Vodafone PAYG credit refund?

Connie

On Monday (day before yesterday) I ported my Vodafone payg mobile number over to another provider.

Yesterday I "chatted" online to a Vodafone agent in order to claim a refund of the unused payg credit, which one can do up to 60 days after porting out.

The agent gave me a refund reference number, and said the refund would be in my bank acount in 3-7 days.

Today I've received an "no-reply" email saying they need more information, and telling me to "chat" online.

I did that, but the agent said he couldn't deal with that, and gave me two numbers to phone - 191 (which can only be phoned from a Vodafone number, which I don't have now) and 0333 3040 191, which I phoned from my landline, and which asked me to enter my Vodafone number - but I don't have a current Vodafone number, and it didn't recognise my old one.

Back online for another "chat". Agent told me to phone 191. Explained why that didn't work. No reply from agent, and then "chat" closed down.

Any suggestions as to next steps?

The refund would only be £3.54 - but it's my money!

flaneurs_lobster

Might still appear in your bank account inside a week.

Give the phone chat another go, usual way to get past a stroppy robot request to a proper person is to keep pressing #.

Then give up.

Connie

Thanks for your good suggestion.

However, I've now submitted a complaint on Vodafone's online complaints form . I'll wait and see what happens with that.

Frozen_up_north

Quite a few “donate” most of any PAYG balance to a charity before switching as, like you found, once you switch you are no longer recognised as a customer.

As an aside, I am with 1p Mobile who use the EE network and have found EE (technical) support very helpful on the rare occasions when a local site is down… somehow I have managed to subscribe to EE fault notifications which come via email. Not bad considering I am not a direct customer of EE.

Connie

It's very sneaky of Vodafone to say that refunds can be given after transferring out - and then make it so difficult (hopefully not impossible) to do so.

Yarmy

I had a similar problem earlier this yearwith a credit of just over £10 which was left on a Vodafone PAYG account. I tried to get a refund 3 times through the online chat. The first time I was told it would take 10 days to process, but never turned up. The 2 times after that they said they would process it, then contacted me saying that they needed more information which I provided but still no refund, so I made a complaint and the refund turned up a couple of weeks after that. The whole process was like pulling teeth and I wouldn't go back to Vodafone again.

flaneurs_lobster

Have the regs changed?

Used to be generally true that PAYG balances were never refundable. you PACed - you lost.

Not sure why Vodafone give a procedure for refunds then make it hard, why not just say no?

Connie

If your PAYG Vodafone number becomes invalid because of inactivity, you lose any remaining credit.

If you PAC or STAC your number, the T&Cs say:

"Refunds. Up to 60 days after your agreement with us
ends, you may request a refund of any unused credit by
contacting us by webchat. We will charge an
administration fee of 5% (up to a maximum of £5) of the
value of your unused credit when processing your refund.
We will not provide refunds for any bundles."

To be fair, it only says "you may request a refund" - it doesn't say you'll receive it!

Google AI says,

To refund Pay As You Go (PAYG) mobile credit, you typically must leave your current provider and request the refund within 60–90 days. While many providers state credit is non-refundable, you can request a refund if you use a PAC/STAC code to switch networks.

How to Request a Refund (UK Providers)

• Three: Request a refund within 90 days of leaving or switching.
• Vodafone: Register for a "My Vodafone" account and request a refund within 60 days of leaving.
• EE: Generally, non-refundable, but you can call Customer Services (150) to inquire about a refund after switching.
• O2: If you switch, you can ask for a final bill refund for credit balances.