@vodafoneuk Vodafone Nightmare ( WRT135 [#12337224] )

[mckinnell30]

I'm completely at the end of my tether with this company and unfortunately there is not a short description of how they have messed me about.

 

It all started when I got my bill at the end of July 2015 for £330.15 which was incorrect and a mistake by Vodafone. I had been overcharged by around £158 which was eventually credited to my account.

 

I have been with Vodafone for over 10 years; I have three mobiles on my account and would consider myself a very good customer. I have never missed a payment in all the years I have been with Vodafone.

 

• When I received this bill for £330.15 I called 191 to query it and the adviser agreed that it was wrong and told me that he would fill some forms in and have it sorted in 24hrs

 

• 48Hrs later I called 191 again and found it still hadn't been sorted, I then called 191 repeatedly for the next 6 days speaking to various advisor's trying to get this sorted out. Eventually I was told it was definitely sorted and I wouldn't hear any more about it.

 

• On Sunday 2nd Aug I got a text saying that if I didn't pay my bill that my service would be restricted, I assumed (wrongly) that this was a mistake as I had been guaranteed by your advisor that everything had been sorted out.

 

• On 9th Aug I got a text saying that my service had been restricted as I hadn't paid my bill. I then called 191 (again) and was told that it was a mistake by Vodafone and the restrictions would be lifted within 2 minutes.

 

• One hour later, still no service on any off my mobiles, (again) I called 191 and was told that they had forgot to lift the restrictions at the technical end and that they would do that now and it would all be ok.

 

Finally after this last telephone call my service has been reinstated.

 

I put all of the above in writing and sent it to the customer service department recorded delivery and never even got a reply. I followed it up 1 month later with another recorded delivery letter asking why I had not had a reply, again still no reply!!!

 

When I got this big bill the first thing I done was cancel my DD as I was not giving Vodafone a free reign to just take whatever they wanted from my account. Once it was all sorted It took me till Dec to get the DD set back up again this took loads of 191 calls and live chats and wasn't sorted till I eventually went into a Vodafone store and the guy told me a box had not been ticked and that is why it had never been set back up again.

 

The next saga was trying to get world traveller added to one of my numbers for a trip to the USA, again, after numerous 191 calls and live chats it was supposed to be added. Unfortunately when I got to the USA I found that it had actually not been added and the phone wouldn't work.

 

To top this all of I received a call from the Vodafone sales team on Thursday 17th Dec 2015 (01709 918625) saying that I was paying to much per month and that she could change my price plans to save me money. I gave her both barrels about all of the above. I got an apology and was told she would put a note on my account and someone would be in touch to discuss, I've I heard this a million times now but no one ever gets back to me.

 

After I got this of my chest we then discussed the various options on my account. I agreed to have one of my numbers increased to 6gb of data unlimited calls and texts for £41 per month and another one of my numbers changed to 6gb data and unlimited calls and texts for £33 per month. and she also offered a refund of £120 for charges I had incurred for going over my data usage.

 

Yesterday Mon 22nd Dec I receive 2 emails from Vodafone, it now turns out that they have put one of these deals on the wrong phone and they are actually charging me £49 per month for both plans and not the figures agreed on the phone. and no sign of the £120 refund.

 

When I found this out I went onto my online account and it was saying the same info, I then started a live chat and got the usual muppet who didn't have a clue what he was doing and couldn't do anything to help. Hence why I am now on here looking for a way forward???

 

I am extremely disappointed, exasperated and absolutely fed up with Vodafone and its call centres. I have much better things to do with my time than spend hour after hour on the phone to their staff because they keep making mistakes and getting things wrong.

 

Any help or advice would be much appreciated,

 

Thanks in advance

 

Robert

Edited December 23, 2015 by mckinnell30
WRT135 ref no

[mckinnell30]

I've now done the WRT CAG forum thingy that is in all the other Vodafone threads so lets see if I get a reply?

[mckinnell30]

I've now received this automated reply from Vodafone with the following reference number #12232236 is the correct place to post it or should it be in the title?

[silverfox1961]

Hi and welcome to CAG.

 

You have had a hard time of this recently. I notice that you started calling them in July/August. Initially what I would suggest is that you contact them in writing demanding that they keep all remaining phone calls as they erase recordings after a couple of months.

 

The other issue is actually dealing by phone. Unless you record the call, it is highly unlikely that you will have any evidence of their behaviour.

 

Now that you have added the reference number to the title, the VF rep may want to ring you. If this is Lee, he will email you with what has been agreed verbally.

 

Please check your credit file as VF are very quick to add late payment markers and defaults without telling you (even though they say they do)

 

All this is down to very poor management of the staff and the systems software that has caused many problems to them. No wonder they are top of the Ofcom list of mobile customer complaints.

 

Please keep us updated and in your own interest, do not agree to any confidentiality agreement.

[mckinnell30]

Hi and thanks for your reply and advice.

 

I think my Credit file is ok as I just re mortgaged and nothing was flagged up. I never got into arrears with VF I just paid on-line every time my DD never came off so hopefully everything ok in that dept.

 

To cut a long story short the main problem is the continued complete and utter incompetence of VF and there reps whether on-line or the call centre. Also, not replying to my letters that were sent recorded delivery so I have proof that they received them.

 

If you count up all the hours of my time I have spent on the phone or on live chat trying to sort these problems out it would literally add up to days!!! which is bad enough but at the end of every conversation you are repeatedly assured that everything is sorted and that is the end of it only to find out a couple of days later that little or nothing has changed and you have to waste more of your precious time dealing with these inept clowns (again).

 

Anyway, I'm hoping this guy (Lee) that gets mentioned on here will get in touch as he seems to get good press.... he certainly couldn't be any worse than the rest of the VF people I have had to deal with. I actually said to my wife yesterday that VF seem to be deliberately trying to upset me, as surely it is not possible to continually get things so wrong and never get anything correct unless you were actually trying to make a mess of things for some bizarre reason lol.... I mean REALLY??? how difficult can it be???

 

Thanks again for your advice and I will keep you posted on here if anyone gets in touch

[silverfox1961]

Just a comparison here. I am with Plusnet for phone and broadband. I signed up for another contract and paid a years line rental in advance to take advantage of the one year free broadband.

 

The first month they tried to charge me £9.99 for the broadband so I rang them (recorded of course) Everything was sorted on the phone. the refund came back to me and since then everything is fine.

One phone call. That's all it took. VF could learn lessons.

 

I suspect that the VF staff listen to you, give you the platitudes that everything is sorted and do as little as possible. What I do if a problem occurs is ask them to read out what they have put on the system. If they have done nothing, this is where you catch them out. If the issue is more serious, I ask them to email me as well.

[mckinnell30]

Yeah I totally agree... I have dealt with god knows how many companies for various things in my life and absolutely never experienced anything like this!!!! as I said it is like it is some sort of wind up.... I really don t think any sane person could get it so wrong if they tried, the trouble is it has not been one single person, it has been loads of different people from call centres all around the world lol. The real insult though is not replying to my letters that I sent recorded delivery, absolutely no excuse for that.

 

Still no contact from VF, I suppose they have 48hrs from when I submitted the online wtf thingy so we'll see? I really am dreading the whole 191 and live chat experience again it has ground me down big time so hopefully someone will be in touch soon!!!

[silverfox1961]

I can sympathise with you. As it's Christmas, you won't see much activity over the next few days but if you do ring them, use whatever you have to record the call. Home phone with external speaker and a smartphone that can record is the easiest. You do not have to tell them you are recording.

[mckinnell30]

I will probably leave it till the 27th as I'm not going to waste my christmas on VF but yes all will be recorded thats for sure. Do you think I would have a strong case for going to the ombudsman? as I really cant be bothered even trying to speak to them any more tbh???

[silverfox1961]

If you haven't raised this as a formal complaint then you must follow VFs procedure before going to the Ombudsman. A formal complaint can be done verbally so long as they have accepted it and you have proof but it is much better to do it in writing and head the letter 'Formal Complaint' as VF will just treat it as another query.

 

After 56 days, if VF have not resolved the dispute or they issue a deadlock letter then you can escalate it to the Ombudsman.

[mckinnell30]

Ahhhhhhh I wonder if this is the feeble excuse they have used for not replying to my letters that I sent them.... to anyone reading the letters it would have been fairly obvious I was complaining big time, however, I did not put "Formal Complaint" in the title.

[mckinnell30]

Still no contact from Vodafone so I called the dreaded 191 number today and wasted over an hour of my time with NINE different advisor's..... still didn't get the problems sorted but did end up with one of my numbers now disconnected!!!! arghhhhhhh now I just want to scream. They reckon my number will be reconnected within 24hrs so, again, I will wait and see. Unbelievable!!!

[fkofilee]

Okay right, To save you hassle Ill make this relatively simple for you.

Voda are a nightmare, they claim I owe £12k when actually I owe nowhere NEAR that... But Im also embroiled with Vodafone over a Billing issue on my brothers account where we arent actually getting billed. They claim to have fixed it but nothing.

 

However, All this came about through their Customer Relations Team from their Execs Team. Lee isnt always around and neither is Jen, however The Execs team at Vodafone are always around 8 - 8 all days...

 

So I will suggest to get this resolved; Email the following; It will get seen to

 

[email protected] - UK MD Vodafone

[email protected] - UK Customer Service Director

[email protected] - Group CEO

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

 

FYI, Mobile Operators have good and bad patches, both through network and CS. MVNOs are not that much better as they use the same networks.

Vodafone are going through a sketchy patch at the moment.

[mckinnell30]

Right, quick update on this long running saga.

 

Finally got hold of Lee who is infinitely more knowledgeable than anyone else who I have had to deal with. After speaking with Lee everything appeared to be sorted out.

 

However, a couple of days later I'm getting more weird texts, letters and emails from Vodafone. the texts are saying bills are due for strange amounts, the letter says I've been disconnected and owe them money and finally the email I received today is saying thanks for joining Vodafone and has my contract end date extended till January 2018

 

I've emailed all this back to Lee over the last couple of days over various emails but he has not got back to me yet.

 

Do I need to raise another complaint on the WRT social media thingy or should he see this thread??? he doesn't seem to be reading my emails

 

What do you all reckon???

 

Cheers

[j0324]

I would try to speak with Lee again or e-mail him directly... If that doesn't work make sure you write another formal complaint and Cc to Ombudsman Services Communications...

[mckinnell30]

I've emailed him 3 times over the last 2 days when everything should have been sorted but no reply???

[mckinnell30]

Regarding Consumer Action Group Thread Vodafone Nightmare (WRT135 ref #12232236)

 

After speaking with Lee I thought all my problems were solved, however, they are not.

 

I have now emailed Lee back 3 times with 3 different problems that have arisen since we spoke on the 5th Jan but still no reply.

 

I am receiving texts from vodafone with incorrect bill amounts.

 

Then a strange letter saying that I have been disconnected.

 

Yesterday I received another letter from vodafone saying welcome and that I had entered a new 2 year contract, which of course I have not.

 

This is all complete rubbish and needs sorted. Hopefully Lee will be back in touch!!! I will keep you all posted.

[AndyOrch]

Threads merged.

 

Andy

[mckinnell30]

Ok Andy Thanks, but will Lee still see this new reference number? I just started a new complaint on Vodafone and this was the new number I put in the title?

[fkofilee]

Read post #13

[mckinnell30]

Andy, Do you reckon it is time to email the Md's etc addresses given in post 13?

[mckinnell30]

Hi fkofilee thanks for your post and info, I will give it one last go with Lee and if it's not resolved by Tuesday I will fire emails of to the addresses you gave me, do you reckon I will get a reply???

[fkofilee]

Hi fkofilee thanks for your post and info, I will give it one last go with Lee and if it's not resolved by Tuesday I will fire emails of to the addresses you gave me, do you reckon I will get a reply???

 

You will most certainly get a reply

[mckinnell30]

haha lol excellent.... I just thought that MD's etc wouldn't be bothered with complaints.... be interesting to see what happens

[fkofilee]

Gets forwarded onto an exec team who have a LOT of power

I have an open complaint with them at the moment and we ARE making headway.

 

Lee is also very good, But i think that Voda are starting to step away from CAG