Official Vodafone Complaints/Query Thread

Hi Jack,

So I can chase this up, please update the thread with your email reference number.
Lee, from the email it is: 16173635.
Thanks
Jack

Hi

I'm new and looking for some advice regarding Vodafone and Ombudsman Services and what I can do if I'm unhappy with the outcome of their investigation. Brief summary:

I've had an complaint outstanding with Vodafone going back to the middle of last year. They have failed to deal with it and each time I called them, they say someone will call me back but they don't. My bill with them is outstanding because I wanted them to formally look into it - which also eventually involved some bank charges I incurred from this - through their complaints procedure. Early this year I had a letter saying they would class the payment as in default if I didn't call them to resolve the matter. I called them again, and it was the same story - I explained things, got cut off numerous times, someone promised to call me back, and they never did. A month later, they classed it as a default payment.

It took a little while for me to realise this - when I had called them I had asked if it was already classed as default and one person said yes, one said no so I wasn't totally sure, and of course I had hoped to resolve it. But eventually, it started affecting my credit so I realised what they had done and raised a complaint with Ombudsman Services hoping for some kind of common sense. Unfortunately that seems to be AWOL. I received a response that basically said they recognise Vodafone had given bad service and offered £75 but that Vodafone had "explained the charges" months ago and so I should have paid, and that because the amount is outstanding, it is their right to class it as default. Whilst this may be legally true, there is no consideration given to the fact that I had tried to cooperate with them and in my opinion it was in dispute. It all seems very contradictory, I appealed giving more details but received the same contradictory response. It is recognised that Vodafone gave bad service but that is only covered in the £75 (which I don't even feel is enough given the time and stress this caused me but there was no offer increase it) and isn't taken into account in either removing the late payment charges that are part of the outstanding balance, or in removing the default from my credit rating because it is their right and they explained the charges so I should have paid. Also, Vodafone would need to repay my bank feeds but only up to the conversation where they "explained the charges" - not for the length of the dIspute even though they never officially dealt with anything. None of this seems right to me. To begin with, surely explaining the bill is not the same as dealing with the complaint? Secondly, who in their right mind pays a company £200+ they don't agree with when the company have not dealt with their complaint, aren't communicating two ways and aren't looking at the bank charges I had?

I feel that my appeal was wasted as nothing was listened to and there was no change from the original decision. I have called Ombudsman Services and they tell me the only option is to talk it through with the Investigating Officer but that what they say will be the final decision. I'm not hopeful as they seem unable to understand what I am saying, or see things from my point of view. From looking online it seems that removing the credit history is often part of agreeing to pay the bill but they seem against that and sees to think I deserve this and the knock on affect it will have even though I have given evidence that I had been in contact with them many times and they were not dealing with the actual complaint regardless of what one person told me on one particular call. When I look at my credit rating I can see that Vodafone has classed the payment as unpaid since the same point she refers to them as "explaining the charges" so from that point it's unpaid, and then in default until now - surely a lot of those entries should show the payment was in dispute at least?

Does anyone have experience of anything similar, and do I have any recourse here? Am I still able to speak to Vodafone about the credit history part regardless of what Ombudsman Services say?

It strikes me that I would have had a better outcome if I had been able to speak to Vodafone directly as I may have been able to negotiate the credit history part so I'm very angry about the whole thing and worried about my financial future from this. It seems very unfair that all of this has spiralled from me having a query and Vodafone failing to raise a complaint (according to who you speak to there) - £75 is nice and all but it's nothing to Vodafone and I'll only end up paying it back to them. It just all seems wrongly handled and I'm not just saying that because I have "lost" parts. I accept that they deem the £200+ (although I still don't agree with it at all but that's another matter) bill as correct but the rest of it just seems wrong when they also accept Vodafone gave bad service.

I feel like Vodafone are ruining my life and that while they have to pay me £75, I'm disproportionately worse off, and will struggle to get a mortgage and overdraft now.

Help!!!

The "process" involves contacting them as instructed and getting a reference number.

dazzaofdagenham wrote: »

Which is about as much use as a handbrake on a canoe.

How so? This thread alone is proof of the usefulness of the WRT process. They have a pretty good track record of resolution once the customer follows the process and updates with ref number.

I know you have an axe to grind, but try and keep it factual...

Hi

Can anyone help or give advice with the situation I posted above please? Happy to answer any questions if it helps but getting rather concerned about this and as I'm going through the Ombudsman it's time sensitive. I am wondering if I would still be able to negotiate with Vodafone directly regarding the credit rating issue if needed?

Thanks!