Vodafone to move to online billing

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Topic # 25981 8-Sep-2008 15:17

I see Vodafone New Zealand is moving to an on-line billing approach - with plans to introduce a $1.50 charge if you want to receive a paper bill, from sometime next year.

They recommend you use the self-help service on-line...

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Ultimate Geek

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Reply # 163096 8-Sep-2008 15:38

I am already under this scheme for my home phone and broadband (ihug that evolved into Vodafone), I get emailed a pdf with my bill every month. I guess it is a logical step for mobile connections.

Interestingly enough, I had a pre-recorded call on my VF pre-pay mobile to tell me my home phone and broadband account was overdue - go figure!!

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Reply # 163107 8-Sep-2008 16:25

Wob: I am already under this scheme for my home phone and broadband (ihug that evolved into Vodafone), I get emailed a pdf with my bill every month. I guess it is a logical step for mobile connections.

Interestingly enough, I had a pre-recorded call on my VF pre-pay mobile to tell me my home phone and broadband account was overdue - go figure!!

Not only mobile phones - it's only the yearly bills such as insurance that I get via post nowadays. Makes good sense for customers and businesses, IMHO. They get to save on postage and customers don't have to file bits of paper away (or throw them out).

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Reply # 163119 8-Sep-2008 17:12

It's inevitable. Makes sense for everyone except those submitting business tax returns.

chiefie

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Reply # 163127 8-Sep-2008 17:33

We have home business and using our individual cellphone for portion of our business, so I hope as long as the online billing can reproduce a printout that can be exactly as the paper version, for our tax purpose, then I'm up for it.

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Reply # 163131 8-Sep-2008 17:42

The right way would've been for Vodafone to offer customers who don't want paper bills a $1.50 discount, instead of slapping on a charge for an existing practice. FFS.

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Reply # 163134 8-Sep-2008 17:48

I think that's what the banks do too... remove the charges or reduce the fee if you're opt to be paper-free.

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Reply # 163136 8-Sep-2008 17:58

It's a good idea, but it's a pity they don't seem to want to send my bills to me electronically. I opted for electronic billing a few months ago and received the next couple of bills electronically, then I switched to You Choose and got the next bill in the post, then I tried to switch electronic billing back on but I'm still getting my bills in the post.

If they were also charging me $1.50 for receiving those paper invoices then I would be pretty annoyed right now!

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Reply # 163179 8-Sep-2008 22:30

juha: The right way would've been for Vodafone to offer customers who don't want paper bills a $1.50 discount, instead of slapping on a charge for an existing practice. FFS.

Precisely. If this was planned for correctly then people would already be in the mindset that they're receiving their $1.50 discount for opting to receive their bills via email.

Chiefie, the email version (even online), is more than acceptable for tax returns.

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Reply # 163185 8-Sep-2008 22:44

alasta: It's a good idea, but it's a pity they don't seem to want to send my bills to me electronically. I opted for electronic billing a few months ago and received the next couple of bills electronically, then I switched to You Choose and got the next bill in the post, then I tried to switch electronic billing back on but I'm still getting my bills in the post.

If they were also charging me $1.50 for receiving those paper invoices then I would be pretty annoyed right now!

Ironically enough this would now cost you $1 to get fixed on top of your $1.50/month, assuming you get lucky and get a resolution on your first call to Vodafone customer support :) Adding insult to injury hehe.

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Reply # 163187 8-Sep-2008 22:46

Wasn't it only pre-pay customers that got the $1 charge?

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Reply # 163191 8-Sep-2008 22:56

Let me introduce a situation:

Person only applies for Vodafone home phone. Now let's say that they're part of the non-Internet generation, so don't have Internet access as well. Then they get slapped $1.50 since ages ago for paper bills, which they need to pay off their $40-ish monthly fee (unless they're on direct debit or something)

I have always wondered what the reasoning behind ihug's decision to have us pay $1.50 for paper bills when we first signed up. Sure they explained that they were an "online company", but still... it's heaps!

ihug were pretty inefficient and unenvironmentally friendly when sending their bills... 3 sheets - payment summary, detailed plan summary and fees, phone calls - no double sided printing (to the best of my knowledge)! On the other hand, Telecom had one!

And what about informative letters they send out? Why not get them over the Internet if it will cost $1.50! Surely they must explain that.

So I completely agree with Juha - reward online billing (or no bill at all) rather than punish for paper billing.

(For those who want the announcement, here it is on the Vodafone Forum)

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Reply # 163212 9-Sep-2008 05:51

When I first read this I assumed it would only apply to those with homeline+internet with VF.

Surely Vodafone customers that are homeline only or mobile only would be exempt from paying any such fee?

There are so many scenarios where this is unfair. In todays economic climate there are lots of struggling people and families wanting to save a few $$ move to VF for basic service.

A household falls on hard times and the internet is disconnected by VF for non payment. They previously received online billing but with no internet will they automatically revert to paper bill - oh and just to add salt in the wounds let's charge you for it!

I am sure not all mobile only customers are mobile internet savvy although I dont know if VF online billing system can be accessed via all mobiles but wouldnt the data access to view such a bill exceed $1.50 on casual plans?

My banks, my current phone company, my power company and even my voip toll company dont charge for sending a bill and I can access all those accounts online.

I am getting the sense that VF dont actually want customers below a certain spending threshhold.

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Reply # 163214 9-Sep-2008 06:10

Two Issues i can think of with this. First, is it legal to charge a customer for a tax invoice, surely you are entitled to such documentation under some laws. Perhaps the following tax legislation (MTG) applys to them requiring them to sned one,

Issue of tax invoice
Generally, the supplier issues the tax invoice. A registered person making a supply is to issue a tax invoice whenever the recipient of the supply (who is registered) requests one. The supplier must do so within 28 days of the request. Failure to do so is an absolute liability offence. The supplier (vendor) will be liable to a fine of up to $4,000 for the first offence, $8,000 for the second offence and $12,000 for the third offence. See s 143 of the Tax Administration Act 1994.

As it is illegal to not send one they must still either email you one or in their best powers allow you to receive one.....

Second issue with this, i tried phoning the beloved vodafone CSR in Egypt about a problem, which was to do with my account, however, they said as it hadn't been charged yet they couldn't prevent it from being charged,?'vodafone cannot fix issues?before they actually happen" i wastold i had to phone them back once it had been charged on my bill and when i received it i would need to check it and go over it with the CSR then, typical answer i usually get, "we can't help you". how does this work, will we need to pay $1.50 to vodafone just so we can get a hard copy,in order to fix issues which they are incompetent to fix in the first place,

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Reply # 163221 9-Sep-2008 07:52

Paper bills don't concern me and I have no issues not receiving a bill however the way Vodafone have implimented this is nothing more than a revenue gathering exercise.

The true cost for any company to send out a paper bill is typically somewhere around the $1.50 - $2.00 mark so Vodafone's price isn't the issue, it's the fact they are now saving $1.50 per customer. This move is potentially going to gave Vodafone around $1 million per month in savings and generate $1.50 of extra revenue for every customer. You are saving $1.50 by not sending me a bill. Should I be happy that you're making an extra $1.50 per month out of me?

But I guess they did at least warn us, unlike the new 1 min minimum for all rounding of all inbound roaming calls and then rounding up to the next minute for each consecutive minute which they told nobody about and still make no mention of anywhere.

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Reply # 163227 9-Sep-2008 08:30

scottjpalmer: Wasn't it only pre-pay customers that got the $1 charge?

Correct. Given that PrePay customers are low ARPU I would support Vodafone's decision to implement the $1 charge if it weren't for the enormous number of people complaining that they have incurred this charge despite failures in the self help facilities, or the failure of the CSR to resolve their problem.

I have the same attitude towards the new $1.50 charge for paper bills. At face value it seems reasonable to me but I have a horrible feeling that the implementation of this policy will be plagued with problems affecting even those who do not wish to receive paper bills. I hope that Vodafone can prove me wrong.

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