Vodafone don't cancel contracts when asked

podwin

Hi Lee,

Thanks for the reply, but all I get is:

Proxy Error

The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.
The proxy server could not handle the request POST /system/selfservice.controller.

Reason: Error reading from remote server

In fact I have never had a successful experience with getting help from the Vodafone website, one of my reasons for leaving.

By the way, my PC and internet connection are fine - afterall I'm posting this.

JethroUK

Redux makes a good point

If the companies cannot retain your number after the contract ends (maybe it becomes irritreavably free to the market to reuse), and you request Pac code (indicate you want to retain it), then the contract must stay open until you use it

The answer i suppose is easy - if you want to end your contract and dont need to transfer your number, then dont request a PAC

Herongull

JethroUK wrote: »

Redux makes a good point

If the companies cannot retain your number after the contract ends (maybe it becomes irritreavably free to the market to reuse), and you request Pac code (indicate you want to retain it), then the contract must stay open until you use it

The answer i suppose is easy - if you want to end your contract and dont need to transfer your number, then dont request a PAC

Nonsense!

The answer is easy - if the phone companies believe that the contract should always continue if you request your PAC but don't use it, even if you request contract termination, then their T&Cs have to reflect this.

If a customer requests termination in accordance with the T&Cs, then, by definition, the contract ends. No ifs No buts. This is how contracts work.

If another phone company has slightly different T&Cs, this is irrelevant. Each phone company is bound by its own T&Cs.

If you cancel in accordance with your phone companies terms and conditions, then they cannot continue to deduct the monthly fees and if they do by mistake, then they must return them. No ifs. No Buts.

If they refuse to return the money and try to persuade you that contract has not terminated because another phone company has different T&Cs, then this is illegal (not sure whether criminal or civil?). But taking money out of your account and refusing to give it back doesn't sound good to me!

This argument that phone companies are not terminating contracts out of the goodness of their hearts (to save you from losing your number) is specious.

If they really are that concerned, why don't they amend their T&Cs so that it is clear that if you request a PAC and don't use it, this over-rides the termination request? How difficult can that be?

podwin

Herongull wrote: »

If they really are that concerned, why don't they amend their T&Cs so that it is clear that if you request a PAC and don't use it, this over-rides the termination request? How difficult can that be?

This is my point of creating this thread.

Maybe it is in the T&Cs with a thousand other conditions, but they do not remind you of this / inform of this / make this clear when they phone you to give you the PAC code and try to keep your business.

The only thing I was told is that it expires after 30 days.

I had asked in writing to terminate the contract, they ignored this request. I don't care if this is how the industry works, how am I suppose to know, I'm a customer not an industry expert.

Silk

podwin wrote: »

I had asked in writing to terminate the contract, they ignored this request. I don't care if this is how the industry works, how am I suppose to know, I'm a customer not an industry expert.

Using the same logic though how are Vodafone supposed to know you wern't going to use the pac code???

You told them you wanted to use a pac code ....if they cancelled the contract before you had chance to use it and you lost your number for ever you would have been in a worse stuation.

Perhaps under the circumstances if you were unaware of how it works when asking for a pac code, you would have been better discussing it with Vodafone before you wrote a letter requesting a pac code. I'm sure they would have explained it to you had they been given the chance

podwin

Silk wrote: »

You told them you wanted to use a pac code ....if they cancelled the contract before you had chance to use it and you lost your number for ever you would have been in a worse stuation.

That would have been 100% my fault though, they told me when it expired, if I didn't use it, that's tough on me and I'd accept that.

Silk

podwin wrote: »

That would have been 100% my fault though, they told me when it expired, if I didn't use it, that's tough on me and I'd accept that.

Maybe so but it could also have been the fault of the network you were going to by not processing it in time etc.
They were not to know that and the system the networks use is in place to protect the numbers from being lost.

I understand your frustration with the situation and I'm sure Vodafone will so perhaps if you do as Lee suggests and email them you might get a gesture of goodwill

podwin

It's good of Lee from Vodafone to get in contact, but the contract has ended, the number has gone, so I don't see what he could do now.

Silk

podwin wrote: »

It's good of Lee from Vodafone to get in contact, but the contract has ended, the number has gone, so I don't see what he could do now.

Thats good then, at least you got it sorted in the end.

podwin

My troubles only just began