Leaving Vodafone ? Tale of Caution!

DUVVAJ

This is long & complex, but here goes:-
I had an 18 month monthly contract with Vodafone and had no complaints at all. However I chose at the end of my contract to change providers. I was on paperless billing. I informed Vodafone of my decision and received a standard letter to my current address saying "sorry to see you go" with a PAC code - so they had my phone number too. I had set up a new DD with my new provider and as I didn't use my phone for the last month cancelled my DD with Voda' . The first I knew of an issue was a letter from a Debt collection company requiring me to pay a bill £34.50; 9 months later! I contacted Voda' who verbally told me they had made a mistake and sent the final bill to an old address. Even though they admitted liability I paid the bill direct to the DCC to remove any problems - or so I thought. I now have my first ever blemish on my Credit History and cannot get it removed. I've tried Experian, Otelo & the CAB but only the 'Lender' can do this and they will not enter into dialogue,despite many phone calls, emails, faxes & online web chat.
This remains for 6 years and is affecting my credit card limit and my new mortgage application. I have a huge file on this and would love to go to Court but realise it is futile because no individual can win against a Multi-Billion pound Global player. This is a first blemish in 57 years and the word "debt" hurts.

grumbler

Cancelling a DD is always a bad idea if you value your credit history.
'Individuals' do win against 'Multi-Billion Global players' far more often than you think. Usually the latter chose to settle before going to court.
If it was Voda's fault, they have to correct their error. Otelo are right that only Vodafone can make the correction. Complain to Otelo that Vodafone refuse to do this despite admitting their fault.
Don't waste time on telephone calls and online chats. Do everything in writing.

Guys_Dad

Why did you cancel the DD so soon? Either there was still money owing and you acted too soon, or there was no outstanding amount due, in which case you have paid money to a debt collector for no good reason.

Your post is certainly a warning to anyone ending a contract, but it could have applied to any network. My advice is to let any DD to a network run for a month or more after you think the contract is over. It is easier to get the money back from the network than to clean up your Credit Report.

DUVVAJ

Thanks to both of you for your replies, as you can see I'm a Newbie to this.

Guys Dad - I cancelled as I wasn't going to use the contract again & have had dificulites in getting money back having paid in advance. Of course you are right that there would have been a small residual amount to pay even for an unused service, however I expected that Voda' would honour their Code of Conduct and inform me. Clearly in the intervening months I'd fogotten to chase this up. However they are at fault (and have admitted this) by not sending me the final invoice, or indeed contacting me via the phone or to the address they had written to me to say goodbye.
As you say it would have been easier to not cancel the DD, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I will never ever do this again.
Grumbler - thanks for the heartening view of me winning a legal dispute, I am hoping to get Legal advice but to us 'poor folk' it is an initila outlay I can ill afford. I may apporach OTELO again.

Guys_Dad

[QUOTE=DUVVAJ;I_may_apporach_OTELO_again.[/QUOTE]

It will help your case enormously if you have anything in writing from Vodafone admitting their mistake. You should also ask for a copy of the last bill they sent, which should have the wrong address on it.

DUVVAJ

If only I had written evidence. They have only admitted this verbally (twice) but should be on thier taped phone records, however I suspect they may have gone 'missing' ! Because they will not enter into any dialogue, my chances of getting these are extremely remote.

Once again they are slippery enough to have finally provided the last bill but to my current address, but as this was 9 months later it is so easy to electronically alter this. In this and only this respect it is their word against mine as to if I ever received it!

Like with the Police - "who ya gonna believe" ?
Although I had the Post Office re-direct my mail this was for 6 months only.

Once again I appreciate your comments, cheers.

Vodafone

Hi DUVRAJ,

It's disappointing to read about your dissatisfaction here but thanks for making us aware of this.

Firstly, can I ask if Otelo have actually reviewed your case at all and issued their final conclusion in writing? If they have and as such concluded that your credit file will remains as it is then I'm afraid there's nothing more we could do.

However, if they haven't then I'd recommend contacting us via the email address in our profile page here marked for my attention so I can investigate this matter further for you.

Kind regards and I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK