GPRS overcharging yet again!

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sbiddle

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Topic # 6209 6-Jan-2006 15:40

Well it happened here

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=40&TopicId=6023

I've just got my bill from December and Vodafone want to charge me 87c for usage of WAP @ 27c/10KB

We all agree that this is the Vodafone chatroom and I know for a fact as well that I have also never used this service.

I also have WAP usage amounting to $2.04 for WAP acitivity @ 6c/10KB

I used up my 3MB for $10 and got charged an extra 2MB of GPRS usage @ 2c/10KB which seems fine but the WAP activity is just screwed. Does anybody know what traffic they are charging me for at 6c/10KB? Since I went over my data cap any WAP traffic should have been charged at my GPRS rate of 2c/10KB. Had the billing error been the same as that discussed elsewhere in the media and on here (data charged at full rate) I would have been charged 10c/10KB!

To add to that I've just tried to go into the Vodafone site to look at my account and that appears to be broken as well

"Sorry! Due to our recent server upgrade a small amount of customers may be experiencing problems accessing our site. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Our technical team are working hard to build a better, faster and more manageable site for you."

...Yeah right...

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Reply # 25813 6-Jan-2006 16:01

You sound surprised?

We have only got a couple of months left on our contract term with voda, and then we can look at moving back to Telecom...

The over charging is one issue... one of a few, as checking the mobile accounts for 70 odd phones is pretty damn boring....

However, whe you raise the issue, there response is always something that raises eyebrows...

I am sure that a couple of years ago there customer service levels were a lot better than now... oh well....

sbiddle

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Reply # 25816 6-Jan-2006 16:40

I'm not surprised at all..

Vodafone have no idea at all how WAP usage of $6/MB can be on my bill. After spending some time on hold their explnation was "have you been away overseas roaming because we think that could be it".. to which my answer was "not since august and even then it would be charged at $10/MB or $30/MB". There was then silence as that theory was out the door! :-)

They are promising to get back to me by the end of Monday with an explanation, they can also not tell me when the chat usage occured despite charging me for it.

cokemaster

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Reply # 25827 6-Jan-2006 21:34

Perhaps we should make a 'Geekzone VFNZ GPRS overcharged club' - there seems to be enough of us (myself included) effected by it.

Still, I think my issue they have just forgotten about. As I'm over in China no real way to check (email support is clueless last time I used them) so I'll have to wait a bit.

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paradoxsm

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Reply # 25912 9-Jan-2006 01:53

You too huh? I've sent something off to commerce commission about Vodafones recent behaviour. This will be the 3rd time I have got them in the poo,

I magine how amy affected customers there are that have no idea, how about PrePay users?

First time was when I discovered they were charging SMS as 21cm many years ago.

When I requested all account notes, I saw a note in there they had "Issued customer 20 free anytime minutes because of SMS overcharging"

Nice one Vodafone. Keep going..... I will keep getting you nailed....

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Reply # 25913 9-Jan-2006 02:41

I have emailed the commerce commision in the past and got several phone calls in reply. While they agree that the overcharging does not comply with the various consumer protection acts - because I'm the only case (according the charging etc), according to them.... they said they will not take action until further complaints.

Sounds like a few members here can get together and lobby the commerce commission into action. *Hint hint*.

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Grantis

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Reply # 25979 9-Jan-2006 22:36

sbiddle: Well it happened here

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?ForumId=40&TopicId=6023

I've just got my bill from December and Vodafone want to charge me 87c for usage of WAP @ 27c/10KB

We all agree that this is the Vodafone chatroom and I know for a fact as well that I have also never used this service.

I also have WAP usage amounting to $2.04 for WAP acitivity @ 6c/10KB

I used up my 3MB for $10 and got charged an extra 2MB of GPRS usage @ 2c/10KB which seems fine but the WAP activity is just screwed. Does anybody know what traffic they are charging me for at 6c/10KB? Since I went over my data cap any WAP traffic should have been charged at my GPRS rate of 2c/10KB. Had the billing error been the same as that discussed elsewhere in the media and on here (data charged at full rate) I would have been charged 10c/10KB!

To add to that I've just tried to go into the Vodafone site to look at my account and that appears to be broken as well

"Sorry! Due to our recent server upgrade a small amount of customers may be experiencing problems accessing our site. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Our technical team are working hard to build a better, faster and more manageable site for you."

...Yeah right...

Oh please. Stop implying that Vodafone are the only company that overcharges "on occassion". Every company has been guilty of it & Telecom are certainly no exception! I remember a case that finally went to court last year (after many years) where Telecom were found gulity of charging people "peak rate" calls, that were made "off peak".

There have been may instances of Telecom overcharging, it's not acceptable, but to make out as though Vodafone are the only ones, is very wrong.

Nz_Dude

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Reply # 25980 9-Jan-2006 22:45

Take off your vodafone hat,

People here are having a problem because vodafone are continuing to screw up month after month. Their solution is to be rude to their customers and make technical support available only duran certain hours.

Good one voda :) lol

Btw please all you voda fans dont take offense im laughing as i write this its meant as constructive criticism ;)

tonyhughes

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Reply # 25982 9-Jan-2006 23:01

A gentle to reminder to all to keep it seemly. As more people are welcomed into Geekzone, more differences of opinions will surface.

but to make out as though Vodafone are the only ones, is very wrong.

There was nothing said (or even implied) that I could make out that indicated an opinion that Voda are the only ones overcharging.

For the record, we recently discovered that we have paid for a service for 2 years that should have been bundled with a package we have.... (with Telecom...)

Have a nice day!

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Grantis

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Reply # 25984 9-Jan-2006 23:10

Nz_Dude: Take off your vodafone hat,

People here are having a problem because vodafone are continuing to screw up month after month. Their solution is to be rude to their customers and make technical support available only duran certain hours.

Good one voda :) lol

Btw please all you voda fans dont take offense im laughing as i write this its meant as constructive criticism ;)

Take off your Telecon hat :-)

I have only read of about 3-4 people who incessantly whinge about how hard done by they are by Vodafone. Some claim that Vodafone reps have been rude to them, but if that's the case, you have to wonder how rude they were to them in the first place, it's certainly possible, judging by their ranting in here. :-)

With regards to technical support, I presume you mean customer services, there hours are 0800-2000 from Mon-Sun. For any problems that effect the "immediate use of your mobile" they can help you, for any other questions, there is their website & also the various options that you can choose, when you phone 777.

So really, I can't any problem with the service that they are offering. Personally, I'm very happy with their service.

Grantis

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Reply # 25986 9-Jan-2006 23:22

Disenchanted: A gentle to reminder to all to keep it seemly. As more people are welcomed into Geekzone, more differences of opinions will surface.

but to make out as though Vodafone are the only ones, is very wrong.

There was nothing said (or even implied) that I could make out that indicated an opinion that Voda are the only ones overcharging.

For the record, we recently discovered that we have paid for a service for 2 years that should have been bundled with a package we have.... (with Telecom...)

Have a nice day!

Point noted.

However, although it wasn't "directly" implied I guess I just get annoyed with the same old people who whinge about Vodafone day in/out. I have read these forums for sometime now & really enjoy reading about the knowledge that a lot of members have, so I decided to join. When negative comments are frequently made (most often by a select few individuals) it spoils the nature of this forum IMHO, that is all.

PS - Interesting to have some balance with your last comment there :-)

paradoxsm

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Reply # 25990 9-Jan-2006 23:38

So am I,,, well WAS I till they went nasty.

A friend still loves them but he's on PrePay and doesn't have WAP so not real problems apart from repeated dropped calls have plagued him. He's phoned 777 support twice, once to Bar his lost SIM, another to Unbar it when found.

I still find SMSing with them much better overall than t'com. I'd say Vodafone were and still are excellent unless you have a VLIVE handset, the user experience is much better from a simple phone (nokia 1100), something telcom has too few of, even their lowest end 2110, 2118 are horridly complicated, especially Texting.

It depends what you expect, they deliver simple things as good as any but get complex and pray for help. ;-)

cokemaster

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Reply # 25993 9-Jan-2006 23:42

Grantis:
I have only read of about 3-4 people who incessantly whinge about how hard done by they are by Vodafone. Some claim that Vodafone reps have been rude to them, but if that's the case, you have to wonder how rude they were to them in the first place, it's certainly possible, judging by their ranting in here. :-)

Excuse me?

The issue is a couple of us have been overcharged. Charged for a service (or more than) what we have been using. Whos fault is that? The 3-4 people (myself included) who make posts on a fairly regular basis? Or the company that generates the charges?

I (I'm sure the others were too) was extremely polite and took great steps to ensure I didn't cross the line. Even with a direct approach - they like to lead you on.

Again, its their overcharging problems - they have had plenty of time to look at it. But being the company that they are - they don't really care it seems, its not as if you have another provider to go to.

There isn't much point in defending them. If you knew the pains taken to try and recover the money that they are taking - then perhaps you'd understand. And before you say "Well you'll get your money back sooner or later", it wasn't their money to take - I could have been using that money to do much more productive things (like gathering interest in a savings account) rather than sitting there in Vodas account earning them interest!

I have always considered CDMA as a platform to stay away from due to the fact that you have to buy phones locally and you can't connect them locally overseas (forced roaming).... but due to the behaviour of VFNZ - they have lost me as a customer when it comes to new handset purchase time - Telecom CDMA to me is the lesser of two evils now.

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paradoxsm

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Reply # 25994 9-Jan-2006 23:46

And buy an apache or even consider a harrier, if you lose the service you still have an insanely useful device. (and preliminary testing shows they are quite generic so might be able to be customised for multi networking)

cokemaster

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Reply # 25997 10-Jan-2006 00:12

Was looking at an Apache (or if a new device comes out when I finally get around to it). Had a bit of an query in regard to voice codecs which you had discussed in another topic, is the Apache capable of setting different ones?

Does the XTRA WAP portal work on it as well?

The no-MMS was a bit of a set back but as you said, its a extremely useful device so its only a small loss.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 26001 10-Jan-2006 06:23

Just to add to my original post - I was promised a call back by 5pm Monday with an explanation and still haven't had one.

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