Issue with Vodafone Shop

kinkstr

Issue with Vodafone store, yesterday my mother went and bought herself a new mobile from a bricks n mortat vodafone store, on arriving home and having a look at the phone she decided it wasnt for her. No problem i thought just bring it back and get a refund replacement.
My mam rang the store this morning and asked would it be ok to call down tomorrow and return the phone.
The response was as the box the phone was in was sealed in clingfilm stuff it cant be refunded because this clingfilm was removed.
Also, she was told as she had registered the phone(its a ready to go) they cannot take back the credit. The young girl in the shop registered the phone before even taking the money for it with telling us she was registering it.
The reason im asking for advice here is if its left to meill just end up telling them to give up the money of ill come down and get it myself( yes im in a pissed off mood today), so i need some calm sensible suggestions on what we can do to get this issue resolved, or tell me i havent a leg to stand on:eek:

TheDriver

if the cling film is off, then i would say tough, youbought it and they can't repackage them. The credit is something i noticed before as they don't say "you can't bring it back now" either.

kinkstr

I didnt realise the cling film thing was such a big deal, ive bought phones before without any kind of clingfilm.
The credit situation is what really pisses me off though, them sayin they cant undo it when i know for a fact they can(they sent 80euros registration to a different number for me so i cant imagine removing it from a ready to go account would be a big deal)

i71jskz5xu42pb

>so i need some calm sensible suggestions on what we can do to get
>this issue resolved, or tell me i havent a leg to stand on

There is nothing wrong with the phone (right?) so you are in no way entitled to a refund (cling film or no cling film). Anything the retailer does for you will be goodwill as opposed to something they have to do. So going in with the "telling them to give up the money of ill come down and get it myself" attitude will get you nowhere. Your best bet would be to go in, pleasantly explain the situation and hope for the best.

Doctor DooM

kinkstr wrote: »

I didnt realise the cling film thing was such a big deal, ive bought phones before without any kind of clingfilm.
The credit situation is what really pisses me off though, them sayin they cant undo it when i know for a fact they can(they sent 80euros registration to a different number for me so i cant imagine removing it from a ready to go account would be a big deal)

You do realise as the goods are fit for purpose, Vodafone have no legal obligation to refund you at all?

Being pissed off and in their face wont help. Being polite but persistent might.

Nala

you haven't got a leg to stand on.

kinkstr

Ok heres an update, i rang the customer care number and spoke to a girl who told me its their policy that if the cling film is removed they cant re-sell the phone. I said i wasnt happy as my mother has been a vodafone customer since the Eircell days and that id like to speak to a manager about the situation.
30 minutes later a manager rang me, i explained the situation again, put me on hold and rang the store that sold her the phone. She then told me that if i bring the phone back and its not damaged(which it isnt) they will refund the money.
I still dont know why i was told first the credit cant be removed from the account but as the manager said that is in no way a problem.
Maybe because the girl who sold us the phone didnt ask before applying the credit in the shop, or maybe because they just want to keep their customers happy, either way the issue has been resolved.

jor el

kinkstr wrote: »

I still dont know why i was told first the credit cant be removed from the account but as the manager said that is in no way a problem.

the girl in the shop wouldn't be able to do anything about it, but Vodafone themselves could. The girl in the shop was probably under the impression that it was impossible as generally they wouldn't do anything about this, not that they couldn't.

Maybe because the girl who sold us the phone didnt ask before applying the credit in the shop,

Probably standard practice now, especially for older people who may not have internet access or know how to go about claiming the credit. Makes a change as a few years ago they wouldn't do it for you in the shops and you had to do it online yourself.

or maybe because they just want to keep their customers happy, either way the issue has been resolved.

Just a goodwill gesture on their part. Count yourself lucky as they didn't have to do anything in this case. Vodafone shop sold me a phone that didn't work and just washed their hands of it.

Sam Vimes

kinkstr wrote: »

I said i wasnt happy as my mother has been a vodafone customer since the Eircell days and that id like to speak to a manager about the situation.

i never understood why people mention that. it doesn't matter if you came out of the primordial goo 10 million years ago and immediately joined vodafone. the rules are the rules. new customers are entitled to the same things as everyone else.

the credit can be removed by customer care but its generally not done because its an awful lot of hassle to do to give someone a refund that they're not entitled to in the first place. you were very lucky here OP. You weren't entitled to anything

dahamsta

Commander Vimes wrote: »

i never understood why people mention that.

On a business level, because customer retention is often important. Particularly in the mobile world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churn_rate

On a personal level, because it's nice to be nice to your regular customers.

adam

TheDriver

I must ask the question, why didn't she have a good feel of the display model in the shop, thats what they are there for? I personally would be unhappy if I got sold a phone that someone had brought back, even putting someone elses sim card can have other settings etc put on it.

Pythia

Oh, how I used to hate misinformed customers. 'It's my right to get a refund'. Ha!

Veeery lucky to get anything, you're not entitled to anything just because you didn't look close enough at the time.

dahamsta

TheDriver wrote: »

I must ask the question, why didn't she have a good feel of the display model in the shop, thats what they are there for?

I've never handled a display model that was anything like the real handset, they're usually plasticky crap. However they do tend to keep one of each unboxed behind the counter, except the really high-end stuff.

adam

kinkstr

TheDriver wrote: »

I must ask the question, why didn't she have a good feel of the display model in the shop, thats what they are there for? I personally would be unhappy if I got sold a phone that someone had brought back, even putting someone elses sim card can have other settings etc put on it.

Because there wasnt one there, just a space beside where the fake phone would have been on display.

kinkstr

Pythia wrote: »

Oh, how I used to hate misinformed customers.

Me to, only thing i hate more misinformed staff members.

Guy:Incognito

kinkstr wrote: »

Me to, only thing i hate more misinformed staff members.

Assuming you are still referring to you situation , you are the one who was misinformed.

Fact is, if your mother bought the phone and decided 10 secs later she didnt want it, the shop is in no way obliged to take it back.You have no rights whatsoever if you just decide to change your mind. Anything the shop does to help you is purely at their discretion.

Anyone who has worked in retail will have had a good few people in shouting the odds on what they are "entitled to" and the ol reliable "I know my rights", when in fact 99% of the time they are wrong.

Guy:Incognito

dahamsta wrote: »

I've never handled a display model that was anything like the real handset, they're usually plasticky crap. However they do tend to keep one of each unboxed behind the counter, except the really high-end stuff.

adam

The display phones are real phones without the insides. The outer shell is the one that is on the real phones. they just stick a bit of metal in to appoximate the weight.

Either way it's irrelevant as they are not oblidged to give you a phone to fiddle with. You make your decision and buy what you want. How do you decide hat you like in a supermarket? They dont have open boxes of everything for you to taste.

chrislad

kinkstr wrote: »

Me to, only thing i hate more misinformed staff members.

The only person who is misinformed here is yourself. You are, as has been mentioned, not entitled to a refund if you change your mind, simple as. You got one, more than likely, because Voda couldn't be arsed listening to you.

kinkstr

Lol dont get your nickers in a twist there, its only the internet lad, the only time today i lost my temper was when i started this thread, i was polite and calm when talking to customer care as were they with me and thus the issue is resolved.
Thanks and Good nite.

mikemac

I've done something similar to the OP and managed to get my money back.
But yes, a nice friendly approach will get you further than "telling them to give up the money of ill come down and get it myself"

People in customer service don't tolerate getting talked down to anymore and rightly so.

You were lucky OP and now vodafone are stuck with a phone they can't sell.

kinkstr

micmclo wrote: »

You were lucky OP and now vodafone are stuck with a phone they can't sell.

Not what i was told, as long as it wasnt damaged they wouldnt have a problem talking it back as it could still be sold, at least thats what the Customer service said to me.

Doctor DooM

micmclo wrote: »

I've done something similar to the OP and managed to get my money back.
But yes, a nice friendly approach will get you further than "telling them to give up the money of ill come down and get it myself"

People in customer service don't tolerate getting talked down to anymore and rightly so.

You were lucky OP and now vodafone are stuck with a phone they can't sell.

Ah sure if they have any sense they will pretend it is damaged and RMA it.

You did well op. I think the point the shoppy people are trying to make to you is that comments above, where you talk about getting pissed off, get you no where, and are ill informed in often cases. But alls well that ends well, and kudos to Voda for doing this for you.

jor el

micmclo wrote: »

You were lucky OP and now vodafone are stuck with a phone they can't sell.

I'm sure it won't kill them

bugler

They'll send it back and get it repackaged. No one wants to buy a phone that has been opened. When I buy a new phone I expect no one has been using it prior to me, whether for 4 minutes or 4 days. The shrinkwrap guarantees that.

dudara

It was quite decent of Vodafone to help you out like. You probably assisted by the fact that you treated the sales people well. A good lesson to learn.

BTW - I would probably have sold the phone on eBay or somewhere.

Guy:Incognito

bugler wrote: »

They'll send it back and get it repackaged..

Fair enough:

bugler wrote: »

The shrinkwrap guarantees that.