We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Vodafone Contract Help!
Hi all,
I've just got off the phone to the wonderful Vodafone people and am absolutely livid...I took out an 18 month contract with them in August 2007 on a pretty expensive and unneccesary price plan (750 mins/unlimited texts for 35/month) and quite frankly have been waiting for it to run out to negotiate a better one (the tariff downgrades in the meantime would have been a waste of time and money!). On 28/11 last year I called to get yet another replacement Nokia N95 on my insurance as it had packed up again. The person I spoke to told me that rather than get a replacement handset he (but only he) could offer me an upgrade on my HANDSET, which I agreed to. I was then sent a Sony Ericsson C902.
A few days later (01/12) I rang again to downgrade my tariff to the lowest possible, as I was leaving the country for a few months and could stomach paying a small amount for not using my phone if it meant keeping the same number. The lowest tariff they could offer me as an existing customer was 50 mins/50 texts for a measly £20/month!!! Nice! Anyway, as I wasn't going to be using the phone abroad too much, if at all, I agreed. I remember the person I spoke to then being a little confused and thinking I had upgraded my contract but it was a small matter which he admitted was his mistake, and he promptly lowered my tariff. Maybe the alarm bells should have rang then, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Okay, fast forward a few months, I'm back in the UK, and last Saturday I popped into a Vodafone shop to enquire about new deals for me...at which point I was told I'm locked in on a new contract (on my bad tariff) until July 2010! I've been on the phone to them countless times since and was told by someone on Sunday that A - I had probably been missold my contract and that it happens a lot, and B - that after trying to break my contract for me he didn't have the authorisation to do so, but would get his manager to call me back by 6pm Monday evening. No one called, so this morning I've been speaking to someone who has point blank refused to help me in any way.
In the original phone call, at NO POINT was a contract of an length mentioned, certainly not an 18 month one. If it had been I would have declined as I could have got a replacement handset on my insurance without all this fuss! The original plan was to get the handset, cancel the insurance, then wait for the "previous" contract to run it's course. Until Saturday I was under the impression I was still doing this! I left the country a few days after that first phone call, and to be honest I don't study my bills that much, especially when I thought I only had a few more to pay! Now I'm locked into another contract with them and I'm still an existing customer so can't get a cheaper tariff which is what I've wanted all along!
The question is, do I have a leg to stand on and what do I do? I've argued my case as much as I could but decided to hang up before I got to the point of effing and blinding down the phone at them! I'm off to the gym to relieve some stress now to resume this later....someone help me!!!
I've just got off the phone to the wonderful Vodafone people and am absolutely livid...I took out an 18 month contract with them in August 2007 on a pretty expensive and unneccesary price plan (750 mins/unlimited texts for 35/month) and quite frankly have been waiting for it to run out to negotiate a better one (the tariff downgrades in the meantime would have been a waste of time and money!). On 28/11 last year I called to get yet another replacement Nokia N95 on my insurance as it had packed up again. The person I spoke to told me that rather than get a replacement handset he (but only he) could offer me an upgrade on my HANDSET, which I agreed to. I was then sent a Sony Ericsson C902.
A few days later (01/12) I rang again to downgrade my tariff to the lowest possible, as I was leaving the country for a few months and could stomach paying a small amount for not using my phone if it meant keeping the same number. The lowest tariff they could offer me as an existing customer was 50 mins/50 texts for a measly £20/month!!! Nice! Anyway, as I wasn't going to be using the phone abroad too much, if at all, I agreed. I remember the person I spoke to then being a little confused and thinking I had upgraded my contract but it was a small matter which he admitted was his mistake, and he promptly lowered my tariff. Maybe the alarm bells should have rang then, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Okay, fast forward a few months, I'm back in the UK, and last Saturday I popped into a Vodafone shop to enquire about new deals for me...at which point I was told I'm locked in on a new contract (on my bad tariff) until July 2010! I've been on the phone to them countless times since and was told by someone on Sunday that A - I had probably been missold my contract and that it happens a lot, and B - that after trying to break my contract for me he didn't have the authorisation to do so, but would get his manager to call me back by 6pm Monday evening. No one called, so this morning I've been speaking to someone who has point blank refused to help me in any way.
In the original phone call, at NO POINT was a contract of an length mentioned, certainly not an 18 month one. If it had been I would have declined as I could have got a replacement handset on my insurance without all this fuss! The original plan was to get the handset, cancel the insurance, then wait for the "previous" contract to run it's course. Until Saturday I was under the impression I was still doing this! I left the country a few days after that first phone call, and to be honest I don't study my bills that much, especially when I thought I only had a few more to pay! Now I'm locked into another contract with them and I'm still an existing customer so can't get a cheaper tariff which is what I've wanted all along!
The question is, do I have a leg to stand on and what do I do? I've argued my case as much as I could but decided to hang up before I got to the point of effing and blinding down the phone at them! I'm off to the gym to relieve some stress now to resume this later....someone help me!!!
0
Comments
-
I had a problem with being given an 18 month contract when I asked for a 12 month one, got it resolved by e-mailing the CEO (http://www.connectotel.com/marcus/ceoemail.html - might be a bit out of date now)
Maybe ask for a record of all your telephone calls too?2p off is still 2p off!0 -
To fatboyonadiet, yes you are right the contact details for the CEO are out of date. Although this is rather a sledgehammer to crack a nut way to go about it.
OP, I hope you are feeling a lot calmer after your workout. It is frustrating but important to keep your cool in order to get the best help for your problem.
If you ring them again, speak to the team manager and if you don't get what you want from them, insist on speaking to the OPs manager (calmly).
If you prefer to write to them, you should find the e-mail address for them on your last bill - at least this way you have a paper-trail of who agreed what with you for future ref.
good luckMortgage free as of 10/02/2015. Every brick and blade of grass belongs to meeeee. :j0 -
It is but I doubt the CEO actually reads it, it just makes sure the problem gets dealt with and shows you mean business!2p off is still 2p off!0
-
Correct fatboyonadiet - it wouldn't even hit his inbox. It would be forwarded to the team manager/ops manager of the OP's customer service dept.Mortgage free as of 10/02/2015. Every brick and blade of grass belongs to meeeee. :j0
-
My advise would be dont email them as they wont get back to you and if you phone them stay on the line until it is resolved as if they say they will get a manager to call you back they wont and you will need to keep calling. Or go to the vodafone site and sign up for there eforums and start a thread as i have found this to be the most succesful and quickest way of resolving any problems0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.4K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.7K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.4K Spending & Discounts
- 245.4K Work, Benefits & Business
- 601.2K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.6K Life & Family
- 259.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards