Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Legal matters

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have any legal concerns we suggest you consult a solicitor.

Vodafone

4 replies

Ifeelsuchafool · 05/08/2018 16:52

Not sure if this is the right place to be posting but I'm sure someone will soon come along and tell me if it isn't Wink
Long story short. Two years ago was involved in a dispute with Vodafone. Eventually went to Ombudsman who found that Vodafone were at fault. Ordered:

  1. a goodwill payment of £100, which I received;
    2)a copy of their complaints procedure, which I did not receive but, as I'd stopped being their customer by this time I thought nothing of it; 3)they to close the said account forthwith with a nil balance.
    The last is where I came unstuck. I stupidly trusted them to do as they were told as I was under the impression that Ombudsman Services decisions were legally binding. They didn't. I didn't find out until a couple of months ago when I applied for a 0% credit card to do a balance transfer (old debt from before divorce, gradually paring down through 0% credit cards which I have never had trouble obtaining before) Curious, I applied to Experian to discover the problem. I had to actually join because I'd had my "free trial" some 8 years ago at the time of my divorce whilst I was trying to sort a financial plan out to get me out of the debt exH had left with me. Has so far cost me just shy of £45 (three months membership at £14.99 per month plus I am now paying interest on my previous 0% credit card as the 0% has expired! I found out that my credit record was mostly exemplary with some 8 things in my favour which impacted positively on my credit rating and one bad thing. The fact that I am apparently 2 years in default to a Vodafone account! The one that was supposed to have been closed with a nil balance, remember? I wrote to the Ombudsman quoting the previous case number but they said that I had to treat it like a whole new complaint and give them another 8 weeks to sort it.
    Lots of emails at the start then nothing. Silence. Kept emailing them for updates, what was going on, etc. Still nothing, silence.
    The 8 weeks was up last Monday so emailed Ombudsman again. Not heard back which is quite unusual as the last two times I contacted them I had a response within 48 hours. Yesterday I received a letter from Vodafone saying that they're still working to resolve my concerns and that, in the meantime, I can now contact the Ombudsman as more than 8 weeks has elapsed. They then go on to say, "Whatever decision Ombudsman Services make, if you accept, this will be binding on us and we must carry out the recommended resolution." See? We've come full circle? So my question is, oh wise Mumsnetters, what, in my shoes, would be your next course of action? DS is all for me taking it to the small claims court but I don't want punitive damages, I just want my good credit rating restored and the out of pocket expenses, which their failure to be bound by the Ombudsman Services decision two years ago has caused me, returned to me as soon as is possible. Thank you for reading thus far if you're still with me and thanks in advance for any responses anyone may be able to make.
OP posts:
19lottie82 · 05/08/2018 23:57

Hi OP - I can’t really advise but I’d head over to the money saving expert forums and post on the related board. You will get a better response and great advise.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 06/08/2018 00:20

Sympathies. They did this to my Dh. He stupidly trusted the person on the phone who said that his account had finished. Six months later he started getting bills saying he was overdue. Nothing in the mean time. He was once on hold to them for over two hours trying to sort it out. Eventually got it cancelled because he had a paper trail of evidence that proved they had agreed to cancel the account.

I would not touch Vodafone with a mile long barge pole. They are worse than useless, they are incompetent.

Ifeelsuchafool · 06/08/2018 19:16

Thanks to both of you for your replies.. I've forwarded the Vodafone letter to the Ombudsman so I'll see if that elicits a response. If not, I suppose that I'll have to resort to the small claims court after all.

OP posts:
BV1981 · 26/07/2022 17:31

Hi @Ifeelsuchafool ,

I know its a few years on, but DH has been suffering the same fate with Vodafone for the last year.
Wondering how you did with yours please?

We moved house and had bad reception in the area with Vodafone. Husband decided to switch provider mid contract and agreed to buy out of the contract.
While waiting for a final bill, he then fell ill with long Covid and forgot to chase up.
No bills or communications sent to remind him. We had a redirect on our old address which we know was working fine but nothing came in the post or email.

Only realised they had put a default on credit file for 5 months of missed payments when DH randomly checked Experian.

As soon as DH saw default, contacted Vodafone and paid outstanding bill.
Vodafone refusing to remove Default and a further claim with CISAS resulted in being offered a monetary settlement which DH rejected as he just wants the default removed.
This is affecting us in a big way with credit now and really need it gone!!!

Anyone else got any advice please?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread