vodaphone and my wife

[lenny100]

around 5 years ago my wife cancelled her contract with vodaphone in writing after she was sold a contract phone by a shop sales person even though she had no bank account and gave them mine, i was in to chnge accounts to a new lower acount which i also cancelled at the same time as i had been made unemployed due to a long turm ilness and she thought that was that as she never recived any leters from them again. now cabot financial have pop up there head looking for over £700 :eek:mostley made up of a "cancelation" charge of over £600.

is this realy the amount they charge to cancell the contract that was realy a miss soled but we now no longer have any paperwork for these phones as they seem to have be misfiled as these ompanys always clamed

[reallymadwoman]

I think a 'prove it' letter, suitably amended, is the best way to approach this. You genuinely have no knowledge of any sum owed to Vodaphone, so it's up to Cabot to prove how the debt arose and how the sum has been calculated.

[locutus]

I'd say if you want Vodafone to look at this fairly, try this thread http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/telecoms-mobile-fixed-internet/213340-vodafone-webteam-customers-problems.html

Lee is quite a regular on this forum and he has been invaluable to lots of people sorting problems. He'll probably be along soon anyway, so follow the thread I posted and maybe post any reference number you get here aswell for him to trace things and get the ball rolling.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

Cancellation fees will vary depending on what price plan the customer had agreed to when accepting their package together with how long was remaining of their minimum contractual commitment at the point at which their account was cancelled.

 

As locutus has suggested if you could get in touch with me via the steps in our pinned thread. Once you've sent it could you update your thread with the email reference number you'll get when you receive our automated reply so I can make sure I get it and I'll come back to you as soon as I can?

 

Thanks,

 

I'd say if you want Vodafone to look at this fairly, try this thread http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/telecoms-mobile-fixed-internet/213340-vodafone-webteam-customers-problems.html

Lee is quite a regular on this forum and he has been invaluable to lots of people sorting problems. He'll probably be along soon anyway, so follow the thread I posted and maybe post any reference number you get here aswell for him to trace things and get the ball rolling.

 

Thanks for the glowing reference here locutus - it's appreciated as always.

 

Take care,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[lenny100]

number is 2445490

 

we dont have any idea of any acount numbers or phone numbers as i say it was over 5 years ago and another computer.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

Thanks for the update I've now got your email and will come back to you as soon as I can.

 

Thanks again,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[PGH7447]

regardless of what Lee discovers if it was over 5 years ago then it could easily be close to being stat barred anyway, so wait until Lee gets back to you or send crabot a prove it letter anyway

[buzby]

Might also be useful to see what your credit file says - and that of your wife. Who pays for it is immaterial, if your wife took out the contract, then defaulted - then it will be her file that has been affected. After 6 years, the information will become inaccessible.

[lenny100]

had a look on her credit file and its all clear so it look as if they are trying it on as its a statute goodbye case if there is a case.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

Thanks for the update here.

 

I have still got your wife's email and will be getting back to her later today.

 

Thanks again.

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[lenny100]

so £600 to cancell a contract is fair....... all because a sales girl got her hooked on a phone the talked her into geting a contract phone, when she knew my wife did not have a bank account, just wish we still had the paperwork ..

 

well all she can offer is £1 per mounth as she has no income and= we live on my disability benifits..

[buzby]

I wouldn't worry. They dont raise court actions, simply mark the default on her credit file, then sell on the debt so they still get paid something for it. So assuming she doesn;t plan to get another contract phone, or a loan, there's not much else to worry about if having an outstanding debt soesn;t worry her.

 

A payg phone is always the best way to go if on limited means (and if you;re well off too) as there are no surprises.

[lenny100]

thanks were both now on payg phones and as for a loan ...

we dont have enough money even to pay what we need to now.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

so £600 to cancell a contract is fair....... all because a sales girl got her hooked on a phone the talked her into geting a contract phone, when she knew my wife did not have a bank account, just wish we still had the paperwork ..

 

well all she can offer is £1 per mounth as she has no income and= we live on my disability benifits..

 

Hi lenny100,

 

Essentially the higher the price plan and the longer that customer has remaining of the minimum contractual commitment the more expensive it becomes to cancel an agreement early. However, it's worth bearing in mind that cancellation fees are VAT Exempt.

 

As promised in my email yesterday as soon as I have more information on the specifics of your wife's case I'll be back in touch with her.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[lenny100]

I dont think I am alone here but

i woulds love to see how these costs for cancelling a contract are made up, and the justfication behind them, as to me this is amounts to daylight robery

we are geting at least 4 calls a day from cabot and they have so far ignored our leter to them to stop calling, and we will deal by letter only, so i am rarther mad with this whole situation

Edited May 5, 2010 by lenny100

[buzby]

Pretty straightforward Lenny. You afree to a free or discounted phone (the 'inducement'). To get this, you agree to a minimum term in which the network bundle in 'value' based on line rental and inclusive minutes.

 

The networks know that almost 80% of users no not make use of all their inclusive minutes, so profit from any shortfall. On terminating early, the costs are based on, the 30 days notice period, plus the remaining months until the contract could terminate, plus any brought forward charges for calls not part of the last month, LESS a small percentage because on termination you cannot use the bundles minutes - usually 2% or thereabouts.

 

The trouble is, you AGREED to all this - so complaining about these costs as unfair having signed to be bound by them makes you lose the moral argument. Don;t sign up for services that are legally binding unless you evaluate and have a contingency in place should your circumstances change.

[lenny100]

well today no phone calls but recived this in reply to our prove it letter

 

now as sugested i hae looked at the bank acount for one week either side of the date and NO payment was taken or payed out from the acount! so how was this payment made.

 

so what now??

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

As this will most likely be the date on which we received notification of the payment I'd may be cast your net a little further a field (upto four weeks prior to 18th June 2007) to see if you can locate the payment Cabot have mentioned here.

 

As promised, I'll be coming back to your wife later this evening with an update on her case.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[lenny100]

we have gone back to 01 may 2007 via our online statments and can find no payments made for this amount to anybody

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

In view of above I'll get this looked into and will come back to you as soon as I have further news.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[lenny100]

any news as cabot are geting rarther anoyed with us as the momentqand have given us 14 days before they take "further action"

[locutus]

All hot air as I'm sure you know. Just drop them a note saying you are disputing this with Vodafone directly, and action from them will be considered vexatious and you will defend any action that they decide to take. (also take solace in the fact that it would cost them more to actually take you to court than they are likely to gain from it, so it's a bluff!)

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

I haven't anything further as of yet but don't worry I haven't forgot about this.

 

As promised, as soon as I get an update, which I'd expect to get within the week, I'll let you know via email.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[lenny100]

whell i recived the email and all that lee has said was although he is sorry for the lack of customer service in 2006, there was a payment in 2007 via a post office and we should now deal with the DCA, as there is nothing more he can do.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi lenny100,

 

It's certainly never a nice job to have to provide bad news to customers but if you'd like to discuss things further with me you're welcome to either reply to my last email or send me a PM with a contact number on which I can reach you and I'll get in touch with you.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK