Vodafone Secure Net

Frugal_Geek

I recently placed an order on Carphone Warehouse for a phone with a contract on Vodafone. The contract was advertised at £x/pm and the details on the plan make no mention of a service known as Vodafone Secure Net.

Naturally, I was then very surprised by the letter I received from Vodafone a few days later summarising my plan. The letter showed that I would be paying an extra £1/pm for Vodafone Secure Net with a trial period lasting 3 months.

How can that be legal? I wasn’t asked to opt-in to a trial for a paid service. Shouldn’t consent have to be sought before adding optional paid services? It seems to have simply been thrown onto the bill.

Who’s at fault here? Carphone Warehouse for not informing customers that the plan includes a trial for an optional paid service by default? Vodafone for adding this charge without seeking the appropriate permission?

I can’t imagine any other service working this way. Where a cost is shown to you as a customer but the only way to receive the service at that cost is to cancel extras that get added by default without any kind of opt in/out at the time of purchase.

ormolu

I noticed yesterday that this has been going on my bills too! I also got mine from Carphone Warehouse. No recollection of ever signing up for it or being notified about it. I’m coming to the end of my 24-month contract so will try to make a fuss when I call to cancel and see if I can get a refund since it adds up.

JJ_Egan

What have CPW said ??

giraffe69

I go this added when I went to a new monthly deal with Vodafone but no problem with getting it removed after the trial period.

ormolu

When I got Vodafone on the phone, they said it was Carphone Warehouse’s fault not theirs but they could give me £3 in compensation and would text confirming it when I hung up. No text. On email, I got someone saying they could do £10. (My total secure net charges were £22). Since it’s coming to the end of my 24 month contract and I’m leaving ASAP I’d rather get something than nothing. Also have a pending email thread with Carphone. Might try Vodafone one last time when I phone for my PAC code...
Still, they seem to have dug their heels in on this now since the slew of articles online about sneaky Secure Net charges all said they would be refunded.

mobilejunkie

With my order last October it wasn't mentioned on checkout (CPW internet clone) but was on the paperwork. Duly cancelled within the free period BUT Vodafone tried to give me scare stories (cut them short and insisted they cancel).

Moral of the story; always check, keep and act upon written confirmation of your contract. Dealers networks use every tactic in the book to tap more money out of customers.

Kspooner

I opted out of secure net and immediately received 2 spam messages! Vodafone say this is our broadband and not them but it seems like a pretty big coincidence. None of our other devices have experienced issues, we have checked our broadband and there have been no security breaches. Has anyone else experienced similar issues after opting out of secure net?