Vodafone: Award for Worst Customer Service

DerBiber

My issue with Vodafone started when I returned from holiday to the USA on the 24/10/2012, to find that they were charging me roaming charges of £170 and would suspend the mobile phone service until it was paid. With no phone I went into one of the Vodafone stores and spoke to an advisor who called a colleague in one of the advice centers who said I should pay £130 now so my phone would no longer be suspended. On this I asked to see a bill for the charges as I was disputing them. Vodafone replied that they could and would not send me a bill until the 16th of November. Without being given a bill I was being asked to pay. This is the first time in my history I have been asked to pay for something without being billed and with no reciept of what I was actually paying for, so I refused saying I wouldn't do this until I had a bill. A bill was declined on four separate occaisons (via email). Vodafone actually refused to send me a bill, but expected me to pay and ring a number to do so, which as they had suspended my phone service this was no longer an option. Contractually Vodafone state that once billed I have 7 days to pay, so surely by asking me to pay without a bill they would be in breach of contract? I've been pushed from pillar to post, trying to get hold of a bill to view for wish must be a basic consumer right?!??! Effectively Vodafone have tried to bully and frustrate us with some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. Not replying with 48 hours, suspending the phone, and not providing me with a bill (paper or electronic), when it was requested several times. Using Vodafones own website (and account login) is consistantly under repair, the customer service we experienced from India was trerrible, (they did not even read what we wrote in our emails and replied in a robotic fashion without addressing any of the issues). The UK based people we did speak to had conflicting advice and offered no solution except to pay a bill that as far I was concerned didnt exist! As a customer its I have been treated with such contempt and lack of empathy from Vodafone, a company truly out of touch with its customers. I will be looking to take Vodafone to the small claims court for breach of contract and costs, they have been a total waste of time and effort. Any advice from fellow victims of Vodafones 'customer service' would be greatly appreciated.

DUTR

I'm confused as nowadays online billing is a 'must' and you pay extra for paper billing, I cannot see that you do not have access to view an itemisation of what you have used, the price for SCC is more than the disputed bill and you may still not win the case, often people moan and then find out it is they that they are in error.
Hope fully though the Vodafone rep may see your thread and look int the matter for you, good luck but roaming is not cheap on any network.

Guys_Dad

Two points strike me about this thread.

First, having seen so many posts about MSE members who got huge bills for roaming, why did Voda contact OP not at billing time, but ask for an interim payment to continue service?

Second, whenever I wanted an explanation about charges, I got a verbal breakdown from 191 no bother at all. Was the bulk of the £170 for data or calls? Data I guess. So OP needs to assess what data they used, was the handset appropriately configured for minimising roaming costs? Was it an Iphone???

MCOL has no chance at all for the simple reason OP has refused to pay and bill is in dispute. Also, I see a trashed credit record on the horizon unless sense prevails. Wait for the monthly bill to be produced on their system and then ask for a breakdown. As I read it, you were between bills when they asked for the interim £170.

Then ring their accounts if the web page is down - it's ok for me last time I looked - and find out when the charges applied.

Marauder999

If you have been sent from pillar to post then it sounds like you need to contact the CEO of Voda check out !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marauder999

For some reason I cant edit my previous post to be correct.
Check out www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!/

grumbler

Guys_Dad wrote: »

...why did Voda contact OP not at billing time, but ask for an interim payment to continue service?...

I think this is understandable

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/about-this-site/terms-and-conditions/products-and-services/pay-monthly-airtime-conditions/index.htm

Call limit, deposit and part paymentsa We may set a monthly call limit on your account. ...
...
c If there’s a significant increase in your usage between bills, we may contact you and possibly ask for a part payment so you can continue to use our services.

It's not that I am saying that the way they are doing this is understandable and correct.

Guys_Dad

grumbler wrote: »

I think this is understandable

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/about-this-site/terms-and-conditions/products-and-services/pay-monthly-airtime-conditions/index.htm

It's not that I am saying that the way they are doing this is understandable and correct.

I understand that they can do this, but £170 isn't, in mobile terms, a huge amount like £500 or more would be. I am just curious why they chose to apply the demand in this case. Was there some history or other reason why that may have influenced the decision?

And I don't think the thread heading is appropriate either.

Silk

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I understand that they can do this, but £170 isn't, in mobile terms, a huge amount like £500 or more would be. I am just curious why they chose to apply the demand in this case. Was there some history or other reason why that may have influenced the decision?

And I don't think the thread heading is appropriate either.

I'm wondering if it's a monthly sim only contract which now has retrospective roaming charges ???

Guys_Dad

Silk wrote: »

I'm wondering if it's a monthly sim only contract which now has retrospective roaming charges ???

That's a possibility. Let's see if OP comes back to clarify matters.

Incidentally, I have no problem with Vodafone getting a worst service award - no doubt shared with 3, EE, O2 et al - but not for this particular "performance".

iritchie

Guys_Dad wrote: »

And I don't think the thread heading is appropriate either.

Possibly not for the actual scenario, but I think the overall feeling of frustration is escalated tenfold by the "they did not even read what we wrote in our emails and replied in a robotic fashion without addressing any of the issues".

I had exactly the same experience of Vodafone's customer services - I would ask a question. It was completely ignored, and I got a robotic "auto-response" type reply which was in the general theme of maybe one of my points.
It didn't answer my query, it dragged out the whole process for days/weeks, when I could have probably left the matter relatively content with one remotely decent response, and has basically soured my whole outlook of Vodafone.

I don't understand why large companies move their call centres to India, if they are not remotely capable of COMMUNICATING WITH THE CUSTOMERS correctly, when this is their entire job.

So they've saved a few quid...there's very good reason for this...

grumbler

Guys_Dad wrote: »

... - but not for this particular "performance".

Why? "Robotic replies" is their speciality. I think they do this much better than any other network. And if their online account access is really "consistantly under repair", they must give customers other means of checking the charges before blackmailing them and demanding money that they allegedly owe.