How to lose a customer of over 15 years..

[Bungy]

So, like many people I have been patiently awaiting the arrival of my Jet Black iPhone 7 for nearly 2 months. Last Tuesday I received a text telling me the wait was over and my phone was being dispatched - however no DPD tracking followed. Spoke with Live Chat last Friday - who were hopeless and they advised me to call 191 as they did not have access to "all the systems". I did this - was told I would get tracking number and confirmation yesterday or today. Guess what no tracking number. Call 191 this evening - can't help as warehouse is shut. I ask why was a text sent went the phone clearly had not be dispatched - can't give me an answer. I actually started with Vodafone on an analogue contract and have been with them ever since. Sadly once the new phone arrives it will be my last contract. My trade in value for my iPhone 6 has dropped and I have been paying an inflated tarrif whilst waiting for the new phone and contract to start. Now have to phone again tomorrow between 08:00 and 18:00 (when the wareghouse is open). No-one has offered me any solutions to my problems, no answers to my questions - just call back and repeat to another poor soul who has to listen to my moaning. Try spending money on supporting loyal customers than Hollywood actors for your adverts.

[Bungy]

Thanks for the advice Louise - unfortunately the tracker tells me that my phone will be delivered between 26 October 2016 - 02 November 2016. So a bit like your customer call centre staff - not very helpful.

[Bungy]

Update - just for fun I thought I would try 191 again - after 45 minutes (most of which I was on hold) I am "promised" that I will get a ring back tomorrow evening after they have done some "investigating" and had "spoken to the warehouse".

My next call is to Paddy Power to see what odds they'll give me on me actually getting a call back.

So the two month anniversary of me making the order is due in two days time.Apart from the "thank you for upgrading with us" text on 9th September I have been contacted by text on 7th October (telling me I'll get a £40 power bank) and 25th October telling me my iPhone had been dispatched. I have received a total of 4 emails 19th, 22th and 26 September and 6th October. All telling me how wonderful the order tracking page is and to be patient.

Well the order tracker stopped at 2 November and my patience is wearing thin...

[Djreeve]

Order tracker is controlled by nursery children that can only count to 2. This whole shambles is great experience in how not to treat a human being.

So many different mediums of communication in too many countries and none of them converse with one another in a universally understandable manner.

Standard robotic incompassionate response from web and call centres alike.

I'm done with VF after sim only deal expires.

Good luck.

[Bungy]

Well I did get a call back this evening advising me to cancel my order and start again in 5 days when the order has been cancelled. That's just simply not acceptable to wait 2 months from ordering to go to the back of the queue - if anything gets cancelled it will be the whole thing - for good.

Credit is due to the call centre operative "Maria" who actually loooked into things and called me back (as promised) and to her supervisor that I also spoke to - but I do not need to have the problem repeated back to me - I need someone to tell me how they will solve the problem.

I will now get a call back on Friday lunchtime - by which time I hope a solution has been found - if not request for number transfer and off to a new provider I will go (any good recommendations welcomed).

Thank you to those of you that have taken time to read these posts - hopefully they have cheered you up and made your individual situations seem more bearable - you never know my last and final post on Friday may bring good news.....

[Bungy]

Well it's the last post of this thread - called back to today and told that my phone was reallocated when the original upfront payment failed because they had waited too long to process it - and so my order has been in limbo ever since.But interestingly the first agent I spoke to still could not tell me when I would get my phone - so asked to cancel. Put through to the cancellations team who magically found 4200 phones in stock - not sure who I actually believed.

So I now have my PAC code and Virgin Mobile can now welcome me as a new(ish) customer as I already have a mobile contract with them for my wife's phone. No upfront cost, phone delivered tomorrow and cheaper monthly rate - so wins all round for me and Virgin. I'm sure Vodafone won't see one customer leaving as a huge dent on their profits but you can be sure that I will never return and I will share my experience with their customer service to anyone who will listen.

To quote The Hitchhikers Guide - so long and thanks for all the fish.

[Bungy]

One final footnote - after 12 minutes on the phone to Virgin Mobile I have a 128Gb iPhone 7 Jet Black being delivered tomorrow.

After 2 months and 2 days of waitng for my pre-order and around 5 hours on live chat and calls to customer service Vodafone couldn't even tell me when their handset would arrive.

[Bungy]

Sorry to be back - but you could not make this up. Doorbell has just rang and a DPD delivery man has just handed to me a Jet Black 128GB iPhone 7. The note inside says it was dispatched on Friday at 19:19 - about 8 hours after I cancelled the pre-order and my contract with Vodafone.

All this after no-one could tell when my phone would even be dispatched. So now need to get this returned and make sure I don't get charged the upfront fee- if so I will be even less happy than I have over the last three weeks.

Stunning incompetence all round - glad I've left now.

[Retired-Sarah_A]

Hi @Bungy

Please call 191 to arrange a returns bag to be sent out.

Thanks,

Sarah 

[Bungy]

Thanks @Sarah_A for the advice - have already done that. Shame you and your team wasn't as quick as this over the last 3 weeks as you may kept me as a cusomer.

[Djreeve]

That was my advice to all that hadn't received their handsets. Cancel and it miraculously appears. It's like vodafones starts twitching and they throw you a handset to try and keep you. 

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Your post has been edited due to our Community Guidelines. 

Im with Tesco mobile now. I don't know anyone that needs unlimited calls or texts now you can call over wifi and certainly don't need massive amounts of data. 

Apple provide the annual upgrade and hey presto. Cheaper all round.