Vodafone complaints

Hardrivejack

I've been a voda customer for approx 10 years now and have up to 4 numbers on my account. I've never gone below 3 numbers and must admit most of the time I'm happy with them (with the odd exception).

The problem I have now is that I purchased a handset only from them last year and had loads of problems with the battery. They sent replacement batteries, chargers handsets as well as trying closing apps, updating software etc and kept having the same issue. Would run for a few weeks fine then the it would all start palying up and I would have to charge 3-4 times a day.

They eventually suggested because of the issues I could have an earlier upgrade (this was despite my argument that I had purchased the original and should expect it to work). Anyway went for a 2yr upgrade for a htc (same manufacturer as before but different model). A few weeks in started the same problems with the battery draining and having to charge 3 -4 times a day. Went through the same process of changing sync settings, shutting apps etc. They exchanged handset and same issue again after a few weeks. Called and told them I was not happy and can only assume its a the manufacturer as I've not experience anything like this before. They agreed to send a new battery, waited a couple of weeks and nothing. Called back and they said they would re-send, this time I got the back cover for a different phone. Called back and was told they don't hold stock anymore so they could credit me £20 and I could go a buy one. I told them this wasn't acceptable as it would then cost me time, money etc to go and find one so they agreed to send one. A few weeks go by and still nothing, called back and told them I wasn't happy and wanted to change the handset for another model as this isn't fit for purpose. Told I can't do that at which point I highlighted Sales of goods act and the phone is not fit for purpose. Told them I didn't want to end the contract just wanted a phone that worked and considering issues from a different manufacturer. Wouldn't agree so eventually agreed they could send me another battery, with me adding if that didn't resolve it I would be back on and demanding my rights under sale of goods act. Suffice to say about 3 weeks on again and still nothing.

I have to say I am fuming and not sure how best to proceed. Any / all advice welcome.

grumbler

Try reading this thread: HTC desire connection problems and battery issues - I found the solution

Hardrivejack

Grumbler - That is a very interesting thread. Not sure I quite have the confidence to mess about with test settings at this stage, think it will be a last resort.

I am hoping voda will eventually agree to change the handset. I only took the upgrade in Feb / March and reported the problem in the first / second month, so they can't say I've had the phone ages and not reported it.

I'm fairly sure my rights under sales of goods mean if its not fit for purpose I can change but just need a bit of guidance on how best to tackle voda on it as last time they wouldn't budge.

Vodafone

Hi spirit,

As Techhead has mentioned, Carphone Warehouse aren't the service provider. The only reason a port would not work is because it's already on a Vodafone contract and you cannot port to a brand new Vodafone contract.

Hi Hardrivejack,

I can certainly see why you would be feeling frustrated. If you drop me an email to the address shown here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject and a link to your post on this thread, I can certainly help.

Kind regards,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Denyze

I'm so glad I looked at MSE, maybe this way something will get done! Sorry for being long winded!

After having a PAYG phone for several years, I decided to buy a new phone & go on contract..this was Feb 2006, the plan I took was Anytime 75 minutes + STC + 100 texts 150 inclusive minutes (75 minutes were always rolled over to the following month to add to the 75 already in my price plan) I'm a SAHM, so I needed something cheap, so I was paying £16 per month. From the first bill I received I was paying more than the £16, now I assumed this was because....a) I thought I had to pay for calls/texts made during the week...weekends were free...(no idea where I got that assumption from) and b) that I'd gone over my limit....so month after month money was been taken from from my bank a/c.

In May of this year, after much arm twisting from my partner, I decided to change my phone plan to an even cheaper one...£10 per month giving me 100 minutes, 500 texts. I made the comment about having only free calls/texts at weekends to the salesgirl at the Vodafone shop...she looked puzzled, asked what plan I was on, then looked on her computer.....turns out I shouldn't have been charged for anything apart from the line rental. She opened a case to report it and said it'd take 5-6 days before anyone would contact me. If I'm honest, I actually forgot all about it until I got a my June bill....with charges on. Phoned cs on 24th June to ask what was going on, to be told that the case hadn't been progressed, so a new case was opened....also was told that other people who'd been on the same (outdated) plan had also been charged, cs said he thought it was due to the computer system (that old chestnut!).

Today I phoned again to find out how far my case had progressed, got the call centre in Egypt,(didn't know this at first) to be told that 6 months money (£81) was being credited to my a/c.....told the chap, no way was I accepting that, and after several minutes of being on hold, and repeatedly asking to speak to someone higher than him, I spoke to a team leader who again told me the same thing but also offered me 100% discount for 6 months line rental...again I refused, and asked what country I was phoning to be told Egypt. I rang back several times until I got through to the Stoke call centre, where a very nice man called Justin Glover, had a problem with his computer going slow, promised to ring me back, which he did within approx 10-15 mins. He went through everything he could, but told me he couldn't view bills going back as far as 2006, but could see how much I'd paid every month since then. He asked why I hadn't done anything sooner, told him about how I thought I'd gone over my limit, (forgot to mention about how I thought I had weekends free)...this next bit is good...I queried that if I had gone over my limit would it show on my bill....'yes it would'......wrong! Since the phone call I've downloaded as pdf files all my bills since March 2010, as full documents which includes itemised pages, something that I've never received from them only a bill showing how much I owed them, (it shows that calls made weren't charged for, only texts)....I've found out that on at least 2 bills I went over my text usage, but nowhere does it show it on the bill I received every month. After spending nearly an hour on the phone, he said the same as the Egypt cs....again I've refused it. I asked him what gave Vodafone the right to refuse to refund money that wasn't their's....he actually told me as a customer I had a duty to notice if there wasn't anything right with my bill. How the hell was I do that, I'd never had a contract before! As far as I can see, Vodafone have seriously breached the contract that I had with them. How can such a large company as Vodafone not be able to provide copies of bills older than 12 months?

I'll now wait for Heidi to step in and get this sorted once and for all. In the meantime I'll go trawling through some older bills and bank statements to work out how much I've been overcharged by, but I know one thing, it's a hell of a lot more than £81.

Vodafone

Hi Denyze,

I can see that you are already aware of me monitoring this forum to help customers who need it. I am more than happy to do this in your case too.

Have you sent me an email yet? If not, you can do so via the email address shown here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject. Please also include a link to this thread.

That way, I can look into this in more detail for you and help get it resolved.

Kind regards,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Discodave

HELP!

I have an SE x10, and have been using the security pattern lock.

However, I have managed to lock myself out of my phone whereby it asks me to enter my google email address and password

I do not have such an email account. It only lets me dial 999 etc and wont let me me contact VF on 191

HELP please.. what can I do

realscot

I've been with vodafone and no one else since 1998 when I bought my first pay as you go phone. Most of the time i've been contract though.
I moved house last year and in this new house the vodafone signal is, well, crap. I've got to stand by the window to get a half decent signal, so this basically means I don't use my phone now that i'm paying £20 odd a month for. I contacted vodafone a few times complaining and they told me I can get a device that plugs into my broadband for £5/month that'll help my signal.
Now I really don't see why I should pay vodafone £5 to use MY broadband to carry vodafone's signal that i'm already paying £20/month for them to provide me with.
I'm almost out of contract now and will be 100% leaving vodafone unless they give me this device for free, but every customer service advisor I talk to says no. I've been promised call backs about this issue but I never get them.
Customer loyalty clearly means nothing to vodafone.

grumbler

realscot wrote: »

Now I really don't see why I should pay vodafone £5 to use MY broadband to carry vodafone's signal that i'm already paying £20/month for them to provide me with.

Because it was you who moved the house, not they who moved the mast.
However, AFAIK, contact customers don't pay £5 p.m. They pay only £50 one-off cost, that is understandable:

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/personal/price-plans/network-and-coverage/sure-signal/

It's hardly a surprise that their incompetent telephone CS provided you with incorrect information. Also, I am surprised that after many years you don't know this and don't double-check everything they say.

Customer loyalty clearly means nothing to vodafone.

Neither does it to any other network. It's all about money, not loyalty.

Vodafone

Hi Discodave,

The email address and password will be the ones that you originally registered with. If you are unsure of what these are, you will need to completely reset the handset. If you are not sure of how to do this, drop me an email to the address here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject and a link to this thread and I will be able to give you the instructions.

Hi realscot,

I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with the signal in your area. As with all providers, we cannot guarantee 100% coverage which is why we offer the Sure Signal device. However, if you also drop me an email following the instructions above I will be happy to look into this further for you.

He grumbler,

We do actually offer customers the opportunity to spread the payment to £5 over ten months rather than paying £50 upfront.

Kind regards,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK