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vodafone texts

Ricky599
4: Newbie

ok.

a little background.. i live and work in Germany and have done for the past 4 years.

in the past 6-8 weeks i have been getting texts from vodafone telling me my data roaming is free. great. thanks for the reminder.

 this is then followed by if ive set a spending limit then relax spending manager is working hard to protect me. again, thanks for the reminder.

However i get these reminders twice, sometimes 3-4 times a week.

and always around 5.00am in the morning.. due to my job i need message alerts on my phone, so i guess you can imagine being woke at stupid o'clock in the morning doesn't go down too well. especially up to 4times a week, even on weekendsi might add. i have now phoned customer service, customer complaints to resolve this they have blocked MMS and SMS on my phone to stop the so called texts getting to me.  this hasn't worked as i still get them. I am now told that there is nothing else Vodafone can do to stop the texts.

If i was to travel to Holland and back on a regular basis or even back home to the UK then yes  i would expect to get the texts, however i don't.  i live in one appartment and only drive15 minutes to work.. Both in the same country i might add.

i have had £40.00 credited to my account for the inconvenience so far with the promise that i will no longer get any texts from Vodafone.

As i have already said.. i have now been informed by Vodafone that these messages cannot be stopped or turned off.

 This is truly unbelievable in todays technology.

 Where do i take this as i no longer want to keep vodafone as my network.?

10 REPLIES 10

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @Ricky599 

 

These are automated text spend reminders, whilst you are opted into spend manager, the texts won't stop.  There is further information for spend manager below with a link with information on how to opt out or increase your spend limit:  Spend Manager

 

The problem you are going to have is if you are permanently roaming in Germany, global roaming is only intended for short periodic travel and not for long term use and you may need to consider using a SIM for the country.  If you have been roaming for a lengthy time without returning to the UK it's quite surprising Vodafone have not already started to send notifications.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. 

I don’t quite understand your roaming comment. Are you meaning that I should be charged for my roaming data and not have it free. Please explain.

 I get back to the uk around every three months.

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

I think two different issues are being talked about in this topic. AnnS is referencing the fact that you're pretty much based in Germany but using your UK sim. If you remember, when the free EU roaming was launched. It had the small print saying there'd be surcharges or data would be cut off if you basically used the service more abroad than in the UK over a period of time. But I have never heard of anyone falling foul of the rule so guessing it's not been cracked down on so don't worry about that.

I actually have a theory (and it is just that) that these welcome texts might actually tie in with why extended roaming use isn't being picked up on. It makes me wonder if these texts are being triggered as they think you're just starting your roaming (like a system glitch). So resetting the clock so to speak. After all, why say welcome when you're already there and have been for a while.

I have a Vodafone Greece sim which I use here in the UK and have the same experience. Randomly and for no reason at all, I suddenly get a 'Welcome to the UK' text. Like you, they usually land around 4am.

But I don't mind as I have the 'do not disturb' function on at that time and have never raised it because like here, the Greek networks make it clear that extended use abroad will be surcharged. 

I'm not sure the welcome texts are mandatory so Vodafone could maybe opt you out. Just means though you'd never have any comeback if you ever fell foul of the roaming rules if you're opting out of being notified.

 

Thanks for the reply Donnyguy.

i don’t really know what’s going on with the text messages but I can’t use the do not disturb facility on my phone due to the nature of my job out here.

Vodafone knew I lived out here when I took the contract out and also when I renewed it. I have never hidden the fact that I am only in the UK for around 30 days a year.  

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Hey Ricky,

I 100% get what you're saying. It is there in the terms and conditions about using your phone abroad but since the free roaming kicked in nearly two years ago, I've not heard of anyone falling foul of the rules. I have friends who moved to Spain and still use their UK phones. Their UK network (not Vodafone) states "we monitor usage and if you're seen to have used your phone more abroad than in the UK over any four month period then we can restrict your usage". They're a year in and thats not happened. So that's a worry for another day if that day ever comes.

Back onto the text message issue.

So what phone do you use? I'm hoping you're going to say the iPhone as I just opened a message from Vodafone. Hit the 'info' key where it then brings up the option to send location, share location and most importantly, gives you the ability to switch on the 'hide alerts' function. 

I did that, and then went to log into my Vodafone account to trigger the text. My phone didn't ping, or flash up an alert but the message is there in the inbox. 

Doesn't impact any other message and you'll see that one message alone has the do not disturb message next to it.

Hopefully if you're not on iPhone, your phone will allow you to switch off the alerts for that one sender. 

FullSizeRender 3.jpeg

You're lucky that vodafone hasn't ended or stopped your service because fair usage policy states you can only use roaming abroad for a maximum period of 3 months and then have to return to the UK and connect back to the UK network. If you're doing it roughly every 3 months then you should be okay, but if they do catch on that you are there permanently they do have the right to dismiss your contract and cut you off. 

 

As stated above i do think thats where the texts are coming into it, you might be better turning the spend manager off and be careful with your out of bundle spends or depending on the phone there may be a way to block the texts. Even if you turn it off however, you may receive texts about that. I know its definitely annoying, surely vodafone should have some idea why its happening. 

Yes I use an iPhone X 

Sorry. It’s the xr

donnyguy
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Fabulous, do what I did and silence the chain

 

1. If you have an old message from Vodafone in your inbox, or when you get the next one. Open the messageStep 1Step 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Click on the sender at the top so you see 'audio', 'FaceTime' and 'Info' Step 2Step 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Click on info and then toggle the 'Hide Alerts' to ON

Step 3 - hide alertsStep 3 - hide alerts

This will silence any future messages from this sender (although they'll still be there in your inbox to read at a more reasonable hour).

 

 

Once you've followed the steps and set the Hide Alert to on. Don't delete the message. Not sure if deleting the message will delete the sender rule meaning the next new message will disturb you.