Vodafone not protecting customers!!! HELP PLEASE!

Roaming

We've been slammed with an 8000 pound data roaming bill!

It doesn't even make sense to us to have to pay such an amount. We reported the SIM lost as soon we discovered the SIM lost/stolen and got the old one blocked.

Vodafone are only able to knock off 50% of the amount which still leaves a shockgn 4000 to us.

My concern is the lack of protection customers have from mobile companies in such issues. Why can't they block account if unreachable when flagged with high usage? They do that with voice calls WITHIN the UK so why not abroad?

Our agreement is afterall a credit agreement - and where customers are not in control of illegal usage on their accounts, do they not have any responsibility to protect them against misuse?

Jon_01

Roaming isn't billed in realtime like when you're on your home network.
The data is sent to your network once every 24/48 hours by the network you roam on. High usage is then flagged up and acc blocked (one of my jobs).

If you've been billed for usage after you reported the phone stolen you shouldn't have to pay, but you are liable for all usage until you do (its in your T&C's).

Your contact isn't a credit agreement, it's a service contract.

grumbler

This doesn't make any difference, but I think it is a credit agreement because you can get services that you don't pay for in advance.

Roaming

Hi,

Thanks for responding to the post.

So, even when one has been a customer for over 3 years and has had no history of this kind of, round-the-clock-non-stop data usage on the account whilst on roaming, and this information is being fed back even with 48 hour delay, the network operator has no need to flag it as unusual behaviour?

Jon_01

grumbler wrote: »

This doesn't make any difference, but I think it is a credit agreement because you can get services that you don't pay for in advance.

You could well be right, I was under the impression that you paid for your line rental ahead and your usage over that behind ?

I usually see it refereed to as a service agreement ?? But it's not my area of work. . .

Jon_01

Roaming wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for responding to the post.

So, even when one has been a customer for over 3 years and has had no history of this kind of, round-the-clock-non-stop data usage on the account whilst on roaming, and this information is being fed back even with 48 hour delay, the network operator has no need to flag it as unusual behaviour?

Depends on the network and how often they were getting reports from the network you were roaming on?

As a rule, high usage it flagged up (on something called a high usage report!). What your network has done with that I can't say? (I know what I'd do if it crossed my desk, but that's not the point).

But, no network offers to police your acc for you, they couldn't, there aren't enough staff to look at all the roamers all over the world.

Roaming

Grumbler - I agree. I recall having a credit check run by the mobile company before granting me a contract. So, its obviously a check of my 'credibility' to have a pay monthly service.

Jon01 - Having been a loyal pay monthly customer for over three years, and even with travelling for work and using my phone abroad, my phone bill has probably never crossed 200 GBP.

If the data starts feeding back that I am going WAY WAY over my normal usage habits, is this not a cause for concern? And if they tried reaching me by text methods and did not get a response, would that not be even a bigger reason to automatically block my SIM?

Browntoa

what was the timespan between the phone going missing and you noticing/reporting??

was it lost here or abroad ?

Roaming

Browntoa wrote: »

what was the timespan between the phone going missing and you noticing/reporting??

was it lost here or abroad ?

It was lost abroad - not EU. We were unaware of the theft due to using local SIM cards but became aware on arrival in the UK as we were unable to find the SIM in our luggage which is the same time we reported it.

This makes a ten day difference between us reporting it to Vodafone and the actual loss. How we now say ten days is based on looking back at the data available to us from when we initially were able to download the CDR (call detail records) and that also, the theft of our camera bag (inc. camera and accessories) being around the same time.

gjchester

Roaming wrote: »

We reported the SIM lost as soon we discovered the SIM lost/stolen and got the old one blocked.

My concern is the lack of protection customers have from mobile companies in such issues. Why can't they block account if unreachable when flagged with high usage? They do that with voice calls WITHIN the UK so why not abroad?

This isn't meant to sound nasty but probably will on first reading, this is not my intention. I'm sorry if this also seems harsh, but from the networks point of view it could just as easily be someone who's run up a huge bill and now wants to avoid paying it by claiming the phone as stolen. It's possible they DID get in touch by text or call and the thief approved the extra spend.

Leaving aside the comments about barring (the network does not work in real time if overseas) why should the network have bear this cost. They will have been charged it by the overseas network, and they will have to pay it. Why should I as a customer have to pay more overall because some customers do not take due care and attention?

All phones have PIN locks so once locked the phone needs a 4 digit code entering (or a stronger password on many smart phones) before it can be turned on or used.

All SIM cards support a sim lock, so without a code (which can be different to the phones code) the sim cannot make calls, nor can the SIM be put in another phone to get around the phone lock, as the SIM will remain locked.

Use both and if the phone is stolen it's useless without the PIN numbers, not ideal the phones still gone but should be enough so that these excessive charges don't get run up before the loss is noticed.

Unfortuanlty many people don't take simple precautions to protect themselves so why should the network nanny them?

What if you, your kids or your partner had an accident, would you want your phone cut off whilst you were overseas trying to arrange hospital or repatriaiton due to high useage on the line?
Of course not you'd want that phone to be useable and you'd deal with the cost later, but because they didn't cut off the thief your just as upset.

The networks can't win. They are on the wrong side regardless in this case.

Roaming

Granted.

So, why do they find it OK to block outgoing calls and data usage within the UK if you are going over your usage WITHIN the UK? Is it any different?