No direct email contact, erratic billing; overcharge $350

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › No direct email contact, erratic billing; overcharge $350

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#191065 22-Jan-2016 08:52

Have been a VF customer for years. Due to bad service over a year ago they made me a special offer which was a contractual commitment with no end date. When my years contract ended, VF tutued the contract and overcharged me by $312.48 which after a battle got reversed. They then promised to continue what was an agreement anyway in writing, and still continue to stuff up the billing and I cant easily get through apart from the phone where you have to wait for ages for a support member from Philippines to answer. There is an email web interface which is convoluted and does not seem to work reliably.

The only reason I can figure email is so hard to use for Vodafone (and some other Telecos) is that email provides a paper trail in case of TDR disputes later, whereas a telephone call is useful for the recorder only.

If anyone from VF reads this thread, I suggest you have some major problems in your billing department. Definitely, you have problems with communication. Due to this, its caused me several hours of wasted time trying to sort out; its like talking to a bunch of kids who have no idea of what they have done and what they need to do. They give the impression they understand and will sort out then its back to playschool again.

Im not sure if the other Telecos are as erratic as VF, I would hope not!

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840 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#1476552 22-Jan-2016 09:10

If you private message me your account number discount details I can ask a colleague to look into it for you.

Talkiet

4793 posts

Uber Geek

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#1476566 22-Jan-2016 09:17

Sounds like this is all caused because you have a one-off cheaper than anyone else deal, right? One that doesn't match any of their standard products and one that none of their front line staff would know about?

Unfortunately it's understandable why these sorts of problems would occur in this case... WHile it would definitely be nice if everything was perfect, if the above is in fact the case I have sympathy for VF here.

(But I'm sure Dylan will help you get it sorted)

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1476576 22-Jan-2016 09:33

Talkiet:

Sounds like this is all caused because you have a one-off cheaper than anyone else deal, right? One that doesn't match any of their standard products and one that none of their front line staff would know about?

I figured that was a possibility so patiently spent a lot of time with VF showing them their written contract and getting nowhere.

EG VF attitude: 'its different, we dont want to know about it, here is what you will get and dont mind that we have a contract with you.'

I dont care about billing details my contract is a fixed price for unlimited broadband and call NZ free so that should be easy, but they cant seem to get it.

I wait with hope that eventually they will get it right!

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1476594 22-Jan-2016 09:55

A offer would be loaded and would have to have an end date and by default generally it's 12 months, This is how the offers are built for fixed line due to 12 month terms

timmmay

20581 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1476606 22-Jan-2016 10:02

If you're really unhappy move providers, there are plenty around.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1476608 22-Jan-2016 10:04

johnr: A offer would be loaded and would have to have an end date and by default generally it's 12 months, This is how the offers are built for fixed line due to 12 month terms

As mentioned earlier one part had no end date, and the other part 24 month end date which ends Dec this year.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1476612 22-Jan-2016 10:07

timmmay:

If you're really unhappy move providers, there are plenty around.

Not where I live we cant get Flip and a few others, but I am hoping that VF will sort this out once and for all anyway.

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Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1476617 22-Jan-2016 10:22

Without knowing the back story its hard to assume why you have special pricing.

When i was employed there i never saw an indefinite pricing structure for a special deal.
Usually they all end in 6-12 months.

The market is so competitive its uneconomical to indefinitely provide a discount, Usually resulting in a loss for that account.
I personally wouldn't expect the company to do that.

Anyhow you say you got it in writing that the discount is indefinite.

Good luck.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1476618 22-Jan-2016 10:22

ageorge:
johnr: A offer would be loaded and would have to have an end date and by default generally it's 12 months, This is how the offers are built for fixed line due to 12 month terms

As mentioned earlier one part had no end date, and the other part 24 month end date which ends Dec this year.

I am talking about the packages and how they are built into the Vodafone billing systems, Every package / offer has to have an end date

Talkiet

4793 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1476619 22-Jan-2016 10:24

I guess VF would also be perfectly entitled to waive any possible termination fees in this case. That might be the easiest for all parties if they are having trouble maintaining what's clearly a non standard deal and the customer is unhappy with their service.

Perhaps ask VF if they would consider this?

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1476641 22-Jan-2016 10:46

Hi there are no early termination fees/No contract term but as mentioned I would simply like to get a billing issue sorted, I am a customer who has been overcharged several times, and if I wasn't careful would have been down several hundred $ yet everyone seems to be defending VF.

I can move providers to say Slingshot, but whats to say Slingshot is any better? Shifting providers can be problematical too.

If this thread helps get VF to improve their billing system/email support then its achieved something.

Thanks for feedback,

Alistair.

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1476660 22-Jan-2016 11:01

Their billing systems functions well and runs smoothly.

The only issue is when people get special deals loaded or pack adjustments it can cause these sorts of issues. Which your experiencing.

I dont think people are trying to defends Vodafone, not that it needs defending. Id say its just making it clear before someone comes in and gets a soapboax and stands on it.

What sort of issues were you having, What was the poor service?
It would take something pretty out of the ordinary for someone to offer such?

gregmcc

2147 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1476662 22-Jan-2016 11:03

As a VF customer I know that their customer service is very poor, what they say and what they do are usually 2 very different things.

I have found that asking nicely while gets a good response from VF and promises to fix, it is very rare when they actually follow thru with what they say.

Best way to get things fixed, send a message via the contact us on their web site, state facts of the agreement and what is been billed wrong, give them a reasonable date to have it rectified by (say by the next billing cycle) and tell them if it's not you will be going to the TDR to sort it. And here is the important bit, if they fail to sort it out actually follow thru with the TDR, It seems VF are quite well motivated by the TDR to sort things out.

tripper1000

1617 posts

Uber Geek

#1476676 22-Jan-2016 11:15

Yeah, the foreign staff can be extremely difficult to communicate with when there is a billing glitch with standard plans - I can only imagine the nightmare with a special case like yours.

No doubt Dylan will get it sorted for you. Once you get in contact with NZ staff, things tend to go a lot easier.

Previously I've also been massively overcharged and had exactly the same trouble dealing with the foreign staff, but on a standard, unmodified plan (They seem to understand, but nothing gets fixed).

It took 10 or 12 calls to solve the entire issue, and they did credit me free minutes to apologise, but my fear of disrupting my phone accounts was gone and I switched companies when a better deal came up.

ageorge

626 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1476830 22-Jan-2016 13:57

gregmcc:

Best way to get things fixed, send a message via the contact us on their web site, state facts of the agreement and what is been billed wrong, give them a reasonable date to have it rectified by (say by the next billing cycle) and tell them if it's not you will be going to the TDR to sort it. And here is the important bit, if they fail to sort it out actually follow thru with the TDR, It seems VF are quite well motivated by the TDR to sort things out.

Been there done that with the original issue a year ago which was unreliable data metering, causing excessive costs to some customers, and their refusal to rectify the metering system until TDR came involved.

This problem is much easier being billing but its interesting that the billing is regularly wrong.

One thing which seems consistent is that whenever there is any financial error, its in the favour of the supplier

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