Vodafone are scammers

xenu

Hi All,

I want to share my problems with Vodafone, since I feel as a consumer I am being bullied by them and their business practices in dealing with complaints are far from the excellent customer service they claim to have.

To quickly summarise I was on a sim only contract with them with a 30 day contract and I phoned up to complain about huge bills and I was offered the opportunity to take up an iPhone 3g contract with them on 18 months (this was about 3 weeks before iPhone 4 was released).

I took up the offer because it seemed like a good deal, but then the problems began to surface. Poor signal at home, poor signal in my office in central London and again huge bills. After speaking to Vodafone they suggested I purchase a suresignal box at this time VF were advertising this service as "Guaranteed Signal". The signal was just as poor with this box which I felt was a total waste of money and even within the 14 days distance selling act they refused to refund me.

So I decided after the 18 months that I wanted to end the contract and wrote to them telling them I wanted to terminate. I received a PAC code in a text message from them. To my surprise, many weeks later I received a huge bill for nearly £300 for early termination. VF are insisting that I signed up for a 24 month contract. They also did NOT advise me that there was going to be an early termination charge at the time I asked for disconnection.

I have never in my life signed up for 24 months because it's not worth it and it's way too long a contract when new phones are coming out every few months. Since I agreed to this over the phone, it is now my word against theirs.

So I wrote to the ombudsman, who agreed to investigate and suggested that I write to VF saying that I was not refusing to pay the bill but that I would like them to put the debt on hold until the outcome of the investigation. They chose not to respond to this letter which I sent recorded and was delivered.

Then three days ago, they sent another bill, and today I got a letter from a debt collector who added £30 to the bill. I find this totally unfair to force me into payment when there is an outstanding complaint with them and an investigation with the ombudsman and to send a bill and then 3 days later to send the debt collectors after me is appalling.

They also have this dodgy business practice of dating a letter 14th of September but was actually posted on 4th of November and recieved on the 5th. I even have the letter and the envelope to prove it.

Now in this letter, it looks like they responded to my letter in just a few days, but in reality it was over a month later. In this letter they advise of the early termination charge after they cut off my account.

The ombudsman are not happy with them pre-dating letters and they also agree that its unfair to try to bully me into paying the bill by sending it to a debt collector whilst an investigation is underway and they are shocked that they would send a bill and then just a few days later refer the account to a debt collector.

I would not trust them, and I would recommend that everyone avoid them like the plague. They are trying to do the same thing to my wife as well. Sending letters dated in September that she received today advising of early termination charge and at the same time sending it to debt collection.

does anyone have any advice ?!

TLDR? - I signed up for 18 month VF contract, terminated, vodafone now asking for £300 bill for early termination and insisting I signed up for 24 months. It's been referred to the ombudsman, they send a bill and 3 days later they send it to a debt collector ?!!?

Sorry for the long post.

Thanks

visidigi

I was on a sim only contract with them with a 30 day contract and I phoned up to complain about huge bills

I don't follow, you had a huge bill with them on a sim only and you ended up on a new contract? The huge bill on Sim only is down to you. The huge bill on the new contract is down to you not buying a contract which meets your needs or using your contract beyond the needs you itemised to vodafone in the first place.

As for the contract length issue - this would have been itemised on your order emails/order form with the phones, have you checked these?

As for the rest, my advice, don't go on the internet and post about a company you are in dispute with by calling them 'scammers', 'liars', 'bullies'... thats not going to help your cause, especially with a site as big as MSE - you should pay under protest, advising vodafone you do not agree with the charges, but you will settle them in the meantime based on the outcome of the ombudsman.

runnersbeen

Husband has had similiar experience. He signed up for 12 month contract in one of their shops and has now been told he has an 18 month contract!
He has tried complaining and asking for a copy of the contract etc but has got no where.

grumbler

visidigi wrote: »

As for the rest, my advice, don't go on the internet and post about a company you are in dispute with by calling them 'scammers', 'liars', 'bullies'... thats not going to help your cause, especially with a site as big as MSE - you should pay under protest, advising vodafone you do not agree with the charges, but you will settle them in the meantime based on the outcome of the ombudsman.

This would be a good advice if Vodafone took part in the dispute. In fact they don't reply to letters (typically), washed their hands and sold the debt to debt collectors.

Promising something over a phone and not delivering it is yet another pattern typical for this company.

@OP. The distance selling regulations say 7 (working) days, not 14.

I took up the offer because it seemed like a good deal, but then the problems began to surface. Poor signal at home, poor signal in my office in central London and again huge bills.

Are you blaming them for the huge bills?
Your story is long, but includes many excessive details. A complaint has to be clear and easy to understand.

xenu

Am not blaming them for huge bills although there were some strange goings-on with the bill. I was giving it as a reason for wanting to terminate, strange data charges like internet access appeared on the bill even though I had inclusive internet and would receive a text if I ever went over or approached my limit.

The reason I ended up on a new contract was that I was supposed to be on £20 a month contract but every month I was paying between £45 and £50. When I called to cancel I mentioned that many iPhone contracts were around this price and therefore I'd be terminating and getting a contract elsewhere which is when I was offered what at the time I thought was a better deal.

Perhaps my choice of words was not that professional either in my post, but have reached the point of frustration and utter dismay at the way they are handling complaints, ignoring my letters and attempting to bully me into payment when there are outstanding complaints and investigations. Even the ombudsman has written to them asking for the debt to be put on hold then they go and send a bill and just a few days later send it to debt collectors.

Thanks for the replies. I think trading standards also mentioned paying under protest as well but I guess I didnt follow how that would help me.

visidigi

So I wrote to the ombudsman, who agreed to investigate and suggested that I write to VF saying that I was not refusing to pay the bill but that I would like them to put the debt on hold until the outcome of the investigation. They chose not to respond to this letter which I sent recorded and was delivered.

The ombudsmans advise was correct, but the key word is ask - the OP didn't get a response, but just stopped paying - they assumed vodafone would wait, they are not obliged to and as such the debt collection process will be standard proceedure.

Vodafone's participation in the dispute doesn't change the outcome of the ombudsman (not in a negative way for the OP at least) - paying under protest will stop the debt collection process - it will stop further charges, it will stop the agro from that side of the dispute.

The ombudsman can then do the job they are there to do and if applicable Vodafone will need to return the excess monies paid.

visidigi

xenu wrote: »

Am not blaming them for huge bills. I was giving it as a reason for wanting to terminate

Its not a reason to terminate, it a personal request to terminate which means you are still liable for the remainder of the contract term...

I'm suspecting an awful lot of assumption has gone on here...have you checked your order/delivery notes for this contract?

xenu

If you are on a contract that lasts 30 days and you think it costs too much that gives me every reason to terminate. I'm not here to argue with you. thanks for your piece.

I do not have a single piece of paper, or evidence that I am on a 24 month contract. I have asked Vodafone to provide evidence that I agreed to 24 months and they chose not to respond.

xenu

I did not stop paying either, perhaps you should either read what I post, or don't reply.

I terminated the contract, and they sent me a huge bill. I complained, they sent the bill again and just 3 days later referred it to a collection agency.

visidigi

xenu wrote: »

The reason I ended up on a new contract was that I was supposed to be on £20 a month contract but every month I was paying between £45 and £50. When I called to cancel I mentioned that many iPhone contracts were around this price and therefore I'd be terminating and getting a contract elsewhere which is when I was offered what at the time I thought was a better deal.

Im starting to see a pattern...

A £20 sim only 30 day contract will give you more data, more minutes and more texts than any £40 iPhone contract.

Saying you could have had a iPhone contract for the same is very true, but it would come with even less features on the contract and you would likely end up with even more bills here.

That assumption leads me to beleive the 'gag factor' took over and you didn't ask about contract length when it was taken, and it is on your paperwork at 24 months...

If it is...you owe the amounts being asked.

A total contract cost is leveraged when you take out a contract, its how vodafone calculates profit, so if you end it early and could do so without paying everyone would and vodafone wouldn't make money.

xenu

That assumption leads me to beleive the 'gag factor' took over and you didn't ask about contract length when it was taken, and it is on your paperwork at 24 months...

ok this is the last time i'm going to bother replying to you. Any helpful replies are greatly appreciated. I'm not blocking my eyes and ears to any suggestions but not reading my posts and being condescending is not helping.

I signed up for an 18 month contract. Vodafone are claiming I signed up for 24.
Stop assuming its all their in the post, I can only think that you keep coming up with these posts to antagonise me. Its now my word vs theirs. I agreed over the phone and now they are trying to say I signed up for something I did not.