Being lied to by Vodafone / complaints being deliberately ignored / incredibly poor customer service

[wlk385]

I'm writing this in hope that someone at Vodafone will finally take me seriously and before pursuing other avenues, including legal / Ombudsman and / or media / social media, to resolve a matter in which Vodafone is deliberately negligent (probably with an aim that customer - myself, will eventually give up).

I'm more than fed up with explaining the issue to yet another new customer agent, which has no idea of my case, despite myself being assured million times that notes from the previous conversations have been saved in the mythical ''system''. If someone senior cares to talk to me (I've been speaking to so many robot-like people using the same phrases from the script that I will not talk to anyone that is not senior), I may provide more details (though I would expect at least a minimum information about my case being stored in your ''system''). 

So that everyone can be warned, in short, Vodafone tries to cheat on me by alleging that I used 4-5 GB data on a single day, upon consuming my regular data allowance. Upon speaking to customer agents and being assured that someone is going to get in touch with me, a gentleman called me to offer an upgraded bundle and confirm I don't need to pay for excess data. Yet, some time later not only Vodafone cheekily attempted to switch off my services, but other customer agents tell me they don't have the evidence of a call during which I upgraded my services and was assured that I don't need to pay additional £110. After that, I was, again, assured (or rather lied to),  numerous times, by further customer agents, that someone from customer relations team will call me (within 72 hours, of course - a good joke).

When replying, please do not tell me how sorry you are - I know you don't care. I don't care either about your apologies. I want a solution. You've pushed me to my limits in this case (it's not the first time you are acting negligently and unrespectfully) and I will not let you act this way anymore. I expect an answer within 48 hours (it's been around a month since my first complaint).

[donnyguy]

My stock answer for these kinds of situations is to contact Vodafone complaints team. 

It seems like you have made several contacts and are having a not so great experience with the front line teams. 

So get it on record as a complaint and have someone investigate your handset issue as well as the experiences trying to get this resolved.

This sounds like an unbelievable amount of customer effort on your part trying to sort something that should be pretty standard. The complaints team will own to resolution for you. 

[paladin337]

Oh it get even better: 

I went into the store like agreed, at sat with a sales person, who explained the new double direct debit system and asked very personal questions really loudly over the other customers doing the same. 

only to be told after half an hour or so (and 20 minutes waiting to enter the shop) that the process could take up to an hour and a half. If we had anything else to do they would call us to return and finalise the early upgrade.

so I went shopping. 

She called me back hours later to tell me everything went through fine, but obviously due to time the next day would be the only option, She was off that day but a note was on my account for whoever I deal with. 

the next day I go into town again, wait outside again, then I am seen. explain the scenario, repeat the whole process of questions and credit checks for the new loan agreement system............despite ten over years with vodafone. Only to be told again it will take a while, do I have anything else to do, NO........no...no.... I stayed put for an hour, listening to people revealing password numbers multiple times, addresses , mothers maiden names, (good job I am not an identity thief ,absolute joke) walking out with new phones ...... but not me. 

I wonder why........ doesn't take a genius considering my complaints. 

anyway the trainee with no idea what was going on didn't even tell me the system wasnt working nationwide and they could not complete the upgrade, I would have to come back (A week later on my next day off yay). 

She told me to go on web chat, Tobi? 

so I did that and went through it all again online, typing like crazy ,ended up transferred , and explained again, despite the transcript........... they told me they were experiencing the same problems after 20 minutes waiting to hear that.

This is being documented like you wouldn't believe .  over ten years throwing money at this company, never claimed a thing. but when they issue me a broken phone I have to sit on through lockdown, with no way of getting online, or calling, and then to be treated like this ......... relentless complaints are coming, sharing these recordings too. so others don't have to be lied too and given false hope.

I work in customer services , 20+ years and would never lie to a customer to end my shift easier.

[Philhm3]

A different issue but the same abysmal customer service. Everything you've said echoes my own experience; lies, hollow apologies, incompetence,  "technology isn't  100% reliable" excuses etc.

Sorry to say that nothing has changed in the time that's passed since you outlined your experience on here.

If you ever got a resolution I'd love to know how. Looks like I'll have to go down the

Ombudsman route.

[Dogleg]

Lol

[Lauracoop]

Absolutely horrendous experience after being a customer for over 10 years. Took out a new contact including entertainment which I always choose Spotify as part of the package. I have had the same contact for years and just renewed it basically after my old one ended. Vodaphone never told me there was a deadline to sign up to Spotify after my old contract ended and when I came to transfer everything into my new phone and restart Spotify the link sent didn't
work. Cue an agonizing 2.5 hour phone call to try and sort it. No resolution but was told it would be fixed in 3-7 working days. Called to chase ... again cue another agonizing 3 hours on the phone with various different departments to be told that Vodaphone don't offer Spotify now, but that I should have access to it as my contract was signed before this arrangement ended. A technician then disconnected my entertainment and reinstalled it as part of trouble shooting and I was then told I couldn't get Spotify as my entertainment had been restarted after the arrangement had ended BECAUSE THE VODAPHONE GUY DISCONNECTED IT!!! Then began the horrifying decent into the complaints team...hours of calls and an offer of my contract being terminated free of charge and £10 good will. Absolute joke. Vodaphone can't fulfill their contractual obligation to me and I'm left paying for something I can't receive. Final resolution has been to remove entertainment from my plan and offer £100 towards Spotify. This doesn't cover the full cost, not compensate me for the hours of my time or acknowledge the fact Vodaphone have broken their contractual obligations. it's absolutely outrageous and has taken weeks of my time causing huge amounts of stress and frustration.avoid!!!!!!!!!!

[chistery]

Take the offer of them terminating your contract free of charge and go elsewhere then?

[Lauracoop]

Then I'm bk to square one trying to find a contract that works for me. The point is that the termination is the absolute bare minimum, as by law im allowed to terminate as they aren't providing me with what I signed up for. No compensation, no acknowledgement of the stress or time this has cost me has been offered.