Vodafone Direct Debit

jamieps

Hi all,

A few weeks ago I applied for a Vodafone SIM-only contract and requested to pay by monthly direct debit.

After I received the welcome email and the new SIM I emailed Vodafone to ask that they change the direct debit date, I was told to wait until after the first bill. Fine, I waited for the first bill to be generated and then replied asking if this could be changed. Then I get a second reply from someone else saying that they "cannot match my details on their system", despite my email address being identical to the one I signed up with. They've requested that I write to them with the request and including my SIM ID, full address, date of birth and some other personal details.

Looking at this forum I noticed that others have had issues in changing direct debit details:
forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3163288

Now I'm a little bit concerned - while I've been at O2 I've not had any problems with customer service and I was able to amend the direct debit date over the phone, no need to write letters. Seeing as I'm on an online tarriff it seems bizarre that I have to jump through this many hoops to change something this simple.

Has anyone had any success in getting this changed without having to resort to letter-writing?

Thanks,
Jamie

grumbler

Save your nerves and don't change anything at Vodafone.
If you know the day, it doesn't make almost any difference to you what day the DD is collected at.

jamieps

I would agree..except that right now they're taking the amount just before I get paid. Normally I have a buffer to cover this, but to be on the safe side I'd prefer to adjust it. Most other companies have no problem with this, even EDF..

Valerie84

If it's Vodafone I would expect no less from them. Bad customer service, lack of communication bw one advisor to the next, different stories about what they can and cannot do on your account, or what they can see, and if you ask them to look up or change one simple thing they act as though you have sent them on an expedition through the jungle, in search of gold dust!

Yolina

jamieps wrote: »

it seems bizarre that I have to jump through this many hoops to change something this simple.

Speaking from experience, having to jump through hoops to do anything simple is unfortunately the norm with Vodafone.

Try the reps on here or post on the VF eforum and someone with eventually get back to you, with a bit of luck they might even be able to sort it (or they could completely mess up, or they could confirm that it's been done but then you find out that it actually hasn't...luck of the draw really)

Valerie84

Couldn't agree more, Yolina! I have eventually got to the bottom of a few things with them, and am only with them right now on PAYG cos I had to change my number quick, and had a spare sim of theirs, and had registered for Talk and Text. But am gonna do my research, on the deals for the other providers. Make an EDUCATED decision this time! I still say they have money of mine for premium texts I NEVER recieved! But what can u ever do to prove that..this went on for months, and they claimed well our system shows these texts were recieved and it's nothing to do with us if you call a particualr messaging service to stop these (as far as I was concerned, UNRECIEVED) texts, get talking to nobody and we keep charging you about £60 on each bill. Hundreds I lost! And I have absolutely no way of ever proving that I didn't just delete them. Makes me seethe!

jamieps

Yolina wrote: »

Speaking from experience, having to jump through hoops to do anything simple is unfortunately the norm with Vodafone.

Try the reps on here or post on the VF eforum and someone with eventually get back to you, with a bit of luck they might even be able to sort it (or they could completely mess up, or they could confirm that it's been done but then you find out that it actually hasn't...luck of the draw really)

Thanks for the response, this is what I was afraid of..

The reason I joined from O2 was because of O2's poor 3G reception. I've noticed a big improvement in speed with Vodafone. Looks like it's a toss-up between OK customer service and good speed on 3G.

Though I did some research before switching and found posts on bad customer service with 3 and T Mobile as well. I'll wait and see if the Voda reps respond, or try the e-forums..

Might grin and bear it for 12 months and take up primal scream therapy (while thinking of my lovely Quidco cashback )

Yolina

All VF contracts should come with a voucher for free primal scream therapy! Oh and my VF cashback took over a year to get paid because one of the third parties VF were using to process cashback went bust (or something along those lines!)

I'm probably moving to 3 at the end of my contract (soooooooooooon ) - I'm not expecting particularly great CS but given how poor VF are at that anyway, at least I'm used to it (and on the upside, it'll be cheaper).

Edit: and will go for a 1-month rolling contract so that I can jump ship at the first sign of major hassle...

mobilejunkie

Vodafone can't even take one of my direct debits properly - even though I've been with them for years and the others go out. However, they are lead by their "system" - a misnomer if ever there was one - and waste endless hours of your time sending you spinning round in circles and getting no-where. Everything that is said about them on this thread is absolutely true!

jamieps

Spoke to someone on the phone who has apparently amended the direct debit. I had to pay the full outstanding balance early. Will wait and see if they end up taking the amount twice...!

mwild1958

As a user of 02 and 3G I can honestly say I have only received positive customer service from both and have no cause to complain whatsoever. Now on the other hand my son has just taken a contract with Vodafone and I am appalled at the treatment he has received from their customer service. He took out a contract via Carphone Warehouse in Jan this year. He asked if he could pay on the 25th of each month ..his payday .. was told that would be ok and he could arrange this directly with Vodafone. He did this but before the 25th he was called and told he had not paid his bill and if he didnt settle immediately his phone would be cut off. He explained he could pay in a couple of days and said he had already spoken to someone who had agreed to this. He was told that they would not accept this arrangement and cut off his phone. He rang and wrote to Voafone but all they would tell him is that if he doesnt pay they will not turn the phone back on and they expected him to pay on the date they had said not the date which had been agreed with one of their own operators.
They wanted paying and would not comprimise. Now 3 months later they are demanding he pays the 3 months he owes for a phone which was only activated for a few days and now they are threatening to send his debt to credit collectors. Now I am disgusted with this treatment, my son never refused to pay and in fact he hasn't even received a bill, he simply asked if he could pay a couple of days later on in the month ...his payday ... help !!! advise welcome !!!!