Vodafone to Change Prices from 11 Oct 2011

fox2319

While we are all awaiting progress, request a PAC code. They won't charge for it unless you use it but I reckon the cost of producing a new one each month should help offset the price rise while we try to get this resolved.

musical_norwich

Just to say I'll let you know the results of the FOI as soon as I have the documents.

This is a funny article about OFCOM in the Guardian - being a useless poodle for a change.

If OFCOM lacks the balls to do anything useful, why do we spend millions paying for it?

dank_2

My case is going from the frustrating to the absurd.

Vodafone are now asking me to send them a copy of the transcript of the online conversation I had with one of their advisors!

They're claiming that they can't see that any of their advisors spoke to me via their website on the day in question, and so they're suggesting that nobody could have given me the information saying that I wouldn't be affected by the price plan changes!

Absolutely ridiculous, and almost implying that I fabricated this conversation!

I've duly forwarded them a copy (with full Email headers) and look forward to the next thrilling instalment in this ongoing saga...

dank_2

And their reply:

Good afternoon Mr *****, Thank you for the email with the transcript, I find it very odd that nobody actually accessed your account that day, I apologise that this is what you advised and we will internally investigate this as the advisor should not have told you that information. However the price will remain the same Mr *****. Kind regards, [name withheld] Customer relations

Still waiting for the relevant ombudsman to come back to me about this. Should I still persevere? Haven't spoken to Ofcom about this yet, worth a go? Ultimately, what can my persistence achieve?

Warrick

You need to complain to the ombudsman, not Ofcom.

We're getting into Ofcom via the FOI request and MP involvement, but they can't help you on a personal level here. You need the ombudsman.

Make sure you're very clear that you're complaining about the misleading information given to you by VF.

As for what you can expect, I'd ask for a compensation which reflects the time you've spent chasing them about this issue.

steve__

I realise it's a while since anyone has posted in this thread but I have only just found out about these changes while looking for a phone for my dad. I was never informed of the new charge for 250mb instead of 500mb.

I repeatedly use 300-400mb more than I have on my plan so this would definitely affect me.

I originally took this plan out in store when it was advertised to be "unlimited internet" I wasn't informed when they changed to the 500mb = £5 back then either. I went into store today and was rudely called a liar claiming they never sold an unlimited plan with fair usage policy. So I've rang customers services and they repeatedly told me "All customers were informed" and that these extra charges are outside of my agreed priceplan and therefor can not be used to end my contract anyway.

She was extremely rude to me and is having her manager ring me back within 48 hours.

Can anyone give any advice? Do you think quoting clause 11bquoted below will do anything?

Any help/reply would be much appreciated!

buscape wrote: »

Here's a template latter to cancel your contract with Vodafone. This is for data charges but I'm sure with a few tweaks it could be used for call charges as well - maybe one of the MSE staff could have a look?

(Your Address)


Customer Relations
Vodafone Group plc
Vodafone House
The Connection
Newbury
Berkshire
RG14 2FN



(date)



Notice of Termination of Vodafone Contract
Phone number – (insert your mobile number)
Account number (insert your account number)





To whom it may concern



An announcement posted by a Vodafone administrator on the Vodafone eForums on 6th September 2011 states that Vodafone intends to increase Out Of Bundle charging for Pay Monthly customers from 11th October 2011 - the announcement can be found at httpCOLON//tinyDOTcc/6abu7. Under §15.d of the pay monthly airtime agreement, I recognise this announcement as official notice of these charges. When I started the contract with you on the (insert date of contract start) out of bundle data charges were £5 per 500Mb. Out of bundle data will now be charged at £5 per 250Mb from the 11th October 2011.

The net result is that the price of out of bundle data will be doubling and I believe that I will be at a Significant Disadvantage as a result, as outlined in §11.b of the pay monthly airtime agreement which states;

11. Ending this agreement

b) You may end this agreement by writing to us if:

we increase your charges in the UK which have the effect of increasing your total charges (based on your usage in the previous month) by more than 10% and you write to us before the increase applies;

I therefore wish to cancel my contract without penalty, which is my right as outlined in §11.b of my pay monthly airtime agreement. The announcement requires “proof of why [you] think your bill will be increased by more than 10%”, which I will provide below.


On my last bill (insert invoice number) (insert data usage from that bill) of data/mobile browsing was used. Should I use this amount of data/mobile browsing after your new out of bundle charges are imposed, my bill will increase by (insert amount).

Given that the last bill (before VAT) was for (insert amount of last bill before VAT), this would increase my total charges to (insert amount) (before VAT) which is an increase of (insert percentage) and in excess of the 10% stated in clause 11b above (a 10% increase on (amount of last bill) is (insert amount of last bill plus 10%)
§11.b of the pay monthly airtime agreement states I may end my agreement if such changes cause Significant Disadvantage.

There is clear evidence of you cancelling contracts under this clause in the airtime conditions on the Vodafone support forums and other outlets and I therefore reject as unfair your attempt to artificially limit the right to cancel in some scenarios and not others in the face of the clear legislation and regulatory guidance and Ofcoms General Conditions which states:


9.3 Where the Communications Provider intends to modify a condition in a contract with a Consumer which is likely to be of material detriment to the Consumer, the Communications Provider shall:
(a) provide the Consumer with at least one month’s notice of its intention detailing the proposed modification; and
(b) inform the Consumer of the ability to terminate the contract without penalty if the proposed modification is not acceptable to the Consumer



With that in mind, please terminate my contract without penalty and provide me with my PAC code.






Yours sincerely







(name)


Fill in the bits that say (insert......) with your own data and change the URL that links to the Vodafone announcement. You will need your last bill as this will form the basis of the letter and you will have to do a bit of maths to work out the percentage increase in your bill and other things as well.

Make sure you email the letter to the Chief Exec (guy.laurence@vodafone.com) and send a copy to the address above recorded delivery so as to avoid any of the 'we haven't received your letter' rubbish they're likely to come up with. If it's signed for, it's very difficult for them to deny receiving it.

Remember. you can only use this letter if your bill will increase by 10% or more as a result of the price increases.

Warrick

I've had a reply from the Ombudsman.

I'll post the full letter tomorrow, but the long and short of it is this:

Vodafone are in breach of their T&Cs.
The must cancel my contract immediately and without penalty.
They must issue a "goodwill compensation gesture".
The must issue me a full, written apology.

Ombudsman decisions are case specific, so this doesn't set a precedent, but it's still good news for other people waiting for Ombudsman complaints.

ruggedtoast

Warrick wrote: »

I've had a reply from the Ombudsman.

I'll post the full letter tomorrow, but the long and short of it is this:

Vodafone are in breach of their T&Cs.
The must cancel my contract immediately and without penalty.
They must issue a "goodwill compensation gesture".
The must issue me a full, written apology.

Ombudsman decisions are case specific, so this doesn't set a precedent, but it's still good news for other people waiting for Ombudsman complaints.

Can you recap your case as this is a long thread?

I was miss-sold unlimited data when I took my phones out 18 months ago. In the end I accepted some line rental discount as compensation and the promise that I wouldnt pay more than £5 per 500mb thereon in.

Obviously they've reneged on this now and I'd like to cancel although I rarely go over, I would just like to be shot of them.

Its taught me not to sign a 24 month contract again, especially now with VF, their word right there in black and white means nothing!

steve__

Congrats Warrick, nice to see someone getting somewhere!

I've since wrote an email out to the CEO on campaigns.vodafone.co.uk/guylaurence/

If you would be so kind I would really appreciate people reading over it giving any advice before I send it and tell me if I have a hope in hell?

Just a warning, it's quite a read!

Dear Guy Laurence,

Firstly let it be known that I, along with 3 other members of my immediate family are loyal to Vodafone and have collectively been with you for around 40 years worth of contracts / PAYG and only recently have I ever had anything but praise for you.

My first issue is your store staff and their training in since expired price plans. A few years back I took my current price plan out with unlimited internet(fair usage of 500mb) back then I rarely reached the 500mb and only ever occasionally received a reminder about going over excessively could incur charges. However, with the purchase of my HTC Desire Z in Jaunary 2011 I exceeded the 500mb fairly quickly and charged the £5 for another 500mb, I was quite outraged as I hadn't been informed of this change. I returned to the Stockport store and I was there called a liar, the store representative claimed they never ran an unlimited offer. It was only when I returned home and looked up on forums that I discovered the change happened in October 2010. Feeling that I was on a fairly good priceplan anyway I took it no further and stuck with extra charge.

That was the first time you changed my terms without my knowledge.

Now onto a more recent problem.

I know you're fully aware of the hell caused by the recent hike prices as I've been referred to you by people that have had their problem resolved by you.

Before going into my complaint on the matter I will paste a few things.

Under Condition 9.3 of OFCOM’s General Conditions (often referred to a GC9.3):
9.3 Where the Communications Provider intends to modify a condition in a contract with a Consumer which is likely to be of material detriment to the Consumer, the Communications Provider shall:
(a) provide the Consumer with at least one month’s notice of its intention detailing the proposed modification; and
(b) inform the Consumer of the ability to terminate the contract without penalty if the proposed modification is not acceptable to the Consumer.


I shall start by saying I have no recollection of ever receiving any notice of changes to my data charges. I only happened to stumble on the price change when looking for a new phone for my dad and saw your "test drive" promotion. I saw that after the 3 months were up any data used outside of your plan would cost £5 per 250mb. This was half of what I thought I was paying and went into store on my dinner hour today to question if this was for all customers and when would it take effect. You can imagine my surprise when he told me it had already taken effect.

I do not frequently check my online bill and just let the DD pay it for me as I know it to be around the same price every month.

So under OFCOM's guidelines:
a) I did not recieve a months notice of the modification
b) I certainly was never informed I could terminate the contract without penalty
and let me tell you this is certainly not acceptable to me.

I was informed today that the text message should of contained a link to details of the changes. The link was allegedly vodafone.co.uk/yourbill
Now on first glance this webpage has nothing to do with data charges. It's only when you click on the "Calls and Texts" tab you discover hidden away is the change to the data charge "Out of bundle data (in the UK for 250MB) £5".
Being that contract users have an allocated amount of minutes and texts wouldn't even think to click on this tab makes this is deceptive and wrong.

There is clear evidence of you cancelling contracts under clause 11b in the airtime conditions on the Vodafone support forums and other outlets and as this is the closest clause in your terms to cover this situation I could not of wrote to you in the given timeframe as I was not correctly informed of the changes.
I therefore reject as unfair your attempt to artificially limit the right to cancel in some scenarios and not others in the face of the clear legislation and regulatory guidance and Ofcoms General Conditions.

I frequently use around 800mb so under your new charges I'll be incurring an extra £5 a month. Your page says don't give any personal details in here so I'll just say that will be a 20% increase on my total bill and we can check all that when you get back to me.

I would therefor like to set the ball rolling on termination of my contract without penalty.

Hoping to hear from you soon

Steve

Warrick

Ruggedtoast:

My complaint doesn't involve internet usage.

The basics of my complaint were that VF chose to use my August bill to calculate if my bill would increase by more than 10% as a result of the price increases as they knew I'd hardly used my phone in August due to holidays, etc. If they'd used my September bill (as it's stated they should use in their T&Cs), it would have been considerably more than 10% higher.

I also complained that they didn't give me the full 30 days notice of the changes as set out in Ofcom GCs, and that their CS reps had lied to me on repeated occasions.

This Ombudsman decision is only provisional; VF can still appeal if they feel that they have "significant new evidence", but I'm hoping this is the end of it now.