Vodafone old contract

[chicken810]

Does anybody know where I can find vodafones OLD contract? I joined Vodafone in August 2006, 11 days before they removed MMS and long text messages from my package.

Vodafone are insistant that I was giving 30 notification in writing for this change, but as I was not a VF customer 30 days before this change I am arguing this.

When I contacted VF why I was being charged for this they told me Phones4U changed my contract. I have proved to VF that they are to blame (this took a year) and VF accept they changed my contract and say I was mis-informed by two members of their staff and apologised. But no compensation for the unagreed change to my contract.

Otele have refused to investigate due to lack of a deadlock letter, dispite vodafone giving me a deadlock letter and the fact that this has gone on for over 18 months. Ofcom are completely useless and "dont deal with individual cases".

If I can get a copy of the old contract I might try the small claims court, any ideas?

[buzby]

This won't be a contract issue, simply one of 'Tariff' which is a separate issue. Your contract will refer to the tariff you will have signed up to, and the caveat is they are allowed to modify their tariff provided they give 30 days notice.

Your investigation should centre on what your tariff provided, and their letter of amendment. There is very little you can do (say in the case of them taking 0870 call out of your inclusive bundles) but again this has nothing to do with the original contract or how long it has been in operation.

[chicken810]

Spot on Buzby.
Vodafone are allowed to increase my tariff by up to 10% in 18 months but they have to give me 30 notification in writing, I then have 15 days in which I could cancel the contract. I was never notified due to joining VF 11 days before they made that change. The 15 days to cancel finished 4 days before I joined VF, so I have been argueing that if they fail to give me 30 days notification then the 15 days to comment is null and void.

Also removing picture messages and long text messages exceeds a 10% increase, but how could I prove that? Removing picture and long texts fundamentally changes my usage of the phone, this is not covered by the contract at all.

All my efforts to deal with vodafone have been in vain, they lied about who was responcible and repeatedly told me I was bound into a contract and there was nothing I could do about it.

I except this wont be easy but I have been ripped off 5 times in 3 years, all by companies regulated by Ofcom. I feel VF should have been forced to stick to the contract. I really dont want to let them get away with it as I can prove they have lied repeatedly as I recorded one conversation with their permission and have written letters recording all the others.

[buzby]

I admire your tenacity - the trouble is finding anyone with the authority to vary your terms (or more likely) to provide a 'financial consideration' to cover your increased spend until the contract minimum period could terminate. The bottom line is nothing you can do will prevent the price going up, that's clearly allowed. Your use of the service, now modified due to the price increase, would certainly be less than what it would have been pre-increase, so any possible calculation of your usage would not be accurate reflection of your increase in cost - so I think you'd have to quantify this in some way and then get VF to agree to credit you with the difference between this and the new charges... and hope they pay up. If they don't, it's off to Small Claims you go!

[chicken810]

Thanks Buzby.

After 18 months of dealing with vodafone I am not going to make any more progress with them.
The ADR scheme wont deal with my case as Vodafone refuse to issue a deadlock letter, it is way over 3 months so the ADR scheme shouldnt refuse to look into my case but have.

My only option is the small claim court then, I will only be £42 out of pocket if i lose but it will be worth it after my treatment by vodafone.

[buzby]

You may well find the court being sympathetic, as Vodafone are not known for defending such actions (probably because it is cheaper to settle). Good luck!