Vodafone Woes

Tales of woe right here

All within 4 weeks (up until today).

Had an online chat with sales, whom offered me an upgrade to the LG G5 Titan, at first what I was informed, supposedly £22.20 a month this was to begin with, but then found out it was actually £32.20 for 5gb data, unlimited minutes and texts.

I got the price issue resolved swiftly, back to the promised £22.20 rate.

I then find out, that I am still being billed, even though I was promised 2 months free. They claim to have sorted this by adding credit to my account.

I then have my data reduced to 3gb because of the price reduction to £22.20 even though it should have remained at 5gb. I fought to keep it at 5gb. Without incurring any more costs.

Then I am billed for a replacement Sim Card(Nano Sim for the G5), and Delivery of the G5 Handset, even though this was meant to be delivered free of charge (chat log evidence), once again supposedly sorted by credit.

I then decided enough is enough, I didn't rate the Handset very highly, so after a week, I requested a Returns Package, all well and good so I thought, the Call Centre Staff said it would arrive within 3-5 Working Days. Nothing ever did!

Continuous calls and Live Chats later, promise after promise for a Returns Pack, again nothing.
It got to the point where the Technical Department, just gave up and couldn't fix the root cause, an 'open order on the System' causing no Package being shipped.
I was offered a couple of options, cancel the contract, and pay what 22.20x24? No way! Wait longer....

Week 3 (August 4), I was advised to take it in to Store, to have the return dealt with and shipped off, to Warwickshire?

August 8 Phone arrives. Sat there idle for a few days, no confirmation text or email whatsoever to confirm arrival. (I was only informed yesterday 11/8 that it had).

Put in a request yesterday, to retentions, to revert back to my original price plan. And was informed it would be reinstated by Midnight 12/8.
8am 12/8 I am still on the upgraded price plan. So I call again, and was told it would be dealt with while on hold.
Held for 7 or so minutes, the Phone rang, low and behold someone else answers then I have to explain the situation all over again.

Finally now, I am being told it could take 7-10 days to revert to the original pre upgraded price plan. As there is a 'backlog on the System' but it will be 'fast tracked'
Believe that when I see it!

What an absolute shambles this is, I just don't know where to turn or what to do. I do really need my original contract end date and price plan reinstated.

These People on 191, in Doncaster or wherever they are, do not bat an Eye Lid, do not empathise or come across as overly helpful in the slightest. There have been times I have asked questions, where they just remain silent or shrug it off. Poor Customer Service! At it's best!

Sorry for the long winded post, but any help would be gratefully received.

Get out. Get out now. Vodafone are the worst company I've ever had to deal with.

I was in a similar situation to yourself, on a fairly good value plan and fancied an upgrade with a new phone... Changed my mind and that's where all the problems started. Like you I requested a return, but the return parcel never ever arrived.

I only got it sorted by emailing a massive story of what had happened to the then CEO, and having a prepaid Special Delivery package sent out, with my name and address written by hand. Clearly their automated systems are just not fit for purpose.

Fast forward and I was trying to get back to my original plan pre-upgrade, and during the conversation, the customer service agent I was talking to cancelled my plan and disconnected my SIM. It was a bloody shambles.

I'll never ever go back to them for my mobile phone service.

I don't know where to begin in getting out.

This feels like an irreversible mess from my point of view *the Customer* no amount of apologies can rectify this *even though there have not been any*
They can't and won't speak of what is wrong, why it went wrong. And how they will put it right.

I feel I have stitched myself in to a very sorry mess here, it is truly exasperating and stressful.

If I can get back to the old contract, it only runs until November 2016. But because they are dragging their feet or not moving at all. The new contract has until July 2018

I'd ask for my ETF today, but will I get stung for the new or old contract? As it hasn't reverted back.

These idiots are absolutely criminal when things go wrong!

Fire off an email to - [email protected] outline the above post and you will get a call in around 24 hours from someone that can actually help you.

Jeroen isn't the CEO anymore.

Who to turn to then?

Thanks for far

I haven't had so many problems with them but found out on the few dealings I've had that the only guys who know what they're talking about are the 'I want to leave Vodafone' people.

Anyone else is absolutely useless. Last time I've had to change some details on my account - the guy on livechat said "Give them a ring and they can sort it for you" and after calling they messed me about for 15min with security questions as I couldn't remember my passcode then kept on hold for 20min just to tell me that they can't change the details and that I have to go and do it in the store. Could've bloody told me that in the first 60 seconds of the conversation.

Well after filling in the Web Form, as informed to do so on the eForum, I have now had this situation rectified by the Social Media Team, it was done as soon as they read it, about 10 minutes ago.

Now if they could instantly fix it, then surely the People who work the Call Centre on 191, especially those in Doncaster could! There is just too much of an I can't be bothered attitude.

I will see this one out, and then I'm off for a Sim only deal.

Jaymond said:

Who to turn to then?

Thanks for far

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Not sure if it still works, but my email to the CEO got rerouted to this address:

[email protected]

Nadia Najib
For and on behalf of Jeroen Hoencamp
Vodafone UK

MichaelAwkward said:

Not sure if it still works, but my email to the CEO got rerouted to this address:

[email protected]

Nadia Najib
For and on behalf of Jeroen Hoencamp
Vodafone UK

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Cheers fella.

Now that this sorry mess is resolved.

Which Network, really does offer the best Customer Service? Or are they all shockers?

I joined Vodafone for all of 24hours back in 2013, the signal was terrible and with mast issues they couldn't tell me when it would be sorted. So I cancelled, sent the phone back and said there was nothing to pay.

1 month later a letter arrives asking me to pay 0.67p. Rolls eyes and ring them up to either pay or sort it out. Was told nothing was on the system and apparently I did'nt owe them anything.

Till this day I haven't heard anything and will never go back.

Which Network, really does offer the best Customer Service? Or are they all shockers?

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All are pretty crap to be fair. EE & Three have been pretty good but I have never had a complex issue to test them with.

Although the posts above are all shocking it's not at all suprising. I used to work for vf, thankfully not on the customer facing side. However they treat their staff just as badly as they do their customers. I left after 7 months because I was utterly bored. They put me on one of their important accountsand I was expecting them to utilise my experience and knowledge but instead I ended up simply checking websites for router update info and sending an email to another team which took me all of 15 minutes per day. Even after explaining how frustrating this was for me my role wasn't expanded so I voted with my feet.

Add to the fact that I cannot seem to get any sort of decent mobile broadband connection anywhere 90% of the time and when I do it's as slow as anything. Also the number of times calls have just cut off is poor too.

So in summary.... they treat staff just as well as they do their customers and their network is shocking. I was with three before vf and I never once lost Internet connection and my conversations were never cut off.

Resurrecting this as its been an interesting read. The best deals I've seen have all been for Vodafone, although whats posted here and the recent bill problems has me thinking its a bad idea. Never had any problems with Three, so I'll be sticking with my SIM-only idea.

VF customer service is baffling - their director level support team you get via the ceo email address are genuinely the best customer support I've ever had, while their standard 191 lot are shocking. It makes no sense.

I've only once been in a store and they just reminded me of Carphone warehouse. Had no ability to fix someones problem but were happy to push a stupidly overpriced contract phone at someone who wanted pay as you go.

Vodafone can be a pain to deal with but once they acknowledge there's been a problem and they're at fault are pretty good at dealing with it. You could try lodging a formal complaint with the relevant department, explaining everything clearly also detailed explanation(s) of where you think they have made mistakes. As mentioned, oNce they recognise they've made mistakes after they've investigated they are usually good at dealing with them. That's been my experience in the past when they've made a big ba**sup.
As I was happy with the outcome I'm still a customer today and a long term customer. I've not been very impressed with some of the other mobile companies I've dealt with in the past.

If you think VF are bad, try dealing with BT .

Hxc said:

VF customer service is baffling - their director level support team you get via the ceo email address are genuinely the best customer support I've ever had, while their standard 191 lot are shocking. It makes no sense.

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I will try to explain the issues, as I work at HQ (not in CS) and the issues being faced by customers really frustrates me (and everyone else I work with).

The fundamental issue is the rolling out of the new billing platform, which is causing issues for a lot of customers and driving up calls into the call centers due to errors it is causing. Because of this some new centers were opened up to deal with the calls and they are just not competent.

What I can say is that a lot of these issues are fixed, or being fixed and as time goes by, the agents are getting more competent in using it.

There is a new Vodafone app which is pretty much almost self serving, or will be soon. It is pretty amazing and I have used it myself.

There is a 5 year plan, with 2 to go to get VF at number 1 spot for CS. We are spending millions, in fact hundreds of millions in getting it fixed and I can see daily how it is working. Even though my job has nothing to do with CS, I can see, to the second, what our NPS rating is and it is going up all the time. This in addition to the other hundreds of millions being spent on the network. Number 1 in London now and will be in most of the major cities soon for speed of 4g and dropped calls.

The new billing platform is powerful enough that once it is fully working, you can get your mobile, fixed line, broadband and TV (it is coming) all on one bill. Nobody else is close to getting this.

The 'dropping' of line rental charges happened because of the platform and it will take the competitors a long while to be able to incorporate this due to the platforms they themselves use.

I am confident and I really want it to happen as VF used to be number 1 and at the moment we are number 4 (or 3 depending on what you read).

The Vodafone app fails to work on the latest version of Android so is of no use to me right now.

PhoenixUK said:

Anyone else is absolutely useless. Last time I've had to change some details on my account - the guy on livechat said "Give them a ring and they can sort it for you" and after calling they messed me about for 15min with security questions as I couldn't remember my passcode then kept on hold for 20min just to tell me that they can't change the details and that I have to go and do it in the store. Could've bloody told me that in the first 60 seconds of the conversation.

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I ported over to sim only at Vodafone a year and a half ago. Was told in the shop to do the actual porting bit at home online. Seemed simple enough. My number wouldn't port so I contacted them by their live online support. I was eventually connected to a support guy. Had to go through security which took forever as after every reply from me was there was a wait of at least 10 minutes before I got a reply. Long story short an hour and fifteen later he says he tried to port my number via their online method and it wouldn't work. Now funnily I already knew this. He then announced there was nothing else he could do and could he help me with anything else? Help like theirs you can do without.

Nothing went straight forward with them. The 12 months netflix/spotify/etc failed to work, though due to their incompetence I eventually ended up with 12 months of both spotify and netflix

I renewed the 12 months sim only during their January sale at a discounted price and yet they still charge me full price. Supposed to have been sorted but still paying full. I actually dread leaving them as sure I'll probably lose my number

PapaLazaru said:

Number 1 in London now and will be in most of the major cities soon for speed of 4g and dropped calls.

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Hmm


I am on Voda and think it offers great value if you price in the Spotify or Sky Sports.

I couldn't say I have been very impressed by 4g speeds though.

I often end up with stuff like this