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Cannot upgrade a 30 day rolling broadband contract for 3 months. Why?

anthonyc0603
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

Hi,

I signed up for the 5g GigaCube and paid for the equipment up-front.  I took out the 100gb per month contract at £30 per month and specifically asked if I could upgrade and downgrade at will.  I was told yes.   After a few days, I realised I was using around 5gb a day.  I decided I should upgrade.  

 

I have now been told this is impossible.  I must stay on the £30 per month for 3 months before I can upgrade.  This is part of a policy to ensure that I am creditworthy for a bigger contract.  Makes no sense as I pay monthly up-front. Vodafone can just pull the plug if the money is not paid.  This is basic PAYG.  Pretty much the whole world works on the basis of no-money no-service.  

 

This is a real problem because if I want to use more than 100gb a month in the first 3 months, I must buy add on 50gb packages (not available on the web site but only via 191) at £30 each.   If I stray over the 100gb limit, the cost is £20 per gb.  I only found this out by going to the Vodafone shop.  Some of these things may be in my contract but 'important documents' part of my portal says I do not have a contract yet - presumably I will only see this after the cooling off period. 

 

The Vodafone staff at the local shop suggested I cancel the contract as I am within the 14 day cooling off period.  I tried to do this but they were unable to cancel the contract without my returning the equipment.  That would take a few weeks to process and only then could I re-present myself as a new customer.  Weeks without the internet at home and no guarantee I would be accepted.  I have an uneasy feeling that my card would be marked at Vodafone by doing this. 

 

I then tried to buy another PAYG 5G sim only on the Max Unlimited plan.  This would allow me to use Vodafone's 5g unlimited amounts of data at the fastest 5g speed and to hotspot to devices in the home.  No chance.  The credit check failed on the basis of my not having paid 3 months on my first contract.  This contract, btw, is £37 vs the GigaCube unlimited sim only contract which is £60.  Who does that - charging different prices depending upon what hardware you stick your PAYG sim into?

 

This whole thing is ridiculous.  I cannot go to another provider yet because the 5g signal for the others is marked as 'good outdoors' whereas Vodafone is 'good outdoors and indoors'.  All of the Vodafone staff are really nice but it is like trying to negotiate with a vending machine.   All I want to do is spend more money with them and pay up-front. This really feels like customer abuse.

 

I have no faith this note will change anything but at least I got it off my chest and hopefully let other potential customers know the score.

 

 

 

 

 

8 REPLIES 8

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @anthonyc0603 

 

IF you are on a 30 day rolling contract and not a 24 month contract, there is no reason for Vodafone being unable to change the tariff, indeed Vodafone should be advising the customer on ways to save money.

 

Speak to the Social Team through Twitter or Facebook channels, they will have the necessary account access here: Contact Us 

Thanks for the suggestion.  Went to Twitter.  Started a conversation with a bot which told me to go to the website chat app.  That is where I went first to try and upgrade and got turned down.  I also got nowhere on 191.  I also got nowhere by going to the Vodafone shop.  Now I can add Twitter to the list of 'got nowhere' !

 

Tried to DM.  No response. I would rather not post my problems openly on social media.

 

 

Tash
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Hi @anthonyc0603, rest assured one of our team will still receive your messages to us if you've responded to the automated messages you received. With our Social Media channels your query will be routed to one of our advisers where we'll get back to you as soon as possible to help. 

If you'd like me to check on the progress of this for you, please ensure you include your Community username and link to your post when messaging us on Twitter as we'll be able to track down your conversation with us and you also won't need to repeat your query.

Still no resolution.  Now I am trying to go online to buy more data before I get hit with the usurious £20 per gigabyte if I go over the monthly limit.  Can you believe that?  

Mark
Community Manager
Community Manager

Has one of our social guys replied to you yet @anthonyc0603? If not please reply to the last automated message you received with a link to this thread and your Community ID and we'll get this chased up for you.

I had a response from the twitter team.  They told me I should call 191 or use the chat application - both of which I have tried and got nowhere with.  Still no resolution.  I have had to pay £30 to buy a further 50gb so I don't run into the £20 per gb penalty clause.

Grinds
3: Seeker
3: Seeker

This was very helpful. Similar to you, I saw an opportunity to pay a big lump sum up front and then find a cheaper way to pay the monthly Data-Only SIM plan. I was told that the SIMs are 'different' and are engineered that way. I am not convinced but at least your post has helped me avoid a trap I thought was a cunning cost saving plan!

RachelGomez123
4: Newbie

Follow these easy tips for fixing your broadband internet connection:

Check the cables and the extensions:
One of the easiest ways for broadband troubleshooting is to check if all the wires connected to your router and Ethernet Ports are undamaged and are in place. Check the wires outside your home as well, since the weather or even overeager birds or other animals might damage the cables, affecting your internet connection.

Power cycling and decoding the blinking lights:
You can fix broadband connection through power cycling as well. Power cycling means disconnecting the cables from the primary power source, waiting until the router has undergone the usual boot-up sequence and then plugging the wires in again. There is a higher chance for your broadband connection to start working after power cycling.

Also, check the light indicators on your modem or router. If, after plugging in a few lights are flashing or not glowing, then it might indicate that there is no internet connectivity or that the WiFi button is turned off on the modem.

Check the micro-Filter:
Another option If you face an issue of broadband not connecting to the internet is checking the micro-filter that connects to devices such as telephone, fax, and modem that might interrupt the flow of the internet. Disconnect each of the devices from the micro-filter and try reconnecting them one at a time. Remember to check your broadband connection every time you connect new equipment.

Scan for Viruses:
Apart from damaging your computer, viruses can affect your broadband connection as well. Your broadband connection might get infected with malicious spyware present on your PCs which, in turn, will affect your browser’s performance and surfing speed. It would be best if you scanned your computer regularly to avoid damage from viruses.

Check your Data Pack:
One of the everyday situations of broadband not connecting to the internet is when you have used all your data or subscribed to a pack that provides a slower connection. Visit your service provider’s website and check the data usage history. If you are still experiencing a slower connection than what was promised by the provider, then contact the operator.

Update your Firmware:
Firmware is software in your router or a modem which needs to be installed in your PC before you start using the internet. If you face an issue of broadband not working, then you might try reinstalling or updating the firmware.

If you still face problems troubleshooting your broadband internet connection even after trying these tips, you should contact your service provider. The problem could be at their end and solving it might require replacing or adding new equipment.

 

Regards,

Rachel Gomez