Vodafone. Here we go again

Blue_Parrot

In May I had a long conversation with Barry in customer services. He assured me that whilst itemised billing is no longer provided in paper format, pages 1-3 would still come by post. I have to have records (a) for our accounts; (b) to reclaim the VAT. He assured me that those pages would still arrive by post.

June. Nothing arrived by post. After they had taken the direct debit I had to go onto their website, rummage around, and print off a page showing the VAT. I went into our company profile and changed the part showing paper bills opted out of. I had at no point opted out. I changed it back to opt in, despite the extra cost. I stupidly thought that that would do it, and I'd get pages 1-3 by post, from then onwards.

July. The bank account, today, shows a direct debit by Vodafone for an unusually large amount, and they have not posted me a paper breakdown, showing VAT, again.

I cannot get into my account on their website, because it does this error under both "Log In to my account" and a separate "View My Bill" : Unable to render /framework/skeletons/vodafoneDefault/head.jsp

It's all too much trouble for you, Vodafone, isn't it? Just employ people who will repeatedly assure long-standing customers that they will get the service they need, but then don't bother to unclick a box on that customer's account, obliging them to do it themselves. Then compound the error by ignoring my intervention AND provide a website which does not work.

Brilliant.

Vodafone

Hi Blue Parrot,

I am sorry to hear that a simple request like this was not actioned for you correctly and has caused frustration and inconvenience.

So that I can help to resolve this, can you email me via the address here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Blue_Parrot

Your website is working correctly this morning. I logged in and found the relevant page and printed it out to show VAT.

I also checked the profile and it says we are paying extra for paper summaries which did not arrive in June or July. I have emailed you as requested and asked for a refund.

I have also asked for assurance that paper summaries will be posted in future to save all this unnecessary hassle.

Blue_Parrot

While you are there, Heidi, I would also like to know this:

Why, whenever I have to contact Vodafone via their website, do I always get a reply telling me that I am not the account holder, and demanding verification, every single time, as follows:

As per the Data Protection Act, we will not be able to provide any account information to a non-account holder. Please ask the account holder to contact us with the below mentioned details from their company domain email address:

1. Your Company’s/Account Holder's full name

2. The full address of the Company and the postcode.

3. Payment Method

4. Number of Active subscription on account

5. Last bill amount

They also, always, add this which makes no sense to me whatsoever:

You can also ask the account holder to authorize you with a 4 digit PIN or special password so that you can access the account on the account holder’s behalf. Account holder can authorize you with a 4 digit PIN or special password by sending these details with above mentioned information in Company Letterhead by scanning it in JPEG for PDF format.

What 4-digit PIN? As to password, if I didn't have the password which I created myself, I wouldn't be able to log in to find the bill to print it out for VAT purposes, would I?

I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, and their computer-generated answers proving that they have not read my emails, irritate me every single time. In 18 years in this job, I am the only person here who has EVER dealt with Vodafone. Also, when the contract comes up for renewal, Vodafone call me, and ask for me. I tell them that until I am blue in the face, but they do not listen, because "computer says no".

Vodafone

Hi Blue Parrot,

Thanks for getting in touch via email, I will respond shortly and enable paper billing for you.

When you log in online, it will ask for Data Protection questions. If you are on a business account under a company name then the details we require for DPA maybe slightly different, hence why we would then request more.

It’s not that we are doubting that you are the user of the account, we just have to confirm full security before discussing anything.

Thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Blue_Parrot

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

Hi Blue Parrot,

Thanks for getting in touch via email, I will respond shortly and enable paper billing for you.

When you log in online, it will ask for Data Protection questions. If you are on a business account under a company name then the details we require for DPA maybe slightly different, hence why we would then request more.

It’s not that we are doubting that you are the user of the account, we just have to confirm full security before discussing anything.

Thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

This is surreal.

"When you log in online, it will ask for Data Protection questions".

When I log in, on the Vodafone website, I use my email address and password. No Data Protection or any other questions are asked before I have access to the Vodafone account. I do not know what you mean, unless you mean this:

IF you choose to try to contact us using the "contact us" link, expect to be interrogated with "data protection" questions, and then have your answers flatly disbelieved, until you up the complaint by using a third party website such as this one.

"I will respond shortly and enable paper billing for you."

Paper billing IS enabled, and HAS BEEN enabled since June. This is something which Vodafone customers can do for themselves, after they have logged in. That they then reasonably expect paper summary bills in the post is another matter: the customer/s (in this case, me) have done their bit and reasonably expect the supplier (in this case, Vodafone) to conduct their part of the exercise.

You have since tried to call me on the mobile which is hardly ever switched on - as you can tell from the bills. I have emailed you in response to your alert, but as yet (24 hours later) no reply. I will email you again with a screen-grab of Vodafone's website showing that paper billing IS enabled.

FWIW I wouldn't have your job and just hope that they pay you well.

Vodafone

Hi Blue Parrot,

Apologies I think we had crossed wires here. If you are logging in to your own My Account online, you have your own personal password and username therefore no Data Protection questions are needed as this was covered in the registration.

Whenever we speak directly to customers, we have to confirm security whether it be by phone or email. If these aren’t covered, we can’t access the customers account or provide any information. This is not only to protect Vodafone, but our customers information and privacy too.

I appreciate that you have already requested to have bills sent to you but as you have not received them, I was offering to resolve this for you.

I attempted to contact you on the number provided in your email but if you have an alternative one that I can call you on, I will happily do so today so we can reach a mutual resolution to this matter.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Blue_Parrot

I give up. I have already put far too much time in trying to resolve this tiny issue (by comparison with much wider and more expensive ones).

To summarise: I have paid £1.50/month for paper summaries. They were not posted to me in June or July. I have proved (by emailing a screenshot) that I have signed up for £1.50/month's worth of paper bills. Despite this evidence Vodafone persist in the argument.

I have also been told that I cannot terminate the contract early without paying for the remainder. I have also been told that I cannot downgrade the (unnecessarily expensive) contract. I will seek another mobile phone provider, but regrettably will have to wait about a year before I can make the switch.

That's about it.

Vodafone

Hi Blue Parrot,

I appreciate the situation and am willing to resolve this for you.

As requested in my email, if you let us know a contact number and a timeframe in which you will be free to confirm security, we can call you to resolve this.

I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

mobilejunkie

The REAL problem is that when the Web Relations Team resolve ONE problem which Vodafone went out of their way to create another occurs... then another... and another. It doesn't improve. It just wears you down. Vodafone CLEARLY as a whole cares nothing at all for it's customers (apart from the Web Relations Team) -THAT much is completely clear. What's worse though is that they do everything they possibly can to drive their customers away. If a constant stream of problems which they create fails to work, they are absolutely determined to wear you down over weeks, months and YEARS until you eventually give up and go away. With me, they have finally succeeded.

WELL DONE VODAFONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ch4chi

Sorry to hijack your post, but needed somewhere to vent!

It's not just online where they are incompetant and create problems!

Here my latest dealing with the notoriously incompetant customer service


3 weeks ago 1 of my 3 contracts with voda had expired, called to see why it had ended as I thought I still had a week or so before it ended, advisor I spoke to offered me a good deal if I restored my contract, stupidly agreed and requested he put me through to the relevant department to confirm the deal, he stated this was only possible once I agreed to restore (can you see where it's going?), so I agreed. He then transferred me to the relevant department who stated the said deal could not be offered, I obviously kicked off, then spoke to a manger who said the conversation would have to be listened in to and if the said deal was offered it would have to honoured, the listening in of the call would take UPTO 32 hours.

2 weeks later still no response, called and again messed about with misinformation and conflicting advice so again spoke to a manager who informed me the request to listen into the call had not been made but she would ensure it happens this time round and would take UPTO 32 hours.

1 week later (3 weeks in total) no response, spent over 4 hours trying to get hold of a manger to resolve the issue, either they werent available or I missed their call back (can't take calls at work) as they did not call back at the agreed times! Finally spoke to a manger who told me that they would NOT honour the deal, even though 2 previous mangers said once the call was listened into they would have to honour it, he was very rude and abrupt and stated I wanted a quick resolution so that's what I had been given!!!

He was very flippant and rude and continuously spoke over me and would not let me get my point a cross, after stating I wanted to escalte the matter with customer services I ended the call, he then called me back after a few minutes didn't once apologise but changed his tone and stated that the call would be listened into and a decision made whether to honour the initial offer made to me in the first instance, but it would take upto 5 days for the call to be listened into and potentially 3 days for a decision to be made!!! THAT'S 8 DAYS ON TOP OF THE 3 WEEKS I'VE ALREADY HAD TO WAIT!!

I have been a customer for over 4 years and have 3 contracts with them, and initially upon joining them referred over 11 people (to be fair it was a good deal at the time!), but needless to say I have requested my PAC code and given notice on the other 2 contracts!