@vodafoneuk Vodafone - Misled over data usage while roaming - now received £668 bill**Resolved**

[tornado alley]

I've been a happy Vodafone customer for years, but have just been stung by an outrageous £668 bill, most of which comes from data charges which I'm disputing from a recent trip to South Africa.

 

Put simply, Vodafone informed me by text message on most days when I was using data that I'd used 3MB (£9) of data. Now they've billed me for anything up to 18MB (£50) data use on these days! To make matters worse, when I called Vodafone Customer services a few days ago when back in the UK, after a couple of first line support scratched their heads about the discrepancy, an abrasive, cocky second level support had the audacity to tell me that:

1) I did use the amount of data billed (I fail to see how I could have used 18MB on basic emails with no attachments)

2) That sending me a text saying I'd used 3MB and billing me for 18MB is not misleading(!) because:

i) their log of data use is not in real time (well what's the point then in sending me old data with a current date & time stamp?!)

ii) under their terms & conditions, they're not obliged to send me more than one data usage text per day

3) That if I stop my Direct Debit for this disputed bill to enter into further correspondence, my account will be suspended if payment is not taken on the due date, again saying its in the T&Cs.

 

Naturally, I do wish to take this matter further, as I feel very strongly that I've not used the amount of data suggested, that I've been misled by innacurate information from Vodafone, and my reliance upon their messages to me had led me to believe my usage and expenditure was at most around £9 per day, when in actual fact it was much, much higher. As for the threat of suspending my phone if I don't blindly hand over nearly £700 without time for further discussion / investigation... well, if that's their appreciation of a loyal customer, then I'll be off pretty quick!

 

I would really appreciate any guidance on how best to put Vodafone in their place on this. I certainly don't want my phone suspended, or a payment default against my name, but at the same time I won't be held to ransom in such unreasonable fashion.

 

Some further relevant info below:

I received the following idential text message on my data days while away:

"40506: From Vodafone: Just to let you know, you've used over 3MB of data which has cost you £3 per MB so far. Once you use more than 5MB in a day, the charge becomes £15 incVAT for each 5MB. If you'd like to stop receiving these alerts, text STOP. Sent DATE @ TIME"

These warning texts always arrived immediately after using data (having used data a few times throughout the day), and nearly always towards the end of the day. I always stopped my data usage immediately or soon after receiving the above text. On no day did I receive a further message about hitting 5MB or any other level of data usage. The texts are on my HTC Android phone are grouped together in a message 'conversation' so EVERY message from Vodafone is there.

 

The Vodafone website states

"We’ll send you free texts to let you know when you’re nearing the end of your data allowance. Once you’ve used your allowance you’ll pay the standard data rates."

Note: "Texts" = plural. On no day was I sent more than one text advising 3MB usage

 

When I first called Vodafone from South Africa when the size of my forthcoming bill became apparent, I spent about £20 calling customer services (billing dept) back to the UK. I was categorically told that they could give me NO breakdown or further info about my supposed data usage until after by bill was calculated at the end of the month. Since back in the UK I see on the Vodafone website:

"If you need to use your phone in the rest of the world, you can extend Vodafone Data Traveller for just £5 a day for 25MB"

Why wasn't I offered this option by customer services while I was paying for the provilege of calling them from overseas, rather than being charged up to £50 per day for less than 25MB usage?!

 

I'm no stranger to roaming charges as I often have to travel for my work. But never have I had a bill anything like this!

 

I'd really like to know where I stand regarding the charges and also having a time period to take this matter further with Vodafone without getting my phone suspended or credit rating affected. So any help or guidance would be gratefully received!

[locutus]

Follow this advice

Hi CAG members,

We thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves and to assure you all that our presence on CAG is with the very best of intentions.

vodafone UK has recently introduced a dedicated Web Relations Team which is keen to seek out customers who’re having difficulties with their accounts and feel that they have no other place to turn to than CAG and other consumer forums and blogs.

Naturally, it’s not possible for us to help directly with account specific queries on CAG and as such we would encourage those members who feel we can help them to contact us privately at [email protected] quoting ‘WRT135 – CAG Forum’ in the subject line.

When emailing us we would also ask that you either provide us with a link to your post or thread – if you’ve posted in another member’s thread please also provide your CAG username so that we can check what your query is.

Many thanks

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK.

 

Lee (the vodafone rep) is a very fair guy and can hopefully sort something out for ya.

[tornado alley]

Hi Locutus

 

Thanks for the reply. I will certainly make contact with Lee the Vodafone rep.

 

However, I would also appreciate anyone indepenent who can offer some sound advice on where I stand with being advised my usage was 'X' and being billed for 'Y'.

 

A couple of hours ago I had Vodafone call me about my Direct Debit cancellation. I'm pleased to say that the people I spoke to were far more understanding and co-operative than the guy I spoke to before. As such, I was offered a 20% reduction on my Data Charges for that period, which I requested was noted on my file while I considered their offer. They've also given me 14 days grace to put my case in writing to them.

 

Although Vodafone's stance has softened, I still believe that as I was informed my usage each day amounted to around £171 for 19 days away, I should be billed exactly that, and not £500, or £500 less 20%...

 

Any advice on the above would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi tornado alley,

 

Thanks for making me aware of this.

 

Since your initial post I'm pleased to see that you've been able to progress matters with us.

 

Without accessing your account I'll naturally be unable to establish what the charges you've been billed relate to and how they correspond with the text alerts we sent.

 

In order for me to do this could you email me as suggested by locutus and I'll get back to you as soon as I can?

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[tornado alley]

I'm pleased to say that Lee from the Vodafone Web Team took the time to look thoroughly into the matter for me and has now adjusted my bill accordingly. Customer Service as it should be (and should have been first time I contacted Vodafone!).

[silverfox1961]

Can we safely say that this has been resolved to your satisfaction then?

[tornado alley]

Hi silverfox - yes, all good in the end. Resolved

[silverfox1961]

Hi silverfox - yes, all good in the end. Resolved

Thankyou. I shall mark this thread resolved and place a link within the successes thread.

 

Good on Lee for his work on this case.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

I'm pleased to say that Lee from the Vodafone Web Team took the time to look thoroughly into the matter for me and has now adjusted my bill accordingly. Customer Service as it should be (and should have been first time I contacted Vodafone!).

 

Hi tornado alley,

 

Thanks for updating your thread to confirm that your concerns have been resolved.

 

Whilst it is disappointing that your initial experience wasn't the best I hope that my intervention has restored any faith which may have been lost.

Thankyou. I shall mark this thread resolved and place a link within the successes thread.

 

Good on Lee for his work on this case.

 

Thanks silverfox - I do try

 

Best wishes to you both.

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[silverfox1961]

Thanks silverfox - I do try

 

 

Hi Lee. I know you are trying.......very

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

There's not really a great deal I can say to that.

 

I'll take it as a complicate though.

 

Take care,

 

Lee