Speaking to a Human at Vodafone

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108 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#2993955 9-Nov-2022 13:00

richms:

Get the bank to do a chargeback on it if you haven't authorized the charges. If its not on your account, VF cant tell you whose it is or refund it. If you did authorize it then vodafone will prove it to the bank but chances are your card details are just being used by someone who saw the card to top up their phone.

Sorry, I wasn't clear in my original post - that's the first thing I tried. To be clear, the payment is going towards my prepay account - I just didn't set it up, and I can't stop it. I spoke to ASB and they said that they couldn't do anything. They told me to contact Vodafone, and if that didn't work, I'd have to cancel my credit card.

Before anyone asks what the problem is if the money is giong onto my Vodafone account - the amount charged each month is greater than the amount i spend each month, so the balance on my Vodofone account will continue to increase as long as I keep it active. I'd rather top up my account manually when it needs it, which is what I have been doing for the last six or so years.

Twincamr2

108 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#2993956 9-Nov-2022 13:03

David321:

I get the same thing with Kiwibank, trying to give the wrong info or making random noises at the robot in the hopes of being put through to a human usually results in being hung up on. Really quite frustrating when none of the automated options are relevant to what you are calling for.

I have found the best way around it is to give answers it would expect. that I guess people would usually call for, such as "mortgage payment" or "credit card" even though that is not why I want to speak to them. Then when I get through to a human I tell them my issue, and they transfer me to the right team after they realise I should be talking to someone else.

Yeah, that's my normal strategy too, but it didn't work in this case. None of the options presented, even those that included me potentially giving Vodafone more money, resulted in talking to a human.

alasta

6891 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3365

Trusted

Subscriber

#2993981 9-Nov-2022 14:27

If it were me, I would do the following:

Cancel existing credit card.
Get new credit card, but don't give the details to Vodafone.
Consume the remaining credit on your Vodafone Prepay account.
Switch to a different telco.

tudorale

29 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 10

Trusted

#2993985 9-Nov-2022 14:36

The Vodafone IVR is by far the worst part of the experience. I found that when you do convince it to transfer you to a human, it usually puts you through to the wrong department.

I'd be curious how much time and effort the call centre staff spend transferring people between themselves.

I get that you don't want people to call you for anything, but surely the aim is not to annoy people into giving up - they might just decide to call your competitor and leave.

Twincamr2

108 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#2993996 9-Nov-2022 15:13

alasta:
If it were me, I would do the following:

Cancel existing credit card.

Get new credit card, but don't give the details to Vodafone.

Consume the remaining credit on your Vodafone Prepay account.

Switch to a different telco.

I'd dearly love to do this, but unfortunately I work in a place where Vodafone is the only Telco with acceptable coverage.
Also, I really don't want to have to learn a new credit card number!

OldGeek

989 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 409

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Lifetime subscriber

#2994019 9-Nov-2022 16:42

If this arrangement was set up as a direct debit payment, help is here:

https://bankomb.org.nz/guides-and-cases/quick-guides/payment-systems/direct-debits

While the process always starts with solving the problem with the merchant you have been down this track and the problem has not been resolved. Direct Debits can be cancelled with your card issuer - including those on credit card accounts - and I have first-hand experience in this happening. Good Luck

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stick

357 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 113

#2994022 9-Nov-2022 16:57

Since no one has, @MaxineN or @NickR1?

Twincamr2

108 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 17

#2994023 9-Nov-2022 16:59

OldGeek:
If this arrangement was set up as a direct debit payment, help is here:

https://bankomb.org.nz/guides-and-cases/quick-guides/payment-systems/direct-debits

While the process always starts with solving the problem with the merchant you have been down this track and the problem has not been resolved. Direct Debits can be cancelled with your card issuer - including those on credit card accounts - and I have first-hand experience in this happening. Good Luck

Thanks so much for that. I haven't had a call back in the time they quoted, so I'll probably have to go down this road.

eugeneykc

104 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 15

ID Verified

#2994025 9-Nov-2022 17:09

Twincamr2:

Hi All,

Does anyone have any ideas about how I might speak to a human at Vodafone? I'm getting more and more frustrated. Four months ago, Vodafone suddenly started to take money from my credit card ostensibly as an 'auto top-up' on my prepay plan. I didn't set anything up, nor is there anything showing on my online account (thus I can't stop it there). I've tried everything so far including using their online chat twice, and removing my credit card from their system. Still the charges keep happening. The latest online chat said that I should simply call customer service and they'll sort it out. I can't for the life of me talk to anyone on the phone however.

Sorry for the rant. Very grumpy.

I have not tried it for a while, but when I call Vodafone, I usually press "0" at the IVR and it will pass me to a human operator. Otherwise, typing "human" on an online chat also connected me to a real operator.

NickR1

92 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 114

One NZ

#2994030 9-Nov-2022 17:24

St1ick:

Since no one has, @MaxineN or @NickR1?

Thanks St1ick

@Twincamr2 -mobile & billing are probably my weakest points but if you need direct assistance please send me the information and I'll do what I can.

gareth41

742 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 79

#2994074 9-Nov-2022 20:04

I dont know if Vodafone use Teams or Slack, but i've found this to be another easy avenue of contacting companies that are hard to get hold of through normal channels like their 0800 number or website. If you know the name of a person within that company (you can also get the directors names from the companies office) then just try to add them on Teams or Slack using their email. Most of the time, company email addresses follow a common format eg joe.bloggs@company j.bloggs jbloggs etc etc... chances are you'll get the right one. Teams doesn't appear to require them to accept, they immediately show with a green tick next to their name if you got the email correct and they're online, you can call / msg them straight away.

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farcus

1626 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 437

#2994077 9-Nov-2022 20:25

Twincamr2: I'd dearly love to do this, but unfortunately I work in a place where Vodafone is the only Telco with acceptable coverage.

Kogan mobile has identical coverage since they use Vodafone towers

MaxineN

Max
2056 posts

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#2994078 9-Nov-2022 20:36

St1ick:

Since no one has, @MaxineN or @NickR1?

Thanks for the tag.

I have PM'd op for all of the details plus some security stuff towards my work email.

Apologies we didn't get back to you nor did we get this right first time and that our IVR system wasn't working right for you.

Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.

stick

357 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 113

#2994167 9-Nov-2022 23:14

farcus:
Twincamr2: I'd dearly love to do this, but unfortunately I work in a place where Vodafone is the only Telco with acceptable coverage.

Kogan mobile has identical coverage since they use Vodafone towers

Yeah like Kogan Mobile would have any better support than this...

quickymart

14941 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13956

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#2994172 9-Nov-2022 23:26

Vodafone's inferior customer service strikes again 🙄 this is pretty poor, being charged for something not even being used. I wonder how they got the OP's card number in the first place if he never gave it to them?

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