To criticise Vodaphone's inefficient staff - what stories do you have about this company

[Fadingmemory]

DD is a student. This morning she rang Vodaphone if the direct debit for her phone contract could taken from her account on 29th January after she has been paid from her p/t, job rather than today. She was assured that would be fine and that her instruction would be actioned immediately. Except that it wasn't and she has been put beyond her overdraft limit. The bank told her she would be charged unless she cleared the excess by 2pm. How? Magic?

If any of you work for Vodaphone, is there a deliberate policy of agreeing to such an arrangement when there is no intention of obliging. Very bad PR. Why wasn't she just told, 'No,' right from the start.

[Mehfruittea]

Complain to Vodafone CEO office. You will get a slow response so send all evidence in your email. Date/time of her call, name of advisor if you have it. You might get a text message asking for feedback- don't assume a complaint via this will get read. The text might give the name of the advisor though.

nick.jeffery*@vodafone*.com

Screenshot of bank balance showing DD has taken her OD. And angry sad face picture of student with empty cupboard and a tin of beans!

Hope you get it sorted.

[Mehfruittea]

Don't know why there are * in the email address...

[KayTee87]

They should never have agreed to it as I suspect it's not even possible to change on the same day. Why did your dd leave it so late to rearrange though?
The person has probably changed it for next month.

[harderandharder2breathe]

They're shit

They kept telling me no problem they'd changed my DD to the first of the month. Then the next time they'd say that's not something their shit systems can even do

She can contact her bank and they can reclaim the money thiygh

[Tequilamockinbird]

I wouldn't have thought it possible to change a direct debit at that short notice. You usually have to give 3 or 4 days notice. Did your DD not know in advance that this payment was coming out before she got paid?

Why didn't she also call the bank and ask them not to pay the direct debit today?

I'm sorry, but I don't think that this is Vodafone's fault.

[KayTee87]

^yeah... it is kind of your daughters fault for not being a bit more organised.

[MargotsDevil]

Vodafone are utterly useless - BUT I think it's a minimum of 3 days notice (may even be 4) to change a DD.

So yes, the member of staff shouldn't have told her that it was okay, but she did leave it far too late to try and change.

[Yoarchie]

Vodafone are liars. I'm on Vodafone as are my mum, dh and ds. Every time I have something to go in there about (infrequently, usually at upgrade time) they are shit. Last time, they promised a phone would be working within 2 hours and I had to go back the following day to get it sorted. All they want is your money, they don't care if they leave you without a working phone (I am not referring to physical damage, I am referring to standard service!). It would cost me too much to move.

[Tenshidarkangel]

Used to work for them. Utter bollocks of a company. I have plenty.
Most of it down to foreign call centers and or 3rd party centers.

The 3rd party centers have a habit of agreeing to things that Vodafone couldn't do/honor as it was against policy. Vodafone can't change the DD date. I don't remember why but we couldn't.

[dementedpixie]

You can't change a direct debit date on the date it's due out. Some places also charge to change the date. The alternative would have been for the bank to return the direct debit but then she would have been charged for that too.

[Mrskeats]

I've had tons of problems with them.
Bills with extras they can't explain, sudden cutting off of phone.
Haven't they been fined for bad service recently? Martin Lewis had loads about them on his website too.
I would move to another supplier when you can.

[Gottagetmoving]

A direct debit cannot be stopped on the day because it will have already been processed. They will have changed the date but it will come into effect the next month.
Did she ask for it to be changed to the 29th or specifically January?
The adviser should have told her it cannot be stopped/changed in time for today.
If the person DID say it could then they were wrong.

[Gottagetmoving]

BTW - My son works for Vodafone. They are great employers but shit at customer service ( He doesn't work in customer service!)

[Oldraver]

They're twats...one smuggly told me he could ruin my credit rating

[OnionKnight]

This isn't Vodafone's fault, they need more notice.

[Patriciathestripper1]

Don't get me started on this crap company!
I had no phone coverage for over a week then for some unknown reason one of the staff in their fuckery decided to stop incoming calls on my account! I have a fucking business contract so that was another then they tried to bill me for the no coverage and no call period as soon as I can go I am gone to another provider and never going back.

[LavenderRains]

My parents are with them. They've always had separate bills, like you do.
last year vodaphone decided to combine both bills and got rid of my mums phone number!!!
It took months of phone calls and repeatedly saying the same thing over and over again.
They are crap and just don't care.

[LottieL]

As others have said a direct debit is processed one working day before it is actually taken so at a minimum your daughter should have contacted them yesterday, if not Friday to make totally sure the direct debit date was changed.
It's a hard lesson to learn but it's one of those things unfortunately, certainly not the company's fault. If anything they should have told her it couldn't be changed today but I suspect they thought she would have found some way of covering this month (as you'd expect her to) and they were confirming it was updated for next month.

[Mehfruittea]

PP are right - it was too late for VF to change the DD. If they had given her the correct advice, she could have cancelled it with her bank and reinstated it when VF could change the date.

Incorrect advice on VF part has lead to DD being taken and account overdrawn. VF at fault so should repay bank charges. Only a manager or CEO office will agree a credit, but normally want proof of incurring the bank charge. PP suggested placing the DD in to dispute with the bank and having it reversed. This is also good advice as will raise complaint via the credit control team manager too.

• ex VF employee

[SparklyMagpie]

Oh me and my mum have constant problems with charges.

In fact it was my 5th time today over the last week I've had to contact them as they have charged me over £400 which comes up on my bill as a one of charge? But no details...turns out they claimed I had contacted them and asked for an early termination and to cancel my contract

They then have continued to charge me my bill as they have taken out a new 2 year contract in my name.

I have been waiting a week now for the amount to be wiped off my account and the contract dates changed.

I've been " assured " and " promised " more times than I can care to remember and was told today I would not have to contact them again as it has been resolved but will take up to 48 hours to show on my account got told it would take 10-12 hours when they told me it would be resolved 3 days ago

Asked for a number for customer complaints but was told they don't have one, only " superiors" they got abit of a shock when I told them I was seeking legal advice, so we'll see

I'm not feeling hopeful though

[SparklyMagpie]

Oh and this was with no communication considering I apparently asked them to terminate my contract early an only discovered all of this looking at my bill, which took me over 3 weeks to finally get access onto my online account to check my bills as it kept saying my email was invalid so that was repeated calls to them too. Luckily I have copies of all the chat transcripts of my promises and what they will do to resolve it saved into my emails, for evidence.

I'm afraid on this occasion your DD left it too late but she shouldn't have been told they'd sort it

[GinIsIn]

Vodafone at the shittest of shit companies - they screwed my DH over royally. An error on their part put a mark on his credit rating which almost prevented us from getting our house!

However in this case I'm afraid your DD is at fault as she left it too late to change the direct debit.

[JournosAreLazy]

I think your daughter is more at fault here than vodaphone tbh. She should've been more organised and contacted them sooner.

[ElasticFirecracker]

I have had many experiences of Vodafone staff agreeing to almost anything to get me off the phone. It was never possible to speak to the same person again, and the next person I spoke to said there was no record of the conversation, despite my insisting it was recorded.

The problem I had took six weeks to resolve.

[Adory]

I hate them! Was with them for a few years but when I had a simple issue (think I too needed to change direct debit date, or something just as simple!) they should of reasonably sorted they gave me the worst customer service I'd ever received! They would admit mistakes and offer compensation- it wouldn't come through and the spiral began! In the end (after months of speaking to them in their broken English) I got to terminate the contract early. Will never go back and always advise friends not to use them too!