Wifi Calling on Samsung S7

[Zammo76]

Hi 

I bought a Samung S7 on Vodafone through Carphone Warehouse about 5 months ago and recently tried enable Wifi Calling. After much messing about and callling and chatting to customer services it turns out that I can't have this feature as I ddin't buy my phone directly from Vodafone. In fact the option to turn on Wifi Calling doesn't even show up on my phone, presumably because it hasn't been flashed with the correct firmware.

Has anyone else bought their phone from Carphonewarehouse and has the same problem? Or do they have the option available?

I was thinking of maybe paying to get the phone unlocked and then updating it to see if it pulls through the correct firmware update to enable wifi calling, but i'm not sure if this is even possible?

[jeffkinn]

False advertising? How? You didn't buy a phone through Vodafone? if Sainsburys advertise something should I expect to get it at Tesco as well?

Yours is not a single case. Everyone who acquired a phone from an independent retailer is in the same position as you. Only Android phones received directly from Vodafone are eligible for Wi Fi calling.

If you want Wi Fi calling and to be able to buy a phone independently from the network you'll need to start using an iPhone.

[63johnw]

Yes I am, do you not research stuff before making a commitment of many hundreds of pounds, because I use my brain and do so. Did you ask anyone at CPW where you bought the phone?

[63johnw]

It does support WiFi calling if bought from Vodafone.

[Zammo76]

Listen to what im saying.

The phone was bought from Carphone warehouse locked onto Vodafone, its not sim free. It was clearly advertised as having WiFi calling. So as a customer most would have no reason to doubt that statement and would not do any further research to back up this claim. However when the customer goes to enable the feature they then find out its not supported due to the fact that it wasn't bought directly from Vodafone. If that is the case Vodafone should make sure that Carphone warehouse are not advertising this as a feature of the phone, as it is false advertising. And one line buried in Vodafone's website does not exonerate them from this.

[63johnw]

So it's CPW who false advertised then?

[jeffkinn]

When you buy a contract via CPW or any other dealer you are their customer and not Vodafone's. That's the link you seem to be missing in your thought process.

Vodafone's supplies you airtime at CPW's request. You are not a Vodafone customer and therefore their advertising doesn't apply to you. Only CPW's.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @Zammo76

I can understand why you'd be frustrated at the situation. 

May I ask have you approached CPW Customer Service to discuss this too ,and if so what have they stated ?

[Zammo76]

Carphonewarehouse and also Samsung have both said that the issue lies with Vodafone as they need to flash the correct firmware onto the phone to enable WiFi calling. I could do this and indeed have done it on previous phones I've rooted but don't want to do it on the S7 as it stops Android Pay and Sky Go from working.

[63johnw]

Sorry but there is no issue.

Vodafone have made the decision that to have WiFi calling you must buy the phone direct from them and advertise this.

You have decided to get your device from CPW and so cannot have the WiFi calling.

If CPW told you that you could have WiFi calling then you need to take that up with them.

[Zammo76]

Well lets just agree to disagree.