Vodafone Cancellation

brewster85

Hi,

Quick bit of background: Had a Vodafone contract with the god-awful blackberry storm (which had to be replaced twice), then 3/4 months before contract was due to end I decided to get an iPhone. Guy in Phones4U makes it all sound really easy - just write to them tell them you want to cancel the contract and get your PAC code (even gave me a template letter to write). Without rushing into anything I phoned Voda to inform them of my plans, give them a chance to make a better offer, and when they couldn't, I asked exactly how much I was due to pay to end the contract (which rather than pay off in one lump sum, I continued to pay by DD). All well and good.

Except today I got a final bill which included a charge for cancelling early of £106.58.

Now maybe I'm just naiive, and to be honest I was half expecting some kind of charge, but nowhere near that amount! Is that usual practice? because if it is I'm pretty annoyed noone mentioned it earlier, and anyway, I've cancelled contracts in the past with no charge.

The money is due to be debited from my account 6th April, would I even have a leg to stand on if I complain? Bearing in mind that the whole contract was eventually paid off, they essentially dont lose any money so why the extortionate charge!?

DarkConvict

Do you have a breakdown of the charges?

Final bill is usually, outstanding call balance + remaining months. Then sometimes an admin fee £10-25.
Say, £30 a month, cancel 3 months early = £30 x 3, + call charges for current month, + possible admin fee.

Tony5101

once P4U applied your PAC to your new supplier - VF would immediately cancel your account - therefore if you still had any of your minimum term left, this would be billed in one lump. (due to the fact that you are no longer under contract to VF - therefore you would not be able to continue to pay via DD)

spiro

1) Does the amount they are asking for roughtly equal what they said you would have to pay? If yes you have nothing to complain about.
2) Did you ask if you could pay it off over several months? If no why would you think that they would allow you as a former customer to pay iot off monthly when you have terminated a contract early?
3) Bottom line is you have terminated a legally binding contract early and have been sent a bill for services already received plus the amount you would have had to paid until the end of the contract plus a possible admin fee - fair and legal.

Sorry but you have just learnt a lesson about phone contracts, there is no 'get out of contract free' card.

Vodafone

Hi Brewster85,

If you have paid all your monthly instalments until the end of the contract, then you should have no cancellation fee.

If you can contact us here with WRT135 in the title, we can take a closer look at this for you.

All the best,

Andy
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK