vodafone made no attempt to keep me??

schlimig

I've had the exact same experience as you. I had a blunt "no" from Vodafone when I wanted to upgrade, even when explaining I could leave and come in as a new customer through a third party retailer and get a large cashback (not as much as it is currently) and they'd make even less money. They were blunt and stubborn and literally said "we don't do upgrade deals any more - we offer the same to all customers".

I'd been a (business) customer for several years, with a data card as well on the same account. I had spent 13 months on a pay monthly tariff after my contract expired, rather than upgrade as I was waiting for the Nokia N900 to come out too, so they'd made a fair bit from me.

I got extremely cross and went over the heads of the usual call centre staff and asked to speak with the most senior manager possible. I was asked to email a complaint to her, which I duly did. To my surprise I got a call back later that day and got the following:

2 identical contracts (on VF Business), each being:

• a Free Nokia N900 (only just out at that time)
• 700 mins per month to mobiles
• unlimited (2000) landline calls
• 250 SMS
• unlimited web
• £30 a month for 18 months

Given the cost of a new N900 SIM-free was around £600 back then (not sure now) that tariff was absolutely amazing for me as a business with all the free landline calls, coming to £540 total over 18 months, with the free phone!

The key is persevere. Ask to speak to someone higher - VF business take these things more seriously (I was coming from a consumer tariff, on VF Business there by the way).

Incidentally, they can and will supply you with a PAC over the phone if pushed and are legally obliged to make it available within a short period, I think it's 48/72 hours (check with Offcom on that one). Something to add to a complaint if they won't budge.

Good luck with it!

EDIT: I should add that I was coming from an 18 month contract, at £30 a month, which had been reduced to £20 after 20 months. As I said previously, I spent an extra 13 months out of contract so £280 out of contract in total, on top of my previous three 18 month contracts with VF.

gaz77

That's interesting that you got turned down too.

I was wondering about this last night, and thought the reason might have been because the HTC Desire is such a popular phone? Was the N900 in short supply when you renewed?

As it is, I've got plenty better quotes elsewhere, so it's vodafone's loss in this case.

I'll need to see what the PAC rules are. They said it would arrive in the post 3-5 working days. I didn't know you could get it over the phone.
My girlfriend said that she got her PAC over the phone leaving t-mobile, but was charged £7 for it - is that legal?

schlimig

karatedragon wrote: »

You make it sound like you are invaluable. If your request will not make them money why should they bother to keep you?

They are after all a business.

It makes me grin when people moan when their mobile company won't budge on their unprofitable demands.

They absolutely should fight to keep you as a customer, especially when, as the OP said you can leave and come back to them as a new customer and get cashback (£130 at the moment) and a better deal. In addition to that, they will be paying some amount on top of your cashback to the dealer through which you purchase.

It is ridiculous to operate in this way, it just costs them more money to keep a new customer and as the OP also said, he's been off contract for a while too so they've made extra from him as well.

At the end of the day the UK mobile networks are unfairly locked down to prevent customers from being able to get better deals as a matter of course, from locked phones (although VF do give out unlocking codes free it should be noted) to awkward number portability which prevents users taking number to the same network). At every step it is designed to benefit them and not you as a customer - and before anyone says it, I know that they're a business and are there to make money and so on and so forth... doesn't mean that the way they do it is right or fair! I wouldn't dream of treating my customers like that and they certainly wouldn't come back if I did!

A much better solution would be if we got our phones from a dealer, or the networks as dealers. They buy them in bulk at a discount, we pay them off in full or over a period of 18 months (for example) - with interest to varying amounts. Consumers would then be free to take tariffs with the mobile companies which could be moved and changed easily, or locked in for a contract period - either way. This would truly bring competition to the arena, but then they wouldn't be able to make the extreme profits that they make - so that'll never happen. Oh, and a central and independent mobile number registry so that no network can own your number and lock you in with it... I'll keep dreaming on that one!

schlimig

gaz77 wrote: »

That's interesting that you got turned down too.

I was wondering about this last night, and thought the reason might have been because the HTC Desire is such a popular phone? Was the N900 in short supply when you renewed?

As it is, I've got plenty better quotes elsewhere, so it's vodafone's loss in this case.

I'll need to see what the PAC rules are. They said it would arrive in the post 3-5 working days. I didn't know you could get it over the phone.
My girlfriend said that she got her PAC over the phone leaving t-mobile, but was charged £7 for it - is that legal?

Apparently they are allowed to charge a fee - and T-Mobile charge for everything possible, even where the competition do not. I just looked up the time thing, it is apparently 2 days - even if you've not paid your bill. So, if it does not turn up within that time there's some more leverage to aim at Vodafone.

look at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porting_Authorisation_Code

Yes, the N900 was in such short supply that it was not really shipping at that point. Nobody was able to get them on VF and there were massive threads on their own forums with angry customers complaining at the low stock levels and delays. I was actually given two from a reserve stock that the customer complaints manager/team had access to and no-one else did apparently, as there was no normal stock left.

gaz77

Just got a call from vodafone about my PAC request, and why I wanted to leave.

They offered to beat the virgin deal, which I accepted. I've now got 300 mins, unlimited text and internet, all for £20/month, and the phone for free.

Seems that they do care after all

buglawton

Uh, so suddenly Voda have the Desire in stock?

fatboy88

I hope you have got that in writing as they dont update the system properly

gaz77

Not quite. They reckon I'll get it early next week, possibly this weekend if lucky. Is that what most people are being told?

I've had my current phone for long enough, that a few extra days doesn't bother me.

gaz77

That happened last time I renewed - the contract agreed over the phone was different to my next bill. However, I phoned them up and got it sorted fine that time.

fatboy88

I was told the 25th was the earliest but well have to see