Vodafone won't let me complain!!

Ferrety_2

I ported to Vodafone payg just on Friday. I immediately topped up £20 and used it to buy a Freedom Freebie, but the included minutes, texts and Web weren't applied. So I was left with no credit, no bundle and no way of making calls or texts while working away from home.

A three day customer services debacle ensued. I wanted two things: to log a complaint and get my pac code.

After several hours of being on hold for 25 min at a time and a rather public tirade to Vodafone on a crowded train, I finally got a pac code - hurrah!!

However, they are refusing to accept my complaint! Their complaints procedure says phone 191, but the first agent told me there was no complaints department. When I insisted the website says otherwise she put me on hold for 25min until my phone cut out. The the second didn't deny there was a complaints dept...but then put me on hold until my phone cut out.

Post meltdown, the agent who sent a pac code said the only way to complain is to write to them. I queried why the complaints procedure told customers to call or use live chat. He said he didn't know and it wasn't his job.

So I've filled in an ombudsman form to tell them that Vodafone refuse to let me complain.

Is this some strange way vodafone get round the ombudsman by not letting people complain?!

Is there any way of getting back the £20 vodafone stole from me?

I was actually only going on their payg to test the 4G coverage before committing to a contract. I'm so glad I did! Even if vodafone have stolen my money, at least I'm not stuck with them for 12 months!!!

Three, all is forgiven...

DCFC79

Id wait for the Vodafone rep to respond.

grumbler

Do complain to the ombudsman.

Not only they don't offer e-mail address, postal address or online form for complaining, but even Live chat link that they offer doesn't work and simply redirects you to the same web page that you start with http://www.vodafone.co.uk/contact-us/#lpButtonDiv

So, the only option is one of their numpties on 25p/min 191 line that typically knows nothing and is incapable of doing anything except fobbing customers off and giving them runaround.

Ferrety_2

I did the ombudsman form but I don't hold out too much hope.

I'm just so relieved to finally have a pac code after requesting it in four separate phone calls followed by around 25min of hold music after each.

The live chat hasnt worked all weekend except briefly in the middle of the night on Fri when the agent said he couldn't send my pac code, someone would call me back Saturday (they didn't, obviously).

I actually feel emotionally exhausted by it all. Three days working away from home, unable to make phone calls for work and unable to contact my family.

Desperate to wrest my number back off them tomorrow so I can use my phone again. That's the priority.

It's just so wrong they seem to be obstructing customers from both leaving or complaining.

Would a debit card chargeback get my £20 back, as they've not supplied the service paid for?

grumbler

Ferrety wrote: »

Would a debit card chargeback get my £20 back, as they've not supplied the service paid for?

I wouldn't hesitate to try, but the bank may want some proofs.

JoGee

@ferrety I absolutely know how you feel. I'm at the end of my tether with them. I'm going to the ombudsman too if they dont call me tomorrow.

Ferrety_2

They won't call. They've said they will twice to me but don't.

I don't understand what the 191 people are there for. They just take security details, put you on hold and wait for your phone to cut out or you to give up.

I checked my hold times: 25min, 23min, 17min... Would be longer as I'm on a four-hour train and they're the only people I can phone for a chat to pass the time, but there were tunnels...

Brightside is the rest of this train carriage might think twice about Vodafone...

Silk

grumbler wrote: »

Do complain to the ombudsman.

Not only they don't offer e-mail address, postal address or online form for complaining, but even Live chat link that they offer doesn't work and simply redirects you to the same web page that you start with http://www.vodafone.co.uk/contact-us/#lpButtonDiv

So, the only option is one of their numpties on 25p/min 191 line that typically knows nothing and is incapable of doing anything except fobbing customers off and giving them runaround.

They do offer a postal address when you look at the code of practice http://www.vodafone.co.uk/about-us/code-of-practice/

Ferrety_2

Silk, you've posted that elsewhere as well, but why would a customer who is looking to complain be trawling through the 'about us' section of a website or clicking on code of practice?

The obvious navigation for a customer wanting to make a complaint is to head for the support section and click 'Make a complaint'. This brings up the 'Vodafone Customer Complaints Code':

Vodafone Customer Complaints Code
This code sets out how to make a complaint and your rights to refer a dispute to an independent ombudsman.

If you're not happy with our service and would like to complain, call 191 from a Vodafone mobile (25p for the call) or use Live chat. If you’re calling from abroad, or from a different phone in the UK, see the numbers at the bottom of this page.

The customer service adviser will try to resolve it all the first time you contact us, and will involve their team manager if necessary. If that’s not successful, they’ll pass the issue to our Customer Relations team to own. They are specialists in resolving complaints.

We’ll do everything we can to get it all resolved within a week. If it takes longer, we’ll give you updates at least once a week.

If after eight weeks we still can't resolve the complaint you can refer the issue to the independent Alternative Dispute Resolution service provided by Ombudsman Services Communications. Provided your complaint is in their remit, they will investigate your complaint free of charge.

You can find out more on their website, or call them on 0330 440 1614 or fax them on 01925 430 049.

Alternatively you can write to:
Ombudsman Services Communications
PO Box 730
Warrington WA4 6HL

You can request that your complaint goes to Ombudsman Services Communications before eight weeks, though we have the right to insist that our process is followed if we're taking steps to resolve your complaint and expect it to be resolved in a timely manner. Referral to Ombudsman Services Communications can be refused if the complaint is malicious or outside their remit.

I've done as instructed: I've called 191 and tried Live Chat, which is always offline. 191 operators have told me they can't actually take complaints.

I've followed their complaints procedure and they've refused to accept my complaint, so it's very straightforward - they've broken their own procedure and are refusing to allow customers to register complaints.

Which personally I think really isn't on.

Ferrety_2

This is such a farce. Recorded live chat saying several times I wanted to log a complaint. So operative said he'd call me instead (presumably so I have no record of what's said).

Then passed me to various people, who all refused to either log a complaint or pass me to someone who would.

The last one said he would escalate it to his manager who would 'log the complaint'. I said, no one ever phones back, took his name and said I've made my complaint, to him, and ask that it be logged.

Obviously no one will get back to me, but is this enough to take it to the Ombudsman when I've heard nothing in 8 weeks?! How can I prove I've complained, when they refuse to let me?

I have a live chat transcripts saying I want to complain - I think I'm going to live chat once more, with transcript and simply say "I am making a complaint" - then some brief details.

Then I have it on record I've followed their complaints procedure and made the complaint by live chat. hen when they do nothing, that's for the Ombudsman to sort.

DCFC79

It dont cost anything to go to the Ombudsman so give it a try.

Read this post by the Vodafone rep on here and follow what it says.