Vodafone - Data and Picture messages not part of Extra Packs from 1/9/06

ragjoy

that may constitute an MMS:rolleyes:

lucysheil

Hi I've received this text message as well, it's completely outrageous. I'm 8 months into a 2 year contract with Vodafone and this bundle was one of the reasons I left Orange after 8 years to go to Vodafone.

I called customer services and asked them to rescind the decision and was told "tough luck". Then I said that as they were taking away part of my tariff I expected them to either offer me a discount on my monthly payment or an additional service. Again, no luck.

I told the CS guy to pass on my extreme dissapointment about the decision and my complaint that this was very unfair. I also said that I would be writing in to their Head Office to complain, which I have just done after having the letter checked by a lawyer friend. I reinforced my request to have the decision cancelled, a reduction in cost or additional services, and added that I expected to be released from my contract without charge or penalty if the matter wasn't resolved to my satisfaction.

Now I just have to wait and see what they say...

NMB

Here's my ongoing email exchange with Vodafone:

Dear Vodafone,

I emailed on 29/9/06 with the following query:

"I note that from 1/9/6 you are no longer offering MMS services as part of the extras pack.

Based on my last 3 months usage, I calculate that this would increase my usage charges by around £4.32 per month before VAT.

Given that my monthly charge before VAT is £25.57 the price change increases my total usage charge by more than 10%.

This would therefore appear to enable me to end my agreement with Vodafone under clause 8(a)(i), with no cancelation charges or fees being incurred by myself.

Please confirm that clause 8(a)(i) of the agreement is now activated by the increase in charges."

You replied on 31/8/6 with

"Thank you for contacting Vodafone Customer Service regarding your Text bundle Pack query.

I apologise for any inconvenience you feel may have been caused.

Please be aware that from 1st September 2006 Vodafone will no longer offer the MMS option within our contract ‘extras packs’.

This now means that you will be charged:  - 15p for a long text message  - 36p for a picture message  - 60p for a video message. If you have high MMS usage you will receive an automatic discount of up to 50% on all long text, picture and video messages that you send until we launch new MMS packs in the future. Vodafone will offer MMS specific extras packs in the future to customers.

If you have any more queries, please feel free to contact us.

Kind regards,

Pravin Bagul"


I note that you have failed to respond to my query. If you had read my email you would have been aware that I knew about the price increases.

You have totally failed to respond to my query regarding clause 8(a)(i) of the contract.

I should be grateful if you would now address that specific point. If you do not I will assume that you are in agreement with me regarding this clause and I will cancel my direct debit accordingly.

I wonder what their response will be.

misskool

NMB wrote:

This now means that you will be charged:  - 15p for a long text message  - 36p for a picture message  - 60p for a video message. If you have high MMS usage you will receive an automatic discount of up to 50% on all long text, picture and video messages that you send until we launch new MMS packs in the future. Vodafone will offer MMS specific extras packs in the future to customers.

Does this mean we have to stop multiple text messages as well???
Voda are moving back to the stone ages!!

flagpole

misskool wrote:

Does this mean we have to stop multiple text messages as well???
Voda are moving back to the stone ages!!

No it doesn't mean that, multiple txt messages will stay the same.

There also seems to be some confusion about data. Data will not be affected.

I received another phone call from vod on this yesterday. despite being apologetic, it's clear that they will do nothing.

I would urge anyone affected by this to contact OfCom on 02079813040. It only takes a few minutes.

It might also be worth contacting trading standards via http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ on 08454 04 05 06 as it's a contract, more than a telco's issue.

:mad: :mad:

mobilegossip

See this article. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/09/vodafone_mms_price_increase/

Which says amongst other things.

"Vodafone is interested in feedback on the move, and has hinted that the deal is flexible. So, if it affects you, give Vodafone customer services a bell (191 from your Vodafone handset) to "see what can be arranged on a case-by-case basis", and do let us know what they say."

From what i read here they couldnt care one iota.

Markj_2

I would be interested to know how people are getting on with their complaints to Vodafone as this seems very sharp practice from Vodafone, I had a text and picture bundle thrown in free to enduce me to sign an 18 month contract just recently, the picture content was important to my decision to go ahead. I was amazed 1 month to receive the text saying that pictures are no longer included. When complaining apparently I have no right to cancel contract without incurring the penalty fee. For the life of me they refuse to accept that by withdrawing the pictures is a change of product.
Can't believe this is legal. dialing 191 gets me knowhere, seems to "escalate" to the team leader who then does nothing. Their argument is that they sold me a bundle and have the right to change the content of the bundle when they want. I am free to cancel the bundle itself but not the phone contract. They seem to be naive of the fact their salesman use the bundles of a means to get people to sign up to contracts. Must be some watchdog body who would interested in this?

g5mike

I heard about this from the Register, didn't receive a sms informing me or anything - furious I was.

Anyways after 30 mins of complaining on 191 and refering them to their T/Cs I got them to agree that I can leave my contract - sent me a PAC and I just had to send them a cancellation letter - which they received on the 11th.

Disgusted in Voda to be honest.

I should note that my bundle was included with my talk plan, my talk plan doesn't exist anymore so they can't change the plan without disadvantaging me.

misskool

Got the infamous text message, promptly rang 191 and told them that the charges would be increasing my total spend.

CS guy told me that Vodafone are restructuring their price plans due to customer demand (ROFL...which customers have they been listening to?) and that the new plans would be saving money as picture messages are costing too much data bandwidth (I said, each picture message is a set number of text and he said no, it wasn't!). He confirmed that "lots" of customers have used up their extras pack due to the new camera phones which take higher resolution pictures (what bs!! the phone resizes the pics when you send them as MMS)

I asked him what the new plans were and they wouldn't know until 1 Sept, so he couldn't even offer me a deal.

He was VERY HAPPY to downgrade my extras pack without any extras (cheeky! My extras pack was thrown in for free to induce me to stay with Vodafone) and couldn't tell me if it was possible for me to combine my data and text plan with an MMS plan.

The whole charges system is confusing. If I have an extras pack for text and data and another one for pictures and video, that means I have to keep track of what I spend (CS guy DID NOT understand that would mean I would end up paying more).

Will be ringing back on 1 Sept to see what they have to say for themselves but after this debacle, I don't think I'll be staying with Vodafone.

They should have already realised how many customers they have lost to T-Mobile with their Flext plans, you would think they would want to try and keep the ones that are left...

dragonz_3

Hi,
Its my first post - joined just for this.
Same has happened to me, I stuck with vodafone because of the price plan and the fact that I can use 3 sms per photo message etc. Therefore I have recently (3 months ago) taken out an 18 month contract. Like many others I have tried to get out of this and complain etc but no luck so far. Last night I tried the 8(a) clause and am awaiting reply (as suggested previously, thank you). But what I wanted to add was that while reading these posts, and other sites all seem to be returning customers - so my husband who joined vodafone for the first time last year, hasn't had 'the text' - so rang to check. He has 5 months left of his 18 mth contract and was told that only those who have upgraded (us loyal customers!) are affected by this change and not to worry because his contract will be honoured. I am even more annoyed now and sent yet another (useless) email.
The new plan will be like having PAYG and a contract cos I just don't do short messages and love my camera.
The whole thing stinks
Debbie