Hi
I am posting here as previously the eForum support have been far more helpful, engaged, and quite frankly more sensible than the 191 Customer Relations. I truly hope this can be sorted out before I terminate and take my business elsewhere.
I have sent the following letter (extract), following a frustration time being bounced around (cold transferred every time!) the 191 departments.
"I am writing to complain and also to terminate my mobile phone contract for my phone account xxxxxxxxxx. My commitment date is already past, and I am providing 1 month's notice for termination.
Quite frankly, I have been a long customer of Vodafone, and would have extended both my accounts quite happily but for the recent experience from your quite frankly unhelpful customer service and upgrades team - who simply bounced me between themselves, and neither taking ownership.
I have two lines, of which this one has reached its commitment date. The other line is not due for another couple of months - and I was waiting until the other line was due before discussing extending both together. I even know which phone I was looking for (HTC Sensation) - but decided to delay.
Last year, when I extended my contract, this was done on a like for like basis - 1200 min, Unlimited Landline, Unlimited Internet, Unlimited Text, Free itemised billing. As this was not available, your retention staff - said that they could do the same, by picking a current 1200 minute plan, and add in all the extras (1000 min (i.e. not really unlimited) Landline, Itemised Billing, Price matching discount etc.) and then provide 100% discount for them for as long as I was on this contract - in effect matching exactly my previous price and contract. This was discussed and agreed as an exact match - and no different from previous - and certainly not with an end date to the discount. That is, the discounts (and hence 'matching' of my previous contract) would continue until I either changed my contract, or cancelled.
This month, I noticed that all the discounts have disappeared, and I call Customer Relations to ask why, and when told that there was a discount end date set to the commitment date - I explained the situation. The CSA noted that the retention agent did not leave any notes, and when I pointed out that this was what was agreed, irrespective of any notes made (or not) - I was simply informed that I must be wrong! I challenged and suggested that the recorded call should be pulled - which I would be confident would prove my case - but was informed that at most you keep 6 weeks of recordings! How can this be? This means that Vodafone will simply have no record of what was agreed with the customer at renewal should there be a later dispute - as there is now. I was told that since Retentions promised the contract/renewal, then it was them that would have to fix this. Then, I was passed to Upgrades, who simply refused to follow up the issues - stating that they can't deal with discounts - and just tried to extend me, or convert me to a rolling month contract. When I told them I simply want my contract honoured - I was told that he could not do discounts, and simply passed me back to Customer Relations (and so on...).
This is quite frankly shocking customer treatment - not only will you not take ownership, now did your CSAs even have the courtesy of investigating my complaint bar simply 'let me read the notes', or 'well, I can't do that, but I can renew you'.
As noted above, I simply was waiting on the other contract to reach a point of renewal - as my wife wishes to get an iPhone 5 when released - so I simply wanted to continue the contract that I was promised until that point - and was expecting a simple renewal at that stage.
Due to the poor experience, and inflexibility of your staff, it looks like I may need to take my business to somewhere else that takes a more care and consideration for their longstanding customers."
I would appreciate if a moderator/eForum support member may contact me, and hopefully resolve this satisfactorily.
Thanks
Chi
