Vodafone - perpetual problems *** Resolved***

[kulie13]

I am at the end of my tether with Vodafone. I have been a customer for donkey’s years, so you’d think they would try harder to keep me as a customer.

A short summary of problems:

· started with upgrade 21 July 2012 to a Nokia Lumia 610

· between then and October 2012 I was in the store so many times because of network problems (not a poor reception issue, just no text or email working) that on 21 Oct it was sent off for repair. Actually I had been told verbally that it would be replaced, but that’s a minor quibble. SIM also replaced about 3 times during this period to no effect.

· by 14 December I experienced so many continuing problems that I was given a replacement phone in the store (which I had to argue for on the basis that it had actually been agreed – they tried to get me to send it away for repair again but I refused)

· Problem continued, but to avoid continuing visits to the store (which would each take a couple of hours out of my day) I started to use the online advice team, who on 16th December and 20th January sent me new SIM cards. During 3 lengthy online chats it became clear that all they could offer was ‘switch off/SIM out/SIM back in/switch on/de-select Vodafone/select another network/re-register with Vodafone’

· By the end of January I just went through that process by myself. I had to do this on 31 Jan, 15th Feb, 19th Feb, 21st Feb, 22nd Feb, 25th Feb, 27th Feb, 1st March, 2nd March, 4th March and 8th March (5 times during that day – I may have had similar number of service failures on other days, but it would sometimes be the end of the day before I realised I had not received any messages or mail, so I did not check).

· On 5th March I contacted Vodafone via the ‘Feedback to Vodafone CEO’ online facility. I was asking to change to a different but similar value handset as I had already been through the repair/replacement options, and made it clear that if I don’t get this outcome I will no longer be a Vodafone customer and will also explore my legal options, but was told I had no right to anything beyond a continuing offer to send the phone away for repair, and no right to end my contract without termination fees

· On 8th March I went back into the store (after the 5 failures in one day), and the Assistant Manager said there would be no problem with changing to a different comparably-priced model (given my history) although he would have to get authorisation from his Area Manager, but he wanted me to try my SIM in an old phone just to confirm it was the handset causing the problem. He gave me a SIM adaptor so I could do this. I am happy to do this for a short period

· Later on the same day I emailed Guy Lawrence using his personal email and asked why I am being offered a better resolution in store than his own customer service team were prepared to offer, and I’ve had back confirmation that all they will offer is another repair and I have no right to terminate without termination fees, despite their continued inability to reliably provide the service I am paying for. I get no answer to the question ‘how many times do you expect me to go through this’ and I am not clear whether the promise made to me in store will be honoured, or whether they will block it since I only have a verbal assurance, and I have been told the Assistant Manager left no record on my account (despite my express request for him to do this)

· The only ‘compensation’ I have ever received is a waiving of my monthly charge in January, although I had to argue for that – initially they offered me £5 for my inconvenience.

Why, oh why, is their customer service so bad? I am not asking for anything that is to their detriment. I cannot begin to calculate the cost of my wasted time, never mind the impact on my stress levels. Surely they are in breach of Sale of Goods Act and Sale of Goods & Services? As far as I understand it they are in breach of contract if problems are not put right within a reasonable time – surely this means to put it right for the rest of the term, not just for a couple of days? Please advise.

[citizenB]

We have Vodafone Reps on the forums and they have a good track record of resolving CAG user issues. If you would like to contact one, follow the instructions I have posted below - once you have posted up the reference number you will be given, then one of them will look in on your thread and see if they can help.

 

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]. co.uk (no spaces)

 

quoting ‘WRT135 – CAG Forum’ in the subject line to ensure that it reaches the Web Relations Team.

 

 

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.

[letsmakeamark]

Move to virgin. Problems solved.

[kulie13]

I'm pretty much ready to move - I'm fairly understanding of problems for a reasonable amount of time, but this has become a sick joke - but I am tied in until July 2014. Oddly, I would have recommended Vodafone until all this happened, as I had been a customer for years and had no cause to think badly of them. Unfortunately you never know the truth about a company until something goes wrong, because then you get to test their customer service. This kind of thing happened to me with BT, and I will never never never never never use them again, regardless of the cheap deals they keep sending me. Have you had a problem with Virgin that they actually resolved? That would be a true recommendation.

[letsmakeamark]

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/paymonthlySimOnly.do

 

Look at the £12 sim only deal. Take it out and stay on it for 3 months then convert to a monthly mobile plan.

[kulie13]

How does that help if I still have to pay my vodafone bill? Plus you didn't answer the question - have you ever had a problem with Virgin that they actually resolved?

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi kulie13,

 

Thanks for making me aware of this.

 

Having checked our emails I can confirm that I've got yours and so please be assured that I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[letsmakeamark]

How does that help if I still have to pay my Vodafone bill? Plus you didn't answer the question - have you ever had a problem with Virgin that they actually resolved?

 

Hi have had virgin for 4 years now. Havent had a major problem with them. Usually sort things out quickly.

[kulie13]

Hmmm. I've been with Vodafone for a lot longer than that, and until last year I would have recommended them. It's the customer service issue that makes or breaks a reputation.

[kulie13]

Any update yet please Lee?

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi kulie13,

 

Although I've no further news at the moment I'll be following up on this today and will update you accordingly.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[kulie13]

I haven't had an update - it would be appreciated if you could at least let me know what the delay is? Thanks.

[2Grumpy]

How did the SIM work in the old phone?

 

If it was ok and the issue really is the phone not working despite multiple attempts by the supplier to repair, then contact trading standards. Look through the forum for details of how to start a SOGA complaint and if necessary take them to the small claim court if they won't play ball.

 

Try taking a letter to the shop with your complaint so that you can start a paper trail. In the letter, summarize the situation and tell them what you want - i.e. a successful repair or a replacement and a written statement that if they take the repair option that they will replace if it is unsuccessful.

[kulie13]

Thanks for that. The SIM appears to be working fine in my old phone. I've got a couple of questions

1. Does the advice still apply if the phone is one that was supplied free as an upgrade at the time of taking the new contract? They keep trying to tell me that the contract doesn't include the phone, and when I ask why in that case do they keep offering to repair it I get no answer.

2. They have already said they will repair (3 times) then replace. I have said I don't want to replace with same model, since I have already had phone repaired and replaced, I want to change to an equivalently priced different handset - one that would equally have been available for me to have free when I renewed my contract. I don't even know what else is available, I have just lost faith completely in the phone handset I have. There is a sub-question here - how many times is it reasonable for them to expect me to go through this process of repair and replace, given that I can lose service during these periods? Surely when something is fixed, it should be fixed for the rest of the term? I've had nothing but problems for the entire term, and have had so many interventions I've lost count.

I'd be grateful for your comments.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi kulie13,

 

I'm afraid I didn't receive an update yesterday so I've chased things up again this morning.

 

Rest assured that I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[2Grumpy]

Thanks for that. The SIM appears to be working fine in my old phone. I've got a couple of questions

1. Does the advice still apply if the phone is one that was supplied free as an upgrade at the time of taking the new contract? They keep trying to tell me that the contract doesn't include the phone, and when I ask why in that case do they keep offering to repair it I get no answer.

2. They have already said they will repair (3 times) then replace. I have said I don't want to replace with same model, since I have already had phone repaired and replaced, I want to change to an equivalently priced different handset - one that would equally have been available for me to have free when I renewed my contract. I don't even know what else is available, I have just lost faith completely in the phone handset I have. There is a sub-question here - how many times is it reasonable for them to expect me to go through this process of repair and replace, given that I can lose service during these periods? Surely when something is fixed, it should be fixed for the rest of the term? I've had nothing but problems for the entire term, and have had so many interventions I've lost count.

I'd be grateful for your comments.

 

Mobile phone companies seem to want their cake and to eat it too.

 

The phone is "free" but paid for by the monthly contract amount. If it was purchased by a monthly amount then they would need a credit license & credit agreements, but they don't want that

 

At the very least, the "free" phone was offered as an inducement to enter into the airtimr contract, so yes, it would be covered by SOGAS

 

I understand that you don't want the phone repaired again, but you do need to start the paper chain.

 

Start by writing the letter briefly outlining the 3 failed repairs, the sim working in an old phone, the broken promise of a different replacement phone

Then say what you want - a working phone. Given the history of that phone you want a replacement since they have shown that they cannot repair that one - and you would suggest a different model of similar value (suggest a few)

 

Take that to the shop (I presume that it was a shop & not renewed over the phone) hand it over to the manager and ask how he will be resolving the situation. At the end of the conversation, unless you walk out with a new phone, ask for confirmation in writing. Meanwhile, write a letter to the manager confirming what was agreed - and send/deliver it to them after a few days if you don't receive anything

[2Grumpy]

If you don't get anywhere, a follow-up letter telling them that if they fail to resolve the problem with part of the purchase, you will have to return the whole purchase for a refund. Obviously they won't be expected to refund the calls, but you would expect a refund for the payments for the "free" phone. Don't expect them to give in on that, but if you are firm, they might eventually keep to the SOGA & give you a working phone. Definitely contact trading standards though, this is appalling customer service.

[kulie13]

Can you believe this - I got a call from Lee (the Vodafone web relations team) who has been in contact with the store (yes, I renewed my contract in a store). The Assistant Manager of the store is now denying he said I could have a different type of replacement handset. And yet we had a very clear conversation about it, because when he said it wouldn't be a problem, I expressed my complete bafflement about the fact that the Director's office wasn't prepared to let me have one! We actually talked about it. He said considering all the problems I had experienced, it would be absolutely no problem and he understood why I didn't want to stick with the Nokia Lumia 610, but he would just have to get the Area Manager to authorise it. I asked him to record this on the day, and he promised he would. But of course he didn't, and is now suggesting he didn't say it at all. Probably someone has subsequently told him off for saying it. When I think about this, I veer from being completely outraged by the lie, and then realising that I no longer expect anything better.

 

Just to be clear, I have only ever had it sent away for repair once, but because of the number of times I had to go back to the store for them to twiddle with settings and replace SIMs, I was told in the store that the next time it would be replaced, so it was escalated straight to replacement the next time. Since they suggest they are only able to offer '3 times send away for repair, followed by replacement' I believe I am at the end of that line anyway - it was their choice to escalate to the replacement, which has been done. How many times am I expected to put up with the phone being replaced, and if it is, will I be expected to go through sending each one away 3 times if it goes wrong again? This is like being in a perpetual loop of despair. Did I mention that I am disabled, so going into the store is a major difficulty for me, and I rely utterly on my phone? I've certainly told Vodafone that, and it has made no difference.

 

I am waiting to get a final comment back from Lee (who is going to talk to the shop again) before requesting a letter of deadlock and then I will follow your suggestion about SOGAS.

Edited March 14, 2013 by kulie13
One mistake; one slight update

[letsmakeamark]

What are the reps here for if they are going to give you the run about ?

[2Grumpy]

I would get that letter ready for the store, including the denial of the offer, then take it in & see the manager's reaction.

 

I would also put into the letter "Please confirm that you are capable of making an effective, lasting repair"

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi kulie13,

 

Thanks for your time on the phone yesterday.

 

As promised, I'll get back to you again as soon as I have more news.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[kulie13]

Finally I have been to the store and been given a new handset, a Samsung Galaxy Ace. I had a call from the Assistant Manager who seemed to indicate (without being explicit) that Lee had misunderstood the situation, and he had been waiting for and had just received authorisation from his Area Manager to provide me with a different handset. My question is this: why did I end up getting better service from the store than I did from all of my approaches to ‘Feedback to Vodafone CEO’ or from various customer service people supposedly in the ‘Director’s Team’ answering from ‘vodafonedirectorsoffice@’ after I emailed 'guy.laurence@’, or from the web relations team? In my opinion their customer service is not fit for purpose. You might ask why I didn’t stick with the store in the first place – well that is simply a case of physical difficulty and the time it takes and the inconvenience of visiting during working hours. I was completely stonewalled by the team that surely should be applying common sense and having more discretion than people lower down the food chain (no offence intended to store staff – I actually think of them with far more respect than that sounds). It has left a very bad taste in my mouth about this company.

Edited March 18, 2013 by kulie13
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[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi kulie13,

 

Thanks for updating your thread to confirm that this matter has now been resolved for you.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[letsmakeamark]

I personally think company has a ego problem. Also that this thread has run its course.

Edited March 18, 2013 by letsmakeamark

[AndyOrch]

Thread title amended.

 

Regards

 

Andy