Vodafone UK contract dispute

xtreemneo

Hello readers,
Please let me come straight to the issue.
I have two contracts with Vodafone UK.
I have my first contract with a mobile (Mobile A) for £35 pm (with 500 MB mobile internet) starting from April '10 with a minimum period of 24 months.
I purchased IPhone 4 (Mobile from Vodafone UK (£40 pm) on December 2010 with a minimum period of 24 months.

I contacted the network during JAN (2011) and asked if they can find a way to reduce the monthly price of IPhone 4. One of their customers service representative checked with the account and reduced it to £10 pm. ( :j yeah..For some reason they were able to do it, and they gave me £10 pm, I was happy with that and we agreed and the contract was resold to me for £10 pm).
So total £45 pm and VAT changed, It became around £46

I was using the £35 pm (mobile A) sim card with my IPhone 4 and £10 pm sim card is sleeping in my wardrobe.

Now, 07 July '11, I called in to find out if i can use Personal Hotspot feature for my 500 MB of data which I already have with this Mob A plan.

Some how, they found this contract payment schema with my original Iphone £40 pm sim card been reduced to £10 pm, as annoying as it sounds.
Now they gave me two options,
1) either change the plan to £40 pm
or 2) return the handset.

Please answer my questions, over to the readers,
1) Am i supposed to be obliged to give back the handset? (Which am happy to do as it sounds the right thing to do for me)
2) If I am returning the handset, What happens to the Mobile B sim card. Right now its in £10 pm, Am i obliged to pay for the rest of the minimum terms which we agreed in the first place when the contract was resold to me for £10 pm reduced from £40 pm?
3) Am i obliged to incur charges for the collection of handset (which they did not agree to return in store)
4) Are they obliged to cancel my Mobile B plan altogether without me incurring any charges?

PS> Few things to note.
1)If I 'know' that, £10 pm is not supposed to be applied on my account, and I gone into that, then it would be fraudulent way of entering into agreement. I never knew that, They could even reduce to that level but I was sold. and I bought it for £10 pm and used it for 6 months

2) If i had known that there will be an issue raised like this, and I 'known' that If i had to return then they can add depreciation changes on the handset.
I never knew if had to return the handset, I would not have acted in a way that it would have depreciated or may be even i would have returned it earlier by the reselling date.

Thanks,

unholyangel

Have you asked them what other options are available?

For example what are the early termination fee's? Or if it would be possible to reduce the cost of Plan A ? Whether they could offer you a loyalty discount?

Ask them to put the options in writing to you so you can read over it all and make an informed decision (including if you will have anything additional to pay if you return the handset etc).

NeilF3485

Did you pay for the handset or was it "free" on that contract?

I would argue that if you paid for the handset (£79 or something usually for an iPhone 4 depending on contract), then I would argue you don't have to return the handset as you bought it outright and own it. However, if it was "free" they would probably argue that they still own it.

Also think they could argue you have to return it as it was sold as part of a contract where you would pay £40p/m and are not doing so, so have breached the contract (even though they let you do it).

Just my thoughts, can't really be more helpful I'm afraid.

Forwandert

You signed up for an iphone contract at £40 in Dec and somehow got the contract down to £10 a month just one month later, i would be very surprised if the return of the phone hadn't been mentioned at the time.

xtreemneo

Yes, asking them for other option would be the wisething to do.
I should be makin an informed decision now.


Yes, I paid £100 for the 32 GB handset. But the problem is, in vodafone the deposit we pay for the handset is not taken or considered really as deposit as soon as the cooling off period is over.
They had the £100 deducted from my account from day one after cooling off.

Yes, I was never asked to return the handset when they resold the same plan for £10 pm. But I or they found out yesterday that the plan was changed to sim only plan. That is why it is reduced to that level. May be the representative forgot to mention it to me... I dont know.

Thank you very much for posting readers.
As my first OP posted, am gonna explore my possible options today. VF dont work on weekends. So we need to agree on something today.
I will the this place updated on the progress.

Thanks again,

xtreemneo

Obviously, they said the IPhone plans are usually stoned. But some how they were able to change it to £10 pm.
Well, and if I had known this that I have been using the device without paying properly, I wouldn't have allowed the representative. But when I cb aged it from £40 pm to £10 pm, they were able to do it and accepted it and agreed to it.

Right, any ways now
1) no depreciation charges on the handset.
2) no collection charges, they said it's free.
3) and there is no early termination charges and no obligation to pay for the minimum period signed up for in the first place.
4) the second number, am happy to surrender..

One thing is for sure, only when we explore things.. It comes to light.

Also, :j atleast am contract free now. Having listened to the WWDC 2011 from apple and seeing the iOS 5 improvements... Getting the next generation device would be like getting holy grail for an apple fan boy like me.
:beer: thanks readers.
Being calm and playing cool, can open many doors.

Vodafone

Hi xtreemneo,

I am sorry to hear that there has been a bit of a mix up on your account, I am happy to get this resolved for you.

If you could send me an email to the address shown here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject and a link to this thread, I can look into this in more detail.

Best wishes,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK