Hi,

I've been trying to get a default removed from my credit file as I noticed Vodafone had issued one due to non-payment.

A little background-

I had initially been in touch with Vodafone last year via email to discuss a bill I had received at the end of my contract, the amount which they were asking me to pay was very high considering I had given them a months notice. I like to keep all communications like this via email or post as it gives me record of what has been said. Unfortunately with Vodafone customer service I always seem to go round in circles and they don't understand that I need to keep communications in writing and simply tell me the number to ring.

I have had the same issues with them this time so I thought the best place to come for advice is here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

p.s. I have just sent a reply with the subject line- WRT135 – CAG Forum

Hi and welcome to CAG

Now you have sent VF the message, check for the automated reply number then post it up here for Lee to see and then he will be able to assist you.

Did you keep copies of all communication, especially responses.

VF do not routinely record phone calls. I think this is a serious mistake as it gives their staff 'plausible deniability'

They should maintain the contact of your choice so long as you keep up the correspondence

Thanks for the reply silverfox,

The automated reply number is #8347613

Yes, I have all communications. Like you say they can deny anything said on phone calls, and they have done so for previous issue in the past, this is why I insist on communication via email now, especially with VF.

The problem with VF is that communicating via email with their customer care staff is a nightmare! I usually just get a scripted response.

The problem with VF is that communicating via email with their customer care staff is a nightmare! I usually just get a scripted response.

I can fully empathise with you.

Lee may want to talk to you on the phone. I have spoken to him and he is genuine but he is still a VF employee so their needs are higher than yours which is why I say to record the call. (if you can)

Thanks for the reply silverfox,

 

The automated reply number is #8347613

 

Yes, I have all communications. Like you say they can deny anything said on phone calls, and they have done so for previous issue in the past, this is why I insist on communication via email now, especially with VF.

 

The problem with VF is that communicating via email with their customer care staff is a nightmare! I usually just get a scripted response.

Hi shakuri,

Thanks for making me aware of your case.

I can confirm that I've safely received your email and as such will get this looked into and get back to you as soon as I can.

As silverfox has mentioned I may need to speak to you but of course any conversation we have I'd be more than happy to confirm in writing via email for your records.

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

Hi Lee,

Thanks for looking into this for me.

Just for people's benefit on here I have sent some more information over via email to help Lee.

"Hi,

I would just like to give you some information from my end.

This contract was for a mobile broadband account(£15 per month) which I had previously used for business. After having not used it for 12 months I decided it was time to cancel it. In March 2011 I rang up Vodafone to do this and was assured that it would be done straight away and nothing else needed doing.

It wasn’t until June that I realised anything was wrong as I was not living at my home address between January and June. Obviously having been assured on the phone in March that everything was fine, this came as a surprise to me. There were several email exchanges between myself and customer care asking for why I owed so much but no-one could supply me with a proper answer, most of the responses asking me to ring (despite my insistence I wanted all correspondence in writing this time).

Today at 10.20am I finally received a response to one of my previous queries (#8339203) which actually detailed what I owed (something which I asked for last June/July). I can see that the account was not actually cancelled when I rang up in March and it actually carried on until June where Vodafone cancelled my account due to non-payment and also applied an early termination fee of £37.91 (which implies I had a few months to go on my contract, again something I was not told on the phone in March).

I am happy to pay anything I owe you, however my biggest concern at the moment is the default on my credit file. I am sure you can understand from the above that I wasn’t simply avoiding payment, I honestly initially thought my account had been cancelled and was subsequently trying to find out why I owed so much (with little luck)."

Hi shakuri,

I replied to your emails on 3rd February.

Have you received this and could you get back to me as soon as you can?

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

Hi Lee,

I replied on Friday. I will send it again now

Hi Lee,

Not sure if you received my emails? I have replied twice to you. If you haven't received them please could you PM on here.

Thanks

Thanks for your time on the phone earlier in the week shakuri.

As discussed, as soon as I have further news regarding your case I'll be back in touch with you.

Best wishes,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

If VF refuse to remove the default, you would be best to SAR and emphasis that you want the full account history, not the short version. Somewhere on the account history will show a phone call was made and the reason for the call. If there is no record, you may be able to go to your telephone provider to get your call history

Hopefully it won't get that far silverfox.

I hope VF see sense with this case as there is more than one issue in play here. The failings come down to their own customer service, the issue would never have arisen if I was told the correct information in the first place and at the very least had my questions answered when I queried the issue first time round.

Hi shakuri,

As you'll appreciate I'm unable to guarantee the outcome of your case one way or the other.

However, please be assured that it'll be reviewed as thoroughly as possible and as soon as I have an update I'll let you know.

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

Hi Lee,

Just wondering if you have any news on this, I remember you saying it would take about a week when you rang?

Thanks

Hi shakuri,

Although I've no further news at the moment I will be following up on your case during the course of today.

Rest assured that as soon as I have further news I'll get back in touch with you.

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

Any news Lee?

Not as yet shakuri but I am hopeful of being able to get back to you soon.

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

I've got a feeling Vodafone have forgotten about me! Lee said he would hear back in a week, it's been nearly 4 weeks?! Can you confirm this is being dealt with Lee?

Hi shakuri,

I haven't forgotten about you and will aim to get back to you during the course of the day.

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

UPDATE:

Lee finally managed to get this resolved for me yesterday. VF have decided to remove the default as a "gesture of goodwill" however the late payments will still apply. The default was removed after i paid the outstanding balance. I'm a bit annoyed that the late payments are still on my file but I guess overall it is a good result.

Thanks for the advice silverfox and thanks for your help Lee

Hi shakuri,

Thanks for updating your thread to confirm the outcome to your case.

Whilst it's not the exact conclusion you were hoping for it's good to see that you still see it as a positive one overall.

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

Hi shakuri,

 

Thanks for updating your thread to confirm the outcome to your case.

 

Whilst it's not the exact conclusion you were hoping for it's good to see that you still see it as a positive one overall.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

Lee - Just as a matter of interest, how could the OP have avoided the default & late payment markers?

Hi 2Grumpy,

Firstly, it's important to bear in mind that we only commence recording late payment status codes once an account is thirty days or more in arrears. When we get to this point we'd initially record a status code 1.

In the event that the account arrears are sixty / ninety days or more overdue then status codes 2 / 3 would be recorded. Once we get to the ninety day or more stage the account is likely to be in the process of being disconnected after which we'd then issue a final bill, which would include an early cancellation fee where applicable.

A few weeks after this a default notice letter would be issued to the customer in the event that the account was still overdue and no contact or payment had been received.

During this time we're of course still issuing bills (until the final one has been sent) together with reminder letters advising the customer to contact us to discuss their account and arrange payment.

Of course, the credit file reporting side of things can be manually intervened on at account level by placing it on hold in the event that a customer raises a dispute with us. In such cases our monthly reporting can then update the customer's credit file to show a dispute icon(s), which isn't classed as adverse information, until the dispute has been resolved and the account balance is brought up to date. Once we get to this point we’d then take it off hold to enable normal monthly payment history reporting to recommence

So in short I'd always recommend a customer who either has a query regarding their bills or whose circumstances have changed to get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can assist them with managing the situation in the best way possible.

Hope this helps.

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

in short I'd always recommend a customer who either has a query regarding their bills or whose circumstances have changed to get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can assist them with managing the situation in the best way possible.

Thats exactly what the OP did tho... I think this is the point 2Grumpy was making. OP cotacted yourselves, said they didn't understand why the bill was so large and they felt it should be smaller, tried to keep complaints in writing and then finally got a default anyway.

Thats exactly what the OP did tho... I think this is the point 2Grumpy was making. OP cotacted yourselves, said they didn't understand why the bill was so large and they felt it should be smaller, tried to keep complaints in writing and then finally got a default anyway.

Exactly right!

What else should the OP have done to avoid the adverse markers & default being added in the first place, given that they seem to have done everything that you suggested?

As this was done "as a gesture of goodwill" are you suggesting that Vodaphone was faultless in this and followed all of their procedures, including the ones that you outlined above, correctly?