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Upgraded early, now charged early termination fee

yllop1101
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

Dear all,

I recently left vodafone, having given 30 days notice and moved other to another provider. I moved over as on my account it said my contract end date was March 31st 2017. I called mid Feb to cancel my contract and I was told I needed to give 30 days notice, and as my contract ended 31st March, it was best to call on the 1st of March.

 

I did as instructed, and towards the end of march submitted my PAC code to my new provider and moved over the 28th March.

 

I have since received an email with a bill of £179, and upon calling Vodafone, they said my contract wasn't due to end until June. I was adamant my account had said my contract ended at the end of March, and explained the above with the phone calls to cancel etc. I then found an email 31st March 2015 saying 'thank you for choosing vodafone again and your new phone will be with you ....etc", so I know I started a new contract on 31st March 2015 as I have this email.

 

What I think has happened, is that my old contract that was from 2013-2015 was due to end June 2015, but I upgraded early, as is allowed on Vodafone, and therefore took out a new contract on 31st March 2015. At no point do I recall being told the 3 months would be tagged on to the end of my new contract, and this also wasn't explained when I called to cancel.

 

Does anyone else have any experience of this or any advice? The call handler was confused and is going to speak to her manager and call me back...apparently. I refuse to pay this charge as I wasn't warned about it in any of the conversations I had regarding termination. 

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

I think the other posts have got to the bottom of what's happened here but this information should have been clearly visibile on your online profile. My profile tells me I have 33 days left of my agreement and has told me seperately for some time that I can upgrade.

 

When you called Vodafone to get your PAC code, they should have made you aware of any termination fees that would apply. They are usually on the ball with this as it's a handy save tool so if this wasnt covered on the call then perhaps your account didn't reflect correctly.

 

I think they need to look into this for you to see what's happened and why (if this is the case) you were not informed.

View solution in original position

7 REPLIES 7

63johnw
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @yllop1101 when upgrading early any months left on the old contract are added to the new one so your new contract would be for 27 months and finish in June.

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @yllop1101

 

If you upgraded early last time, any remaining time left on your previous contract would have been added onto your new commitment.  That means if you upgraded 2 plus months before your contract end date not the upgrade date, those two plus months would have been added on at the new contract price.

 

Unfortunatley, Vodafone would be right, your upgrade date and contract end date are two separate dates.

 

 

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

I think the other posts have got to the bottom of what's happened here but this information should have been clearly visibile on your online profile. My profile tells me I have 33 days left of my agreement and has told me seperately for some time that I can upgrade.

 

When you called Vodafone to get your PAC code, they should have made you aware of any termination fees that would apply. They are usually on the ball with this as it's a handy save tool so if this wasnt covered on the call then perhaps your account didn't reflect correctly.

 

I think they need to look into this for you to see what's happened and why (if this is the case) you were not informed.

Thank you, that explains it.

At no point in any conversations with people was I told I would be charged an early termination fee, and my account definitely said it ended in March, or else I never would have moved over to sim only with 3 so quickly. 

Because they didn't make me aware of any charges I believe I am within my rights to dispute the charge with them. 

Wish me luck! 

jeffkinn
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

You certainly should have been told, but you also signed an agreement for a minimum term. When you upgraded early did you assume that the unused element of the contract would disappear? That isn't how any mobile phone contract works and it's also why early upgrades have been strictly limited of Ofcom to ensure that people aren't locked into very long contracts. 

Jeffkinn_Sig.png

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

I would still get someone to look at this for you as there is clearly some confusion. The benefit of hindsight is all well and good when it comes to figuring out why something has happened but everyone with online accounts can see their contact end date, it even counts down the days (as am I). But the system does have flaws, my end date has changed along the way but as I've been happy with my package, its never concerned me enough to question it.

 

So I am therefore really surpised that if this information was there, the Vodafone agent supplied a PAC code without sharing this with you. Like I said, it's the number one save tool to stop people leaving.

 

Personally, having been only ever with Vodafone it's difficult to remember when I've made changes to my account along the way. I also recently called into Vodafone to get my PAC code and they immediately told me (without me asking) how many days I had left and how much the early termination fee would be if they generated a PAC code.

wwhyte92
7: Helper
7: Helper

If the website/app stated that your contract end date was March I would dispute it as that is the information you were provided. I don't think you can be expected to consider that the end date shown on the account isn't the actual end date. And as others have pointed out, the agent giving you your PAC code/ending your contract should have made you fully aware of any charges still due prior to terminating.