I found your blog looking for someone to get some "vent" time over Vodafone's awful service.

I joined last year in October for their 3G (1GB) Wireless Broadband for $59.95, then realised two days later than the 3GB would be better, so called customer service to upgrade.? Two hours later, my internet was disconnected.? I called up and was told I had been barred because I had a $400 bill???? and that they couldn't tell me why, because they wouldn't know until the bill came out.? When did the bill come out? - November 2nd (4 weeks away).? AGHH!? So, after about 10 phone calls and 2 emails to complaints - and 5 weeks - and being told 5 times I would be refunded (and 4 times wasn't!) got that sorted.? Phew!? All okay now?? No.

Over the next four months I kept on getting errors, issues and really bad advice from the customer services, to the extent that I disconnected at the end of January.? GOOD RIDDANCE!!? And I had to pay $500 disconnection.? Fine, that's my deal.

I sent my feedback to Vodafone though, giving details, dates, amounts and that I was really unhappy, and that I wanted to know what they had to say, to test if I wanted to consider using their products again.?

Reply:
Dear James

Thank you for your email.

It is disappointing to hear of your recent experience.

We are extremely grateful that you have taken the time to contact us with this feedback. This will be channelled to the appropriate department(s). Please keep in mind that they may not be able to contact you directly.

James, please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience and do hope future correspondence with Vodafone New Zealand will be of a high level of service to which Vodafone prides Customer Service and values all customers.

Yours Sincerely
{Name removed}
Vodafone customer Support

WHAT?????? So I forwarded the reply and further feedback to Complaints AND Russell Stanners.? WOW - suddenly I get a phone call with the head of complaints, {Name removed}, telling me that the reply was not good enough and that he would discipline {Name removed}.? He also told me that in the eight years at Vodafone, he has seen it go from a great company to going over the rocks, and that they receive heaps of bad feedback about Vodafone Egypt (who does their call centre).? Great - thanks {Name removed}.? He also offered to refund me $500 - that was good - catch - I had to return the vodem.? Ok, my fault, I chucked it away two weeks earlier after disconnecting, so I surrendered and thought, oh well, end of story.? Phone call ended.? Then I thought - hang on, no one told me to keep it AND looked up the price of a new Vodem - $249???

So I wrote back, proposing that they pay me $251 and we all go home and leave it at that, and I believe Vodafone actually might do some good.? No reply to email.? No reply to his cellphone (which he called me on).? No reply to subsequent email.? Hmmm.? Two weeks later???? Nothing.

So - if you want to get a direct line, call {Name removed} on 021 {number removed}, or else include russell.stanners@vodafone.com and you'll probably get a really quickl reply (3 days instead of 20).

GRRRRR.