New Vodaphone contract, less minutes in first month

danny2324

I have recently taken out a new Vodaphone contract with 600 minutes and unlimited texts. They have taken £38 out the bank which has taken it overdrawn and incurred fees (there was just over £20 in to cover the monthly fee). I called up and they are saying that I only had 140 minutes to use in the first billing period and I went over that. Is there anything that I can do as I wasn't advised of this?

DarkConvict

Sounds odd to me, generally your month is from when the contract starts, or thereabouts

So if you took out the contract on the 20th October, you would have 600minutes to use until the 20th November. But since you are billed in advance the first month will cost 2x£20, but if the next billing date is say the 15th November then you would incur charges of about £38.
Before taking money from your account they should have given you an invoice.

Annie._2

Vodafone minutes start at the beginning of each month.

If you started your contract on the 20th September, you would have had ten days pro rata billing until the end of the month with a proportionate number of minutes and texts, plus costs for the period.

Vodafone would have also taken one months line rental in advance, which all mobile telephone service providers do.

You will receive your full allocation of calls and texts in the next billing period.

You can also keep track of your remaining minutes and texts by calling 44555.

danny2324

I understand that you are billed one month in advance, however like DarkConvict said I was expecting a bill before taking money out my account. Every time I called up, they send a text to me and it still said I had 600 minutes left, so I was none the wiser. Should I go into the store to complain?

Torby

vodafone has been pro rata for some time...and has caught quite a few out...personally I like knowing every month I start fresh with my minutes and texts...

mobilejunkie

You aren't billed one month in advance with Vodafone. The first month you don't get a bill; the next month you get one for the whole of THAT (calendar) month plus (pro-rata) for the number of days connected the previous month (plus overspend as in this case because the OP didn't understand the basics). Each month you are paying only for that calendar month - part in arrears and part in advance, the balance between the two depending on the billing date. This is different to other networks, but you don't pay a month in advance with Vodafone as has been stated on here. To take an extreme example, if the billing date was 28th, you would be paying mainly (and sometimes totally) in arrears with very little or nothing at all in advance.

Further, in this instance the OP would have always receive a bill in advance of any payment being taken out. eg. contract starts on 2nd October, first bill is on (say) 15th November - that bill will be for 30/31 full tariff for October plus one full month in November (plus any overspend for the first month) AND the direct debit would come out only about 14 days after that first bill. No money would come out unless a bill had first been produced.

danny2324

I've got all this mixed up. Im on a 30 day rolling contract. It wasnt Vodaphone that took cash out the bank, however it says I have used £35.90 since my last bill (I haven't had one yet). I should pay £20. I called customer services who said that I only get 140 minutes as my contract starts on 13th of the month, then I will get 600 minutes but apparently I have used over 240 minutes now when I only had 140, thats where the £35.90 charge comes from. I think I am correct in assuming that this is 35.90 on top of the 20 monthly fee? There's no way I can pay £55.90 as a student on less than £40 a week.

I'm going to go into Phones4U on Tuesday speak to the manager. When I asked if it starts straight away when they gave me the phone and sim they said yes. Very misleading.

mobilejunkie

Can't follow what you are saying. If it wasn't Vodafone, who was it who took cash out of your account? What is "it" that says you've used £35.90? Methinks it's Vodafone you need to clarify with. Phones4u may have sold you the deal but they won't be involved in the billing. If it's a "rolling" contract the billing system may be different from a normal contract for 12 months or more. Again, you need to be clearer when getting answers from Vodafone. Phones4u shops (as opposed to their internet sites) don't have a great reputation.

OneADay

danny2324 wrote: »

I understand that you are billed one month in advance, however like DarkConvict said I was expecting a bill before taking money out my account. Every time I called up, they send a text to me and it still said I had 600 minutes left, so I was none the wiser. Should I go into the store to complain?

You might be on online billing in which case you would get no bill but can view it by signing up for a vodafone account. Thats quickest way to find out what your were billed for. And vodafone charge for paper billing so its probably better to use online system.

DarkConvict

Right, so you took out a 1 month / 30 day rolling contract.

It costs £20 a month and includes 600 minutes + unlimited texts.

You have a message of some means from vodafone a text of the current bill or have viewed it online, and it says £35.90.

From my experience if i dialled 191, then hit 1 1 1 to get the text message of my balance, it would tell me £45 if i stayed within my contract.

So either
1. You are paying for this month, contract date to end of the month, + next months upfront. (£20 (30days) + £15.90 (23days)) or;
2. You are paying for this month at £20, but have exceeded your limits and thus incurred £15.90 of additional charges.

Either way, if you can login online at vodafone, you will get to see a detailed breakdown of your bill, including the price of any calls/texts that are outside your allowances.

danny2324

Been into Phones4U had a lengthy and heated discussion with the manager, loud enough so that every customer that entered the store could hear. Phones4U are paying anything over £20 when the bill arrives.