Vodafone Retention Deals

p1tse

kymie wrote: »

Oh and again - what is the PAC code?

i'm not 100% sure, but i think it stands as a port authorisation code

basically a code you can ask for from your service provider and give to a new (different) provider for a new contract while retaining your exisiting number.

note you can't port your number to same service provider

i'll be asking for mine soon once i decide what i want/ afford

Rochdale_Pioneers

pfree wrote: »

Hi.
My wife's contract with voda is up - £20 for 125mins + STC etc. Do retentions ever offer cashbacks or anything like buymobilephones.net? they offered a free ipod touch for £20pm but can't be bothered to fill in all their forms to claim gift. If voda offer cashback we'd rather deal with them direct.
She's happy to keep existing tocco as there's nothing out there she fancies as much as her tocco (except iphone which is too expensive) so sim only. If not, any other suggestions?

They can. Question is will they choose to? There is a much wider question here about mobile networks (not just the boys and girls in Newbury) and commission. Basically they offer retailers and cashback sites large incentives to bring in new custom. If they are in the mood they can offer similar to retain existing customers. If not you could get told - as I was once by T-Mobile - that they were uninterested in retaining my custom and wouldn't even match the deals for new customers offered on their own website.

So come on mobile networks - do you want loyal customers or not? You all offer mega deals for new contract and generally lesser dears for renewals. Is it any wonder that your churn rate is so high? The market for contracts is pretty much saturated now - most people who want a mobile have one. In a mature market the mission surely must be customer loyalty and encouraging customers to spend more - it certainly is in the industry I work in.

How much less churn - and therefore less cost - would there for networks if they worked as hard at retaining existing customers as they do in trying to flog the latest defective iteration of the iPoo?

Vodafone

Hi all,

Kymie, It's a shame that we can't help you any further. As I have said before I understand the frustration with the service you have received and it's unfortunate that we were unable to contact you earlier. If you would like any assistance in the future, please feel free to contact us via the link I have provided previously. We will be more than happy to help you.

Rochdale Pioneers, Unfortunately we are unable to offer cash back deals of this kind for business connections.

PAC CODES -

A PAC code is a porting authorisation code. This is the code that you wil need if you decide to leave your current network and wish to transfer your number to your new network. The code is valid for 30 days and once you have received it, you will need to call your new network provider with the code. They will then begin the porting process.This usually takes a few days and you may be given a temporary number in the interim.

(Please be aware that if you are bringing your number from another network to Vodafone, you will need to have your PAC code at the point of connection.)

I trust this has helped,

Thanks,

Espi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Rochdale_Pioneers

Its not looking good!

First the facts. I am on an out of contract consumer priceplan paying £35 a month. I want to change onto a Business plan in order to get the Touch Pro 2. The contract I want is 24 months, £25 a month + VAT giving 500 minutes plus unlimited landline, texts and internet. On Voda's website the handset on that tarriff is £85.11 + VAT (£100). On Quidco Vodafone want to pay me £100 for a new Business contract - which pays for the handset.

My mail to Vodafone yesterday:

I currently have a Pay Monthly consumer contract. I want to convert to a Business contract and upgrade my handset to an HTC Touch Pro 2, but was told by advisors that Business handsets and/or tarriffs were not available. I have now been asked to contact you after posting on several online forums.

The contract I want is £25 a month plus VAT over 24 months - 500 minutes, unlimited texts, internet and landline calls. On your internet site the cost of the handset on this tarriff is £85.11 plus VAT (£100) - can you do the handet upgrade for free?

My rationale for the free handset is this. I have a Quidco account, and there I see that you will pay me £100 for a new contract (http://www.quidco.com/vodafone-business/). This pays for the cost of the handset on this tarriff. Can we save us all admin time and give the handset free? Either that or I use my PAC to port out then back to Voda

Their reply back:

Hi Ian,
Thanks for your email,
There is not a problem to change you over on to a Business Account. The contract is available, hhowever we cannot offer that kind of cash back deal you've stated on a Business Account.
If there is anything else I can do for you please let me know, I'll be happy to help.
Regards
Sukhi

And my reply now:

Suhki,

Thanks for your mail. I am NOT asking for any cashback! I am asking that you give me the Touch Pro 2 handset as a free upgrade onto the £25 + VAT business account.

As I said below you - Vodafone - are already offering me this deal as a new customer. I can use my PAC tomorrow and be back ordering this phone FOC on that contract in 1 week's time. I am asking that instead of having to leave Vodafone and reregister on a new contract in this way that you honour the deal now and save us both the hassle.

I take your point about cashback - remember that I am NOT asking you for cashback. And I know for a fact that Vodafone are able to place credits onto my account as you have done so on my existing contract.

So how about it? Can I please have a free upgrade to an HTC touch Pro 2 by transferring my existing contract across to a Business one at £25+VAT per month?

Kind regards
Ian Bailey

To any Voda mods who may be reading this thread - I do not want cashback, I want the free handset upgrade which you are offering me indirectly anyway via cashback.

Look, I don't understand why as an existing customer I can't get the same deal I can get as a new customer. Do you want my business or not? As I'm going to port my number off and back on again anyway - which means you shutting down and then reactivating my account in quick succession - isn't it cheaper and simpler for all concerned for Vodafone to honour the deal you offer me to go away and come back next week on a new contract?

Rochdale_Pioneers

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

Hi all,

Rochdale Pioneers, Unfortunately we are unable to offer cash back deals of this kind for business connections.

1. Yes you are! http://www.quidco.com/vodafone-business/ £100 cashback for new connections to a Business contract. Who is offering the cash if its not Vodafone? Quidco? God? And £100 is peanuts compared to what you offer via retailers like Phones4U. And anyway....
2. I do not want the cashback! I am not asking for cashback! I want the handset free. On the tarriff I want the handset is £100. The cashback YOU offer is £100. If you keep saying no then I will have to port my number away. Then open a new account via Quidco and take your £100 cashback to pay you £100 for the handset. Why not save everyone the hassle and just give me the handset for free in the first place?

caffinebassman

Nearing the end of my current deal. For the last 17.5 months I had

Anytime 125min + Stop The Clock + Passport + 250 Texts + 500MB data for £25/month with a LG Viewty (in red - yeah, yeah I've hear them all:rotfl:)

Personally, I still think this is a decent deal if you use enough of it to be worthwhile but my usage has dropped off significantly over the last 12 months, so ...

Anyhoo, been on to retentions (or I assume so) and the very best offer to stay is 75 mins + 250 texts + 500MB data (NB NO stop the clock so the mins don't go very far) with a new HTC Tattoo for £25/month for 12 months.

Now. I'm not on to moan (honest) but I don't think that's particularly an exciting deal. In fact none of the alternatives are particularly exciting me either. I think if I was offered an iPhone 3GS 16GB (cheap or free) and keep my current tariff exactly as it is (for say 24months comitment) then that might a bit exciting.

Thing is the 3GS is old hat. There's a new iPhone coming this year and even at that it's not likely to be a massive improvememnt and the competition are leaving the iPhone standing in the smartphone market - Google N1 for example - plus no doubt others to come from Moto et al. So other than I can move my iPod library onto it I don't even know if I want an iPhone right now.

I wonder what you all think? Have Vodafone and Orange misjudged how well the current iPhone will go (given there is a new one in 6 months or so) - I mean, price wise you can save - what, as much as £300 buying it on PAYG with Tesco and if a light user (as I am) your top ups won't be a lot (bear in mind WiFi at home).

Or have I got it all wrong?

I think (sadly) the time has come for me to up sticks and move on to another network. If I time it just right I can get the PAC and switch right at the end of my contract (the timing works perfectly) and sit on a standard PAYG (with no comittment obviously) with my current handset and see how the handset landscape looks in 6 months.

In fact 3 are doing really good PAYG deals right now and since my wife has had hardly any problems it might be just the ticket.

Opinions greatfully recieved.

Rochdale_Pioneers

caffinebassman wrote: »

Thing is the 3GS is old hat. There's a new iPhone coming this year and even at that it's not likely to be a massive improvememnt and the competition are leaving the iPhone standing in the smartphone market - Google N1 for example - plus no doubt others to come from Moto et al. So other than I can move my iPod library onto it I don't even know if I want an iPhone right now.

I wonder what you all think? Have Vodafone and Orange misjudged how well the current iPhone will go (given there is a new one in 6 months or so) - I mean, price wise you can save - what, as much as £300 buying it on PAYG with Tesco and if a light user (as I am) your top ups won't be a lot (bear in mind WiFi at home).

Or have I got it all wrong?

I agree with the first bits - the iPoo is very old hat. What bemuses me most is that to get the 3GS Vodafone apparently agreed to ditch the HTC HD2. It was announced, generated massive interest, then they pulled it after 3 weeks. Its now a business phone - what kind of business....? I got very cross with a variety of Vodafone reps all desperate to know if I have heard that they are getting the 3GS - yes, and no I don't want one!

I think you are wrong on if they have misjudged it. There is a ludicrous amount of froth about Apple products, and this is no exception. Looking on other threads people seem happy paying large amounts (£180!) for the handset plus an expensive tarriff to get one. And as a marketing wheeze its brilliant. Offer a substandard outdated product with a shiney case and flash GUI. Fit substandard batteries that can't be changed, screens that crask, and instead of a memory card slot charge 4x the amount for pre-installed memory cards that can't be changed.

Then when enough people complain that the shiney shiney can't do the things 5 year old Nokias can (MMS, cut and paste, multi task etc etc) you release an all new one that fixes one (and only one) of these flaws and charge even more for it. And people are mugs to the scam. People even still use the awful white ear buds supplied in the box despite every review I have ever read - even the pro Apple-frothers - agreeing that they are rubbish. Why? Because they are white! And white means you have an iPoo of some description and are therefore cooooooool.

caffinebassman

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

I think you are wrong on if they have misjudged it. There is a ludicrous amount of froth about Apple products, and this is no exception. Looking on other threads people seem happy paying large amounts (£180!) for the handset plus an expensive tarriff to get one.

Fair enough, I had got the feeling that the iPhone market was flattening a bit - I would have thought the biggest chunk of customers wanting one would have gone to O2 by now. I can't claim to have done any research on that though - also get the feeling that the blind enthusiasm for it in the USA was flattening too.

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

Then when enough people complain that the shiney shiney can't do the things 5 year old Nokias can (MMS, cut and paste, multi task etc etc) you release an all new one that fixes one (and only one) of these flaws.

The one thing I find really annoying is the lack of multitasking. OK you can run itunes and one other app but this is an artificial limitation enforced by apple. I can run multiple apps and listen to the radio on my LG Viewty (albeit slow). And of course the whole closed shop model of the app store where only Apple approve apps, unilaterally and without any moderation. Sounds like what they all too keenly accused Microsoft of doing for many a year. (OK sorry, straying into moan territory )

I have to confess other than convenience (cos I have an iPod) I'm loosing reasons to stay interested.

(Edit: sorry just realised how off topic I went)

Rochdale_Pioneers

Looks like Vodafone aren't going to be able to help me after all. After 4 emails it looks like its my reference to renewals thats throwing them - I don't want to renew my contract, I want to convert it. Apparently.

They're still suggsting I fill in the transfer forms then once they've worked their way through the system they'll discuss handsets. At which point they can say no to the handset/tarriff deal I want and we're back to square one.

So, last throw of the dice tomorrow - I'll speak to their business team directly and see if they can do anything to help. Otherwise I go with the original plan - PAC my number out then back in again. The tragedy is that three or so years ago my then Voda contract expired and they were able to offer business handsets on my consumer contract no problem. Whatever happened to turn them into a buerocratic nightmare? Speaking to them is like dealing with the line of British Gas fitters in Monty Python's "New Gas Cooker" sketch.

joeyjoejoe_2

I had high hopes of a pleasent experience with the retention teams.
10 emails later, most on my behalf and all i have got is the assurance of a phonecall twice, which I have never recieved.
what is the normal time taken to reply to emails/ arrange a phonecall take? Im wondering if i should start the process again - or call them direct, if thats possible.