Lowells claimform - old Vodafone debt *** Claim Discontinued***

[tonycee]

Just wanted to warn you about my experience with Vodafone's awful customer services.

 

I had been a vodafone customer for over twenty years until today. I was working 70 miles from home when, without any warning my mobile phone was suspended. I left work early and spent 2 hours in my local vodafone store being pushed from person to person.

 

The story is, i left my previous address in Oct 2010 and i am in temporary accommodation until i find somewhere that i want to resettle.

 

My vodafone bill is sent by email, and my bill is paid by debit card, so i never dreamed of giving them a new address because i didnt have one.

They have today suspended my account on the suspicion of fraud.

No warning, no contact, nothing, just cut me off like a bad debtor.

 

Natwest can phone me in Thailand when i use my ATM card in Bangkok. but vodafone, zilch.

 

The conclusion after said 2 awful hours trying to talk reason with at least 6 people is that i have to provide a new utility bill for the premises that i dont live in, and photographic I.D.

when i still have a 30 year old paper driving license, and a recently expired passport.

 

So here we are, unable to provide what is required, but unable to talk reason because, " There is nothing we can do Sir ".

 

I understand the logic behind fraud prevention, but this is hardly crime of the century.

 

I walked around the corner, bought a new phone from a different supplier, and vodafone will now spend the next god knows how many months getting their knickers in a twist bacause im still under contract on both my mobile with them, and my mobile internet connection.

 

Vodaphone. Your customer service stinks.

[locutus]

tonycee, try following this:-

Vodafone Webteam said:

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 and securely using the ‘Contact us’ form on the Vodafone website with your account details.

 

https://help.vodafone.co.uk/system/s...PARTITION_ID=1

 

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 – and state the code WRT135 within the body of your email to make sure it comes through to us.As soon as we’ve received your email we’ll endeavour to get back to you as quickly as possible.

 

Many thanks

 

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK.

 

CAG members contacting us, add the code WRT135 in the subject line in order ensure that email gets routed into our queue.

 

 

The webteam do have a good track record of sorting this sort of thing, However if there was fraud, it is more than likely you they are trying to prevent.

 

There are threads here on CAG with people who have had £1000's in bills and as they hadn't reported their phone stolen, the bill is still theirs!

 

Hope this gets sorted soon for you.

 

Also remember that not paying a mobile phone bill can get a default lodged on your credit file, and it's harder to sort than once for the financial institutions!

[tonycee]

If they were trying to protect me from fraud, a simple phone call could have set the ball in motion to say there was a discrepancy. No, they were totally over the top, and couldnt care less about me. Its not the first time i have had problems with them, but nothing that has such an impact as this.

 

It was only a few days ago that i paid my most recent bill, in full i might add, and only 2 days ago when i received my new one by email.

 

On that basis, they can go to hell. Their soon to be default can sit along side the bankruptcy and repossession on my credit file.

 

That's the least of my worries.

[locutus]

OK mate As long as it's an informed descision... lots of people don't know mobile phones defaulted credit files

 

I wish you well in your house hunting

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi tonycee,

It's certainly disappointing to read about your most recent experience here and that potentially a previously loyal customer may be leaving us.

 

As I'd like to take a closer at this for you to see what's happened could you email your details by following the steps in our pinned thread which locutus has linked you to.

 

Once you've received our automated reply could you update the thread with your email reference number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

 

Thanks, Lee Web Relations Team Vodafone UK

[tonycee]

No thank you.

 

I am still seething from my experience.

I will not now, or ever, chase a supplier.

The market is massive and readily available.

 

If you want to PM me, i will provide you with my number.

You can then reconnect me and contact me on that number.

 

Otherwise as stated, we are history.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Thanks for coming back to me tonycee.

 

I can understand how you feel about this and as I would like to try and assist you further I'll PM you in a moment.

 

Kind regards,

Lee Web Relations Team Vodafone UK

[tonycee]

If you understand how i feel, then you will understand that the damage has already been done, and is now irreversible.

 

You see, i also provide a service to my customers, and to have the phone suspended in such a manner, without any warning, and leave me without any contact with them, has caused me considerable distress, both on a business and financial level.

 

On the basis that i have had to contact everybody with my new number, and vodafones response being what it was in store, and what it is likely to be before a resolution, i am not interested in vodafone anymore. Therefore thank you for your offer to resolve the matter, but quite frankly vodafone had their chance to resolve the matter, but chose not to.

 

Big business customer service is appalling in this country. I wont tolerate it.

 

I hope you continue to help people with a problem.

 

Vodafone. Your instore customer service stinks.

 

Whatever the reasons for the appalling way in which you treated me, it dosent matter. I dont care.

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Hi tonycee,

 

I do appreciate your position and respect your decision here.

 

I would add however that if processes aren't being followed correctly then there is a possibility of this happening again. This is something I'd like to try and prevent and as such would still like an opportunity to review the sequence of events that have transpired in your case.

 

As such, would you mind PM'ing me your mobile number?

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

 

[tonycee]

Im getting constant texts and calls from Lowells auto service.

Not a problem, as i have no debts, and the contact name is somebody elses.

As long as they are harassing me, they are leaving her alone.

 

Sorry to be flippant on the subject as i know you are suffering.

 

What i want to know is?

 

How can i have some fun with this?

 

Cheers.

[unclebulgaria67]

Can you make up some form of auto reply. e.g. OFT licence review team automated reply. The number you have used is no longer in use.

 

Or I have not met the person you are seeking but I am sure that she is having a peaceful time, as Lowells are contacting the wrong number.

[i hate bailiffs]

pay them with goats................................

 

[dx100uk]

the only way you get a human is to hit 1 then 1 again.

 

its amazign the stupid questions they ask.

 

like asking for Mrs...do i sound like woman to you.

 

well do you know where mrs xxx is

 

no this is a mobile phone/new phnoeline.

 

 

do you know when they will be back....huh??

 

i then said can i have a turn.....

 

yes go ahead.....

 

can you please remove this number from your records please...

 

it worked...

 

they stopped phoning!!!

 

 

dx

[Jam_Buttie]

I've used the "sorry, I bought this phone and contract 2 weeks ago from Mr xxxx..."

 

Not heard from then since. This has worked with 3 creditors so far, all were phonong a few times a day...

[NailPost]

BCW started calling me up and ask to speak to someone with a totally different name to mine

- and a totally different sex

- and try and get me to answer their stupid security questions.

 

So when they would ask if I was the person I would say no,

do I live at an address I would say no.

 

That seemed to throw the monkeys every time.

 

I would then ask to speak to a supervisor and ask them for their full name and address.

they would invariably refuse claiming "company policy" and would then ask why I wanted to know.

 

Told they were phoning the wrong person I would add they were creating a nice file of information for a complaint.

They rang about four times before the penny dropped. made a complaint, got an apology and a promise they would not ring again.

[Halibutt]

You can send this message back if they text you:

 

SERVICE ERROR 305: MESSAGE DELIVERY FAILED. FURTHER MESSAGES WLL BE CHARGED TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

 

I've been told that they usually give up texting your number then. Apparently, the above wording is a genuine error code, so any DCA would be unsure as to whether they really were going to be charged or not. Likelihood is that they wouldn't take the risk!

 

H. x

[rdm2006]

You could say that the person is in prison for GBH.

 

Say Mr x had a letter that a doorstep collector would call the following week, so he set up a winch, raised the doorstep to the 1st floor.

 

When the guy came and announced that he was a doorstep collector Mr X told him to hold out his arms and then let him have it

 

PS Please do not try this at home lol

Edited July 23, 2012 by rdm2006

[Old Cogger]

Hope he took it a step at a time\??

[sillygirl1]

I told one lot my doorstep had already been taken, and my neighbours were complaining about hoisting their pushchairs over the communal entrance.

 

I also told an old mortgage company that they had taken the stone and how much per pint would my blood be worth?

 

Plenty of ways of confusing them. One of my old ideas is to transfer their texts to another DCA....

 

I have also used Jam Butties line before.

 

Another line for email messages is "This PC is in the hands of the anti fraud/drug/terror authorities, you will shortly be contacted about your relationship with our suspect."

[Old Cogger]

Take it from Cell Block H!!

[tonycee]

A bit of advice please. 

I took out a mobile broadband contract with Vodafone through Currys PC World approx. 14 months ago.

I took out the agreement on the understanding that, like other providers i had used, I would not be allowed to go over the agreement data usage limited without authority.

 

After about 3 weeks of usage they blocked my account and tried to charge me about £200 for over limit data usage at £26 per gig. 

 

I have asked Lowells, who have bought the disputed debt, I never heard back from Vodafone about my complaint,  for a copy of the signed agreement that shows the cost of the hidden charges. I would never have signed up if I had known the cost.

 

Lowells say they don't have to provide anything and are going to resume pursuit of this debt.

 

I have no fear of these people.

 

I guess my question is, do they have the right to pursue a debt without proving the debt exists.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[AndyOrch]

Hmmm yes they can pursue but its your choice whether you wish to reciprocate or ignore them....have you retained documentation to confirm this dispute with VF ?

 

Andy

[tonycee]

Hi Andy.

Yes. If years of being on here has taught me one thing, its to keep the evidence...LOL...

 

On trading standards advice, I downloaded their complaints form and sent a copy to Vodafone, and hand delivered a copy to Currys, where I took out the agreement.

I don't have a problem with pursuit / defence, that's what they do.

 

I have 2 problems.

1. If you got your new car home from the showroom and a month later they sent you a hidden mileage charge, would you accept it?

2. How can anybody claim a debt if they cant prove it ? 

[AndyOrch]

As you probably know Mobile Accounts are service agreements and not regulated by the CCA1974.......so your going to struggle to get hold of any agreement if there is an agreement because normally the account is activated on insertion of the sim and use...so you accept their T&Cs and form the agreement simply by using the service.

 

As for proof....should Lowell decide to litigate and issue a claim form they would rely on the usual  copies of statements etc and the balance of probabilities argument...but given that you have retained proof of the dispute your well armed with a defence should this happen.

 

I personally would not engage and simply file all their  usual waffle until such time you receive a Pre Action Protocol letter or letter before action...then you can put them to strict proof..but in reality you shouldn't need to if you have a genuine dispute unresolved by VF.

[tonycee]

Thanks Andy. Your a star.

 

They keep asking for a copy and all the terms of my complaint with Vodafone.

I keep telling them I will swap it for a copy of the agreement.

It falls on deaf ears though, and we go back to square one.

 

One thing I struggle with is, if I don't get a copy of the terms and conditions prior to the sim card being inserted by the providing sales rep, how can I know that there are hidden charges even if I specifically stated I wanted to know the terms and charges, before purchasing.

 

I assumed there were trading standard conditions and comsumer rights to protect me from this sort of thing.

 

Thanks again.