed in 2014.
From their terms and conditions:
"7. Cancellations
(a) Where you order Services from us and we have confirmed acceptance of your order the following terms apply:
(i) If the SIM is defective, you must inform us within 7 days. If you fail to do, you are deemed to have accepted the SIM.
(ii) Where a claim of defect or damage is made we shall deactivate the Services. If on inspection / investigation we find the goods to be defective, you shall be entitled to provision of replacement Services of the same type and denomination.
(iii) In addition to the rights set out herein, you may have statutory rights under the Customer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 as follows:
(1) Under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) in the United Kingdom, as a UK resident, you have the right to cancel the Agreement until the end of the 7th working day after the date on which a contract for purchase is formed between you and us."
No business that is legit would be misleading customers as to their rights. Also I believe from recollection, that there is reference to once their service is activated or used it can't be cancelled - this is incorrect as you pay for what you have used but can still cancel.
I have cancelled. I got an email from them saying my direct debit has been cancelled. However, I have now received a bill for £13.78. Certainly not £6 p.m.! We have not made any calls.
When you order they take £6 from your debit card - I am asking for a refund - no reply to 2 messages I have sent.
They did port my number over when I asked them not to - and now they are not responding to my messages for a PAC code.
I rang around 4.20pm the other day - went straight to answer phone and it said the offices are now closed when the website said they were open!!
You have been warned.
Qrunch
9 Jan 17#26
Some of their deals are pretty expensive actually.
I'm not sure I'd use these, I know they have to start somewhere but even so
psmith1958 to Qrunch
9 Jan 17#30
unlimited calls, unlimited txts and 2 gig of data for £6 expensive ?
how
ses6jwg
9 Jan 17#25
who's going to take the plunge lmao
Keith9534 to ses6jwg
9 Jan 17#29
I wouldn`t want to transfer in a number that you want to keep long term
machomansavage
9 Jan 17#28
What network?
randall1uk
9 Jan 17#27
Companies House details, only started up about 6 months ago!
hot cheapest deal on the market blows all the MVNOs out of the water tesco mobile, giffgaff, plusnet, virgin mobile, sky and id mobile
Peamarshy77
9 Jan 17#23
seems good deal but think I'll stick with giff gaff
benjammin316
9 Jan 17#22
cold
fazzx
9 Jan 171#19
looks like a cowboy company.
psmith1958 to fazzx
9 Jan 17#21
im sure you would of said the same of BT, Vodaphone, Tesco mobile, Asda mobile and so on.
Every company has to start some where
swfarrington
9 Jan 17#6
useful to see such a deal. My 3 contract runs until March and I don't need much data on it. A cheap minutes and texts deal is what I'm after :smiley:
shakeelgoulthorp to swfarrington
9 Jan 17#20
Tell Three you want to cancel and they may offer you a fantastic deal. :wink:
Keith9534
9 Jan 17#18
...and I can`t agree their "tag line" - We`ve cut the catches - not the quality
If you didn`t read the T&C`s (like most people) then theres a catch to leaving!
Keith9534
9 Jan 17#17
If broadband choices are showing it then its a real company but most likely not with any real long term potential unless it can attract loads of customers.
Zontes
9 Jan 17#15
Cashback looks a bit unlikely looking at reviews. Still a good deal.
psmith1958
9 Jan 17#14
Which providers charge these fees?
BT and Plusnet are two of the biggest broadband providers that charge their customers cessation fees. But they’re not the only ones – EE Broadband, John Lewis Broadband and Utility Warehouse also have similar policies.
The providers say the charges cover the costs they incur in recovering equipment from the telephone exchange and in amending records when a broadband line is cancelled. However not every provider applies them – ISPs, such as Sky and Virgin Media, don’t charge customers to leave, as long as their contract has expired.
yulu91
9 Jan 17#13
after a few month you found an email in your inbox saying sorry we are closing down.... once had an experience like this, then decided never use any of these virtual networks, despite how attractive the price is
Keith9534
9 Jan 17#12
So not really a 30 day contract as it has a penalty unless you stay for a year....or is it £20 regardless of how long you stay?
Sambat
9 Jan 17#11
What's a cease charge with BT?
jaques_kalis
9 Jan 17#10
That seems like £20 charge after first 7 days, regardless of if you cancel after 1 month or 1 year ...etc
That sounds like cease charge from BT..
jaques_kalis
9 Jan 171#8
"A £20 cancellation fee applies to all service cancellations unless during the first 7 working days of your contract."
Term 7.5
Sambat to jaques_kalis
9 Jan 17#9
That's fair
Keith9534
9 Jan 172#7
£20 cancellation charge if you've had your plan for less than a year
Never heard of them.
But unlike most they actually bother to put their registered office address and company number on their front page which is an encouraging sign.
T's&C's look ok although the out of plan charges are quite high.
May take the plunge for my daughters phone actually, was on BT but £6 a month is better than £8 a month especially with unlimited (well 10,000 anyway) minutes and texts.
crazymonkey
9 Jan 171#2
does this mean my fingers and ears will rot as well as my teeth?
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
Because they only operate on a one-month basis, you can stop your plan or switch it for a higher data tariff whenever you like, so long as you give 30 days' notice. Plans range from having no inclusive data at all right up to 20GB per month. Right now, you can get the 2GB plan for £8 cheaper per month - only when you sign up through broadbandchoices.
Operates on Vodafone network.
- mixmixi
Important term and conditions
"A £20 cancellation fee applies to all service cancellations unless during the first 7 working days of your contract."
This is not what you would call a normal 30 day contract.
- eslick
NO CREDIT CHECK - Candy only do a ID check (on the card & matching account address) which you make the order & first £6 months payment in advance - this is a top notch deal for payg users and contract users alike, will help to build credit files up too as reported via Vodafone.
Just dont go over the 2GB data as Vodafone data run on rates are expensive!
- seaniboy
Latest comments (69)
got my money back, and first thing i did was cancel standing order
cheers for info though
My advice is:
Please do the following re candy telecom:
1) Cancel any direct debit IMMEDIATELY
2) Report Candy Telecom to ofcom:
Phone or internet service complaints: 0300 123 3333 or 020 7981 3040
2) Contact your bank to claim back the money that has been fraudulently received from you. I got the money back.
As you said they are keen to hear from others in same situation.
The fact that candy seem to be continuing to operate is strange... I wonder why ofcom dont tell VF to cancel their MVNO.
no sim recieved
bank are investigating
I will check now that no further payments were taken and take steps to recover the lost £6.
Anyway off to the bank tomorrow to see what can be done.
In the mean time ive also emailed broadband choices aswell as ofcom.
Thus I sent a email with all this to HR @ BC with all the details and asked why BC did not ensure the company were meeting all regulations before advertising them - and they have been pulled from BC.
BC in their email back admit are now reviewing "our provider listing procedures to identify how they might be improved. We will also highlight potential improvements with the provider as to their own website"
Ofcom have contacted Candy about its breaches.
Ofcom are keen to hear from other people about this matter.
Paul Smith
Jan 12, 10:33 GMT
Candy mobile: Dear sir/madam
I took out a sim only deal with candy mobile going through your site, i recieved no sim, but they took my money and set up the direct debit (which i have now canceled)
I emailed them through thier site, but no reply, i phoned them on numerouse occations during normal office hours only to get an answer machine, the picture below shows what they say is offered for contact, the live chat does not work at all.
If you look on hukd web page thier is a thread for a deal in your company name to take you to the candy mobile deal with lots of other complaints on it.
Would you please contact candy mobile and update me
Regards
Paul smith
Thank you for contacting broadbandchoices.
I am sorry about the problems you have been experiencing with Candy Telecom.
Let me assure you that for any provider to show their deals on our site, they go through an extensive vetting process to ensure the validity of their business practices.
It certainly seems odd the experience you have had with Candy Telecom as, up until Monday, we had not received one complaint about the way Candy have been conducting their business.
I appreciate the fact that you have already tried to contact Candy directly, however my suggestion would be to try again by emailing this address with your query directly:
[email protected]
Candy have assured us that someone will respond within 24 hours. If after 24 hours you have still not received a response concerning your query then please get back in touch with us, and I will investigate the matter further.
Thanks,
Graeme
Jan 9, 21:13 GMT
Candy Telecom: Dear Sirs
You have an offer for Candy Telecom on your website. i am concerned by how this company operate. I have taken out and cancelled a sim with them through your website. They have note yet refunded my money they took and when i rang their office was closed during normal working hours - it went to a voice mail.
What concerns me more is that the Company seem to be flouting UK consumer law.
On their website it states that the cancellation period is 7 days and they refer to:
Customer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000
These regulations were repealed in 2014 and as you know consumers have 14 days to cancel.
This is misleading customers and you are promoting the company - they have a 6 pound per month special offer on your website.
They also seem to suggest on their website that you cannot cancel within the cancellation period if their service has been used - this is incorrect as you only pay for what you have used.
I wanted to bring this to your attention as you may not know about the Company's practices.
Yours faithfully
Thanks I will look into it.
looks like a gotta put in a claim
I'm oooot!
Hi All, Just a word of warning.
I thought this was a GREAT deal and decided to share it with you all.
However as the days pass I'm beginning to get more and more suspicious with this DEAL and might even vote COLD for my own post.
I signed up with CandyTelecom on the 27th of December 2016. It has now been nearly 2 weeks and I still have had no SIM card delivered.
The £6 was charged to my credit card and the D/D was setup but no funds taken out. I have already sent 3 messages over the last week but have had no reply.
LIVE CHAT does not work.
I'm going to email them again today and wait for a response. If I haven't heard from them by tomorrow then I'll cancel my D/D and raise a dispute with my credit card for the REFUND of my £6.
I will keep you all posted. :disappointed::disappointed::disappointed:
another warning sign is, on thier web site you can email, write to them, it also says it has live chat ..... it dont work BEWARE
As for this deal, if it looks too good to be true...
And a £1 Argos Anywhere sim in a £1.49 o2 Alcatel 20.45X for emergencies. Covered.
Went via Quidco for a possible Brucie Bonus, £22, could not see anywhere/thing on the Quidco app page that it was excluded.
EDIT: Heat added OP, thanks very muckle
I ordered this SIM on 22nd Dec and they taken money out from my debit card straight away, so far I havent got anything and no response for the emails sent. Looks like a scam.
Friar Lane
Nottingham
NG1 6DQ)
Is this actually for real? Not even a proper office or anything.
A couple of days later and no activation and no port over.
The offices seem to be closed at the weekend - I think I read it in their terms and conditions so no customer service at the weekend it seems.
What concerned me more was that they are still referring to the old 7 day cancellation period under the old Customer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 which I understand were repealed in 2014.
From their terms and conditions:
"7. Cancellations
(a) Where you order Services from us and we have confirmed acceptance of your order the following terms apply:
(i) If the SIM is defective, you must inform us within 7 days. If you fail to do, you are deemed to have accepted the SIM.
(ii) Where a claim of defect or damage is made we shall deactivate the Services. If on inspection / investigation we find the goods to be defective, you shall be entitled to provision of replacement Services of the same type and denomination.
(iii) In addition to the rights set out herein, you may have statutory rights under the Customer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 as follows:
(1) Under the Distance Selling Regulations (2000) in the United Kingdom, as a UK resident, you have the right to cancel the Agreement until the end of the 7th working day after the date on which a contract for purchase is formed between you and us."
No business that is legit would be misleading customers as to their rights. Also I believe from recollection, that there is reference to once their service is activated or used it can't be cancelled - this is incorrect as you pay for what you have used but can still cancel.
I have cancelled. I got an email from them saying my direct debit has been cancelled. However, I have now received a bill for £13.78. Certainly not £6 p.m.! We have not made any calls.
When you order they take £6 from your debit card - I am asking for a refund - no reply to 2 messages I have sent.
They did port my number over when I asked them not to - and now they are not responding to my messages for a PAC code.
I rang around 4.20pm the other day - went straight to answer phone and it said the offices are now closed when the website said they were open!!
You have been warned.
I'm not sure I'd use these, I know they have to start somewhere but even so
how
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10171724/filing-history
Every company has to start some where
If you didn`t read the T&C`s (like most people) then theres a catch to leaving!
BT and Plusnet are two of the biggest broadband providers that charge their customers cessation fees. But they’re not the only ones – EE Broadband, John Lewis Broadband and Utility Warehouse also have similar policies.
The providers say the charges cover the costs they incur in recovering equipment from the telephone exchange and in amending records when a broadband line is cancelled. However not every provider applies them – ISPs, such as Sky and Virgin Media, don’t charge customers to leave, as long as their contract has expired.
That sounds like cease charge from BT..
Term 7.5
But unlike most they actually bother to put their registered office address and company number on their front page which is an encouraging sign.
T's&C's look ok although the out of plan charges are quite high.
May take the plunge for my daughters phone actually, was on BT but £6 a month is better than £8 a month especially with unlimited (well 10,000 anyway) minutes and texts.
Otherwise sweet deal