Vodafone 'free texting' billed for

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone 'free texting' billed for

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

mikman

51 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#45590 7-Sep-2006 00:12

Yep - you've got it in one.

I don't think anyone is saying that a customer shouldn't pay if they are stupid enough to think a hoax is real. In a normal case they would run their balance to zero, realise they had been had and slope off quietly.

The problem in this case is that customers would have had evidence that this wasn't, in fact, a hoax. While the real time billing wasn't working then customers could realistically think that texting was free.

Having a billing system that works is part of the deal if you're going to sell a service like telecommunications. Retrospectively charging a prepaid customer who would normally expect to have service suspended when they hit a zero balance is not only unethical in my mind, its also really crappy customer service. Especially when you think that VF's real losses will be a small portion of the actual revenue collected from customers.

This isn't the VF who championed the customer - its a faceless corporation who doesn't value their customers. Anytime you have to refer your customers back to the detailed T's and C's then you're just looking to protect your own interests. They will pay the appropriate price

simon14

1889 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#45613 7-Sep-2006 12:14

nzbnw:
simon_nz90: Simple anwser my friend, by being charged for a service they thought was free. - thats how!

*simon_nz90*, just excuse me while I go off on a tangent, and I apologise in advance no offence is meant, in any form.

***TANGENT***
Everyone, Vodafone are offering free calls!! Call any one any where and Vodafone won’t charge you, txt's are half price to Telecom and only 5cents to Vodafone numbers during weekdays!! *** END TANGENT***

Now back to topic, hypothetically you are saying Simon, that for every hoax that is distributed, Vodafone should honour it. I highly doubt the will honour the above.

People need to wake up and smell the coffee, unless the Telco says it; don’t believe it, because you will have nothing to fall back on. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...

One, this wasn't just a hoax text, it was a hoax text while the network was down - so that point you raised isn't valid.

Two, the hoax wasn't as radical as "free calls to any number". It was free texting, which is currently a promotion on the weekend. There are no promotions, nor has there even been any promotions, stating free calling - so that point you raised isn't valid either.

Your missing the point im making, im saying, regardless of a hoax or not or if the system is down, Vodafone shouldn't be able to charge PREPAY users if they have no credit. The hoax text and system failor really has nothing to do with it.

simon14

1889 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#45614 7-Sep-2006 12:18

bradstewart: If people believe the hoax texts and waste a lot of credit texting each other thinking its free then thats their fault and should pay for it!

What i think really sucks is people running out of credit and then finding they can still use services like texting etc and then getting charged for it next time they top up. Prepaid users have a reasonable expectation that when they run out of credit they will not be able to use those services. If Vodafones billing system breaks down and lets people keep using those services then it is not the fault of the customer.

Most of the time prepaid customers are unaware when they have run out of credit so if something is messed up then they will keep texting as they think they still have credit. To charge them for that is unfair. You cannot retroactively charge PRE-paid customers for a glitch in the system which allows people to keep using services they expect to be shut off as soon as they are out of credit.

Vodafone should take the hit on this one and sort out their system.

That is exactly my point. Summed it up nicely.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79250 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#45682 9-Sep-2006 09:17

nzbnw: Why? Vodafone never said they where offering free txt, and from time to time real time billing doesn’t always occur. If you silly enough to believe the hoax txt and take advantage of that, then you should pay.

In regard to paying, the best thing to-do, if its possible I'm not sure, is for Vodafone to issue an IOU of the amount owing, then they can ensure a proportion of users will make payment.

I'm with Vodafone on this one.
And just a side note, if the 'txt' was from Vodafone, don’t they usually tell customers to call a 3 digit number for more information?

Here's an example of a promotion that I can't find more information about anywhere on Vodafone's website... Apparently you can get a pair of free high quality headphones if you are one of the first 1000 Nokia 6234 buyers: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=9333

taniwha

961 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#45707 9-Sep-2006 13:25

/me lols at the phrase "computer glitch"...
i gotta use that.

Torque

379 posts

Ultimate Geek

#45711 9-Sep-2006 13:58

freitasm:

Here's an example of a promotion that I can't find more information about anywhere on Vodafone's website... Apparently you can get a pair of free high quality headphones if you are one of the first 1000 Nokia 6234 buyers: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=9333

Just to clarify - you have to be in the first 1000 to txt their IMEI number in. [I.e, you don't automatically get headphones just for buying a new 6234]

bradstewart

4335 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#45712 9-Sep-2006 14:01

Any posts about the Nokia offer should be made in this thread

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

nzbnw

2374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#45748 9-Sep-2006 23:13

freitasm:
Here's an example of a promotion that I can't find more information about anywhere on Vodafone's website... Apparently you can get a pair of free high quality headphones if you are one of the first 1000 Nokia 6234 buyers: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=9333

Some interesting points have come out of this post, and I would have to say I now agree with multiple posters that’s people who have run out of credit, and could keep txting should not be charged, due to the idea behind prepay, as this is not their fault. Those who have credit how ever I still believe should pay up.

@ freitasm, I think you all have established that this is a Nokia promo, and not a Vodafone promo. Cavet Emptor.

@ bradstewart, sorry for my reply about this promo, I just wanted my right of reply (of course it’s not really a right, but more of a figure of speech).

nzbnw

bradstewart

4335 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#45749 9-Sep-2006 23:18

Since you agreed with my point there will be no retribution.....

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79250 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#45760 10-Sep-2006 11:09

nzbnw:
freitasm:
Here's an example of a promotion that I can't find more information about anywhere on Vodafone's website... Apparently you can get a pair of free high quality headphones if you are one of the first 1000 Nokia 6234 buyers: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=9333

@ freitasm, I think you all have established that this is a Nokia promo, and not a Vodafone promo. Cavet Emptor.

Some posted here in this thread that if you receive a SMS with a "promotion" you should check the Vodafone website. I posted about this Nokia promotion because the OP in the other thread saw the information on a store and posted here. This is the same principle as seeing the information on a store and sending a SMS. It's viral.

The difference is that posting here people will check the site and try to find the accuracy of the promotion (as we did), while sending SMS will only make more people want to use it, without verifying the information. That's what happened on that Friday, and we all agree that there's not much Vodafone can do, otherwise than educate users to always check with Vodafone before using "promotions".

And it seems we also agreed that since this was a glitch in Vodafone's billing, the company should have taken action sooner to let users know of a problem, or simply let it go, since they can't now identify who sent SMS taking advantage of the glitch kwnoing it wasn't really free, or by believing it was free, or simply normal use.

Anyway I think this thread did it course, and should now be allowed to sleep...

Super

28 posts

Geek
Inactive user

#47604 5-Oct-2006 02:12

As 'one of those teens' I have been exploiting vodafone for over 3 years and i have never been charged for the exploits. I once called vodafone skiting about my ability to get free wap, they told me i was part of a group who would not be charged! I have realy good memories of my alcatel 735... my SE Z6OO...i used the vodafone mail exploit to free txt on my Z600 using vodafone live...but i'm with vodafone on this one, if you are dumb enough to think chain txts are real, go buy a Telecom n00b.

bradstewart

4335 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#47637 5-Oct-2006 12:28

Super: you are dumb enough to think chain txts are real, go buy a Telecom n00b.

Are you implying that all n00bs should be on Telecom or that Telecom customers are n00bs?

Super

28 posts

Geek
Inactive user

#47641 5-Oct-2006 12:56

I actualy ran out of room while making that comment, I did it on my PSP, and I ment to add more. Telecom has $10txt, and if you own a telecom mobile and are a teen(with friends) you are constanlty bombarded with Stupid chain Txts messages like "Send this Message to XXFriends and you will receive XXCredit from Telecom", and also I would Mention the Nokia 2280 which is the phone used by most of the teens that foward and create those stupid chain messages, of course this is never true and they end up just wasting alot of their allocated txt messages, they are 'n00bs'. I can't believe how many people believe these messeges, how dumb can you be? This whole situation comes down to Stupid misguided people who think these messages must be true because their mate sent it to them. Ok Vodafone had an error and they could not charge people for Txt messaging, it happens more than you would think, and in the end they Fix it all up so you were charged as normal for that time that Vodafone was down, so what? If they had cared to call 777 and there would have been no pre-call-connection advertisement, they would have had to do this to confirm that they were not being charged(unless they sent Bal to 777 which not many people know about), Then they would have placed a call to customer services if they actualy had been smart enough and would have found out they would be eventualy charged, but most didn't and now they complain? Well That's their fault not vodafone's.

If your friend calls you and tells you that they got a call from their other friend telling them that The Warehouse was having a Afterhours "Everything Free Event" would you question your friend as your taking a handful of cd's as to why there was no lights on and the doors were open at 1am in the morning with no staff?

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79250 posts

Uber Geek

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#47644 5-Oct-2006 13:07

Super: If your friend calls you and tells you that they got a call from their other friend telling them that The Warehouse was having a Afterhours "Everything Free Event" would you question your friend as your taking a handful of cd's as to why there was no lights on and the doors were open at 1am in the morning with no staff?

Now, now. What kind of example is this? It's obvious that you would question it straight away. In the SMS case I think people just don't realise the "door is open" by mistake.

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#48309 11-Oct-2006 15:15

my brother falls for that but when he tells me that its free texting I just dont text because I know that its really not free texting and I dont wanna be billed for something that I know aint true like thinking its free texting when it aint do ya get what I mean? well yeah and he thinks oh yep it is free texting so I dont tell him that its not actually free texting and he doesn't learn from the past when it was the so called free texting and besides Vodafone would of advertised about free texting on any other day so I I just dont bother texting people unless I know for a fact that it is really free to text or if I need to text someone.

P.S when they brought out the $2.00 IOU promotion they were on the news and I remember them saying that like because the reporters asked the spokesperson what happens if they can't top up their phone then the spokesperson responds:
"If they do not repay the $2.00 IOU then they can sew the person that owes the money" so what I think is, if someone doesn't repay the money then they will be taken to court because if they have been informed then the customer should repay the money otherwise around the corner they will have to go to court.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4