HTC Desire Vodafone 500mb Fair Usage Policy

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

ZootHornRollo wrote: »

i would get back in touch with them (through directors office) questioning the integrity of their billing system if your bill says one thing and they say another.

My September bill has not been created yet. Not until 7th October. I phoned the operator and she said I had used 980 something MB in September. I tried to talk about this contract problem but they then said I won't be charged next month if I go over. So I am also very confused as I have a text saying I will and an operator saying I won't. My DH is quite angry about this and is just saying make them whistle for the money. I don't want to get prosecuted though.

gjchester

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

I can't believe a solicitor or someone experienced in this is not on this forum.

There is the possibility that there is such a person reading and they are keeping quiet because they believe Vodafone are in the right.

Of course they may also be keeping quet as there is no one who has offered to pay for such advice...

4$£&*(£$&*(!

Can we all be a bit more rational and take the heat out of this? The anger that is building up will get to you even more when you don't need it.

Right so here we go. Step 1 is the recorded delivery letter. Wait for a reply. If you have been told no you cannot cancel, start emailing the addresses mentioned earlier in this thread including the director's office. Ask them for reasons.

It also cannot harm to install a call recording app on your handset and phone customer services to find out the reason why you have been told you cannot cancel, then send a copy of this recording electronically to the director's office. Ensure you tell the operator at the start of the call they are being recorded.

Then join the Vodafone forum and post in the thread about this. Many people have got a good result after doing this. All this should keep you busy for a good week if you include waiting for them to reply.

If at that point they still say no you are going to have to wait to get charged for exceeding your data. Contractually speaking, and this is the bit most people wanting to cancel but cannot are ignoring, anyone who has been let go before 1 October has been for goodwill. Vodafone can set the bar when it comes to allowing these cancellations as technically there has been no change. So they can look back at three months' data use and say they won't let you cancel. Remember they will not be in the business of letting people off easily at this stage, they are making it as difficult as possible.

After 1 October if they still say no you have to wait to get charged the £5. If this bumps your bill up by over 10% then you write to them recorded delivery again to say your bill has been increased by over 10% compared with the equivalent use the previous month (September). You refer them back to your original recorded delivery letter to say you did tell them you do not accept this change back then, and they said you could not cancel, but now they legally have to let you cancel.

The worst thing anyone can do, and I cannot emphasise this enough, is to stop your direct debit or to stop paying them whilst in dispute. Forget about needing credit as has been suggested, what about simply wanting to change bank accounts or move energy companies? You do not want the hassle of them referring your debt to a debt collection agency then in turn getting a CCJ and the bailiffs on your doorstep. Is it worth unexpectedly finding your car has been towed because you are telling Voda to 'whistle'? All this is hugely unfair I know, and I am not defending Voda in any way as they caused me enough hassle, but do not give them the ammunition of cutting off your payments. They will hurt you more than you can hurt them.

4$£&*(£$&*(!

I originally thought that 1 October was the cut-off and Voda had to send out notifications by mid-September to comply with their 14 day notice period. This has been clarified on the Voda forums though. Anyone who gets the text mentioning £5 has been notified, this text counts as notification according to Voda forum staff (which was what gave me the green light to cancel in my case).

As a further twist though, if you didn't receive the text any earlier, the 14 day window you have to submit your cancellation letter starts from the point you receive the text and not from 1 October. It is true the charge came into force on 1 October, but your text should be received 14 days before you get charged so everyone gets 14 days notice.

If after 1 October they refer to your data use any earlier than September then you can say their pay monthly airtime plan clause 11.2 makes provision for comparison only with the last month before you are subjected to the charge. It is only people who cancelled before 1 October where Voda looked at the previous three months' use and they could do that as the charge had not yet been introduced, they cannot do this any more since yesterday.

(Incidentally the issue has had me bouncing around the room before when they spoke to me like an idiot, ignored my emails etc. but I tried to not let it get to me. It's worth remembering they are doing this because it is business to them, not personal, it just seems personal to us. An old relative once told me business is often legalised crime and it is worth remembering that whilst you suffer at the hands of Vodafone).

khy86

So i have just got 2 text messages recently. One saying that i will get £5 charge for more usage, and one message today saying that i will get another £5 charge for using more.

So it seems that i have now been charged £5 and given no option what so ever to cancel. I thought i should have got a text warning about the 14 day period. Am i now within my right to request a cancellation???

vixmony

I remember my strategy being slightly extreme, but it paid of. I sent my letter at the same time, when we were all advised to send the letters,unfortunately I cant remember what date, but I was also shocked to learn despite being advised by the director,s office, all cases were being assessed, at the same time, others who were lucky were calling customer services and depending on who they spoke to, were actually allowed to cancel, yet others like myself were being advised to wait. Now a certain lady Karen in the Vodafone,s directors office, became the person sorely responsible for my case and I remember having a lot of arguments over the phone with her. I then started sending emails to every email address I could find, am sure theirs plenty of these floating on this forum. and on each and every email on the subject part,,I would put Karen, s name and surname together with my name in big capital letters. she wasn't to pleased with this, and everytime,I did this the emails would all be forwarded to her, and she would call me all the time and we would go through the same arguments. I then started twittering the issue on there twitter account,which really started annoying them. I basically became obssessed lol,sending email after email when ever I could, and posting daily on there eforum. basically, the louder you get, the more annoying it becomes and I found myself,second on the list when this Andrew chap,started calling, to either cancel or negotiate staying terms. By the end of the issue everyone in the customers relations team new me 08080081181, and they are probably the one's who can pull more strings as they are closely linked to the director,s office so don't give up . sorry for any grammar issues my phone is playing up and the auto correct I rely on is not working as well as it's supposed to.

Roustabout

I think it is disgusting that Vodafone are in effect rewarding people who have abused the Fair Usage Policy on these plans.

Those that have basically ripped the excrement out of the 500MB limit are being offered new handsets worth 100s of pounds, exiting a committed period with no penalty costing upwards of £300- 500+ and cheaper line rental with browsing bigger limits with no extra cost.

Those that actually stuck to the agreement and used less or just slightly over the Fair Use Policy from time to time get NOTHING but are probably subsidising the costs of those that get away scott free in their subscriptions.

What is Vodafone going to give those that have actually stuck to the deal.

This is a case of be naughty and get a lollipop.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Roustabout wrote: »

I think it is disgusting that Vodafone are in effect rewarding people who have abused the Fair Usage Policy on these plans.

Those that have basically ripped the excrement out of the 500MB limit are being offered new handsets worth 100s of pounds, exiting a committed period with no penalty costing upwards of £300- 500+ and cheaper line rental with browsing bigger limits with no extra cost.

Those that actually stuck to the agreement and used less or just slightly over the Fair Use Policy from time to time get NOTHING but are probably subsidising the costs of those that get away scott free in their subscriptions.

What is Vodafone going to give those that have actually stuck to the deal.

This is a case of be naughty and get a lollipop.

I totally agree with this. We all know people have deliberately gone over the limit to ensure that the 10% clause applies so they can use it as a weapon to get out of the contract or get a better deal. Those that have stuck to the FUP should get something and they are the ones suffering really. Vodafone should also be looking after those that have stuck to the plan (MORESO) even though the fee may or may not be of issue. They have used less or just slightly more than 500MB but have probably experienced slower internet while the "11b clause" abusers suck up the bandwidth to feather their agendas. There is still a significant change to everyone's price plans.

karatedragon

Mine is all sorted now.

Very happy with the result too.

Also want to say many thanks to CitySlicker for keeping me calm and from throwing a chair through the window in frustration.

4$£&*(£$&*(!

karatedragon wrote: »

Mine is all sorted now.

Very happy with the result too.

Also want to say many thanks to CitySlicker for keeping me calm and from throwing a chair through the window in frustration.

Excellent news I am pleased to hear it. You're very welcome too, having been exactly where you are I can completely empathise with what you have been through!