021 Vodafone -> 021 Telecom call costs woman $50

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sbiddle

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# 16417 9-Oct-2007 15:52

An interesting story in the NZ Herald today with woman calling her friend on 021 and paying $50 for a call she thought was free

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10468741

I'm surprised it's taken to long for the first complaints to make it to the media.

Maybe Paul or somebody else from Vodafone can also detail what happens in the Vodafone billing system when a number that is loaded as a BestMate is ported to Telecom? I heard some speculation that the BestMate isn't automatically removed but the customer will start paying the costs of the call to Telecom. If this is true should Vodafone have measures in place to at least notify people who have BestMate if one of their BestMate numbers is ported off network and to automatically cancel the BestMate?

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Minimalist
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# 90277 9-Oct-2007 16:15

Voda Bestmate FAQs

If your BestMate moves their number to another network, they can no longer be your Vodafone BestMate. We will let you know if your BestMate leaves the Vodafone Network

:-)

johnr

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# 90280 9-Oct-2007 16:51

If you have a Bestmate that ports off net you are advised by SMS that they have ported off net and you need to change your bestmate number!

I would say the Vodafone customer in this article was on Motormouth (on Account) or another plan that included VF to VF calling cause if it was bestmate she would of been advised by SMS.

Could of been on that talker plan

Easy mistake to happen to anyone even if they know about number porting

paradoxsm

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# 90281 9-Oct-2007 16:55

Taking to the commerce commision over $50, what a loser!

Though that T&C is interesting! I ported my "bestmate" to Telecom and never got such a notification though I can assure you, calls were charged and not included any more (I tested 1 minute) which is fair enough.

tonyhughes

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# 90286 9-Oct-2007 17:11

Number porting is what virtually the entire country demanded. Now that its here, of course things like this are going to happen. It is totally NOT Vodafones fault. It is the responsibility of the customer to make sure of who they are calling.

She should pay her phone bill and learn her lesson.

sbiddle

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# 90287 9-Oct-2007 17:16

If she is on Motormouth she has a very good case against Vodafone and I hope the Comcom does do something.

Motormouth was clearly marketed as offering cheap calls to 021/029 numbers. Vodafone needed to clearly point out to Motormouth customers that a T&C change was taking place. Changing your billing system and changing the details on the website isn't enough, Vodafone's own T&C's clealy say that

If we change a Pricing Plan for the elements of the Service you are
using or change the terms and conditions of this Agreement to your
significant disadvantage (in our reasonable opinion) we will give you
at least 14 days prior notice. We will notify you by leaving a message
on your voicemail and/or by text.

Vodafone did not advise Motormouth customers that calls to 021 or 029 numbers that were ported would no longer be included on their plan and it was something I made many posts about at the time.

Vodafone just can't get it into their heads that portability has arrived and to this day still all customers who have TXT2000 if you dial the 777 IVR that they have "xxx included 021 or 029 TXT's". This is blatently incorrect and misleading. When is somebody at the company finally going to take responsiblity for the shear incompetence that has surrounded the whole portability project? It's not like the changeover occured yesterday..

cranz

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# 90292 9-Oct-2007 17:26

sbiddle: Vodafone needed to clearly point out to Motormouth customers that a T&C change was taking place. Changing your billing system and changing the details on the website isn't enough, Vodafone's own T&C's clealy say that

Actually, the first invoice to customers sent after number portability was introduced had a blurb

As of April 2007 Number Portability was introduced to the Telecommunications industry. This means you can take your exsisting number to another network. Numbers prefixed 021, 029 or 027 no longer reliably indicate the network a number is on. Charging may be affected as your plan's rates can depend on the network you call. For more info visit vodafone.co.nz/portability or call 777. To check the network of the number you're calling free TXT the 'number' to 300.

So if she reads her bills she would have known that 021 is no longer just Vodafone

Aloha

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# 90294 9-Oct-2007 17:32

How can THIS be a headline in the Herald? $50? They had nothing else to write about?

When NZ had no number portability everybody was beating every Telco's head for it.
Now you have it it's mainly your responsibility to make sure who do you call. Of course there are issues, but you can't blame the Telco in this case!

And why her friend didnt inform her "by the way do you know that I am not on Voda any more?" After 30 minutes talk maybe or in the first few minutes. Cut shorter ladies. :)

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

freitasm

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# 90295 9-Oct-2007 17:38

Slow news day for NZ Herald today...

My technology disclosure | Digital Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Data Insights, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics

Fossie

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# 90296 9-Oct-2007 17:44

It seems that there were no G class celebs caught doing anything then...

If they didn't get the warning, then fair enough, they should get it back. But if they received the message and were to stupid to comprehend its meaning, then get over it.

Zimsar10

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# 90299 9-Oct-2007 17:57

What a joke. This woman is responsible for ensuring the person she calls is on net. Telecom and Vodafone customers can find out which network someone belonged to by texting their number to 300.

Why didn't her friend inform her of the change & how is it unreasonable to expect her to do so? Isaac Davison at NZ Herald is obviously really desperate for news articles & this really doesn't rate a mention, honestly.

paradoxsm

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# 90318 9-Oct-2007 19:57

$10 I could understand but after $50 worth (35 minutes of yakking at least) she should have either been told by her friend or noticed the (lack of) voice quality of CDMA on the other end..

I want to phone her myself and tell her to buy a brain with the other $50

There might be a genuine customer out there whom was disavantaged but this is just "we need to fill up a space in the paper with one of the backup stories today"

I notified Vodafone's legal department about a few things in the T&C in good faith (rather than taking them to court like some losers do) a couple of weeks ago but they did not overly concerned. (I got no call back and the wording was not amended)

The clause "in our reasonable opinion" would probably get Vodafone off the hook legally though.

It was sure an entertainingly dumb story though, should have been in sideswipe.

alasta

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# 90329 9-Oct-2007 20:34

Whilst I think that the complainant should cough up and admit that she wasn't on the ball, this case does highlight the risks associated with plans that offer cheap on-network calling.

As far as I'm concerned a particular individual's choice of telco is a personal choice and it's not something that I make a habit of discussing with friends and family members in day-to-day conversation so I wouldn't necessarily expect to be informed if any of my contacts did port their number to another carrier. This significantly devalues on-network calling deals in my mind as it would require me to go through the hassle of performing a check before making any call that I believe to be on-network.

sbiddle

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# 90346 9-Oct-2007 21:18

And it's not just Vodafone who are having problems. After reading this thread another good source of mine has informed me Telecom have had a handful of businesstime customers complaining as well because they have been charged per minute for calls to 027 numbers rather than the $1 capped call they expect to be paying.

Aloha

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# 90347 9-Oct-2007 21:21

Poor lady they even put her picture in the newspaper! Now people can laugh if they see her.

This is not a first time I read something like this in the Herald. The big news!! On the 2nd or 3rd page with a picture!
Do you have a special English phrase describing this "when there is nothing to write about in the media"? Layoff or silly season?
In my language if I translate the words it's called : cucumber season

Dont ask me why.

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

tonyhughes

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# 90376 9-Oct-2007 23:41

Aloha: Do you have a special English phrase describing this "when there is nothing to write about in the media"? Layoff or silly season?

"Slow news day"

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