Vodafone - hopeless shambles

[ofcomuk]

Like many other people, I have had a very poor experience with Vodafone, a company that seems to be at best incompetent, at worse, almost completely dysfunctional...

Despite being aware of the high level of complaints against Vodafone, its poor customer service record, the broken billing systems, and the recent £4.6M Ofcom fine, I foolishly decided to give this company the benefit of the doubt and apply as a new customer.

Here’s a brief summary of the shambles that ensued… 

My initial online application direct with Vodafone for a SIM only contract, (no handset subsidy therefore no loan element) was declined with no explanation; webchat CS advised me to contact Experian, or - insultingly - get someone else to reapply on my behalf.

I then had to subscribe to Experian CreditExpert service to get full access to my credit file and check for errors or bad data; all I found were very minor anomalies in address details. Credit rating is very good, clean, with no warnings.

Applied again online for Vodafone account, declined with no explanation.

Next, visited a high street store hoping to get any issues resolved. Applied again via staff member who seemed to be typing exactly the same info into the internal system (painful and slow). Application declined again with no explanation. Staff shrugged shoulders saying they could not help and I needed to contact Experian.

Contacted Experian again, no problems with credit file, and no record of recent searches.

Contacted Vodafone CS online (webchat), asked for a phone number within Vodafone UK, but was unhelpfully given a phone number for Experian. Contacted webchat online again, asked again for a phone number for Vodafone Customer Services UK.

Called Vodafone CS, battled through the menu system demanding a Vodafone mobile number - which as a potential customer I did not have - and eventually spoke to someone who was very helpful but said I would need to check with *Equifax* - I had previously been advised to contact Experian in all other contact with Vodafone and had therefore wasted a lot of time dealing with the wrong CRA.

After clarifying some address details, the Voda CS I was speaking to helpfully offered to talk to the Credit applications (?) department and re-apply for my new Vodafone account. Again, this was declined with no explanation.

Set up an account with Equifax in order to check their files and talk to someone. No problems with my credit file here either, no credit searches but some searches in the ‘other’ category. Equifax advised me that my file was very good, they could see no reason why I would be declined, but they could not tell me anything about the Vodafone search, so I would need to ask Vodafone for an explanation. 

Neither organisation is willing or able to offer any explanation for these declines and Voda CS advised the only course of action would be to escalate the issue and send copies of my credit file reports. At this point I gave up. Clearly Vodafone does not want me as a new customer.

I have read somewhere that after an application is declined, for whatever reason, re-applications will get automatically rejected for the next 30 days. I don’t know if this is the case here, and at no stage has anyone at Vodafone mentioned it to me.

I count this is a lucky escape, but I still fear for my previously clean credit file now Vodafone has been near it and has also sucked a load of personal data into their flakey systems from my signup attempts.

I get the feeling that despite really trying to help resolve this situation, the super-helpful CS representative I was talking to was simply powerless to do anything due to Vodafone’s shambolic and broken processes and procedures. The main role of CS seems to be mainly pacifying customers and ‘appearing’ to help, rather than genuinely resolving issues.

Now, this has been a miserable and frustrating experience for me, but it pales into insignificance compared to how Vodafone has treated a great many of its active - and long-term loyal - customers. With the huge level of complaints against this company, perhaps it is turning away customers because it can’t cope with the ones it already has? No, of course not. But with the ongoing rate of departures, perhaps Vodafone should be welcoming new customers?

You don’t need to look very far to appreciate the scale of Vodafone’s incompetence, it simply beggars belief. The evidence is overwhelming: this company is totally customer-hostile and utterly inept. It really does seem like there is no willingness or ability to actually resolve problems, never mind prevent them from re-occurring. Processes are flawed, internal communication is almost non-existent, CS staff try to help but are not empowered to do so.

It is clear to see how a good proportion of the recent Ofcom fine was ‘for the flaws in its complaints handling processes’. What is utterly unforgivable here is that aside from its major issues with internal systems, Vodafone has had plenty of time to sort out they way it deals with customer problems and complaints, yet it seems things just continue to get worse.

I have cooled down considerably before writing this post and I don’t apologise for my harsh words; Vodafone really is this bad, is *still* in disarray - a complete and utter shambles.

[ofcomuk]

>> Even the slightish discrepancy on your credit file, can prevent you from obtaining credit or purchasing a mobile phone contract.

I have had no other problems whatsoever. Also I would expect a business to have some willingness or ability to resolve minor problems rather than simply shrugging their shoulders, effectively telling me to jog on and get lost.

>> Vodafone as any other creditor, have a duty of care towards customers to minimise debt and to prevent someone using your details to take out a contract.  For this reason, they have to make sure you are who you say you.

I undertand this; but Vodafone had several opportunities to establish there was nothing wrong with my id, or application. They could or would not. This is very poor customer service.

>> The best way forward now, is to contact the credit agencies and get any discrepancies corrected and make sure everything matches.  You also need to make sure you are on the electoral roll at the address.

There is nothing wrong with my file or details. Both CRAs confirm this.

>> Leaving the next application for 90 days will give your credit file time to recover from the searches and there should not be a further problem.

There were no credit searches against my file, There should be nothing for it to recover from.

[forumfairy]

As with any application, they are restricted by the parameters of the information received.  There will be certain flags on any application that they are not able to amend.  If this has been, as you thought, perhaps in relation to the anomalies you discovered, they will still be restricted by the information showing on your report.  It's not so much a Vodafone policy that gives the 90 day re-application period but credit in general.  If they re-apply for you now, all that their system will see is that you have been declined within that period and, regardless of the reason, they will have to abide by this.  This can happen at mobile companies even with current customers applying for additional lines.  As you have stated your details have now been updated it may be that if you were to apply again at a later date there would be no issue. 

[ofcomuk]

>> As with any application, they are restricted by the parameters of the information received.  There will be certain flags on any application that they are not able to amend.  If this has been, as you thought, perhaps in relation to the anomalies you discovered, they will still be restricted by the information showing on your report.  It's not so much a Vodafone policy that gives the 90 day re-application period but credit in general.  If they re-apply for you now, all that their system will see is that you have been declined within that period and, regardless of the reason, they will have to abide by this.  This can happen at mobile companies even with current customers applying for additional lines.  As you have stated your details have now been updated it may be that if you were to apply again at a later date there would be no issue. 

The only anomaly the CRAs could find was one additional word in the first line of my address. This was corrected months ago and should not have resulted in a decline, but it is quite possible this could have resulted in a failed ID check. Also, there have been no credit checks run against my file. Is it possible that I have been subject to a 90-day block by Vodafone due to a trivial error in my address months ago?

If this is the case, then why on earth was the 90-day block not mentioned? Vodafone refused to explain the decline claiming they didn't know why, but if the cause was this 90-day block, they should have known about it and been able to advise. Also, CS and in-store staff should also know about that and advise customers accordingly rather than inviting me to re-apply.

[JohnM5206]

Might a Subject Access Request produce some helpful information? It sounds odd that no check has been recorded - did they check you or some other similarly named person. The SAR may show up some anomaly. Well worth the £10 investment.

I would say that it is not the place of any business to tell someone how to get round their systems - if a 90 day block had been imposed they are not going to say so.

[forumfairy]

No one has mentioned Vodafone making a 90 day block, just a general description of why its not recommended to apply again within this timescale.  

A subject access request can only give details of conversations that you have had with the company and wont provide any information on the reason for a declined application.  Data Protection regulations dont allow them, or any other company applied to, from giving out these details. 

I'm sorry the information provided hasn't been satisfactory to resolve your issue.

[JohnM5206]

 Sorry, don't agree with your description of the information which can be obtained. I think this addreses the points at issue here, including the reason for automated refusals.

From ICO

In brief – what is an individual entitled to?

This right, commonly referred to as subject access, is created by section 7 of the Data Protection Act. It is most often used by individuals who want to see a copy of the information an organisation holds about them. However, the right of access goes further than this, and an individual who makes a written request and pays a fee is entitled to be:

• told whether any personal data is being processed;
• given a description of the personal data, the reasons it is being processed, and whether it will be given to any other organisations or people;
• given a copy of the information comprising the data; and given details of the source of the data (where this is available).
  
  

An individual can also request information about the reasoning behind any automated decisions, such as a computer-generated decision to grant or deny credit, or an assessment of performance at work (except where this information is a trade secret). Other rights relating to these types of decisions are dealt with in more detail in Automated decision taking.

[BandOfBrothers]

The SAR info for Vodafone is in http://www.vodafone.co.uk/cs/groups/configfiles/documents/contentdocuments/vftst042750.pdf

[forumfairy]

I do hope this gets you the information you require.  

From the look of both the form and guidance for it it may be worth adding an additional note with your requirements as the sections shown don't seem to reflect it. 

Good luck. 🙂

[ofcomuk]

I appreciate everyone's input here; a SAR report might shed some light on this but I'm not inclined to request or pay for this as I have little faith in Vodafone's ability to make any progress.

I have had a miserable experience with Vodafone. Its CS + in-store staff have been totally ineffective - poor information given to me, important information not given to me, shrugged shoulders, interdepartmental communication issues, customer-hostile policies and a general lack of ability to actually answer questions and solve problems.

Just to be clear, I have no axe to grind with Vodafone's front line staff themselves; there are many (way too many) very unhappy and extremely annoyed customers which CS staff have to deal with politely and courteously which they seem manage, that's a tough job. What has gone badly wrong is Vodafone's internal processes and systems which are without doubt a complete and utter shambles. It is clear to see this is one broken, near dysfunction organisation. I would be surprised if there wasn't another, much bigger, Ofcom fine this year.

CS staff need the information, power, authority and resources to solve problems and put things right. This does not seem to be the case. Just appeasing or pacifying customers is not good enough. You guys need to take action yourselves; if your hands are tied, demand change, or move on.

Yes, I am annoyed, but not because I received an unjustified slap in the face from Vodafone, then wasted time and money going around in circles getting nowhere, but more so for the very many poor customers who are suffering far worse problems with than myself.

People - customers and staff - you need to rescue yourselves from the Vodafone vortex of chaos. Seriously.

[Retired-Tom]

@ofcomuk The 90 day rule is in place to allow a credit rating to recover after a decline. If there was an error in the application then the decline can be overturned by an agent escalating the decision.

We're unable to provide you with a reason as to why you were initially declined however, every application after the first decline would automatically fail and refresh the 90 day period.

As @AnnS mentioned previously, any discrepancy between your credit file and the information you provide when applying can result in a decline.

@ofcomuk The decision may need to be escalated so that an agent can assess your application further. So this can be done, I've sent you a private message with details on how to get in touch.