cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
1

Ask

2

Reply

3

Solution

Vodafone Liability = No Compensation

JoannaEwuosho
3: Seeker
3: Seeker

So here's my "I'm highly disappointed in Vodafone and will probably not be continuing my contract after this year" story.

New customers, please read and reconsider joining Vodafone, if you haven't already.

Vodafone tech, maybe you can do something to salvage the reputation of this phone company in my opinion. 

 

 

So 2 days ago, Vodafone called me and asked if I was interested in an early upgrade. I said sure, why not?

I've been with Vodafone for about 10 years and had no interest in leaving (before now) so, cool.

This time round, I chose the iPhone 5c and it was sent to me first thing the next day (yesterday).

Great.

 

Got the phone, but my Galaxy S3 sim didn't fit, of course.

I went to my local Vodafone store (20 minutes away) to get a nano sim and secure a sim swap.

Fab.

About 4 hours later, my new sim still wasn't working - i.e. I couldn't make/receive calls or texts.

So I call up Vodafone and asked what the problem was, the man on the phone told me to remove the new sim from the iPhone and "pop it back in". 

Before I did this, I asked the Vodafone employee over the phone how to put the sim back in (because I'm new to the iPhone and didn't know how the whole slider thing worked). He told me, "put the sim in first and then put the slider in".

I did.

The sim got stuck and was wedged inside.

 

I told him.

"The sim is stuck in the phone and the phone is still saying 'sim not activated'".

He said, "take it back to Vodafone, they'll sort it out."

 

So I did.

Another 20 minute drive to Vodafone (I live in a village) and the employees there tell me there's nothing they can do. I must either pay £190 for them to try to take out the sim, or head over to an Apple store (nearest Genius Bar is 90 minutes from me) who could probably do it for free. 

I was confused. 

I'm 2 days into my "14-day return" guarantee, and Vodafone is telling me there's nothing they can do about a problem they indirectly caused through bad advice from their employee. I wonder, if the sim was wedged in by their own hands, would they still be turning the responsbility back on me? Probably not.

 

In any case, I got home, called up again and asked to speak to management, twice. The employees refused to let me speak to a manager, claiming they were "out" - at 3pm on a weekday??

 

So, where am I now?

I've been left to deal with the situation myself, with no compensation.

And until I get compensation, I'll be spreading the word about a company who takes no responsibility for their own liability, and leaves their loyal paying customers to deal with issues themselves just because it is "outside warantee" - even though it's well within the 14 days.

 

Disappointed isn't even the word.

But if I get compensated, or at least better treatment, I'll be back to say so.

 

I don't believe in unfair reviews. Just the truth. 

 

34 REPLIES 34

drey_p
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

@Hartluck wrote:

I think Joanna has a valid point as VF talked her through there is liability.


I personally think there was a misunderstanding here.  Looking at what was said, and what was understood, there is quite a difference. "put the sim in first and then put the slider in" can be interpreted in 2 different ways:

Put the sim card in the slider and put the slider with the SIM card in it back in.

or

Put the SIM card in the slot and then put the slider in

 

The agent meant the first option but the second was understood.

 

Now, I personally would have put the SIM in the slider because it has a SIM sized shape in it. I personally wouldn't have just put it in the phone because I would be worried about it being loose and also would be questioning how to get it out.  But, then again, I also read any instruction manuals before doing things like that just to make sure I get it right. 

PWIAC

If i didnt know better & was advised same as Joanna I would have taken it as option 2.


@drey_p wrote:

@Hartluck wrote:

I think Joanna has a valid point as VF talked her through there is liability.


 

Put the SIM card in the slot and then put the slider in.

 

~~Clear eyes - Full Hart - Can't lose~~
“As wars come and go, my soldier stays eternal”

My comments represent my opinion which is not affiliated or sponsored in any way. 

drey_p
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

But from a logical point of view, if the SIM card is in the phone, how would you get the slider tray thingie back in?

PWIAC

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

@Hartluck wrote:

If i didnt know better & was advised same as Joanna I would have taken it as option 2.


@drey_p wrote:

@Hartluck wrote:

I think Joanna has a valid point as VF talked her through there is liability.


 

Put the SIM card in the slot and then put the slider in.

 


Yes, but the SIM obviously goes in the slot in the SIM card tray and that slides back into the phone.  Afterall, the SIM has to be taken out of the slot using the tool provided or by using a paper clip.

Hartluck
12: Established
12: Established

Never had a mobile arrive with sim already in place in 16 yrs of contracts so the empty tray would be removed first.  Joanna keep the faith.

@AnnS wrote:

@Hartluck wrote:

If i didnt know better & was advised same as Joanna I would have taken it as option 2.


@drey_p wrote:

@Hartluck wrote:

I think Joanna has a valid point as VF talked her through there is liability.


 

Put the SIM card in the slot and then put the slider in.

 


Yes, but the SIM obviously goes in the slot in the SIM card tray and that slides back into the phone.  Afterall, the SIM has to be taken out of the slot using the tool provided or by using a paper clip.


 

~~Clear eyes - Full Hart - Can't lose~~
“As wars come and go, my soldier stays eternal”

My comments represent my opinion which is not affiliated or sponsored in any way. 

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hello Joanna

 

Oh dear.  That was a silly thing to do and now you are blaming Vodafone for something you caused.

 

Surely you realised the SIM would go in the SIM tray and you then place the SIM tray back into the phone the same way as it came out.  You were advised by the agent to 'put the sim in first and then put the slider in' which is correct but you dont just push the SIM into the SIM slot and then close the slider when the SIM would have been in the slider when it was removed and you would have needed to use a paper clip or SIM removal tool. 

 

There is plenty of information online on how to take the SIM out of an iphone and the correct way of inserting the SIM.  Please see the link below from Apple.

 

 

Apple Support - iPhone and iPad: How to remove the SIM card

Nabs
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

I'm slightly bemused by this thread. having just read it I don't really understand how anyone can aportion blame to Vodafone for this. 

The instructions as I understand were given as "put the sim in first and then put the slider in"

To me that means you put the sim in the slider first and then put the slider into the phone. Without the full conversation and context to this one line it's difficult to interperet exactly how the advice the agent gave was intended to be understood.

 

I don't think the 14 day returns policy will be applicable in this case as its user damage to the device (whether intentional or not)

 

To be honest I'm surprised the store didn't offer to put the SIM in the device for you to be honest, they usually do whenever you are swapping to a new device.

For future reference, and any other posters having issues with setting up their iPhones, the correct way to insert a SIM has been documented at the following links:

Hartluck
12: Established
12: Established
Slightly bemused with the Pro-Voda stances here.  If Apple talked her through using same wording Apple would be getting serious flak. 

 

 

~~Clear eyes - Full Hart - Can't lose~~
“As wars come and go, my soldier stays eternal”

My comments represent my opinion which is not affiliated or sponsored in any way. 

Nabs
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

@Hartluck wrote:
Slightly bemused with the Pro-Voda stances here.  If Apple talked her through using same wording Apple would be getting serious flak. 

I agree, you could replace "Vodafone" in these posts with any company and the OP would be blaming them so it doesn't really matter which company you want to pick. 

Hartluck
12: Established
12: Established

@Nabs wrote:

@Hartluck wrote:
Slightly bemused with the Pro-Voda stances here.  If Apple talked her through using same wording Apple would be getting serious flak. 

I agree, you could replace "Vodafone" in these posts with any company and the OP would be blaming them so it doesn't really matter which company you want to pick. 


Seriously man?  They talked her through thus offering technical assistance so any mis-hap is on them.

Clearly Joanna has not familiarity with apple device hence sim issue.

Wear the shoes before you fling mud at them.

~~Clear eyes - Full Hart - Can't lose~~
“As wars come and go, my soldier stays eternal”

My comments represent my opinion which is not affiliated or sponsored in any way.