Vodafone now charging extra to pay bill online

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone now charging extra to pay bill online

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#1005390 14-Mar-2014 09:50

Re chat and call times - we are investigating this. We do already have proactive chat, which pops up in some areas of the website plus I am working on better integration between the Vodafone Community, which has Ninjas to help with questions, the Help web pages and the FAQs - very much focused on helping folks help themselves.

sbowness

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#1005391 14-Mar-2014 09:51

johnr:
sbowness:
MikeHales: The fee is charged by Air NZ, Telecom and others but set up a variable credit card automatic payment and no fee applies.

Just because other companies (who are also under the gun; probably not the best examples to cite) do it does not mean that it is the right thing to do. For a company that makes millions in pure profit (not what gets put back into the business), I think this is penny pinching.

Just another reason to look elsewhere.

And what compensation do we get for having to wait 20-30-40 minutes every time we need a problem resolved?

Pure profit! Come on 3G / 4G mobile networks vendors are not upgrading mobile networks for free and then R&D

Last time I checked mobile spectrum for the 700Mhz was not free either

Isn't that why we pay comparatively higher prices on average for mobile data?

Are you saying that the 'convenience' fee (and looking at Westpac's charges they are generally nowhere near 2%) is cross-subsidising Vodafone's infrastructure costs?

And what about the wait times when calling Customer Service?

Geektastic

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#1005392 14-Mar-2014 09:52

MikeHales: Re chat and call times - we are investigating this. We do already have proactive chat, which pops up in some areas of the website plus I am working on better integration between the Vodafone Community, which has Ninjas to help with questions, the Help web pages and the FAQs - very much focused on helping folks help themselves.

Yes, I'm sure it saves a lot if we help ourselves...! ;-)

MikeHales

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#1005401 14-Mar-2014 10:08

A couple of points I wanted to pick up on.

1. Encouraging self-service: Certainly are doing that. Facebook app, free My Vodafone app, quickpay pages online; kiosks in store for top up, revamped help section online, interactive guides for devices, mobile website and so on. Plenty there and a lot driven by feedback from customers. And I welcome any and all feedback how we can make these things better or more things we could do.

2. Call waiting times. An absolute priority but again we've linked in the self-help services to give you options when you do call, for On Account and Broadband customers we offer a call back service so you don't have to wait, as mentioned there is the Vodafone Community. We're customers as well as employees so you can be sure we're doing everything to continuously improve the service and also offer viable alternatives to calling.

Re costs and profits, we are a business but we do whenever possible we plough more value back into our products and services. The free self-service stuff mentioned above, increases in broadband data for plans (and free modem and installation btw), discounts when you have a mobile and broadband with us, discounts on handsets, discounts on mobile and linked mobile broadband plans, exclusive SKY discounts when you have broadband and last but most importantly the fastest and best set of networks in NZ - first on 4G, more on 4G, Dual Carrier 3G, cable, fibre, VDSL etc.

Re the fee, as mentioned, pay by automatic payment = no fee.

Jaxar

383 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1005402 14-Mar-2014 10:10

sbiddle:
Jaxar:Why not make the support number 0900 as well it costs VF to have people answering calls. It is only fair that they pass this on?

They tried this a few years ago when they charged $1 for a call.

I know and yet the average cost of a call to VF is a fair bit higher than $1. It astounds me so many people are ok with this cost being passed on yet there was such large negative reaction to the $1 fee which was only charged on prepay calls.

I also can imagine the CSR calls now to a person who is close to running late paying their bill. "You can pay now by credit card and avoid the late payment fee. Oh but you will be charged a fee to pay."

Don't get me wrong I have little sympathy for the average case of not paying your bill online but I do have sympathy for the poor CSR who has to have that conversation.

Please note: I have a professional bias towards Vodafone.

MikeHales

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#1005403 14-Mar-2014 10:11

[Yes, I'm sure it saves a lot if we help ourselves...! ;-)]

More about giving you control and a better experience overall.

Coil

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#1005408 14-Mar-2014 10:15

MikeHales: [Yes, I'm sure it saves a lot if we help ourselves...! ;-)]

More about giving you control and a better experience overall.

So direct credits off of a card will not charge you? Only one off?

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MikeHales

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#1005409 14-Mar-2014 10:16

Correct, only one-offs

MikeB4

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#1005414 14-Mar-2014 10:29

I find paying everything from my PC so easy, I transfer all the details to my accounts and there is always a readily available record of my payment. No queuing, no hassles, no petrol no parking fees to make the payments. All that I am willing to pay a reasonable fee for. However most of the fees
are avoidable, I make most of my payments electronically and don't pay any fees except any bank fees which again are minimal.

NzBeagle

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#1005415 14-Mar-2014 10:35

Initially I was a bit annoyed about this, but then I set up VF for Bill Payments, and it is actually probably easier. I guess it's a cost for VF, as is providing a network which i'm already paying for, so why not pass it on. At least there is still a method I can use for no cost which is relatively easy, if not easier, if this wasn't the case I'd probably be a bit unhappy.

sdav

846 posts

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#1005418 14-Mar-2014 10:43

The reason I had the type of CC I did was for the rewards points. For every company that charges 2% it makes that scheme pointless. For a while I was actually getting a minor tangible benefit but on two recent occasions I've gone to make a decent CC payment where the rewards would have been significant, but on both occasions the 2% fee outweighs any rewards points I would have got.

When my wife and I replace our cards this year we will be doing something else as it is pointless now. CC was convenient but now everyone is clipping the ticket (more than once on occasions).

IMO don't bother offering CC as a means of payment if you are going to lump the 2% on. Most people are already paying interest on that payment to make that payment to you in the first place! Knock 'em when they are down!

crazed

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#1005458 14-Mar-2014 11:22

If there is no "Extra Fee's" Ringing up a CSR or such, why is the fee warranted on a Self-Service option, when its the customer that does the work.

I quite often use the pay by creditcard option via the website to pay the bill. If your going to start charging me fee's to use that option, then I will pay via other means. Really sick of extra charges that get placed on creditcards and self-service options.

Also if I'm paying for added extra's via extra fee's I would like a refund thank you, I use your landline, and DSL that's it, I have no interest in your mobile offerings or toll plans, bundles etc etc.

CraZeD,
Your friendly Southern Geeky Fellow :P

old3eyes

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#1005464 14-Mar-2014 11:28

crazed: If there is no "Extra Fee's" Ringing up a CSR or such, why is the fee warranted on a Self-Service option, when its the customer that does the work.

I quite often use the pay by creditcard option via the website to pay the bill. If your going to start charging me fee's to use that option, then I will pay via other means. Really sick of extra charges that get placed on creditcards and self-service options.

Also if I'm paying for added extra's via extra fee's I would like a refund thank you, I use your landline, and DSL that's it, I have no interest in your mobile offerings or toll plans, bundles etc etc.

The problem is that when the "other means" become as popular as credit card payments watch the fees go on that as well. An automatic transaction fee.

Regards,

Old3eyes

garbonzai

315 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1005467 14-Mar-2014 11:36

From Consumer web site->

http://www.consumer.org.nz/reports/credit-cards/credit-card-tips

"Card payment surcharges

Consumers who pay by cash are effectively subsidising credit-card users. Stores pay a fee to the credit-card company whenever they accept a credit-card payment, but they charge the same price to all customers regardless of the payment method used.

Businesses can now add a surcharge for those paying by credit card. But the surcharge shouldn’t be any higher than what the retailer pays to the credit-card company. And the basic price for a product should be reduced when a retailer introduces a surcharge on credit-card payments."

Oh well, I will enjoy an exercise walk to the post office and pay it there, does make me think less of a company when they do this though.

Kyanar

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#1005475 14-Mar-2014 11:49

sbowness:
Isn't that why we pay comparatively higher prices on average for mobile data?

Are you saying that the 'convenience' fee (and looking at Westpac's charges they are generally nowhere near 2%) is cross-subsidising Vodafone's infrastructure costs?

And what about the wait times when calling Customer Service?

Er, are you using the Interchange fee as your reference? If so, that's a mistake - the acquiring bank charges a margin on that as well, usually another 1% (this calculation method is called "interchange plus" - however most companies are paying Blended rate where they simply get told "all transactions are x%"). Chances are, they are paying about 1.5%. If they're paying any more than that at their volumes, then they have gone to precisely zero effort to minimise the cost to their customers, because 2.2% is what any two-bit operation who meets the criteria can get from Westpac, and at Vodafone (or, I don't know, PB Tech!) volumes, they should be able to get at worst 1.5% for Card Not Present (and 1% at worst for Card Present - looking at you, 2.5% at PB Tech!)

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