sure signal get PERMANENTLY BARRED if not used for a while

[DavidFurniss]

I find it strange that this is not documented or listed on the troubleshooting guides but if a Sure Signal is not used for a while, they get PERMANENTLY BARRED.

From eForum agent: "I have confirmed with our technical team. The sure signal details which you have provided were used last time in the month of June. After June, it was not used and got inactive permanently."

I find this strange as there is no reason for it (or am I being cynical because it potentially means more sales for Vodafone and less reuse/recycle). It just creates more unnecessary WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment).

A PAYT mobile number is recycled after 6 months of inactivity and I understand why this is so because we would have run out of numbers three times over had this not been the case but there is no reason for a Sure Signal to be subjected to the same rules.  At least with a phone, you just assign it a new account (SIM) and re-use the hardware but with Sure Signal, you cannot assign it a new account and re-use the hardware.

It can only be pure financial greed at the expense of a few dissatisfied customers who have probably left Vodafone anyway to have found themselves in this position.

[drey_p]

Hi there

It is documented in the SureSignal T&Cs that the device can be barred / suspended if it is not used.

[DavidFurniss]

Thanks, I had overlooked that but there was no attempt to contact me as stated in the T&C, even though I left Vodafone, they still had my email address, postal address, landline and mobile number (because they knew I kept my number as I ported it out).

Also, there is no reason a box must be permanently disconnected/blacklisted other than to ensure they get an additional sale which in this case has actually resulted in the loss of at least 4 accounts (my wife's next year when I add her to my EE, my friend, his daughter and wife who are all porting to GiffGaff as I have given them spare SIMs and they find they have a good O2 signal).

Strange that when I explained in store they could not explain why the box would have been blacklisted.

Oh, silly me, it's not that strange. I spent 4 years working in a Vodafone shop and they don't receive ANY training on products they sell apart from the on-line modules which are purely for system and account management training.  The number of times we looked foolish in front of customers when trying to figure out how to open the back of a new phone to install a SIM, battery and memory card that had arrived only minutes before opening the store was unreal.