15GB Data Bundle billing

[Jonnyknottsvill]

Hi,

i've just spent around 25 minutes on the phone with Vodafone on this issue, which I then escalated, and then spent a further 20 minutes on the phone with a rather ignorant manager.

Last month due to a freak occurance with an app on my phone I lost all of my data allowance 5 days into my month and had to buy a 15Gb bundle to see me through the month. This bundle comes with a £20 charge, and the charge rolls over. That is, the data will automatically be added next month for the same charge.

I meant to cancel this as I only needed the bundle as a one off, but I forgot. My billing cycle renewed on the 5th August and I was charged a second £20 on my July bill for the data through August.

Fair enough, I think it's a disgracefully designed system designed to exploit the forgetfulness of people, but at least it's defined clearly. I accept the additional £20 charge.

The issue is that upon seeing this charge I thought "whoops, I forgot to remove it, I'd better remove it from September now before I forget again and pay another £20 for something I don't need". So I went into MyVodafone and removed the data bundle.

After I removed it, Vodafone removed the 15Gb allowance for August as well. So now I'm in the bizzarre position of having paid £20 for a 15Gb data bundle for August that I no longer have. I've literally given you £20 for nothing.

Due to your strange T&C's on data, you've essentially scammed me out of money for absolutely nothing in return... And this is something that is incredibly easy to do, so likely happend a LOT.

This was the issue I escalated with vodafone on the phone and was told that "that's how it works, I should've cancelled it on the 4th September so I could use the data and remove it from the next bill". But nobody could explain to me how it's possible to buy a data bundle for £20, then remove the data, but NOT the charge.

I'm not sure if genuine support staff monitor these forums, and I'm not sure how high the "manager" was that I spoke to within Vodafone support, but essentially my contracts up in November, and I'm off. Had enough of a company that is set up in such an exploitative way towards it's customers. 

Nowhere else in my life have I been able to digitally purchase something, and be able to rescind it unused, whilst retaining the charge. It's mental.

[BandOfBrothers]

Totally appreciate your viewpoint on this. You've paid for the data allowance so should last it's term. 

The Social Media Team here are genuine Vodafone people who read all posts. Please let them catch up with your post and I'm sure that they will help you. 

[Getafix]

This has been discussed before.

I always sugest to cancel the extra data pack a few days before your billing cycle. So you get full use of it.

Before, used to be able to cancel it anytime and got prorated amount refunded. Seems people used to use up the data and then cancel it. Vodafone became wiser and changed it to no refund and data removed.

[Jonnyknottsvill]

I can see the issue they had, but I wouldn't use the word "wiser". I prefer "exploitative" . 

Basically, I have one check box in the my Vodafone app, which should relate to whether I retain the bundle next month or not. As that is my only method of removing the bundle next month. 

Whether I uncheck the bundle on the 2nd or final day of my billing cycle, it should be removing the bundle next month. 

The reason it should work like this is because Vodafone have made it so that the data bundle charge is binding as of your billing date, so why would the checkbox relate to ANYTHING in my current month if the option cannot be changed anyway. 

Basically 3 days into my current month I have no feasible way of removing this data bundle from next months bill. I have to wait until the day before the months end. That to me is Vodafone forcing you to try and remember to remove this with 1 or 2 days remaining, which is deliberately praying on the forgetfulness of customers.

I think it's blatant. 

[SimonWilding]

I experienced the same issue this month, having no broadband at home since we moved to a new build property I paid for the extra 15GB while waiting for my new VF Home Broadband to be activated,  as a one off and thought I'd better cancel the rollover for the next month.

I assumed, stupidly, that you would have to cancel sometime in advance of the bill date to prevent it being rolled over and did so a week before my bill due date. When I switched it off a message did pop up saying that the remining data that I had paid for would be removed but I assumed this would be at the end of the billing period when my contract allowance renews so I clicked yes and lost 10GB of the 15GB I had paid for!

Luckily for me when I called VF to check on the date that my BB would be activated they gave me the Stay Connected package (50GB of data for free for each of my two devices - very happy wth that!) but it does seem very very harsh that canceling the extra data for next month means you lose the data that you have paid for this month. 

[Alex]

@Jonnyknottsvill I can completely understand the issues you've raised in your first post. So we're able to access your account and assist, I've sent you a private message with details on how to get in touch.

[hrym]

This is an anomaly that does indeed need to be fixed.    The obvious solution would (imho) be a one-off bundle available via the My Vodafone app, with anything recurring requiring a call to Customer Services to upgrade the contract.

The forum team should be able to get you sorted, though.

[pafos]

The self same scenario has just happened to me. I bought 2GB data a few days ago just to see me over THIS MONTH . The website told me that I could OPT OUT at any time so I assumed that the opt out referred to the carrying over of any charges into the next billing cycle and that the data I had purchased was still available. WRONG WRONG WRONG.
I opted out today, as my bill was due to be produced fairly soon, and all my extra data  was removed (even though I had not used any ) but incredibly my £10 charge was kept by Vodafone. Good business to be in. Buy something---take it back unused ---no refund given.
This I regard as criminal and fraudulent to say the least. I was told that is how it works !!.
If I carried on that type of proceedure with my business customers I would not have a business for very long.
After a 35 min "chat" with customer services they reinsated my data then charged me another £10 with an assurance that if I called back after my bill had been produced they would issue a £10 credit on the next bill. Unbeleivable If this is "the system" then there should be a written explanation of how it really works that can be read by a prospective purchaser BEFORE pressing the buy button then it becomes "buyer beware".
Judging by the many other Vodafone Customers who have this same problem I think it is about time that Vodafone started to "listen" and fix this unacceptable "scam" and maybe they would get a better Customer Relations  score.

[Jonnyknottsvill]

I'm glad everyone seems to agree. I dont think anybody could disagree without basically saying Vodafone have the right to essentially steal money from customers. Thanks for reading, I've messaged you. Let's see what happens.