Vodafone door-to-door shakedown of vulnerable elderly in Otaki

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › Vodafone door-to-door shakedown of vulnerable elderly in Otaki

tonysutorius

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#249025 20-Apr-2019 15:27

Happy Easter everyone,

Vodafone are operating a door-to-door hardsell operation in Otaki, targeting elderly users, pressuring them into buying expensive packages they don't want, can't understand, and in some cases couldn't possibly use.

My father-in-law law was pressured to signing up for a more than $200/month fibre+Sky package, even though fibre can't be installed in his cul-de-sac due to a neighbour's objections. He was blythly convinced "we don't worry about that now" and arm-twisted into signing up without the price being disclosed (it appears significantly above the odds).

His 85 year old next door neighbour was shaken down into signing the same thing, and doesn't even own a computer (!).

The Vodafone store then wouldn't engage at all, either in this specific case or the general issue, literally saying "it's not my department" and shrugging.

What's the deal Vodafone? This is hardly responsible corporate citizenship. What are you playing at?

Tony

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#2221529 20-Apr-2019 15:33

They are covered by the door to door sales act and the cooling off period

So just cancel the contract

RunningMan

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#2221530 20-Apr-2019 15:34

Should have 5 working days to cancel if you get on to it.

https://comcom.govt.nz/consumers/dealing-with-typical-situations/mobile-traders-and-door-to-door-sales/door-to-door-and-telemarketing-sales

EDIT: That's 5 days after getting a written agreement. No written agreement, cancel any time.

freitasm

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#2221579 20-Apr-2019 22:49

Call Vodafone and ask for cancellations. Your father-in-law may have to do it since you probably doesn't have authority on account.

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psychrn

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#2221585 20-Apr-2019 23:44

are we sure they are bona fide VF agents. This sound highly unethical even for a mainstream telco to be operating in this way. Thats my initial thoughts on this one. Ie scammers??

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mattwnz

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#2221589 21-Apr-2019 01:19

psychrn:

are we sure they are bona fide VF agents.

Maybe they outsource it to a company who specializes in this form of marketing.I know there are well known big power companies that do door-knocking. Obviously companies find it effective otherwise they wouldn't do it.

k1w1k1d

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#2221642 21-Apr-2019 11:38

Suggest that you get a couple of "Do Not Knock" stickers for your father in law. Put one on the mailbox and the other on the front door. There are hefty fines for salespeople that ignore them.

They are available free from your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

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chevrolux

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#2221695 21-Apr-2019 12:22

psychrn:

are we sure they are bona fide VF agents. This sound highly unethical even for a mainstream telco to be operating in this way. Thats my initial thoughts on this one. Ie scammers??

Lol.... you saw what just happened to Spark right?

I wouldn't put it past any telco these days to be honest. Especially because the door to door stuff often gets subbed out to third party agencies who don't care about anything except meeting KPI's.

mattwnz

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#2221762 21-Apr-2019 15:40

k1w1k1d:

Suggest that you get a couple of "Do Not Knock" stickers for your father in law. Put one on the mailbox and the other on the front door. There are hefty fines for salespeople that ignore them.

They are available free from your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Are there really fines? I had a door knocker from a power company I think it was last week, and had the consumer do not knock signs on my door. I showed them the sign and they promptly left.

nathan

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#2221777 21-Apr-2019 18:20

Someone should let Age Concern NZ know

Imagine how these reports here from us young whipper snappers, is just the tip of the iceberg

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#2221783 21-Apr-2019 18:27

@tonysutorius Hello anyone home?

What have you decided to do?

hio77

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#2221784 21-Apr-2019 18:28

chevrolux:

psychrn:

are we sure they are bona fide VF agents. This sound highly unethical even for a mainstream telco to be operating in this way. Thats my initial thoughts on this one. Ie scammers??

Lol.... you saw what just happened to Spark right?

I wouldn't put it past any telco these days to be honest. Especially because the door to door stuff often gets subbed out to third party agencies who don't care about anything except meeting KPI's.

Our door to door team is internal. i do agree when it's subbed out, there is always going to be misalignment in values.

They are actually a little less about sales these days and more the full service.

eg, the area they are currently working they are fully supporting the installation of the product.

I'm not a fan of door to door folk, but i do have to admit the service including onsite installation goes a long way to being favoriable.

Since these changes, I've personally not heard of any issues from the actions of that team. they have infact picked up on a usecase where certain end user equipment did not work well with the phones supplied. a simple setting change resolves the issue, but it was that in the field feedback that identified it. (i can guarantee if this didnt happen there would be tons of cancellations or complaints)

That changes what could be a negative experience with a new product, instantly to an actual positive experience.

The door to door experience i will never agree with is where a service that is not required is sold, or a service is way upsold (the family my partner lives with was sold on a 1000/500 plan. They use 2.4ghz wifi.. from a supplied modem that works as well as a potato.)

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k1w1k1d

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#2221785 21-Apr-2019 18:30

OOPS!, just checked and see that the government has changed the rules, but the fines don't start till 2020.

tonysutorius

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#2221801 21-Apr-2019 18:52

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

My father in law was left feeling conned and quite distressed by this interaction, as I explained. He asked my partner to attempt to resolve it on his behalf and, after no interest in engaging from their retail store, she has now reached the correct department by phone, and cancelled the order. As you suggested it was within five days.

To be honest our concern isn't about our ability to handle this on his behalf... we are both quite senior managers... but rather for the perhaps numerous other victims of this pressure selling who do not have support of this nature. People like his next door neighbour, clearly bamboozled into paying a great deal of his disposable income on a service he can't possibly use.

Vodafone should not be behaving like this This seems like a good place to be heard by caring individuals within this rather faceless organisation, so thank you again for your attention, and I sincerely hope someone within Vodafone will escalate this appropriately internally, as an urgent matter of corporate ethical failure.

Tony