Vodafone bill when I don't have an active Vodafone account (recurring)

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › Vodafone bill when I don't have an active Vodafone account (recurring)

timmmay

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#293439 21-Jan-2022 08:44

Yesterday I got a bill from Vodafone, which was surprising since I don't use Vodafone for any services. It looks like it references an 0800 number for a business I had that closed 5 years ago, and from memory I moved the 0800 number from Vodafone to another provider a while before that.

The invoice was for "paper invoice charge". There's nothing else on the bill, so the entire bill was a paper invoice charge. It's a bit curious that after 5+ years Vodafone want to charge me for that!

Vodafone customer service answer the phone fairly quickly and told me they'd make sure everything was closed and the bill cancelled, so I'm happy with that. I'm just interested if anyone else has had anything similar happen.

freitasm

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#2854501 21-Jan-2022 09:37

That's actually hilarious. Print an invoice for no services but charge to print the invoice.

Brilliant.

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timmmay

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#2854504 21-Jan-2022 09:45

I did think there was a weird circular dependency thing going on there. Maybe they just decided to start charging for printing invoices, or for some reason moved my old account onto printed invoices whereas previously I think they were digital. It's all a bit odd.

quickymart

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#2854514 21-Jan-2022 10:22

timmmay:

Vodafone customer service answer the phone fairly quickly and told me they'd make sure everything was closed and the bill cancelled...

I would get that in writing. Seriously. Too many stories on here of being told one thing by customer services, yet nothing is actually done.

Case(s) in point:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=283852

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=272692

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=40&topicid=265703

timmmay

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#2854516 21-Jan-2022 10:28

I'm comfortable taking Vodafone to disputes tribunal if they turn into a pain in the ass, but so far customer service has been good. If I get another bill I'll call up and ask it to be done again and get written confirmation.

Senecio

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#2854519 21-Jan-2022 10:31

I think you should send them an invoice to cover your time in dealing with this. You could just list "responding to paper invoice" as a line item on the invoice.

timmmay

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#2854526 21-Jan-2022 11:07

Senecio:

I think you should send them an invoice to cover your time in dealing with this. You could just list "responding to paper invoice" as a line item on the invoice.

Nah. Took 5 minutes.

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PolicyGuy

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#2854539 21-Jan-2022 11:39

timmmay:

Senecio:

I think you should send them an invoice to cover your time in dealing with this. You could just list "responding to paper invoice" as a line item on the invoice.

Nah. Took 5 minutes.

At your regular charge out rate of $240/hr (+GST) that's $20, plus P&H $4.95: $28.69 incl GST
You can buy several beers for that
☺️

timmmay

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#2869609 16-Feb-2022 13:09

Ha, another invoice turned up. Vodafone provided a credit for last month and said they'd close the account (which wasn't actually open), but they've not closed it and billed me for "paper invoice charge" again. The only thing on the invoice is paper invoice charge.

Given I already gave Vodafone standard helpdesk a chance to fix this is there a way to get to someone in Vodafone who can actually fix this?

freitasm

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#2869613 16-Feb-2022 13:11

@jasonparis should be interested in invoices with incorrect charges being sent to non-existing accounts.

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timmmay

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#2869622 16-Feb-2022 13:30

It probably used to exist. Maybe it wasn't closed properly when I terminated all services and I'm only being billed because they decided to charge for paper statements. It's weird that they sent a statement when there was nothing to bill for.

quickymart

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#2869623 16-Feb-2022 13:31

I hate to say I knew this would happen, but... :(

They never, ever get this sort of thing right. One of the more easier changes to make. They'll swear to you black and blue on the phone that "it's all sorted now", but no one actually does anything. It's all about getting you off the phone by telling you what you want to hear, and then onto the next call. Depressing really.

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timmmay

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#2869649 16-Feb-2022 14:17

Rucha from Vodafone was very helpful and has credited the invoice, stopped paper bills, and has closed the account again. It took her a few minutes to find it because it was closed... yet still generating invoices. I think given she's stopped the bills even if the account closure doesn't work I shouldn't get a paper invoice, and given that's the only thing on the invoice they should stop.

Vodafone are nice enough to put a complaints process link on the invoice, I'll use that if I get another one, but fingers crossed and think positive :)

insane

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#2869656 16-Feb-2022 14:27

timmmay:
Rucha from Vodafone was very helpful and has credited the invoice, stopped paper bills, and has closed the account again. It took her a few minutes to find it because it was closed... yet still generating invoices. I think given she's stopped the bills even if the account closure doesn't work I shouldn't get a paper invoice, and given that's the only thing on the invoice they should stop.

Vodafone are nice enough to put a complaints process link on the invoice, I'll use that if I get another one, but fingers crossed and think positive :)

I suspect this was to do with the 100,000 accounts they reported to have migrate between systems while ironically trying to fix these types of issues.

Bless, at least they are trying :P

quickymart

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#2869693 16-Feb-2022 15:44

You're very optimistic. Sorry, but I wouldn't holding my breath until, say, 2-3 months have gone by without you receiving an invoice. Then I would class it as resolved.

nitro

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#2869708 16-Feb-2022 16:34

freitasm:

That's actually hilarious. Print an invoice for no services but charge to print the invoice.

Brilliant.

a new(?) business model, perhaps...