Catalogue of mess-ups and failings on new order – still no refund

Bwagner1

I decided to move to Vodafone as a new customer, based on the impression that they were the biggest most successful player in the industry built on their efficiency and customer satisfaction; How utterly, stupidly wrong in every way I was!

Since placing my simple wish for a new iPhone 5 and parting with my hard earned money, I have been subjected to a catalogue of mess-ups and failings that have left me out of pocket and in utter despair!

I will try and keep this as short as possible but I need some way to vent my anger and frustration whilst looking for any help or advice in the matter, before I go and explode over the whole social media scene with vengeance.

Soon after placing my order at the Vodafone Store in Croydon Whitgift Centre, I received an email stating that my credit check had failed and my order had been cancelled. This was very distressing as I have never failed a credit check before and prompted me to contact my bank to check all was in order; which it was.

I called Vodafone to query this and was advised that there must have been a mistake and was told not to worry as they can place another order over the phone to correct this matter, which I did.

The next day I received two different emails with two different order numbers that obviously worried me and prompted another call to Vodafone. After being passed around the houses and explaining the problem several time to different people (which was a bit like this: “Hi, I have received two order conformation emails” > “Yes, that is correct, you have two orders” > ”No, I only ordered one phone” > “No, you have two ordered on the system” so on and so on), until finally one bright spark understood that one was a duplicate in error and assured me that it would be cancelled.

A few days later I checked my bank account to discover that Vodafone had taken two payments (of a considerable size) for two phones.

Then followed more frustrating calls to Vodafone that were getting nowhere, so I decided to go back to the shop where I had originally placed the order. After waiting 30 minutes to see the manager, he confirmed that I was soon to be the owner of two new iPhones, with two rather expensive price plans to go with them and there was nothing that he can do. He advised that I had to wait for both phones to be delivered to the shop then he would process a refund. Ok, at least this will sorted out. How wrong I was again!

Eventually, I received the two emails advising that my iPhones were ready to be picked up in the shop and hastily made my way down there on my lunch break. I started to get the feeling that things weren’t going to go smoothly when greeted by the same superstar Vodafone salesman from before (1 GCSE, 1 ASBO, 1 Tony & Guy haircut and 1 over-styled Topman suit).

Anyway, I sit down at the desk while super salesman tries to explain the problem, in a very, very excruciatingly annoying way by continuously pausing mid-sentence to stare at other girls in the shop, loosing track of what he’s saying, while also being distracted by his own phone.

I could not believe what he was saying! He said that they were unable to give me a refund on the second iPhone and as I had paid for it, I should take both away with me and If I don’t want them both, I will have to post one back.

I said that this is absolutely absurd and have never heard of anything like it in my life. So he went off to confirm his advice with the manager in the back for five minutes (even though the manager was on the shop floor behind me with other customers. He probably just went for a ciggie) and surprise surprise, the answer was the same.

They also added that if I left the phone with them, it could very easily go missing in the shop and as I have paid for it, would result in even more problems getting a refund.

As I had already exceeded my lunch hour, I had no choice but to leave the shop taking with me the two phones in utter shock and disbelief.

I phoned Vodafone customer services again to arrange the return of the phone and had another long and frustrating conversation trying to explain the entire story and convince them again that this was a duplicate order made from their error. Eventually, after having to be transferred to the manager, the decision was made to send me a pre-paid special delivery envelope.

A few days later the envelope arrived and I promptly packaged up one of the un-opened phones and dropped it off at the post office.

Four days later I checked that the package had actually been delivered to its destination using the royal mail track and trace website before I called customer services. After explaining the entire story again, they advised that they had not received it yet and I had to try back later.

After several phone calls over several days they were still saying that they had not received the phone, which to me implies it was delivered but then may have been stolen by their warehouse staff. I was asked to provide them with proof of postage and a copy of the delivery signature! I asked if this can be done in the store as I was not willing to post anything else, to which they agreed.

Again, using one of my lunch hours, I went down to the Vodafone store and showed them the postage receipt with a copy of the signature that I had obtained from Royal Mail. They said that this was fine and the refund will be processed as soon as possible.

I monitored my bank account over the following few days – still no refund.

On calling Vodafone again, I had to repeat the whole story again to someone whose English is not their strong point only to be told that they have no record of me providing proof of postage! Aaaaaarrrrr!!!!

More phone calls, more assurances that the refund is on its way.

A few days later I checked my bank account to see if the refund has landed, but instead find two line rental charges! On calling Vodafone again I’m told “Yes, that is correct, you have two lines”.

This call left me in despair and brought me to tears and I had to be comforted by my husband.

My husband advised me that his team at work (as a communications manager for an international financial firm in the city) have already moved all their fixed lines from Vodafone due to continuous failings and total inefficiencies and have also been looking at moving their multi-million £ a year mobile contract too.

Vodaphone’s smug account manager thinks they are bluffing due to all the pain and logistics involved in moving such a big contract. But the decision has been made and my husband has been inviting the competition to pitch for the contact and has so far been astonished at how un-commercially competitive Vodafone actually are.

Anyway, it doesn’t help my situation and my many phone calls to various Vodafone call centre are going nowhere.

This is very time consuming and stressful on top of an already stress filled life.

The only thing I can now resort to is painting obscenities over the shop front of the Vodafone Store and posting my dogs freshest produce to their customer services (although it may get stolen on the way in!)

I am amazed how Vodafone’s share price had risen over the last few years while their service to all their customers spirals downwards! Then I realised that they have probably replaced all the hard working loyal staff with a bunch of monkeys to which they pay peanuts to further their profits.

Can anyone help me please?

Your comments would be much appreciated.

Herongull

No problem!

You only agreed one contract as the first one didn't go through (and you have written proof - the email). You have returned the phone (and you have written proof - the evidence from Royal mail.)

So you have one phone and one contract, so you only pay for one phone and one contract. Claim back any debits from the second from the direct debit guarantee.

Now you will also have to get something in writing from VF to confirm that the matter of the second spurious contract has been resolved and you don't owe them anything. When you get this letter keep it for 6 years in case they "forget" and sell the "debt" to debt collectors.

How you get them to write this letter?

You have to go through the VF disputes procedure (find it on their website somewhere) and you have to keep escalating it as necessary until the matter is resolved. Keep a record of all telephone conversations (including date and time), keep all emails and send any letters by recorded delivery (and keep a record of any costs you incur).

This will take a little time and effort, but you just have to keep going until it is resolved. (If you google Which? and dispute resolution you will probably find more advice on getting these messy things sorted.)

Next time:

1/Do not take out a phone contract. PAYG is low cost and zero stress

2/If you do take another phone contract, don't do it in a shop. Use the internet as you then have more protection from distance selling regs.

cmatt

Sorry to hear that fella - hope the Vodafone reps pick up on this. They seem to be the only helpful customer complaints team at Vodafone.

Vodafone

Hi Bwagner1,

Thanks for making me aware of this.

Should you still require some assistance could you email me with the relevant details via the link in our profile here?

All you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and it will take you to the Contact us form on our website.

To ensure that it reaches us could you also quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line and once our automated reply arrives update the thread with your email reference number and I'll get back to you as soon as possible?

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK