No signal for several weeks

oatastemur

My mum got into a contract with Talk Mobile recently. Originally the reception at home was excellent but after about two weeks of using the phone the signal suddenly ceased to exist at home except in very rare cases when the phone is positioned near an upstairs window sill. We've contacted them several times but dealing with their customer service is a nightmare. They informed us that there was a faulty mast (well if there is one then hurry up and fix it Vodafone, but it's probably a load of !!!!! anyway) and advised that there was absolutely nothing they could do to fix the network issues, and that because there was use on the account (not at home I might add), they couldn't even consider refunding the cost of the contract.

Her number, that she's been using for over ten years, is now unreachable without even an option of transferring the number without paying an extortionate early termination fee, which is the full cost of the 24 month contract. I honestly have no idea what to do. One of the CS persons advised me that even a letter to the head office would be useless because of the usage on the account.

What a nightmare.

grumbler

oatastemur wrote: »

...They informed us that there was a faulty mast (well if there is one then hurry up and fix it Vodafone, but it's probably a load of !!!!! anyway) and advised that there was absolutely nothing they could do to fix the network issues, and that because there was use on the account (not at home I might add), they couldn't even consider refunding the cost of the contract.

....One of the CS persons advised me that even a letter to the head office would be useless because of the usage on the account

Nonsense - typical for Vodafone CS persons.

It's not that I am saying that it will be easy or even possible to terminate the contract without charges. Follow their complaint procedure, then complain to the ombudsman.
A faulty mast is a strong fact in your favour.

Buzby

Has she read her contract? A network does not guarantee service everywhere - so if service stops, you are expected to make do until they can fix it. The are usually able to estimate this. Further, f you ask the will invariably give you a goodwill rebate for the period of disruption, but s certainly not a valid reason for termination at no cost.

grumbler

Buzby wrote: »

...The are usually able to estimate this.

Were they?

...certainly not a valid reason for termination at no cost.

Even if they are unable to 'estimate' even after the mast is faulty for several weeks already? Even if the estimation is, say, 12 months?

Silk

oatastemur wrote: »

They informed us that there was a faulty mast

You need to have this confirmed in writing. To start with you need to write a letter sent recorded del, refer them to the phone conversation and ask them to give a date when the service will be restored.

oatastemur wrote: »

and advised that there was absolutely nothing they could do to fix the network issues, and that because there was use on the account (not at home I might add), they couldn't even consider refunding the cost of the contract.

If theres nothing they can do to restore the service you previously enjoyed which the decision to take out the contract was based on at your primary location then you are entitled to cancel the contract without penalty.
If it is a temporary fault you have to give them "reasonable" time to restore the service but it's essential that you start creating a paper trail if you intend taking it further

oatastemur

Thanks for the advice. A letter to the head office seems to be the best option for now, so I'll go along with that. It's been over a month since the issues started. Talk Mobile seem to take the position that they're not responsible for anything: it's all Vodafone's fault according to them. But since my contract is with them and them only, why should I care, and why would they be telling me that?

tunathe_cat

currentley on hold for vodafone they called me at 12.20 i have been through to technical and cust service lol

i am holding for a manager whose in a meeting lol
told i could have refund excepted this they then tried to return fee minus tax! bless they do try it on ... spoke with manager who refunded full amount


they too have said i need to pay to be released from contract have not had service for 2 weeks. £84 plus
i req cancellation to be put in writing they said they will send it in text!!! but i cannot receive texts . customer service state they canot not put it in any other form of communication waiting again to speak with manager whose at meeting! have said i will pay for cancellation and then claim back through cc .!!:mad:

Buzby

grumbler wrote: »

Were they?
Even if they are unable to 'estimate' even after the mast is faulty for several weeks already? Even if the estimation is, say, 12 months?

That would be self-defeating. The usual period is 12 weeks to restore whether a fault or a re-siting, remembering that the phone will of course work everywhere else it should. The customer is given an ongoing rebate until service is restored, or an agreement to terminate if they cannot.

None of this is new, and has been industry practice for years now.

mattyprice4004

oatastemur wrote: »

They informed us that there was a faulty mast (well if there is one then hurry up and fix it Vodafone, but it's probably a load of !!!!! anyway)

What else do you think would cause it? If you have fine signal everywhere else but none at home, common sense says it's a mast issue.

I love customers like this, you provide facts to back up your statement and they reckon you're BS'ing just because they have some deep-seated issue with anything CS staff say.

Vodafone

Hi oatastmur,

Thanks for making me aware of your concerns.

In order for us to assist you further I'd recommend following the guidance in our Network Issues thread which can be found in the Network section of our eForum. Unfortunately, I'm unable to link you to it due to posting guidelines company representatives are obliged to follow.

From an account management perspective I'm afraid we'd be unable to help and so I'd recommend contacting your provider to discuss matters further.

tunathe_cat wrote: »

currentley on hold for vodafone they called me at 12.20 i have been through to technical and cust service lol

i am holding for a manager whose in a meeting lol
told i could have refund excepted this they then tried to return fee minus tax! bless they do try it on ... spoke with manager who refunded full amount


they too have said i need to pay to be released from contract have not had service for 2 weeks. £84 plus
i req cancellation to be put in writing they said they will send it in text!!! but i cannot receive texts . customer service state they canot not put it in any other form of communication waiting again to speak with manager whose at meeting! have said i will pay for cancellation and then claim back through cc .!!:mad:

Hi tunathe cat,

Could you also follow the guidance on our eForum to enable us to help you further?

In the event that you've not received your call back and would like to discuss things further you're welcome to email me with your 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 me 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?

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK