Vodafone - Changing Price Plan by force?

rixxin

Hi all,

I got a call from the Migrations team today informing me that due to a new system coming online early next year, my current price plan (800 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB data for £32.80-ish) will no longer be available as the new system doesn't support it.

I was offered a new price plan of unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 8GB of data, for for about 30 pence less than what I am on! Brilliant right?

Hmm, I'm not so sure. I used to work for T-Mobile (or One2One as it was then) and getting customers to move price plans once existing price plans have been "ringfenced" (i.e. no new customers allowed on, but existing customers can stay) was always a priority. Sometimes it was for neatness and less administration, but other times it was because the deal on the old price plan is now not as lucrative due to changing market conditions.

I'm finding it hard to see what the loss to me would be by paying less and getting more, but it just makes me suspicious that they'd pay a whole team of people to migrate customers onto a new price plan when it seems so favourable; surely a letter or an SMS would have sufficed for such a seemingly rosy option?

I suspect that if they don't get my consent to change my price plan, and they no longer want to offer it to me, they would have to let me end my contract, without penalty to me. There's got to be something in it for them, otherwise why not just offer it to me next year when the new system goes live? Vodafone isn't a charity; they'll make more from me by giving me less for longer!

Has anyone had a similar phone call, or have opinions/facts on this subject?

Thanks.

gjchester

rixxin wrote: »

Hi all,

I got a call from the Migrations team today informing me that due to a new system coming online early next year,

Depending what the "new system" is, it may be there are so many poeple to migrate the more they can do early the better, as they can decommision the old one.

Legacy system support an be expensive to keep running.

sinizterguy

They will put you on a new contract - this being Vodafone and all.

rixxin

gjchester wrote: »

Depending what the "new system" is, it may be there are so many poeple to migrate the more they can do early the better, as they can decommision the old one.

Legacy system support an be expensive to keep running.

I work in IT, and frequently manage system migrations. I can't see (from a customer point of view) what's so different about the plan I'm on vs the new plan they're offering that would prevent it going onto a new system, but obviously I don't have all the facts.

It does smell a bit fishy to me!

sinizterguy wrote: »

They will put you on a new contract - this being Vodafone and all.

I'm going to check with them on this, I'd be very very surprised if they tried to sneak in a contract renewal for 12/24 months without explicitly specifying that!

StuC75

is voicemail included in the free minutes (some sneak in charges for that?)..

gjchester

rixxin wrote: »

I work in IT, and frequently manage system migrations. I can't see (from a customer point of view) what's so different about the plan I'm on vs the new plan they're offering that would prevent it going onto a new system, but obviously I don't have all the facts.

So do I. Consider that it may be an old XP based system and they have not programmed all the legacy tarrifs onto the new Win 8 system?

If thats the case there could be hundreds of old legacy tarrifs and permuations over the last 13 years, to to mention any that were migrated into thar system.

Migrating millions of users will be slow going anyway, and it may be thay have to offer a sweetner to get people to move, It may cost them far less overall as the XP support costs after April 2014 are monsterous...

Or I'm barking up the wrong tree...

MataNui

As someone else mentioned the catch is they will put you on a new contract which will start from now and no doubt be for 24 months. If you say no then they can either let you continue as you are until the end of the minimum term or they will cancel your contract for you and offer you a payg sim.

Vodafone

Hi rixxin,

Thanks for making me aware of your concerns.

If you'd like me to check things for you could you 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'll take you to the Contact us form on our website. To make sure it reaches me could you also quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line?

Once sent you'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. So I can make sure I've got it could you update the thread with this and I'll get back to you as soon as possible?

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations

Vodafone UK

RightyTightyLeftyLoosey

I just received a similar letter for mobile broadband tariff from Voda, plus increased out of bundle charges. Given the OFCOM ruling I've sent notice to cancel.

There didn't seem to be any mention of starting a new contract, just that the tariff and charges were changing.

rixxin

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

Once sent you'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. So I can make sure I've got it could you update the thread with this and I'll get back to you as soon as possible?

#5149429

Thanks Lee.

gjchester

RightyTightyLeftyLoosey wrote: »

. Given the OFCOM ruling I've sent notice to cancel.

OFCOM ruling applies to new contracts from the start of 2014 (not sure of exact date) but not existing ones. If you don't change contacts the rise can still be enforced.