Help : Mis-sold Policy by Vodafone Retentions Team

lukey105

Hi team,

Yes basically need help with how to get the best out of this one:

I called Vodafone on Monday - got to retentions team to negotiate a new contract (phone and airtime)

Was happy with what I was offered - so decided to go for it !
When the contract came through to my email 30 mins later - I saw to my horror that it was for a reconditioned phone. At no point on the call was the word 'reconditioned' mentioned. I personaly would 100% never sign up for a deal on a reconditioned phone.

I didn't sign the contract - and called Vodafone to (1) cancel the new contract and (2) request a 'listen back' of the call with the agent - which a manager is supposed to be doing and calling me back on (who knows how long that will take!)

Been with Vodafone 20 years+ (side note - their telephone customer service is definitely at an all time low right now IMO).........am absolutely livid that I was mis-sold that policy.......more than happy to jump ship elsewhere - but seems like a missed opportunity to do so.

Questions for the team here:

1) How best to leverage this regarding getting a new contract to my liking?
2) Is their any legal redress here - that I could at least threaten !!? Seems to me that there is a way to report this to Ofcom or someone?

Thanks !

la531983

Legal redress for what? You can cancel within the usual cooling off period and you have suffered no loss, correct?

lukey105

@la531983 thanks for the reply - Aside from the hours of my life wasted on the phone, being stuck in limbo with no contract (and consequently no data on my phone for two days.....long story) and now being back on an old, expensive contract - my point is maybe not like 'common law legal redress' - but more : to whom and how do I report Vodafone for this? Being lied to and knowingly mis-sold a policy should be something I can report to someone apart from Vodafone themselves?

Hoenir

lukey105 said:

1) How best to leverage this regarding getting a new contract to my liking?

Probably little chance. More a question of take it or leave it. 

AndyPK

First work to get it cancelled. 

You may need to call them everyday for the next 14 days until you are sure it is cancelled. 

Then start again 

la531983

lukey105 said:

@la531983 thanks for the reply - Aside from the hours of my life wasted on the phone, being stuck in limbo with no contract (and consequently no data on my phone for two days.....long story) and now being back on an old, expensive contract - my point is maybe not like 'common law legal redress' - but more : to whom and how do I report Vodafone for this? Being lied to and knowingly mis-sold a policy should be something I can report to someone apart from Vodafone themselves?

You make a complaint in the usual way. And thats about it. OFCOM wont be interested in stuff like this, its likely a simple case of one employee on the phone forgetting to mention one word.

Desmond_Hume

la531983 said:

lukey105 said:

@la531983 thanks for the reply - Aside from the hours of my life wasted on the phone, being stuck in limbo with no contract (and consequently no data on my phone for two days.....long story) and now being back on an old, expensive contract - my point is maybe not like 'common law legal redress' - but more : to whom and how do I report Vodafone for this? Being lied to and knowingly mis-sold a policy should be something I can report to someone apart from Vodafone themselves?

You make a complaint in the usual way. And thats about it. OFCOM wont be interested in stuff like this, its likely a simple case of one employee on the phone forgetting to mention one word.

Maybe. We’ve yet to hear the listen back that was requested. 

la531983

Desmond_Hume said:

la531983 said:

lukey105 said:

@la531983 thanks for the reply - Aside from the hours of my life wasted on the phone, being stuck in limbo with no contract (and consequently no data on my phone for two days.....long story) and now being back on an old, expensive contract - my point is maybe not like 'common law legal redress' - but more : to whom and how do I report Vodafone for this? Being lied to and knowingly mis-sold a policy should be something I can report to someone apart from Vodafone themselves?

You make a complaint in the usual way. And thats about it. OFCOM wont be interested in stuff like this, its likely a simple case of one employee on the phone forgetting to mention one word.

Maybe. We’ve yet to hear the listen back that was requested. 

Hence I said "likely". In any case OFCOM wont be interested in what is a pretty mundane sole consumer complaint of this nature.

Frozen_up_north

As AndyPK said, reject the phone and calls/data package ASAP during your 14 day cooling off period. Request your PAC by texting PAC to 65075, if that returns a big amount to cancel the remainder of the contract, ask for it while speaking to them.

There is no advantage having a contract with Vodafone, switch elsewhere and save a ton of money, the virtual networks mostly offer 30 day rolling deals that do not involve a contract and in some cases you can change the monthly data allowance as your circumstances change (holidays, for instance). You will need a phone, just buy one (if your old one is u/s)…

QrizB

Assuming OPs old phone is still working, a cheap 30-day SIM from a MNVO will get them back in service while they wait for Vodafone.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheap-mobile-finder/sim-only/

lukey105

Thanks Everyone for the help with this !

- Old contract is still working.......and I live in London btw (so any advice on best mobile provider here would be welcome)
- In terms of phone use, data is most important for me - so switching to an MVNO not really best in my case - I actually just want a fair shake from Vodafone......after 20+ years of my custom, and a mis-sold policy incident, I think that is totally reasonable !

@la531983 just curious- how are you qualifying what does or doesn't fall under Ofcom’s interest/remit in cases like this?