Leaving Vodafone and sharing my experience

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oopsbuddy

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I have been a bill-pay customer of Vodafone for years now, and have been reasonably happy with them and have got several upgrades over the years, the last almost 14 months ago. I was told in September that I could request another upgrade in January. I am now told that I cannot have an upgrade, and they won't tell me why, nor when I can. Disappointing, but as I am out of contract now, I am free to leave if I want (...but I didn't really want to!).

Then I lost my phone at the weekend while travelling abroad, so I called Vodafone to check again if, under the circumstances, they would reconsider giving me an upgrade and I would take out a new 12 month contract? No!

So I checked in the Vodafone shop, and for a NEW customer, the phone I want is €20 to buy, in exchange for a 12 month contract (at the same tariff as my current (expired) contract, but to me it's €130 on the same contract.

So I spoke to a Customer "Care" supervisor (I felt sorry for the poor rep who kept having to check with the supervisor) and asked him to explain why a new customer could get the deal that I want, but as an existing and (presumably) valuable customer I have to pay over €100 more, and if I cancelled my contract, and walked in the door a week later and asked for the current new customer deal, what would happen? He told me I would be charged a €400 security deposit!!

So after spending thousands of euros with Vodafone over the years, they would rather screw an existing customer, suggest that he is being dishonest and lose him, AND two other current pre-pay Vodafone customers in the house, rather than give me the same deal as a new customer walking in off the street whom they don't know at all!

Good business practice!!

Three new Meteor customers on the way, and three very-EX Vodafone customers.

I also told the supervisor that I would share this experience with my friends - so I am!
 
Thanks for sharing. I got out of Voda a long time ago. Now with Meteor and happy enough so far.
 
Not wishing to defend them, but isn't the deposit set against your bills initially ? (I do stand to be corrected here)
 
This is typical of how vodafone works.

I also moved (to Meteor) basically because of similar issues with Vodafone. Not because of pricing.

And since I have moved my monthly bills have gone down - BONUS!
 
Has anyone managed to get a subsidised phone from Meteor/02/3 if they have lost/damaged their phone before they were entitled to an upgrade?
 
I'm with Vodafone for God only knows how long. Over the past 3 years, I could ring up and ask for an upgrade. I might have to ring 2 or 3 times, and speak to different people, but someone always gave me the upgrade due to the amount of money we were giving them each month. We have 2 bill phones, 3 pre-pay, internet, all with vodafone.

I asked them for an upgrade 4 times because I needed a phone for organising appointments and really thought the storm would be my answer. They absolutely refused point blank each time!

My contract is up on bill and modem, what would ye recommend.

I'm gonna just try again and see will they let me upgrade but I was talking to guy in local phone shop and he told me they were gone terribly mean with their upgrades!
 
Obviously any choice you make (of supplier or method of payment) will depend on your own usage, but the Meteor pre-pay option seems to be a good way to go, at least for me, and definitely shouldn't cost half as much as my monthly bills were costing!

But getting back to my main point in the original post, the decision not to give me an upgrade (even though I was told before that I would be eligible in January!) was disappointing, but I can deal with that, and move supplier if I want, as my contract had expired. However, as an existing customer (for years) I would have to pay over €100 more for the same phone and contract as a complete stranger!! Or have a €400 security deposit imposed!?

The old saying applies - "it's easier to keep an existing customer than to get a new one", but the 3 Vodafone users in our house will all be Meteor customers by the weekend!

Carrielou, contact Meteor, 3 and O2 and ask them to spell out what deal they will give you for your package of phones, internet, etc. I'd say you'll be pleasantly surprised, and if you are, make sure you share your experiences too! ;)
 
...Oh, and I forgot to mention too the irony of the prompt on the Vodafone website where they ask you:

"Need a new phone now?

Was your phone lost or stolen, or maybe it took a painful fall? No matter the reason, give us a ring on 1907 and we'll help you out."
 
I'm a bill mobile phone user with vodafone, I recently was offered home phone incl 200 mins calls to vodafone numbers, line rental and broadband for €29 p/m. €30 p/m cheaper for me than it was with BT.

I'm not a big bill user, I'd say €24 p/m. I'm happy with them..... and I dont have any connection to them (pardon the pun).
 
Vinnie_cork said:
I'm a bill mobile phone user with vodafone, I recently was offered home phone incl 200 mins calls to vodafone numbers, line rental and broadband for €29 p/m. €30 p/m cheaper for me than it was with BT.
Click to expand...

Price goes to €49 per month after 6 months. Are the speeds and download allowances the same as you have with BT?
 
I had terrible problems with them after Christmas, and the Vodafone Store Manager told me "to go to meteor if i wasn't happy" I did just that taking two other customers with me. Customer Care didn't give a toss either.
 
I had the same experience with Meteor. The result was that I cancelled my current bill pay account and opened up a one as a new customer.
I hope you are happier with meteor although you will probably be waiting 18 months for an upgrade!
 
My wife had the same problem last month. She was due an upgrade and they refused, but customer care told her to buy a prepaid phone and they would give her €80 of her bill going forward.

This is what she done and yesterday Vodafone called offering her a free upgrade as well.
 
advisor said:
I had terrible problems with them after Christmas, and the Vodafone Store Manager told me "to go to meteor if i wasn't happy" I did just that taking two other customers with me. Customer Care didn't give a toss either.
Click to expand...

The young lady in the Vodafone store I visited couldn't have been more helpful, and she also admitted it was ridiculous that Vodafone took that attitude over an existing customer. It's the pratt of a supervisor in the "Customer Couldn't Care Less" department that I took exception to.
 
Seems like all of the network are only interested in new customers and not in retaining existing customers. You get the best deals by switching networks. Doesn't make any sense to me. Admin alone must make it cost more money than it saves.
 
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