Vodafone problems - could this be potential fraud?

[indiajack]

This has been going on since April this year.

 

On examining my monthly bill in April, I found that there were charges for my mobile ringing my landline. Sometimes, the calls were short, sometimes relatively long. I am the only one in my household and there is no one to call. On occasion, the calls were when I was within 3 metres from my land-line and sometimes when I was asleep. There were also call recorded when my phone was turned off. There are no records of calls on my mobile log. BT does not operate a log of calls received - or so they tell me.

 

I have been communicating with Vodafone since then and they have stuck to their chant that their system cannot be wrong. After some months in June, they suggested that I check my handset and my SIM at a Vodafone store. The handset turned out fine and they gave me a new SIM. I also noticed that every phone call from 1 second to 1 minute was being charged at the 1 minute rate and set against the free calls that I receive as part of my Pay Monthly contract.

 

The rep at the store said that it had come in recently but Vodafone never informed me of this change.

 

Anyway, the initial problem continued and in July I managed to get someone who said she was a manager and that this should not be happening and it would be escalated. And I would receive an update in two weeks. There was never any update and always some deviation when by the rep when I queried it by phone or on-line chat.

 

In October, I got charged for data I did not use and for which my phone was not connected or set up. After a long wait and a chat on-line (the phone option did not have anyone free), the sum was credited back but the rep said that it was goodwill on Vodafone's part. I tried twice to say that he had agreed that my phone was not set up to receive these data and that I never received it and was charged incorrectly and so it was not goodwill but actually refunding an incorrect charge for ghost data use. I tried to check on the issue of ghost calls to my landline and the change in my contract regarding charging policy without consulting me. but there was no success.

 

By now i had got fed up of telephone and e-mail communication where I had to request for a transcript and could not verify all of it when I received it. So I emailed the CEO's office via the Vodafone web - I received two phone calls where I said that I wished communication in a hard format so that I could keep a record independent of their storage. They refused and said that as I will not talk the matter on the phone they were taking it that it was solved. I replied that I have been talkng over the phone since April to no avail. I received a text saying that the matter was closed.

 

So I wrote to the CEO using a Google sourced e-mail. I received a reply from the "Director's Office"; that they will need to investigate the matter. I thanked then that this is what I wanted and given the record thus far, to give me an update in 30 days. I immediately got a reply that I had not contacted customer relations, when my first e-mail to the CEO really went to customer relations who telephoned me! I wonder f thy ever intended to investigate the matter. It certainly sound like they are looking to sweep it under the carpet.

 

Indeed, it appears that Vodafone is against a record of communications being kept by the party contacting them, possibly so that there is nothing to be used against them if the matter went to the regulator.

 

I do feel that this is fraudulently charging me for calls I did not make, attempted charging for data I did not use and varying the conditions of my contract without notification and consent (giving me the option to close my contract if I did not agree). I have stated this in my last 3 e-mails to Vodafone. I have also stated that it looks like we have reached an impasse and as the matter has gone on for more than 12 weeks (but I have little record of it because it was in phone communication and Vodafone does not entertain the written word), at the end of the 30 days that I stated, I intend to write to Otelo and BBC Watch dog and Which.

 

Any ideas or comments, people?

[honeybee13]

Hello there and sorry to hear about your hassles.

 

I've moved your thread to the telecoms forum because you had posted on one for parking problems. I hope the forum guys will be along soon with answers for you.

 

HB

[indiajack]

Thanks - silly of me...

[king12345]

Virgin usually does this, maybe Vodafone looked at their figures and thought: Well, they get away with it, why shouldn't we?

The problem is that most people won't check their itemised bill.

Forget complaining and forget cisas or whatever 'impartial' adjudication service they have on their payroll.

If you have hard evidence that you've been overcharged (initial contract/bundle and itemised bills), get straight to a letter before action and after 14 days take them to court.

Look at the bills closely and you will find a lot of very tiny charges for services included in your monthly allowance: That's the trick!

Small amounts multiplied by millions of customers equalling millions of pounds.

[indiajack]

Yes indeed small amounts regularly occurring. i do have the bills on-line and will print them out. The amounts are yet small in total but I think it is good advice to send a letter of action.

 

Has anyone else experienced this from Vodafone?

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi indiajack,

 

As you've emailed our CEO, I'm sure our Directors Office will get back to you as soon as possible.

 

Kind regards,

 

Lee

 

Social Media Comms

 

Vodafone UK

[MaxxPower]

Do the calls/data usage happen at a particular time each day? If so could you try removing your SIM card from your phone for a while and then check if anything appears on the bill for that time?

Alternatively, do you have another handset to put your SIM into for a couple of days? Just to rule out some background process on your handset doing something.

[indiajack]

There is no pattern that I can discern and I work in field of identifying patterns, except that it happens mostly on weekdays/nights. I will get another cheap handset and move my SIM there But my handset has been checked by Vodafone at its shop.

[indiajack]

I shall be moving the SIM to my new handset on 20 Dec. But it seems that my Samsung Galaxy Mini has decided to access the mobile network on 3 Nov to 6 Nov until I put a block on it. I am being told that even if I did not set my phone up for mobile internet, it has widgets which will do it automatically. I am wondering if this is correct and if so why the widgets have only just come on when I have had the phone for two years without it doing this?

[king12345]

I shall be moving the SIM to my new handset on 20 Dec. But it seems that my Samsung Galaxy Mini has decided to access the mobile network on 3 Nov to 6 Nov until I put a block on it. I am being told that even if I did not set my phone up for mobile internet, it has widgets which will do it automatically. I am wondering if this is correct and if so why the widgets have only just come on when I have had the phone for two years without it doing this?

 

Just an excuse.

Look out for charges related to services included in your bundle and you will rule out any background activity.

As said, this trick is now becoming the norm: Tiny charges multiplied by millions of customers = millions of pounds.