Beware- Vodafone misleading "loyalty" offer

landt2013

I was a very happy Vodafone customer until this afternoon. Yesterday, I got a phone call from them, asking if I'd like a free Samsung Galaxy S3 tablet. Free? I said cynically. What's the catch? The lady said there was no catch- it was a completely free tablet, to say thanks for being a loyal customer. She hoped I'd tell all my friends how great Vodafone were. Hang on a minute, I said, there's really nothing at all to pay? She said just a delivery charge of about £4.95, which would be billed to my mobile account. OK, I said, I'll take it.


It arrived today, less than 24 hours after the phone call. They sent it to my old address rather than the one I live at, but that was an inconvenience I was prepared to overlook as I was getting a new toy. I didn't have a tablet as I don't have any use for one- it would just be a toy to me, and I don't have the spare cash for such toys at the moment.


A few hours later, I get an email thanking me for my custom and letting me know the details of my new contract. New contract? Hang on a minute... And there it was, I suddenly had two phone numbers, my usual one with my usual minutes and data (which are much higher than I need anyway) and now a £25/month, 24 month, 2GB data plan for my "free tablet".


40 minutes on the phone later to two idiots and one nice sympathetic lad and the contract is cancelled and the tablet is sadly back in the box ready for return. And if it wasn't for early repayment charges I'd have cancelled my phone contract with them too- but I won't be renewing when the term is up.


A classic example of "if it sounds to good to be true it probably is" but not once in my conversation did the lady mention contracts, usage, monthly payments... if she had I would have said this isn't for me... and I asked her three times if there was anything at all to pay. I was going to use it in the house only, and on the wi-fi only.


The snooty woman on the customer care line informed me that my complaint was groundless, as the tablet was indeed completely free, but, "madam, you have to pay for the usage..." :mad:


So, all Vodafone customers, beware. This is not the deal it appears, and if you really want one of these on contract, to add insult to injury, there are better deals available on their own website!!

Herongull

You are not the only person this has happened to. There was another thread on this or something similar.

I hope you get the postage costs back.

This sounds like misrepresentation (although easiest to cancel under DSRs) and in theory you could have got the contract enforced ie what they originally agreed: Tablet for £4.95, but not worth the hassle unless you recorded the conversation.

dazzaofdagenham

I had this about six weeks ago.

The wife took up the offer and even the postage was free....super gift she thought. No details ANYWHERE about a new contract.

A month later I see a debit on the current account of 25 pounds, after much investigation it appears this 'freebie' is a 2 year contract for a tablet !!

Many many many phone calls later, we got it cancelled.

Shocking level of service from vodafone

2 phone contracts will be cancelled late march as well

Vodafone

Hi landt2013,

Thanks for making me aware of this.

To enable me to get things looked into further, 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

grumbler

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

...To enable me to get things looked into further, ...

Why would the OP want this?! The contract cancelled, job done.

Come on, Lee... Don't try making an impression that you really want to make any changes in your dreadful company or are capable of making any changes.

Vodafone

Hi grumbler,

As the OP has raised concerns about how the product was sold to them, I'd like to get things investigated further.

In instances where a product or service hasn't been sold correctly, and we're able to identify the agent involved, we can address this internally.

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations

Vodafone UK

gjchester

There is the assumption this is Vodafone, not someone else who is using vodafones name over thier compnany name.

landt2013

gjchester wrote: »

There is the assumption this is Vodafone, not someone else who is using vodafones name over thier compnany name.

Vodafone set up the new contract, so it was definitely them. I may have fallen for the oldest scam in the book but I didn't fall for the second-oldest

landt2013

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

Hi landt2013,

Thanks for making me aware of this.

<snip>

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations

Vodafone UK

Hi Lee,
Thanks for your reply. I have spoken to the Customer Relations department, and I am waiting for a returns pack and for all my money to be refunded (as the contract billing date has just passed the computer has forced a bill for next month onto me, which I have to pay or risk a screwed up credit record at just about the worst time imaginable for me). If I have no joy with this within the next week or so I'll send you my details as I don't want to confuse things by duplicating effort unless absolutely necessary.

superbigal36

Surely terms and conditions of a contract have to be read out or played on a recorded message.
What should happen lee ?

gjchester

landt2013 wrote: »

Vodafone set up the new contract, so it was definitely them. I may have fallen for the oldest scam in the book but I didn't fall for the second-oldest

No Worries. Just because Vodafone set the contract up doesn't mean it wasn't a 3rd party.


Its quite often reported that someone gets a call starting


"This is Andrew calling on behalf of Vodafone..."


They are in the sense they are selling a vodafone service, I've had it happen, they gave the game away saying would I like to upgrade my XYZ when that was the phone I had a few upgrades ago so it was clear they didn't know about my account, but then I'd seen it on here before and was on my guard.