Q: A few months ago I was approached by a representative selling mobile telephony service contracts who explained to me the latest offers his company was trying to sell.

Being dissatisfied with the service of my current service provider I decided to take the new offer. Before signing the contract, I specifically asked the sales representative if I would get a worldwide service and the answer was a definite yes.

I also said I needed to travel to South America and the mobile with internet service was a necessity to me. He assured me I should not encounter any problems and so I took the offer and signed the contract.

When I travelled to South America, I found out I could not make contact with my family and friends in Malta. Since calling from the hotel was very expensive, I decided to purchase a local Sim card or phone card.

After a lot of hassle, I managed to buy a card for $50, which only lasted two days. I also made use of the hotel internet service, which was quite expensive.

Can I cancel my mobile telephony contract since I did not get the service promised? And can I ask to be reimbursed for all the extra expenses I incurred during this holiday?

A: As to your first question, the service provider was legally obliged to provide you with the promised service. Since this was not the case, you may have a valid reason for deciding to terminate the contract. Regarding the extra expenses you incurred, you may also file a claim with the service provider to obtain a refund as well as compensation for all the inconvenience you went through to manage to communicate with relatives and friends in Malta.

If you do not get a satisfactory reply from the service provider, you may file a complaint with the Office for Consumer Affairs, so we can mediate with the aim of reaching an amicable solution to your request for compensation.