Vodafone - 72 hours before text messages are deleted!?

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rachswilson

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#35492 10-Jun-2009 12:38

I've had my 021 prepay Vodafone number for well over a decade and am very attached to it. About two years ago I got the same number with a Telecom 027 prefix (only switched due to work circumstances). During this I kept my 021 prepay account topped up to ensure I kept the 021 number.

I last used my phone on 1 June 2009.

I turned it on again yesterday, 9 June 2009 to find it had been disconnected because the 365 day validity period had expired.

The Vodafone website says 'We'll TXT you to remind you if you need to make a top up, so you'll have plenty of notice.' (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/plans/prepay/topping-up.jsp). I did not get such a TXT. We've talked to several people at Vodafone regarding this, including the PA to the CEO, the Complaints Manager, and the Head of Complaints.

They say that if the phone is switched off or out of range they stop trying after 72 hours. However, I could not find that information on the website and it is not in the T&Cs (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/about/legal-stuff/Standard-Prepay-TCs.pdf). And we didn't know this, nor could we reasonably be expected to know this.

Apart from my complaint, I think that most customers would not know this. Effectively this means that if you go to parts of New Zealand without cellular coverage or travel overseas without roaming you *will* miss messages. I think Vodafone has a duty to tell its customers exactly this.

I asked Vodafone to reconnect. The Head of Complaints, who is acting with the full knowledge and authority of the CEO has checked with Vodafone lawyers and has flatly refused.

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19282 posts

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#223564 10-Jun-2009 12:57

365 days for credit expiry not prepay account expiry

Vodafone allows 13 months after last $20 topup before the prepay account expires

So your last $20 topup must of been over 13 months

John

johnr

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#223565 10-Jun-2009 13:04

And if you go out of coverage or go roaming that is beyond Vodafone control

You can dial 777 24/7 and hear the cedit expiry date also you can SMS BAL to 777 and also see it in MYA online. This shows last topup and credit expiry

A carrier can only do so much

I started with Vodafone back in 2000 and I knew back in 1997 that SMS expired after so many hours

John

dolsen

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#223566 10-Jun-2009 13:05

Yeah, I lost my old number like this (and, more importantaly, my credit).
Although I knew that messages were held for a certan time and expected the message to expire, I thought their systems were good enough to recognise this, and, attempt to send another one when the handset comes into range / is turned on again, similar to what they do when someone rings but doesn't leave a message when you are out of range.

Something interesting, I used my vodafone and had registerd my phone number with them. Subsquent to them recycling the number and re-isueing it, I still had access to my old number through my vodafone, which was someones new number by then. I could see how much balance they had on their account etc. Not sure if they have fixed that issue.

daman88

81 posts

Master Geek

#223569 10-Jun-2009 13:13

yea they are useless - once you lost your number that's it - it goes to a recycle pool number

to fight Goliath, you will need tons of cash to sue them for losing your number - which in terms cost your whole life -- mine as well get a new number :)

johnr

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#223571 10-Jun-2009 13:17

daman88:
yea they are useless - once you lost your number that's it - it goes to a recycle pool number

to fight Goliath, you will need tons of cash to sue them for losing your number - which in terms cost your whole life -- mine as well get a new number :)

?

?

What a Silly comment Sue a carrier cause you the end user did not top up

If you don't want to lose your number topup as instructed its that simple

Just further to this you do not own a MSISDN

John

Balchy

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#223586 10-Jun-2009 14:00

johnr:
daman88:

yea they are useless - once you lost your number that's it - it goes to a recycle pool number

to fight Goliath, you will need tons of cash to sue them for losing your number - which in terms cost your whole life -- mine as well get a new number :)

?

?

What a BS comment Sue a carrier cause you the end user did not top up

If you don't want to lose your number topup as instructed its that simple

Just further to this you do not own a MSISDN

John

John while you are right, from a customer services point of view - it seems a bit on the nose to call someones view BS. If someone said that to me via the phone I would be talking immediately to a supervisor - maybe you should keep that in mind when commenting, as it reflects badly.

For billions of years since the outset of time, every single one of your ancestors survived, every single person on your Mum and Dads side, successfully looked after and passed onto you life. What are the chances of that like?

johnr

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#223587 10-Jun-2009 14:04

That is why I did a quick edit just as you quoted me

But I could just see it now I am sueing XYZ cause I did not follow instructions

John

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Balchy

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#223589 10-Jun-2009 14:06

lol good timing :)

Don't get me wrong I know from watching your other posts that you are generally pretty good at the customer side of things, but sometimes when people are representing their company, they can get quite passionate.

I remember getting into a fight in my younger days because someone was going on about telecom being the business (worked for Vodafone at the time) lol

johnr

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#223592 10-Jun-2009 14:09

Balchy: lol good timing :)

Don't get me wrong I know from watching your other posts that you are generally pretty good at the customer side of things, but sometimes when people are representing their company, they can get quite passionate.

I remember getting into a fight in my younger days because someone was going on about telecom being the business (worked for Vodafone at the time) lol

I am not at work right now either got some time off which is nice

John

daman88

81 posts

Master Geek

#223593 10-Jun-2009 14:10

johnr: That is why I did a quick edit just as you quoted me

But I could just see it now I am sueing XYZ cause I did not follow instructions

John

John, they are breaching their promised as per originator discussions.

They supposed to text you if your account is needing to be topped up.... but in this case it didn't...

Problem is that their system does not allow themselves to retrieve a lost number or disconnected number. It just go to a recycle pool and let others to use it.......which is lame.....

for e.g. if i have $1000 on my sim card and have use it ocassionaly and if i don't top it up within 12 months, it will be disconnected and maybe i will lose credit as well.....if i don't use it all up.....

Balchy

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#223595 10-Jun-2009 14:12

Thats all in the T & C's dude, Vodafone cant make you have your phone turned on or chase you to the ends of the earth in the event that you MAY like your number.

nate

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#223684 10-Jun-2009 17:46

As per Johnr's response, did you top up in the last 12 months? If not, it's fair that Vodafone disconnected you.

rachswilson: The Vodafone website says 'We'll TXT you to remind you if you need to make a top up, so you'll have plenty of notice.' (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/plans/prepay/topping-up.jsp). I did not get such a TXT. We've talked to several people at Vodafone regarding this, including the PA to the CEO, the Complaints Manager, and the Head of Complaints.

How would you get a txt, you never turned your phone on!

rachswilson: They say that if the phone is switched off or out of range they stop trying after 72 hours.

How long should they keep trying for? A year? Even then your phone would've still been off.

Reminds me of the thread of someone sending important info via email and wanting to encrypt it. TXT isn't a reliable platform, if you are in doubt, drive to that person's place and tell them in person.

rachswilson: I asked Vodafone to reconnect. The Head of Complaints, who is acting with the full knowledge and authority of the CEO has checked with Vodafone lawyers and has flatly refused.

They are adhering to their terms and conditions.

NickiB

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#223701 10-Jun-2009 18:20

On a completely different tack, why does it matter so much now that you can port your number anyway? Now you don't even have to bother with two numbers/two phones/yearly topups and whatever other hassles it causes, but can switch to voda if they're offering a better deal and keep your number. Plus you've still got the number you are 'very attached' to, just a minor prefix change which you've obviously used with little hassle for two years already anyways.

And on that note (and going totally offtopic I know), I am interested to see Fair Go tonight about people being charged off-network rates when they are mislead by the prefix. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he had NO idea number porting was even available, which I thought was absolutely stupid of him cos everyone knows about number porting, but apparently he's not the only one!

rachswilson

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#223739 10-Jun-2009 20:50

In response to nate:

I turned my phone on once every 2 or 3 weeks, so was not continually off for 2 years. Because of my work, I've been with Telecom for the past 2 years, therefore don't expect to have to turn my phone on every 3 days incase I miss a txt message that will otherwise be deleted. I'm sure others don't expect this either when they travel overseas etc. and don't take their phone with them. Whether it be from Vodafone telling me to top up, or from anyone else for that matter. They don't need to 'keep on trying', I just think they just need to make sure those important txt messages (such as saying they'll deactivate your number) aren't deleted within 3 days.

Not many people know about this 72 hour rule. Therefore they are not adhering to their T&Cs as I never received a txt message saying I need to top up to keep the number activate, as was never informed about the 72 hour rule.

In response to NickiB:

(updated to clarify) They won't port over numbers to prepay plans that are already set up, therefore cannot take my 027 number over without being forced to go on a current plan. So, as well as losing my 021 number, I've lost a "Classic plan" which is no longer available. So all in all, lost everything I was trying to keep for 2 years! Unfortunately loyalty doesn't come into play.

As you stated about Fair Go, that's another issue with number portability and completely agree with people being mislead by number prefixes, hence if I'm going back to Vodafone, would preferably like to go back to an 021 so friends/family understand I'm with Vodafone - as this does mislead a lot of people who don't know about it! So very good point!

johnr

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#223742 10-Jun-2009 21:02

You can port a 027 number to Vodafone prepay you can even do it online

Telecom SMS expire in around the 72 hour mark as well (can someone confirm this)

John

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