Trouble returning a device to vodafone

Hannimal

I got a Vodafone mobile wifi and SIM card deal last week with a 30-day contract. The Mi-Fi device seems to not be working and I've not had any good internet through them. Before i ordered it I phoned them and they promised I'd have effortless streaming, could connect up to 10 devices and so on. In reality, I can't use it with my smart TV and it stops dropping off. Now, they also have a 14-day cooling off period during which I am meant to be able to return the device and get a full refund. I think with or without a cooling off period I should be able to do this, but this should be pretty effortless. Wrong.

First when i got the device and it didn't work I connected to them on their online chat. Their tech people helped me out and said it could take up to 48 hours for it to reach max speeds and asked me to wait. So I patiently waited but as none of this happened I tried ringing them twice on Friday. Both calls disconnected from their end.

So I then connected to their chat, where despite asking to return the device they kept connecting me to tech support. They disconnected me from the chat once entirely and each time they connected me to a new person there was a long wait. I was on the line with them for over 3h. At the end despite some troubleshooting the device wouldn't work. I just wanted to return it and get a refund but they told me I needed to go to a vodafone shop where they would look at the device. I insisted on getting a refund as I am within my cooling off period. They said they don't process these during the weekends and asked me to contact again after the weekend - the days during the long weekend of course eat away from my cooling off period.They also said they won't be able to do the refund in the shop. I also do not want to go to a shop because there is a pandemic.

I then contacted them on the chat this week, after waiting for 30 minutes to connect to an advisor, it connected while I was making a cup of tea and 4 minutes of not replying meant they disconnected me. Oh well. I tried ringing but their phone didn't connect. I am now on the chat with them again, I have been for the past 75 minutes. They keep connecting me to new advisors who all say the same thing and none of them actually help me in returning the device. I have been through to billing and tech support and so on, and no one helps me return it. Now, actually, the agent I am speaking with is trying to sell me an apple watch (which comes with a 14 day cooling off period if i want to return it).

How can I get this device returned and get my money back? What rights do I have now? Should I just suck it up and cancel the contract and pay at this point as it's been made so difficult? I'd be around £70-80 out of pocket.

At the time of me writing this, the advisor disconnected from me after 75 minutes on the chat.

moneyman_34

sorry but there is advice you have been given that is simply a pile of poo.  Returns are 100% processed at the weekend. They process this by sending out a return bag to you and you simply pop to the post office with the prepaid envelope and they cancel it. you can also take it to store but i understand you dont want to. Now also they said you need to try and get it working which is also rubbish as whether it works or not the device simply is not for you and you have the right to return. If for any reason you are outside your return period now but have mentioned wishing to return it and its noted they should still allow this to go through. Might take a bit of pushing around but fight it as you dont want it anymore.

mattyprice4004

moneyman_34 said:

sorry but there is advice you have been given that is simply a pile of poo.  Returns are 100% processed at the weekend. They process this by sending out a return bag to you and you simply pop to the post office with the prepaid envelope and they cancel it. you can also take it to store but i understand you dont want to. Now also they said you need to try and get it working which is also rubbish as whether it works or not the device simply is not for you and you have the right to return. If for any reason you are outside your return period now but have mentioned wishing to return it and its noted they should still allow this to go through. Might take a bit of pushing around but fight it as you dont want it anymore.

Are you speaking from working for them, or from guessing? 
I've worked for 2 mobile phone companies, and in both cases the team who deal with any cancellations (retentions as they're known) don't work at the weekend, and thus no cancellations can be processed. 

moneyman_34

mattyprice4004 said:

moneyman_34 said:

sorry but there is advice you have been given that is simply a pile of poo.  Returns are 100% processed at the weekend. They process this by sending out a return bag to you and you simply pop to the post office with the prepaid envelope and they cancel it. you can also take it to store but i understand you dont want to. Now also they said you need to try and get it working which is also rubbish as whether it works or not the device simply is not for you and you have the right to return. If for any reason you are outside your return period now but have mentioned wishing to return it and its noted they should still allow this to go through. Might take a bit of pushing around but fight it as you dont want it anymore.

Are you speaking from working for them, or from guessing? 
I've worked for 2 mobile phone companies, and in both cases the team who deal with any cancellations (retentions as they're known) don't work at the weekend, and thus no cancellations can be processed. 

all i know is vodafone work 7 days a week and cancellations are done at the weekend with them. Also if this was the case they shouldnt count "non working" days within the 14 days cooling off.

Hannimal

I managed to get them to send a return envelope which took 3 days to arrive and I mailed it back the same day. However, they said they would charge me from when the contract started (a day before I received the device) up until they receive the device (so whenever the mail gets to them) for the "service you have used". I think this is absolute !!!!!! as it doesn't take into account that it took several days for them to agree to send me the return envelope and that on top of that there has been at least 6 days of waiting for which I am paying (1 day from ordering to receiving device, 3 days from them sending the return envelope until I got it on a Saturday and now it will be at least 2 days, sunday & monday, before they get it). This deal was for £37 pcm and I will be paying at least half of that even though the device didn't work. I am not surprised that vodafone are this awful but I am really taken aback by terrible UK mobile/broadband providers are. I've had a godawful experience with NowTV as well.