To think Vodafone customer service is shoddy?

[MyInterpretation]

Really annoyed that thanks to Vodafone I've just wasted a day of my annual waiting in for delivery of a phone that is now not scheduled to be delivered until Friday when I specifically told them that I needed it by Thursday at the latest as I'm going away on holiday on Friday (and the one that's just out of contract is on its last legs).

I ordered the phone on Sunday and have been paying for the new contract since then on the understanding that the phone would be delivered today rather than yesterday due to the bank holiday.

Was told it would be delivered any time until 8pm today but decided to call at 5pm as I hadn't received am email notification to confirm it was on its way. Also hadn't received anything to say there was a delay.

Just spent nearly half an hour suggesting how they could get me a phone tomorrow only to be offered the fantastic choice of -

A call back from a manager within 48 hrs (erm I'm going away in less than 48 hrs and need to take the phone with me)

Collect from a store when I get back (no, I need to take the phone with me)

Provide an alternative address to have the phone delivered to on Friday (and again, I'm going away on Friday and need to take the phone with me)

Apparently there was not one single person in the organisation who could find a way for me to get the phone tomorrow and no one who could call me back any earlier than than within 48hrs. They may be able to call within 24hrs but couldn't guarantee it or alternatively I could have £10 credit against my next bill for the inconvenience. I'm sure £10 will go along way to cover a day's wasted annual leave.

We ended the call with me confirming that as I wasn't getting the service I was paying for I would be cancelling the contract once I get back from holiday and apparently that was fine.

Unfortunately I'm not on twitter or facebook so this is my only outlet to say how rubbish I've found Vodafone to be today.

How annoying. They just don't sound bothered at all! It's worth registering on twitter just to complain!

That does sound bad, but I have been with them for years and find their customer service pretty fabulous.

I couldn't find the new sim the bastards had hidden it actually inside my phone, you know, where the sim goeswhen I started my new contract with them, so the sent me another and it arrived the next day. Not sure why they couldn't do this with your phone.

They probably don't care about you cancelling because they have no intention of cancelling it for you.

I had one of their internet dongles with a monthly rolling contract. I phoned to give 28 days notice to cancel and was still paying for the bloody thing 3 months later.

I had a very long and repetitive conversation on their online chat service. It mostly involves them offering to end the contract giving 28 days notice from the date of the conversation, leaving me paying a further two months worth and me refusing and asking for it to be terminated with immediate effect without any further payments.

I only got anywhere when I said I would accept his offer but felt I had no choice to make a complaint about the quality of their customer service. At which point a manager suddenly became available who immediately terminated the contract.

Apparently the phone went out of stock just as they were about to send it

You'd think I'd have learned by now. I had a similar problem last year when DD2 lost her phone and I claimed on the insurance. Was promised a replacement within 24 hrs and it took 3 weeks to sort with me resorting to standing in a Vodafone store in tears as I was due to go into hospital for an operation the following day and knew I wouldn't be fit to do anything about it for a couple of weeks.

The poor assistant couldn't cope with a sobbing middle aged woman in his shop so he gave me a new handset to get me out of there quick.

I've got 4 phones linked to the account so will be moving each of them as they come up for renewal.