Can someone please help me sort out this debt issue with Vodafone?

[butterfly1234]

I cancelled my telephone contract with Vodafone almost a year ago when I moved abroad. They, however, failed to cancel my account and continued to take money from my bank account for another 3 months. I called them, they acknowledged their mistake, apologised and said that the money would be refunded. A few months later I received an email from a debt company telling me I owe money to vodafone and need to pay it asap (by now it was at least 6 months worth). Since then I have contacted vodafone at least 5 times. Each time, vodafone have acknowledged their mistake, apologised, said that the money they have taken from me in error will be refunded and that the debt company would be informed. Every time this has not happened and I'm at my wit's end. They just don't listen to me when I say I have already been made promises about them rectifying this issue and I'm told that 'this time' it will be sorted. This debt is now firmly on my credit reference. What else can I do to get this sorted? Talking to them does absolutely nothing!

Are you still living abroad? (But with UK banking, I guess, even if so. )

Yes, I'm still living abroad.

I would go on social media straight away - twitter has done the trick for me on two occasions where big companies such as this mess about. You should get a very quick response.

I would also have a word with your bank as they will be tied under the direct debit guarantee to return unauthorised payments.

Put a formal complaint in to them immediately - in writing/email so that you have a record of it. (There are directions on the procedure on the Vodafone website.) Most further redress will depend on you having already used this option and got nowhere. (If, indeed, they don't fix it after receiving the complaint.)

Thanks for the responses. When I've looked on their website before I haven't managed to find an address to write to, only telephone numbers and webchat. I have managed to find an address for complaints now though so I will write an official complaint.

Well done. (Not always easy to find these things is it? ) Come back if no joy from that.

It should, with luck, be a shot across the bows for them - the person dealing with formal complaints (hopefully a different individual from the normal management chain) ought to know their significance.

In my work capacity I made a formal complaint to Vodafone for a client about 4 months ago, within a couple of days we got a letter from Vodafone saying 'please phone this number to talk to us about your complaint'. We tried this several times, but each time the person we spoke to had no idea about the complaint and we had to repeat ourselves time and time again.

So after 8 weeks without a resolution we took it to Ombudsman Services (not the Financial Ombudsman Service as they don't deal with mobile company complaints) and we are waiting for them to come back to us.

get it in writing that they acknowledge the mistake and are going to refund you etc then forward a copy on to the debt collectors

If you google for Vodafone ceo there's an email address to his office which someone (probably not him personally!) monitors and when I had a complicated problem emailing that got me a near instant resolution after going round in circles with customer services.

Ping

You need to follow any complaints procedure to the letter. Give them no leeway on timescales however 'nice' or 'human' they seem on the phone or email. The Complaints Procedure correspondence (copies thereof) should be the first thing that any superior authority will ask for.

PS - and I'd try not to deal with people on the phone. They'll try to win you round in some way - usually - off the record. Email is documented and much better.

I had a similar situation that has been going on for about 7 months...wasn't getting anywhere so googled who the CEO of Vodafone is and found this email address
[email protected]
I sent an email and had a phone call two days later from somebody a bit 'higher up' who said they had sorted the problem out there and then. I don't know if this has been fully sorted yet as I have to wait and see if I receive anymore letters demanding money that I don't owe etc. Fingers crossed you get your issue sorted!