HTC Desire Vodafone 500mb Fair Usage Policy

bym007

ZootHornRollo wrote: »

does that mean the forum is an official means of communication then???

There is a clause in the T&Cs which state "other electronic mediums" may be used for communication with customers, in addition to mail and calls.

Yolina

bym007 wrote: »

There is a clause in the T&Cs which state "other electronic mediums" may be used for communication with customers, in addition to mail and calls.

but in any case, aren't they supposed to send notificiations to each of their customers - they can't guarantee that everybody will go and check things on their forums... my preference would be for "pigeon" as method of communication, would probably work better than what they're doing now

danielz000

Stuart on eForum

I’m afraid I’ve been around the buoy a few too many times with Vodafone and their inconsistencies. Now I will only deal via email.


I have no doubt this will be deleted but hopefully it’ll quantify my thoughts and give you a giggle for as long as it lasts.


I asked the team to contact me by email to discuss my account and eventually they have done.

This is where we are so far –

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The eForum is a public forum designed to provide technical help and as such doesn’t require any account details to register. Therefore it isn’t the best place to get specific account issues resolved. So we can help you in the fastest and best way possible we have removed your thread from the eForum and contacted you via secure email.

We're aiming to fix queries for you faster than ever, and so from now on we are handling all account specific queries by phone. We'll be making call-backs between 8am and 9pm. If you're not available at a particular time during these hours, you can specify below.

Please reply to this email with:

– Your mobile number or account number:
– Your alternative contact number:
– Hours you're not available during:

And for security please include:

– Full Name:
– The second and fourth digit of your security code:
– Address including post code:
– Date of Birth:

Once we have this information we'll call you as soon as possible. We'll try and call at least three times, but if for any reason we can't get through, we'll drop you an email to let you know we've called. If it's more convenient for you, you can always dial 191 free from your Vodafone mobile, or 08700 700 191 from any other line.


I’d already gone to great lengths to explain that I am not in the UK at the moment and therefore email was the only method of contact!!

Next up -

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Hi

Like many I have a concern regarding the newly introduced cap and excess charges on Mobile Internet to those of us with an unlimited plan. With that in mind could you please clarify the situation that applies to my account?

My telephone number is xxxxx.

My preferred method of contact is via email at xxxxx

My full name is xxxxx

Second and fourth digits of my Security Code are xxxxx

My address is xxxxx

My DoB is xxxxx


There has been some talk of iPhone users having a higher allowance of 1gb and opposed to the 500mb others have been given. Can you confirm the status of my account please as I use an iPhone.

Could you please remind me of my agreed contract end date.

I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time.


The reply was -

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Hi Stuart,

Many thanks for taking the time to get back to us with your concerns.

Like many others you are concerned regarding the upcoming changes to the data pricing structure however please rest assured that you will not be charged straight away.

At the moment you are looking at a 3 month span before any charges would be implemented, when you do return to the UK and you are charged extra for any data you will then have the right to cancel if it increases the bill by more than 10% as per the terms and conditions.

James

eForum Team


So really not much in the way of answering my specific questions and a wooly answer at best.

Quote

James

Thanks for your reply but you didn’t answer my questions.

To add to your comment regarding my rights to cancel, as I have explained on the eForum, I am currently outside of the UK and will have been for over 6 months so I have Data switched off, that makes things a lot more complicated when you try to quantify an increase in charges.

As for not being charged straight away, I don’t want to be charged at all. The terms I agreed to didn’t mention any additional charges for Data.

Regards

Stu..

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Hi Stu,

At this moment in time there have been no changes implemented and the charges will not be incurred straight away, the usage only reflects usage whilst in the UK so wouldn't be able to asses this until your return.

James

eForum Team


Quote

James

Ok, we’re getting somewhere but you still didn’t answer all my questions.

The announcement clearly states that the charges will be implemented once users have exceed the cap of 500mb and have received an advisory text.

Care to try again??

Regards

Stu..


Quote

Hi Stu,

I have taken a look into your account for you and can confirm that you are currently on the 500MB usage plan which means the fair usage policy changes will effect you.

James

eForum Team


So it seems we’ve gone from no changes implemented to the Fair Usage Policy changes will affect you.

Quote

Thanks James.

Could you please amend that then so that I am on an iPhone allowance, as I said I use an iPhone at the moment.


Also there still remains one question to be answered - Could you please remind me of my agreed contract end date.


Regards


Stu..


Now I still await a reply.

So as I hope you can see, slippery customers these Vodafone people – Watch your back and keep any communications you have wit them.

Oh and this is likely to be deleted quite quickly I may as well give you an email address -

Vodafone-eForum@vodafone.co.uk

customer.care@help.vodafone.co.uk

oslingsby

Remember to sign the petition against these changes, Link on page 39.

andywicks

karthicsd_on_Twitter wrote:

karthicsd: @VodafoneUK i know it is a silly question but will tge 500mb come out of the sent or received data or both

VodafoneUK_on_Twitter wrote:

vodafoneuk: @karthicsd It comes out of both sent and received data . Thanks ^AW

So the 500MB includes all the data sent from your phone as well as downloaded to it. That makes the download limit significantly less than 500MB per month!

Andy

danielz000

I guess our 24 Google maps are off the menu then

nm83

Rather ironic that the petition page has a link to the VF site on it!

"Vodafone™ Official Site
Get Fantastic Deals on Handsets, Tariffs, PAYG and Mobile Broadband!
Vodafone.co.uk"

Yolina

I think it might be in VF's best interest not to keep my custom... I did some maths:

I am on an 18 months contract (with 12 to go) paying £40 a month, get 1200 minutes, unlimited (3000 minutes) landlines, unlimited (3000) texts and data. The price obviously includes the subsidised handset. So, even without taking the price of the handset in consideration, at the current wholesale price of 4.3p a minute between mobile operators, making 900 minutes of calls to another network every month would just about cost them the equivalent of what I'm paying, add to that texts, landlines and data (don't seem to be able to find the wholesale prices for these though...) and I'm costing them more than what I'm paying

danielz000

the fact is Vodafone customer services are the worst I have ever experienced and that is saying a lot since for one shameful year I was a 3 account holder. - Zzleezz eForum

Such a big insult I just had to share it

andywicks

As some representatives from Vodafone are now stating that there will be no price change, can someone who has the authority to speak on behalf of Vodafone please outline how this can be correct?

The Fair Usage Policy (FUP) states:

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"27. All Vodafone services offered free or under unlimited subscription are subject to our Fair Use Policy. If, in the reasonable opinion of Vodafone, your use is excessive, we may ask you to moderate your usage. If, after we have asked you to moderate your usage, you fail to do so, we reserve the right to:

a) charge you for the excessive element of your usage at your price plan's standard rate;

b) throttle your usage; or

c) suspend or terminate your service in accordance with your airtime terms and conditions."

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(FUP taken from http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=template12&pageID=PTC_0124)



For Vodafone to be able to enforce the Fair Usage Policy currently written into my contract, there has to be a 'standard rate' for my price plan. However, in the statement by Vodafone which I have copied above, it clearly states:

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"There isn't currently a standard rate published" (in response to question 15)

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and this has been stated before on the Vodafone eForum by Vodafone representatives.


Vodafone now state that data will be charged at £5 per additional 500MB

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11) Could you also confirm at what rate we will be charged? Is it still £5 per 500mb, and if so, where is this rate written into the contract we agreed?

Yes, it's £5 per 500MB.

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So that would mean that they are introducing the £5 per 500MB as an additional charge. However, Vodafone also state that there are no price changes take place

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"17) When will I be notified of these changes taking effect?

There are no price changes – we’ve always said in our Ts&Cs that customers will be charged out of bundle (see our terms and conditions) ."

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The above responses from Vodafone have been taken from:http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/forum-53/announcement-137-updated-mobile-internet-charging/

I am not disputing that the Terms and Conditions state that we will be charged for 'excessive' use. What I am disputing are the charges. It has been stated before that there was no charging structure for out-of-bundle charging. Therefore the charging structure of £5 per additional 500MB is either a new or an increased charge. As such there is most definitely a change being made.

Andy