Vodafone USB Modem debacle

culabula

Last January I got an outrageous bill for the USB modem after using it for three weeks in and out of the north; I was told at point of sale that it was free to use in the north. The bill totalled over 1400€ for 3 weeks of surfing and emailing -NO downloads, NO movies, nada. Just surfing and emailing.

That is not the point, of course. I was told no charges whatsoever would be incurred and returned it immediately as per the existing offer and terminated the account in writing.

Over the last couple of months and as the result of haranguing them they have waived a significant amount in two chunks leaving me with a bill of 392€ to pay. I have told them quite clearly that I will pay a bill of 49 and nothing more.

Now they have put an outgoing bar on my main 087 number (which is not in any arrears) as they lumped both accounts together.

I am sick of ringing them and getting nowhere: I have prepared a letter outlining all of this and wonder if any of you can advise me what email address(es) to send it to?

TIA.

govinda

I can't help with an email addy but a friend had a fast resolution to the infamous non-HSDPA compatible PCMCIA card issue by putting full details of her attempts to have it resolved and choice quotes from the Vodafone Customer Charter in writing to the address here:

http://www.vodafone.ie/aboutus/practice/dispute/index.jsp

Best of luck

culabula

Thanks for that -I am going to give them hell....

culabula

087-XXXXXXX

Dear Sir or Madam,

I refer to this account which is now experiencing restricted access and to the Mobile Broadband debacle which has brought about this state of affairs.

I have now had to phone you on at least 10 occasions regarding this account and have yet to receive full and final satisfaction: I am now forced to write down the facts of this matter and I sincerely hope that this is the last that I will hear about it or have to deal with it.

On the 8th of December last year I signed up for your new USB modem and Unlimited Broadband deal in one of your outlets in Galway. I was persuaded to take up the offer because I was informed by two of your representatives in two different outlets that the allowance was free of charge to use while in the north of Ireland (and the UK, according to them). Given your former IWT and now Vodafone Passport I had no real reason to doubt this,it seemed logical enough, although I made them repeat and confirm this to me before leaving the shop.

Suffice it to say that this turned out not to be the case: I was extremely careful with the account during the first 3 weeks of usage, checking the balance each and every day online via your unbilled calls facility. When on the 10/12/06 the SIM accidentally strayed onto Orange UK in or around Newry, the charge was posted shortly afterwards, almost in real-time, as were any SMS used. As a result, I accepted after 2 weeks that since no charges were forthcoming from Vodafone UK, your partner, for its use on their network, that what I had been told was in fact the case. It strikes me as odd that Orange UK could pass on charges straight away while another Vodafone network, with whom you operate the Ireland-Wide tariff cannot perform as efficiently.

On the third week, near the 23rd of december a massive charge of over 600€ was posted to the account and I a) contacted you and b) stopped all usage of this modem outside the home network until I returned the modem on the 05/01/07.

After Christmas I contacted the manageress of the Galway shop where I bought the modem and she once again told me that it was free to use in the north; I informed her that it wasn't and she agreed to check on this and get back to me. She is the only person who has actually called me back when they said they would and was polite, helpful and contactable at all times. She told me that the information that I had been given was erroneous and she said "you're right, it is completely my fault, I gave you the wrong information but that is what we (the staff) have been told".

As a result, I returned the modem to Grafton Street and obtained full refund, FAXed in a letter of advice of termination (which I still have), got confirmation that charges would be waived but then continued to get bills pertaining to the account. The account was not terminated by you and the bills continued to mount,. They reached 1400€ and were lumped in with my long-standing voice account and now as a result I am paying the price by having an OBO slapped on my voice account -which is not at fault, not in arrears and is being 'blackmailed' as a result of your incompetence.

In the last two months you have -after insistence from myself- deducted two huge sums from the balance still leaving me with a sum of almost 400€ to pay. This is unacceptable and perhaps I am not making myself clear. Let me now do so. I expect to get and am prepared to pay a bill for the first month's line rental -that is, the sum of 49€ plus any SMS that I sent while the modem and SIM were in my possession for some 28 days and any charges for the one time that it strayed onto the foreign network, Orange UK. Nothing more. None of the other charges were my responsibility as I was using the modem while roaming as a result of false information and incurred these charges despite acting in a thoroughly responsible manner. In addition I know that I was not the only one to be given this wrong information and that colleagues of mine have had these charges refunded -in full.

Finally, I recently had a curious call from one of your departments advising that they had duplicated two recent credit card payments that I had made to the account and that these would be refunded. While the charges have been made, the refunds have not been forthcoming and so I am mystified as to the reason for the call.

I have continued to contribute small payments towards my voice account throughout this time while waiting for your outrageous, unjustifiable and immoral charges to be rectified and waived but you have seen fit to bar outgoing calls on my voice account as 'punishment'. Yet you now invite me to ring you on 1907 to discuss the situation. Perhaps you could explain to me how I might manage this?

( . )( . )

stick to your guns culabula, you have rights. did you go the smalls claims court direction yet?

godskitchen

Good man, that email is well worded and set out, let us know how you get on!

culabula

Not yet, because as long as the bill existed and they were not getting their hands on it, I couldn't care less. It's all their own fault. I had a stroke of good fortune in that I lost my credit cards last October(!) and when the main one was replaced I fortunately neglected to re-register it with Voda! So, they can't get their hands on my money (unlike a mate from whom they lifted 3 grand).

I have not been out of pocket nor really inconvenienced (except for tiresome calls)-until now.The modem balance seemed to be heading in the right direction until now but they don't appear to be 'getting it' that I am not liable for any excess costs.

Barring my outgoing calls on another account is quite another matter and just not on. They can waive this bill and re-instate my 087 account or it won't be just the Small Claims Court -I have enough friends in the media to rattle this at a very high level.

GUIGuy

Or call Joe Duffy! The bad press will get voda to think. There is nothing like the fear of being screwed to make customers avoid products like the plague.

( . )( . )

you should also get some sort of compensation IMO

superfly

just move to another network and keep your 087 number

culabula

GUIGuy wrote:

Or call Joe Duffy! The bad press will get voda to think. There is nothing like the fear of being screwed to make customers avoid products like the plague.

Fear not, Joe is already well aware of it; he just wants the go-ahead from me.

culabula

( . )( . ) wrote:

you should also get some sort of compensation IMO

Agreed

Random

superfly wrote:

just move to another network and keep your 087 number

Vodafone will block your port out if you owe them money.

culabula

Oh dear God.....read this and weep.....

culabula

Thank you for your e-mail.

I have cancelled your 087 number and cancellled any
termination charges that might issue. I have also checked your
account and all rental credit relevent to the roaming data charges
have been credited back to your account in full.

I'm sorry that this has taken you so long to rectify. Please contact
us again on care@vodafone.ie if we can be of any further assistance.

Regards


Vodafone Customer Care Team

culabula

And they HAVE too!!!! The SIM has just failed this second. WHERE did I EVER ask for my main voice number to be TERMINATED?? These people are mad....

neacy69

On your letter of termintation did you state that your wanted your account termintated or did you specifically says only the data number...

culabula

The letter of termination was written in the Vodafone shop in Grafton Street at the time of returning the modem and obtaining a refund for it. It referred specifically and only to the 'Mobile Connect' account. There was never any mention of my main number until the past couple of days.

JNive

which is a very unfortunate situation since, and possible not know to you, when you sign up to the data package, any existing vodafone account you have is merged/added-to the data account, so that you have all devices on one account / bill.

When the account was past due ( incorrectly i know ) part of the restriction 'on that account' was to block all outgoing ( cost-incurring ) services on all devices attached to the account,

the letter requesting termination of 'account' would therefore have caused vodafone to cancel everything, so nothing wrong just a lack of clarification perhaps on the part of the shop and yourself ( unintentionally i know )

you should instead have ensured that the Mobile Connect 'service' or 'package' be removed 'from your account'

buddy

They should've called you at the very least to put an end to your problems.

cold_filter

It amazes me how often people do not read the small print. Did you honestly expect to go in and buy the modem and be able to use it wherever you wanted?? If you did then that was your first mistake. Has the idea of researching the product your going to buy gone out the window?? A quick troll of boards.ie would have revealed that you can only using it in the republic and incur the standard charge anywhere else is roaming charges.

Second mistake was believing the person in the store no matter what network you buy from the will tell you anything to get you to buy the product.


They will always put your data account with your voice account, it makes life easier for everyone (though in this case it has given you soem hassle)

Also you are liable for the charges you incur while you have the device, Other wise people could ring and txt all over the place and bring it back. Obviously if you are using it as a data connection in ireland you'll just pay a percentage of the rental and no more.

I see they've terminated your account, typical idiots in dundalk!

culabula

That isn't the way it happened.

The cancellation notice was served at the time (05/01/07) I returned the modem. It was laid out specifically with reference to the mobile connect account ONLY. It was written correctly and clearly.It was FAXed to them on the spot from their Grafton Street store. Trouble was -they ignored it completely. It took two more months before that particular account was terminated and only then after numerous phone calls (I had to explain to THEM why the bill kept going UP (line rental) even though I no longer possessed the modem) .

The outstanding bill was was dragged out and refunded in dribs and drabs until it was down to roughly 400€.

Today's action is solely as a result of yesterday's email to customer care. They clearly are unable to understand not just the spoken word but also the written word. The tone is 'you're right, so we'll just get rid of you entirely' and smacks of nothing more than sheer petulance.

cold_filter

Just be thankful, that you didnt get a 60K bill from them, it has happened

JNive

'mobile connect account ONLY'

which at the time was your only account, as it includes yoru voice service.

anyways, yes it sounds like they they suspended the usb modem account pending clarification, meanwhile still occuring charges ( you are on 12-month contract remember ), resulting in the eventual reduction of outstanding ( but still unpaid ) balance, resulting in the restriction on your voice service, leading to your email yesterday = debt cleared, account terminated

culabula

cold_filter wrote:

It amazes me how often people do not read the small print. Did you honestly expect to go in and buy the modem and be able to use it wherever you wanted?? If you did then that was your first mistake. Has the idea of researching the product your going to buy gone out the window?? A quick troll of boards.ie would have revealed that you can only using it in the republic and incur the standard charge anywhere else is roaming charges.

Second mistake was believing the person in the store no matter what network you buy from the will tell you anything to get you to buy the product.


They will always put your data account with your voice account, it makes life easier for everyone (though in this case it has given you soem hassle)

Also you are liable for the charges you incur while you have the device, Other wise people could ring and txt all over the place and bring it back. Obviously if you are using it as a data connection in ireland you'll just pay a percentage of the rental and no more.

I see they've terminated your account, typical idiots in dundalk!

Stuff and nonsense: it is beyond refute that a great deal of shops were informed towards the end of last year that there were no data roaming charges incurred if the new USB modem was used on Vodafone in the north of Ireland and in the UK. Since this is the case with Vodafone Passport for MT voice calls (and is unique to the six county/UK scenario) there was no reason to suspect otherwise especially when representatives of the company told me this over and over.

Shops in Galway, Kilkenny and Dublin all told me the same thing. In Galway they volunteered the information without my asking the question. This is what they genuinely believed to be the case. Vodafone had to issue a directive to all shops on foot of our complaints to inform them that it was not the case.

In the case of the Galway shop where I bought the beknighted thing, they still believed this to be the case over three weeks later. They did NOT tell me this to ensure a sale, I assure you.

Research told me that it worked with Macs -that was my main concern. The fact that it worked in the north FOC as told by staff (in the person of the manager) was bonus. There was no reason to disbelieve a strongly delivered "yes" from not one but from several representatives of the company. At that point there was very little information as to its use online.

I did NOT expect to use it wherever I wanted -that is your mistake. I expected to be able to use it on Vodafone in Belfast because that is what I was told I could do without charge and that is what I have been doing for 3 years until this morning with my main 087 account. I have been using phones and accounts long enough to know when i incur charges and when I don't.

In the heel of the hunt, it's their loss. I am sufficiently adept at converting my well-oiled machine to my O2 Ireland account instead and adjusting all email addresses, email alerts, voice greetings and SMS overnight. There was no reason nor compunction upon them to terminate an 18 month contract 6 months into it without penalty but for some unclear reason they have done. TOUGH -for them!

culabula

JNive wrote:

'mobile connect account ONLY'

which at the time was your only account, as it includes yoru voice service.

anyways, yes it sounds like they they suspended the usb modem account pending clarification, meanwhile still occuring charges ( you are on 12-month contract remember ), resulting in the eventual reduction of outstanding ( but still unpaid ) balance, resulting in the restriction on your voice service, leading to your email yesterday = debt cleared, account terminated

Not at all: Mobile connect was added to my voice account, not the other way round. The Modem account was not suspended, there was proviso to return it NO QUIBBLE (quote team Leader) within 28 days for full refund and termination of account. That is what was done.

By me. But not by them.

culabula

cold_filter wrote:

Just be thankful, that you didnt get a 60K bill from them, it has happened

I know.

Urban Weigl

culabula wrote:

TOUGH -for them!

Agreed.

And Vodafone messed up here. That part is acceptable and happens, after all nobody is perfect. What is completely unacceptable is that they failed to properly escalate the issue and resolve it, which is very clear-cut: you were informed and had no reason to believe otherwise that you would be able to use it in N. Ireland. It turns out Vodafone was misinforming their customers.

Any respectable company should be able to resolve a matter like this within a few days, if it takes that long. At this point, the minimum acceptable would not be to just cancel all the charges, but also issue you with some credit towards your voice account bill as a token of good faith.

It almost seems to me like Vodafone do not have the proper procedures in place to escalate something like this. That's a real pity.

culabula

Except that my voice account of some 10 years' standing has now been terminated with extreme prejudice. What are they going to credit?

Random

Ring them up. Ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain what's happened.

mkennedy

well-worded letter.
vf are fcuking a$$holes alright.

they messed up my billing a couple of months ago as well overcharging me a couple of hundred and I had to repeatedly remind them to rectify it before they did a few months later.

doesn't compare to your situation but i'd say this kind of thing is not uncommon.

godskitchen

My data and voice accounts are separate.

buddy

With something like this always ask for a team leader - get their name - team leaders are better at resolving problems.

culabula

buddy wrote:

With something like this always ask for a team leader - get their name - team leaders are better at resolving problems.

You would think! But it was a team leader who told me unequivocally that under no circumstances could I return the modem to any shop other than the one that I bought it in in Galway....I pointed out that it would cost me at 150€ not matter what way I travelled to do that in order to be refunded 129€ and he essentially retorted 'tough'.

Of course it was utter tripe and I walked into the first Vodafone shop in Grafton St and had my money in my hand in less than 5 minutes.

It was my impression from then on, that no-one within that organisation is singing from the same hymn-sheet.

Urban Weigl

I just remembered something. When I got my data card from Vodafone, I was also told there would be no roaming charges in the UK and N. Ireland. Luckily I never made it to N. Ireland since getting it. And the minister for communications at the time was sending out emails how Vodafone had completely abolished roaming charges, which also turned out to not be true, or at most only partially true.

Update: I have now changed over from using direct debit to manual payments, just in case Vodafone try to pull anything funny.

culabula

Urban Weigl wrote:

I just remembered something. When I got my data card from Vodafone, I was also told there would be no roaming charges in the UK and N. Ireland. Luckily I never made it to N. Ireland since getting it. And the minister for communications at the time was sending out emails how Vodafone had completely abolished roaming charges, which also turned out to not be true, or at most only partially true.

Yes, indeed, many were told this. A friend of mine ran up huge bills while calling me on iChat while in the north, again because of what he was told and because he is on the original unlimited plan. But he screamed louder than me and had the lot refunded.

culabula

Urban Weigl wrote:

Update: I have now changed over from using direct debit to manual payments, just in case Vodafone try to pull anything funny.

A very wise move, I count my lucky stars that I lost my wallet and all credit cards last October! I couldn't have stopped them taking my spons otherwise.

culabula

Actually I haven't been quite as clever as I thought as a result of losing my main number of ten years after this charade.

Some people tried to contact me last night but couldn't: they finally got me this morning to ask if they could fly me somewhere in Europe tomorrow to cook a special dinner for a European supermodel and actress who was in Love Actually but who-shall-remain-nameless. I kid you not.

But by the time they got me, the party had secured the services of A.N. Other.

I think the words 'scheisse' and 'arsch' spring to mind.

Urban Weigl

Hire someone to keep calling Vodafone on your behalf until the issue has been resolved.

Seriously though, I don't know what I'd do in your situation, but I would be very, very mad, after all they have just made it personal. And I would think of something to do. Nothing illegal of course.

culabula

Well, I haven't finished with them yet. Just not much chance of anything happening this weekend.

culabula

Well, well: In the immortal words of 'The Hollies' (60s beat combo, Manchester) -"Here I Go Again"


(From Vodafone Customer Care)
Thank you for your reply.

I have reconnected your mobile phone number 087Voice Number today and I apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Your other number, 087Mobile Data had been disconnected since 20.03.07
and so it was thought that your original email dated 02.05.07 had
included 087Voice Number is your disconnection request.(sic)

I have also applied a months rental credit for 087Voice Number and you
will see this on your following bill.

If you have any further queries please contact us anytime on FreeFone
1907 and one of our Customer Care Representatives will be happy to
assist you.

Yours sincerely

culabula

To which I replied:


To the Vodafone Customer Care Team:

I refer to your letter below and your subsequent reactivation of my number 087 Voice Number.

I appreciate that there may have been some confusion about the number to which I was referring but on the other hand, the subject of my eMail was "Mobile Broadband Account" and in addition, you could have rung me to clarify. The last time I spoke to one of your people in the Credit department they assured me they would get back to me, but like so many times before, no-one followed up.

I cannot be expected to remember the number of a non-voice account that I had for 28 days, 5 months ago but I did use your description of it to identify it. This Mobile Broadband number has been the origin of all recent problems on this account. It was this which caused you to place a one-way bar on 087 Voice Number followed a week later by its termination. There were no grounds for me to ask for termination of 087 Voice Number and no compunction upon you to agree and waive any termination charges. Would that getting out of a contract could ever happen so easily.

087 Voice Number is not and never was my Mobile Broadband account.

I am aware that the other number (087 Data Number) was disconnected in March since that was as a result of my intervention and my calling you to finally get it done. It should have been disconnected in January when I handed back the modem and requested such disconnection in writing by FAX to you as instructed by one of your agents in one of your shops.

The reasons for my first letter were twofold: waive all charges pertaining to the Broadband account (087 Data Number) as these were incurred as a result of misinformation: take the bar off my main voice number which is being penalised as a result of the unpaid but unwarranted charges on the Broadband account.

In any case, I have been massively inconvenienced and out of pocket as a result. I had to change my email address and active voice number because of your action. A week ago I missed a call from the actress Cxxxxx Sxxxxxx as a direct consequence of the loss of my number and lost out on a lucrative engagement on the Bank Holiday weekend. This is unacceptable.

Despite all my calls and despite this recent exchange of emails, I find that I STILL have an excessive charge of over 400€ directly pertaining to the Mobile Broadband account which I had believed from your correspondence to be finally eradicated. I received a new paper bill the same day you reactivated my voice account and the balance is still showing online in 'My Bill'.

If this bill is not wiped entirely and something a little more generous than one month's line rental offered for all this incompetence and the inconvenience which I have had to suffer, then I am afraid you may terminate 087 Voice Number for good.

with best wishes,

cgarvey

cold_filter wrote:

Has the idea of researching the product your going to buy gone out the window??

Let me help you down off that horse of yours, for it's quite tall. It's not reasonable to expect someone to leave the shop to go and check out some websites to see if what they were told (as part of a legally binding contract that is about to be formed) was true/accurate! Just 'coz you're l33t and au fait with mobile broadband and roaming, doesn't mean most people are.

Eamon, bless your patience.

culabula

cgarvey wrote:

Eamon, bless your patience.

Thanks! I fear it might be, like my hair, wearing thin.