Using Vodafone International Saver while Roaming in Roam Free zone

[VcustomerLondon]

I am on Pay Montly with inclusive roam free roaming.

Before leaving, I checked this site:

https://support.vodafone.co.uk/Using-our-network/Going-and-calling-abroad/Calling-and-texting-abroad...

to see if I can use the Vodafone International Saver 500 while in Roam Free zone.

The website clearly says:

"You have inclusive roaming included in your bundle and you’re in our inclusive roaming zone

If you make a call to a country outside our inclusive roaming zone but within the 100 destinations covered by International Saver (for example, calling Argentina from France), this call will be taken from your International Saver minutes. Calls made within the inclusive roaming zone will be taken out of your roaming allowance"

Earlier this moth I travelled to Poland and Germany.

I made a few calls to a destination from the Vodavone International Saver 500 list, but outside

the roam free zone.

To my surprise, I was charged over 200 pounds for those calls.

I talked to 191, they first said they charges are legit, then said it's a glitch and that they will be cancelled.

As this did not happen, I talked to the online chat people. A kind if misinformed chat handler by the name of

Hitesh first said that the charges are legit again. Then consulted a manager and said, quote:

'Hitesh: Max, I'm sorry for the miscommunication.

I've checked this for you and can confirm with my manager that it is included in your bundle as you're on latest bundle.'

But he also advised this can only be resolved once bill generated. Absurd that Vodafone can generate charges on the app but cannot cancel them until billed. Vodafone has gone as far as to even disconnect my line altogether, I had to call them to get it reinstated.

Now that the  bill is generated, I tried contacting the online chat people again but they sound like a broken record keep saying the charges are legitimate. They ignored my requests to check the link provided.

The social media team are just as useless, first they said they'd help then called me to say charges are correct.

I sent them the link and screenshorts but got no reply.

Where do I go next other than taking Vodafone to court?

[VcustomerLondon]

Dear @Natasha and @alex and all,

Unfortunately Vodafone proves to be a persistent customer service nightmare.

As previously described, last month (May bill) you wanted to charge me for using International Saver Minutes while in roam free. I successfully proved that your website claims those calls are feeling. You admitted error and refunded me.

This month you did the exact same thing. I complained to customer service, got another ill-informed robotic call telling me that...I am wrong and I should be charged. My arguments that 1) the information on free calls is still on your site 2) you admitted mistake in May 3) you also told me in May (I have this in writing) that I can keep using my minutes - all tell on death ears.

I see no other resolution but to take you to court which I will but I am shocked as to how bad your service and training are.

[donnyguy]

This is really disappointing to read that the problem has happened again.

I recall telling you to open a complaint with Vodafone last time this happened, did you do so? If so, contact them and tell them you want the issue re-opening as it's clearly not resolved.

Hope it's not as painful getting the charges removed as it was last time around.

[Tash]

I'm sorry to see this is ongoing @VcustomerLondon. We'd like to resolve this for you. 

I've been unable to locate an email from you through the registered email address on your Community profile.

So we can take a closer look into this, please follow the details shared in the private message sent to you previously and our team will be happy to help and to ensure that your feedback is passed on to the relevant departments.

[VcustomerLondon]

Dear Natasha,

thank you for showing at least minimal interest in my case but forgive me for not contacting

the Social Media team and being generally disappointed with Vodafone's shockingly poor customer service,

I will allow myself to say that in my case the Social Media team were completely useless and I have plenty

of written evidence to support it.

As previously described, I was wrongly charged in May for using international saver abroad. After no fewer than eight hours of calls and chatting online, this was resolved only by Customer Service, Social Media team were extremely unhelpful in reading script off screen, not willing to dig any deeper. Customer Service did, case resolved, all undue charges returned, goodwill credit added on top, promise of no problems in the future also followed.

In June, I was tormented by the same bad service:

- undue charges

- Social Media refuses to help until bill generated, saying they cannot see what the charges are - I will not repeat how plainly idiotic this argument is; if you show charges in the VF application, they are generated by Vodafone and you must know what they are; if you cannot communicate between departments, this is none of my business; do not even bother responding to this unless you have something new to add; and read some Kafka;

- once bill generated, obviously same problem revealed - undue charges for using international saver while in Roam Free countries;

- Social Media - sorry but cannot find another formulation - rubbish as usual, tries to convince me charges are legitimate, do not even want to look further, even though I have written assurances from the Chat team from May;

generic, copy-paste responses; once even hung up on me;

- Customer Service also useless - keep repeating I must pay; refuse to hear my side of the argument or consider I have evidnece from May; very poor; case sent to second line review;

- Second line useless too, insist I pay in full; when challenged to the fact that I have written statements to the contrary, offer 50% refund, like this was some sort of a negotiation; once sent written evidence and threatened with lawsuit, fully desist, offer an apology and full refund;

Dear Social Media team, do not bother telling me how sorry you are and how you will take the case into consideration for the future - evidence above suggests you have absolutely zero procedures to preserve this type of information and that Vodafone reserves itself the right to harrass loyal customers at its own leisure.

Although I have been refunded everything down to a single penny, I will report you to the Communications Ombudsman and I am out once the contract is over.

Your customer service is a disgrace and nothing will change my mind about that.

And as all of you so like to say "apologies for the inconvenience, BUT I will not do anything to change it"

[VcustomerLondon]

I would rather not share this in public, is there a direct messaging system I could contact you on?

The issue was now resolved by an Online Chat assistant after no fewer than four hours of persistent repeating to check Vodafone's own site.  All charges reversed. Still a nightmare to think it took no fewer than 10 calls/messages and the social media team very unprofessional (three callbacks without resolution, one missed callback, then heartless quoting of T&Cs) and totally unhelpful.