26 Mar 2012 - Update Highest Rated Pain Stories Highest Rated Gain Stories Vodafail Local Facebook Page
Dear visitor,

Since its inception Vodafail.com has made a significant contribution towards raising awareness of the problems and issues faced by Vodafone customers.

Vodafone Australia customers have had the opportunity to voice their concerns, their fears and their troubles from every corner of Australia and beyond our borders. You have gathered the courage to stand up for your rights as consumers and to make your voice heard.

Each and every person who shared their story should have a sense of pride in this achievement and the changes that have occurred since the start of Vodafail.com.

More recently, traffic to Vodafail.com has declined significantly. Having achieved the goal of raising awareness and promoting concrete action in early 2011, we have now reached the point of closing Vodafail to new complaints. The site will remain online for as long as possible as a reminder and an example of what is possible when we share our experiences.

It has been a privilege to run this initiative and I'm am forever grateful for the help and support I've received. In particular I would like to thank Melissa, David and Travis for their continued efforts over the past 15 months. I'm also thankful and humbled by the support of ACCAN, Choice magazine and a wide range of media outlets, blogs and websites.

You can still browse existing stories and find out how to file a complaint if you are experiencing problems.

Until next time,

Adam Brimo

Share Your Pain


Vodafail.com is no longer accepting complaints.
Over the past 6 months traffic to Vodafail has declined significantly. Therefore we have closed off Vodafail to new complaints. We think you will find more joy in posting on any one of these fine product / brand review sites.

You can also post directly on the Vodafone community forums.

Other People's Pain


Topics
0%
Share on facebook
13590 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is extreme at 21 Jan 2011 09:15:16 AM
Here is a list of the issues I have had in the past 3 week I have been a customer.

1 - Multiple dropped calls when calling another Voda customer less the 1 km away with the CBD.

2 - Failure to set up a new pre paid sim x2. Firstly after completing 90% of the process I got transferred and needed to go through the entire process again with an actual person. Secondly after completing the entire set up process and waiting for my number to come through for 6 hours, I called and was told nothing had been recorded and needed to do it all again with the customer service rep.

3 - After setting up my vodafone online, i then needed to reset the password, entered my number and was then told i had failed to answer my security question 3 times and was locked out for 24 hours.

4 - Tried to register my Credit card online, never used it before ever, but was told i had tried to register it too many times and could not complete.

5 - after being told by a CSR that the amount i topped up would determine which prepaid plan i could go on, i had to call customer services to change plans.

This is all within 3 weeks, after 3 years living in the UK i cannot believe how backward and prehistoric the vodafone network is in Australia. It is extremely expensive and incredibly hard to do anything involving changes to your account.

Oh and i forgot, after picking up a my new sims from a vodafone shop telling them i needed micro sims for a iphone 4, he gave me normal sims. I returned to the shop and then cut them down, but i still needed to trim the smaller sim to phone the phone.

Joke. Is Telstra any good?
21 Jan 2011 09:41:19 AM: Telstra gives $200 credit welcome pack when you join for the first time.
21 Jan 2011 09:54:44 AM: was with 3 ever since they started and joined voda in September 2010 then just recently joined Telstra last week.

Telstra got the best reception and internet speed hands down. i had to upgrade my data pack to 2gb because it was that fast. With vodafone ive never gone past 1gb due to the super slow speed. Also! Less than 5mins waiting time when calling their call center!!

Telstra all the way!

0%
Share on facebook
13584 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Unimaginably incompetent at 21 Jan 2011 09:12:21 AM
I switched to vodafone from 3 because they were the only company to offer the handset I wanted. When I got my new phone they said it would take a few hours for my number to transfer from my old sim to the new sim, however within about half an hour I noticed the 3 mobile sim was no longer active. So naturally I was rather excited. I booted up my new phone with vodafone sim included and waited for my number to activate... and I waited. After a couple of hours I thought it was getting a tad ridiculous but I couldn't go back to the store because they had closed for the day so I called the good old help line. After holding for what seemed like an eternity (close to 45 minutes) someone finally told me that it was likely a manufacturing fault and told me to take my phone in to the vodafone store the next day to verify. I did this and someone with the same handset as me traded sim cards and you guessed it, the phone was working fine but my sim wasn't. So what they did was give me a new sim and transferred my number accross, saying it would be 2-3 hours before it transferred again. I waited about 6 hours before I contacted the vodafone "customer service" again and explained my story and he said he'd have to consult some other people and get back to me. They got back to me the next day and asked me if I'd tested the phone etc (as I had already explained to them I had done) and when I reiterated my frustration he said he'd have to consult some other technical staff who could not be contacted til the next day, but he assured me I would be contacted.

To this guy's credit he did get back to me and he explained that there was a problem with my account... it had not been activated by vodafone staff. He assured me that it would be up and running by that evening and took it upon himself to get this done. It was not, so I called them back and was just given generic instructions to reset my handset and try again, etc. Still no luck. The next day when I woke up I finally had service, an entire 4 days with no service and this came for me at a time when I had recently moved to a new city without a job. I could not organise my job interviews or anything and I explained this to the vodafone staff and eventually I was given the royal bounty of the first months fee waived from my contract. Hardly a just reward. Anyway, the story doesn't entirely end there, but I won't go into as much detail.

Although I could now make and receive calls I did not have my full service activated. I was still unable to send or receive mms and had no internet connection. I called "customer service" again and held for close to 40 minutes before being walked through setting my phone up and then being told my service would be activated a short while after hanging up. Anyway, long story was it hadn't. So I called again and whoever I had spoken to hadn't activated whatever they needed to on their end, but this issue was fixed this time.

In addition to all this about 50% of the time I make calls from home I get a bad line where either I can not hear what is being said or the person I'm talking to can't hear what I'm saying. Sometime when I send sms messages it fails many times before it finally sends and on odd occasions it sends multiple messages, I've had upwards of 10 duplicate messages sent.

The funny thing after all this I received my first bill and it was for the full amount. I had to contact them again and remind them they owed me a month but I didn't bother to call them this time, I just emailed them.

One thing is for certain, the next time I buy a phone I'll make sure it's from a different provider.

0%
Share on facebook
13571 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Billing Problem at 21 Jan 2011 09:07:58 AM
Signed up in November on a plan. Was not advised that the Infinity plans (which would have suited my requirements a lot better) were being released the following day! Exceeded the cap I signed up to but was not informed. Called Vodafone and upgraded to an Infinity plan (more expensive per month than original plan but suited me better). Sales rep agreed that the cost of the calls over and above my previous cap would be credited as I had agreed to sign up to a new more expensive plan. Bill arrived - credit not applied! Emailed Vodafone 3 times and got an autoresponse each time. Tried calling 3 times but was on hold for 15 mins or more each time. Vodafone then barred my calls. That day I eventually got through and spent 1 hour 10 mins on phone with agent who struggled to understand the issue. With respect to the agent, she was new to the job and clearly did not have the appropriate training. However this was extrememly frustrating as there was no supervisor available for me to talk to but she could not help me. Eventually persuaded her to unbarr the phone and give me a commitment to have a call back from somebody that could help within 24 hours. No callback! Received a text 5 days later saying that my "billing issue had been resolved". Also received an email to tell me my account was overdue - again with an amount that was overcharged! Phoned Vodafone again and got through to an agent after 20mins on hold. After 30 mins call he eventually agreed to credit the charges as was originally agreed 7 weeks earlier. What a struggle and ultimately I am listed as the customer who did not pay on time!

0%
Share on facebook
13549 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Overcharged and billed incorrectly at 21 Jan 2011 09:00:15 AM
I've been on a $49/month plan (postpay) since 2007. My last to bills have been $84 and $93, as they are charging me for Vodafail to Vodafail calls, Vodafail to 3 calls, and txting, when they are all meant to be included. Customer service in India (after 4 calls) finally revealed that my old plan had been discontinued and I'd been swapped to another plan WITHOUT ANY CONSULTATION with me, the consumer. I await my next bill with interest .......

0%
Share on facebook
13536 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is extremely at 21 Jan 2011 08:54:22 AM
I recently purchased a new phone contract through Vodafail, after having pre paid with Vodafone for a couple of years. This prepaid was costing me a maximum of $79/month, every month. I was told that by going on a plan with my new phone with a $69 cap that the calls would be much less and that it would be a lot more economical for me. For the first three months...fine, but now all of a sudden they are saying that I have gone $260 over my cap, and I have not made any more calls than usual, and being in Real Estate in Qld my phone does not ring all that often ! I also got this new phone to enable me to access emails, but after several Indians telling me that my phone is connected to the internet, and should be receiving emails, and have internet access, I still only have a standard phone with no internet access at all. I took it into the Vodafone store, and because I had purchased it directly from Vodafone by phone, they did not want to help, and said that they did not know how to set up email or internet access on my phone. I have sent numerous emails re my account and my internet access but with no success. I find that they are very prompt in asking for their accounts to be paid, but in nothing else.

0%
Share on facebook
13529 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Wrong billing at 21 Jan 2011 08:50:56 AM
While my two-year mobile phone was expired three years ago, I had porting/transferred my mobile phone to another company. My new mobile phone and confirmed the porting before the expiry of the two-year contact. However, Vodafone still keep on charging me and my wife monthly and asked debt collector to issue warning letter and threaten to take legal action against us. The amount is talking $50. Having complained to their customer service several times, They repeatedly admitted the mistakes but final reminders and warning letters from debt collector kept on coming. I repeatedly sent e-mail enclosing their admission of wrong doing for several few months, finally they stop issuing warning letter.

Their behaivour and threatening letter was very frustrating and intolerant

0%
Share on facebook
13520 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Very Fail at 21 Jan 2011 08:46:20 AM
It took them three years, THREE YEARS, and countless trips on the Vodafail merry-go-round to change the name on old work account details over to my successor. Every time, without fail, they would promise to have the situation resolved quickly and we would never have the issue again..

100%
Share on facebook
13482 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Billing / Cover / Lack of Customer Service at 21 Jan 2011 08:34:49 AM
After 3 hours on hold with Vodaphone regarding the above issues and being passed and dropped and passed and dropped, I decided - screw this,I'm going to email and they can call me. 5 emails later and 6 weeks, no call. I have no reception while at my house or my parents house, my partner is self employed and constantly misses calls regarding jobs because of reception coverage, I cancelled his plan months because of the lack of reception and told the customer service team that and they said there was nothing they could do, only now to be told they should have let us out of the contact instead of me paying $400 for the service to be cancelled because of the lack of range. Their company is a joke, and I can't see it getting any better for me in the short term, considering we are not pushing the 2 month mark and no answers.
Thanks for the vent!

0%
Share on facebook
13474 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is SERVICE at 21 Jan 2011 08:32:40 AM
I have been with Vodafone ever since purchasing my first mobile phone (years ago). I consider myself lucky as the only issue I have had over the years is the occasional over charge by a few dollars. Though having seen the issues my partner had when chasing up her new phone and rectifying hunderds of dollars of overcharging I simply hope that nothing does go wrong with my contract. I understand for the purpose of minimising cost that the call centre is based (presumably) in India. This fact alone creates a nightmare when trying to solve any form of significant issue: hold times (astronomical), accountability from staff members, return contact and methods of contact (alternate to phone) are non existant. How Vodafone can literally just accept that they are going to offer this ridiculous level of service is beyond me. I honestly feel that if I ever have a serious issue with my phone / contract that my company have nothing to assist me. We need customer service over the phone in Australia and for the Vodafone stores to actually be able to lend some assistance!!!!
25 Jan 2011 01:20:21 PM: Click on the "How to Complain" link on this site before you even start, because you will need records.

0%
Share on facebook
13469 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is Massive Fail at 21 Jan 2011 08:30:27 AM
I can't log into my online Vodafone account because it is locked so I called customer service to fix the problem. I chose the call back option and was told I would be called back in 5-10 minutes. After 4 hours I finally get the call back, answer the phone and the call drops out due to Vodafone's terrible coverage.

I think I might just leave my account locked forever.

0%
Share on facebook
13468 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Epic FAIL!! at 21 Jan 2011 08:30:18 AM
This is my second contract with vodafone. Had no problem for the duration of my first contract however once I renewed my contract for a 2nd term I started to experience certain probelms. After switching to paperless statements I rely on their website to provide me with my billing information. This worked out nicely for a while however for some reason unknown to me I was not able to login anymore to veiw my statement and therefore unable to make payment for my bill. Once I contact the CS dept at Vodafone(on hold for 2hrs) in regards to this issue they advise they were upgrading the system, I have to call them each month to ask LARA for an account balance. It appears that they have been upgrading thier site for the last 3 months. Anyhow CS were totally useless in resolving this issue and straight out RUDE!! Why they outsource their call centre to india is a mystery. They may be cheap labour but the service they provide shows exactly how cheap these guys really are. At least give them guys over their a crash course in English. Oh and I also have the standard Vodafone issue's like no reception, delayed msg's and voicemail and poor download speed. My contract ends in March and I cant wait until its finally over. Never going back!

0%
Share on facebook
13456 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is Epic at 21 Jan 2011 08:25:37 AM
I have been a Vodafone customer for 6 years and when my plan run out in November I (foolishly) tried to renew my plan with one of the latest offers for an iPhone. After nearly 15 phone calls with the usual waiting time I finally got a plan that I wanted and went through the tedious but necessary legal requirements over the phone and was informed that there would be a delay of 2 weeks for the phone to arrive, after already waiting two months this didn't bother me. One Month on I still haven't received my phone, I contacted them yesterday and they told me they have no record of me renewing my plan or that the conversation I had ever took place.
I will be settling my account with Vodafone today and signing up to Optus tomorrow.
I was also extremely courteous and freindly with all Vodafone staff I have dealt with as I understand it is not their fault, this however has got me absolutely no where. Adios Vodafone

57%
Share on facebook
13444 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Lack of Coverage and Dropoutsand Late Messages at 21 Jan 2011 08:19:57 AM
Both my wife and myself have Vodafail unlimited mobile accounts and are sick of late sms messages,Voice messages arriving days after they are left for us then you have to eat humble pie when you call back the person who left the message for you. This service has cost myself clientel and is unexceptable.When we finally got through to the service area and spoke to human not LARA the robot run around girl we were told what it would cost to leave Vodafail to which i asked is that dolars or Indian Rubles. Fix your problems Vodafoe or release people with realistic termination fees.

0%
Share on facebook
13433 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Customer service at 21 Jan 2011 08:16:22 AM
My friend tried to cancel her account last week as she was leaving for overseas. Vodafone failed to send her her final bill of $1000 (to cancel her contract). She was on hold for nearly 2 hours trying to pay this outstanding bill and when someone with pooor english answered, he hung up on her!
2 hours prior to leaving for the airport we called from my vodafone mobile only to be on hold for 45 minutes without ever being answered (thanks, I have to pay for that vodafone). In a last effort to do the right thing and pay the bill we attended a vodafone shop where we were unable to be assisted in person! You'd think vodafone would pull their finger out and show some customer service when a customer is trying to give them money!
I cannot believe after all the bad publicity and obvious loss in business for them they haven't bothered to improve something as BASIC as customer service.

0%
Share on facebook
13432 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is at 21 Jan 2011 08:16:17 AM
Vodafone has removed all paper billing. I now get a text and email and the only way to pay is via credit card or direct debit. If you pay by credit card, you have to pay a processing fee!!! They've forced me to go digital, when I need a paper bill for my records and now they charge me extra for it!!!
21 Jan 2011 08:26:08 AM: If you need for your records then print out your email.

0%
Share on facebook
13389 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is lets not go there! at 21 Jan 2011 08:00:27 AM
I have a loyal Vodafone customer for many years (when they cool, funky and progressive!). Over the three months it has been disappointing to see Vodafone customer care quality service going downhill (once upon a time, Vodafone were great with customer service with people who actually did cared!). I have had problems like most who have experienced dropped calls, lack of reception in areas that once had full reception and receiving texts late (or never!), or lack of mobile internet coverage (I seem to be on "E" most of the time). The biggest disappointment, however, is the incorrect billing of phone calls and the adding extra charges out of thin air! This has happened to me twice already and it is really annoying and frustrating. I depend on my phone for business and it would be great if Vodafone came back to their grassroots and be the awesome telco that you wanted to deal with. Somehow, it seems to be only a distant memory...

0%
Share on facebook
13388 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is 90% at 21 Jan 2011 08:00:16 AM
I'm seriously ill so I'm home a lot and have zero coverage about 90% of the time. When I went interstate for treatment I couldn't call home from my mobile because I got a message from Optus saying my home phone was disconnected???? Some text messages take 3-4 days to be received. I have complained and was told it was my handset or my sim card as I can't afford to replace either I am just waiting for my contract to end so I can get away from Vodafone. Let's not mention the constant billing stuff ups and of course they were all in Vodafone's favour too including billing for things I never even asked for like internet access for my 80 year old father who can't even figure out an ATM.

0%
Share on facebook
13382 Someone from ACT thinks vodafone is megga fail at 21 Jan 2011 07:58:34 AM
I can not make calls, when I finally do my reception cuts out, Every time people call it gos to vooicemail without ringing, I called up to complain waited on hold for 50 mins till my phone cut out, called again got through to someone and they put me on silent hold for 40 mins, thats when I realised they had forgot about me finally got to talk to someone and they put my account on investigation for me, 3 days later got an sms from vodaphone telling me to call them I waited on hold for 40 mins, when the opperator picked up she told me the department that needed me was closed, but she would call me back the next day, she didnt call me back so I called back only waited 20mins, not to bad considering, and all it was about was telling me that they had started the investigation, 20 mins later I got another message telling me to call them, I so dont think so they can get stuffed!

0%
Share on facebook
13377 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Extreme fail at 21 Jan 2011 07:56:53 AM
I live in Cronulla where there is a vodafone black hole. You can have full service, yet can't call out or receive incoming calls. Voicemails come thorugh hours / days late, texts are never received yet im sure the senders are billed for sending the texts.
They have 1 tower in the area shared between 4 providers, Telstra are the only one to have there own tower.
We have even tried calling 000 when the outgoing calls aren't working & it doesn't connect!!
Calls continue to drop out, internet is extremely slow & sometimes won't connect at all.

0%
Share on facebook
13375 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is Apalling at 21 Jan 2011 07:56:34 AM
I have only this week moved to Telstra after over 5 years with Vodafone....I have had a litany of problems over that time (reception, disconnection for no reason, a $23,000 phone bill by accident , the list goes on) ...late last year I rang (after many attempts to get through) and told them I wanted to cancel my account immediately...someone from their retention team called me back a few days later and offered me the world to stay...a new iphone 4 a $1000 credit on the data charges I incurred whilst OS on my honeymoon...I received the new handset but the $1000 credit never appeared on my account...so off I go again on the roller coaster that is trying to actually speak to someone at Vodafone....it took me about 10 calls and a lot of angst before I finally found someone who would actually deal with my issue...I finally received the credit 5 months later...I then spent the entire summer break with no reception due to bad coverage and I can no longer tolerate them...

I simply cannot believe how I have been treated by Vodafone. I only stayed with Vodafone for so long as I believed the alternatives were just as bad...I no longer think this is the case. I am sending my handset back to the CEO...the end.

0%
Share on facebook
13374 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is very at 21 Jan 2011 07:56:31 AM
Cannot access account details on the website. Unable to cancel the auto-recharge that was set up on 3 prepaid phones!

0%
Share on facebook
13372 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Pathetic at 21 Jan 2011 07:54:37 AM
As most people, sick and tired of drop outs, delays in receiving SMS (Up to 12 hours late) and many, MANY black spots with no reception. My children get msgs that say Voda's account update system is unavailable when they try to check how much of their cap they've used and, as a rtesult, often go over and cost me plenty. Try calling 1555 to discuss any problems or issues and wait... and wait... and wait... and this is supposed to be a 'Customer Service' number. What a joke!

0%
Share on facebook
13352 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is Worst Company Ever! at 21 Jan 2011 07:47:44 AM
One of the happiest days of my life was when my contract with Vodafone was over and I could give them the flick. They were completely incompetent. Their billing was always incorrect. I ended up having to ring the ombudsman just to get them to address their billing issues. Avoid Vodafone like the plague!!!

0%
Share on facebook
13346 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is absolutely epic fail at 21 Jan 2011 07:44:36 AM
I've always had issues with VF billing but the experience of my mate just made my blood boil and I took it to the ombudsmen because she was 8.5 months pregnant & was over the stress. She had been in tears for over 8 months to VF over her account which she paid, then a week later was cut off. When she called they told her it was in arrears. she set up a payment plan, paid it off over a month and was told everything was clear & she was in credit. A week later her services were barred & her account was in arrears again.
VF said she would have to pay for "iphone charges" when she asked what the charges were they couldnt provide an answer & she said she wasn't paying anything until she recevied an invoice, which she had opted to pay extra for to be posted out. after terminating the call she received a call from an irate woman asking why her service had been barred, when my friend said why are u calling me the woman responded 'i called customer care'. VF had transfered calls from the public to my mates phone! when my mate told VF they appologised & my mate said 'hello invasion of privacy' they said 'they had recitifed the issue there was nothing more they could do' she said 'you could unbar my services for a start' they refused.
a month later she had not recieved any posted bills so called VF. they told her they had been posted confirmed addresses and contact details. everything was correct. still nothing arrived.
She called again and VF said they had emailed them to her (despite them cutting off her account which included internet & telling her previously that they had been posted) when she said 'i pay extra to have them posted to me i called last month i was told they were posted now you're saying they're emailed to my account that i cant access' they said 'would you like to pay the outstanding amount today?' she said 'no! i want to look at my bill to know what i am paying for because i paid it all off i was told and a week later it was barred and in arrears again'. they said 'we'll post it out and a charge of $5' she said 'no you wont because i selected to pay the extra $2 to have it posted out.'
A month later she received details from a debt collection agency in regards to recovering the arrears on behalf of VF. VF had passed on her address details, partners number (his number is not with VF! so how did they have it?!) and her prepaid account number with another service provider which she was forced to buy as she was due to go into labour any day & had no access to call the outside world.
the debt collection agency called her a week later with their demands, forcing my mate into a state of despair and distress where she said again that she would pay the amount if it's right but that she 'has a right to look at my own invoices! which have still not been posted to me months later'
My mate rung me and asked if i could follow it up for her because it was casuing her so much distress that VF would now not even discuss sending her outstanding invoices because 'the matter was now with a debt collection agency' according to VF CSR.
I called & discussed with a supervisor who said that she would send the last 6 months out, confirmed address etc & I said that it was a gross breech of privacy not to inform my mate that her details had been passed on to an 3rd party. 3 weeks later nothing had arrive in the mail.
I suggested that she lodge a complaint with the ombudsmen which she did & a week later someone from VF called her saying it was an error on VF behalf that they would send out documentation stating it was an error & her service would not be barred as long as she payed the $300 still outstanding! when she asked why she still had not received an invoice and how she would know what the error was but they would "wave the other amounts". My mates account was reactivated a week before she went into labour, with a promise to send out the details and invoices. That was in December. Now into the 2nd last week of Jan 2011 still nothing has been sent. It is a total joke and VF are still expecting my mate to pay $300 for charges she has no idea where they have come from because they cant get their act together to post out invoices.

97%
Share on facebook
13336 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is The don't want to keep our business! at 21 Jan 2011 07:40:20 AM
My wife and I have been with Vodafone since 2003 - loyal customers! But no more. Not only have we been experiencing the network problems but, having decided to stay with them after the last contract expired, range and requested a lower plan and insurance to be removed from the account. After spending hours (literally!) on the phone with them, we were told that their system was playing up at that time and the plan could not be altered and that someone would call back within 48 hours to make the plan change and confirm removal of the insurance charge (that was Jan 4). When we had still had no contact from them by Jan 17(!), we arranged BYO contracts with another network - only to then find that Vodafail want to charge us $25 to have the iPhone unlocked! All it would have taken is the promised return phone call and we would still be loyal Vodafone customers. Our experience is that VODAFONE ARE THEIR OWN WORST ENEMY! There obviously needs to be changes made within that organisation - starting at the top.

0%
Share on facebook
13321 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is Overcharging at 21 Jan 2011 07:36:18 AM
I have been overcharged $20 per month for two years! Minimum phone charge I was told by staff would be $20 per month on my phone so I thought I would keep it as backup when I was away from the farm (no vode coverage outside of Bendigo)but I kept getting charged $40 and they would not budge. I chopped it off end Nov 2010 and today had to pay $6.67 in admin fees for the last billing period even though I paid the account in full when I disconnected!

0%
Share on facebook
13318 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Poor at 21 Jan 2011 07:35:50 AM
Minor compared to others. I cannot access any bill details on the website. I can login successfully, but since I signed up in Dec 2010 my efforts are always blocked with an "internal error" and a suggestion to ring 1555 which is, of course, a complete waste of time. The real problem is I cannot check usage between bills. Vodafone ignored all email requests, and my one 1555 attempt that got through was futile: reset the web account, with no change. They did call after I complained to TIO and offered 2 months free and no charges over the cap, but no suggestion of when this obviously simple issue might be fixed. I was with 3 before, same mobile number, and never a problem

0%
Share on facebook
13317 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is at 21 Jan 2011 07:35:39 AM
I joined vodafone simply because they were the only company who could tell me when they were getting IPhone 4 in stock I joined in November. Since then I have had numerous problems with calls dropping out, not being able to receive emails, not being able to connect to the web. I initially had problems porting my number which took 2 weeks to sort out. I have had my sim card changed about 4 times. Last week i visited a store to complain about the fact i can't receive emails and was told to contact my carrier - which i did and was told it was a vodafone issue as i could receive them at times and not others. So back to vodafone who told me they were having issues with email and advised me to set up a gmail account and set it to receive emails from my existing address. I have done this but still don't get emails. SOOOO frustrated as i am on a 24 month contract!

0%
Share on facebook
13315 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is almost total at 21 Jan 2011 07:35:17 AM
1.I have been a Vodafone customer since June 2009, after switching from my employer's Telstra system due to work downturn. I arranged for a $29 a month prepaid account using my existing mobile phone, and for it to be automatically recharged from my credit card account every month. The automatic payment has not occured 75% of the time, and I have only been aware of this when "call failed" appeared on the mobile's screen. My wife and I were stuck in Europe due to the volcanic ash cloud and I couldn't get my account credited because I didn't have the right credit card with me to do it. When I have asked Vodafone why the system to automatically recharge hasn't worked, I have been given many different tales - system failure, credit balance was too low, it won't happen again, etc.
2. In June 2010 I took up a "special offer" through NRMA and chose to buy a $49 a month account (less 10% for NRMA members) which included a Nokia 97 mini. Howevere, the next day, I realised that I don't need a new phone or the extra services. I rang Vodafone to cancel my order. They said that was fine, but I had to return the phone in a special 'return' bag which they would send me. Despite many calls (most of which I give up on after waiting up to an hour) and a visit to the local Vodafone store, no 'return bag' arrived, so I sent the unopened package back to Vodafone. Then the billing started - $49 a month. I returned the bills indicating that I didn;t have a Vodafone supplied mobile. Another bill, then another then another - all returned annotated to say I didn't have a Vodafone supplied mobile. Then the debt collection agency wrote saying I owed Vodafone $1324 and unless I paid legal action would occur. I went yet again to the local Vodafone store where I was told that because I had cancelled my account I had to pay a cancellation fee ($900?)- but the store could not resolve the problem, it had to be done by phone. More calls and hours spent on hold. Eventually my solicitor told me to send a "Cease and Desist Notice" to Vodafone and to use this in any legal proceedings that Vodafone might try to bring against me. That worked. I have received no more bills or threats of debt recovery.
21 Jan 2011 07:43:36 AM: You should also check with the credit reference organsations. Vodafone may have stopped sending you bills but they may have declared the debt black and you will suffer as a result!

0%
Share on facebook
13307 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Totally at 21 Jan 2011 07:31:38 AM
I had changed to Vodafone internet from another provider, they took all my details (at the shop) copy of my license checked that we had coverage in that area. All good. So for months I complained about having internet connection that was like using dial up. They checked to make sure there was no fault, and told me after I HAD TO CALL THEM BACK (they said "oh we were just about to call you) that there was no problems. So I kept calling for the next 3 months, same issue same outcome. I had had enough after a year and told them I wanted out of the contract as it wasn't good enough, the gentleman I spoke to agreed there was a problem and said he would cancel the contract. When I got another bill 2 months later I called back and asked why. I was told I hadn't cancelled my contract, after being on the phone for over an hour, I was finally put through to someone who could help and informed me it wasn't their problem and I'd have to pay out the contract....... BECAUSE THE HOME ADDRESS WAS DIFFERENT TO THE BILLING ADDRESS, even though I had changed my address with them, even though they took a photo copy of my license, even though they checked my new address on their system when I went in to see them......... I am still with them with my mobile, I have never had any problems with that (that's probably cause I have an old phone and can only use it as a phone, camera.

0%
Share on facebook
13296 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Very average at 21 Jan 2011 07:29:27 AM
Have been with Vodafone for my personal mobile since it was vodacall over 20 years ago. Since the inception of 3G and data devices my wife recently took over my account with Vodafone as I do not use it. I got her a new iPhone4 and the reception is just crap. Whether at home in Cairns or standing in the middle of Brisbane or Sydney CBD the data coverage is hopeless. My work iPhone4 on the big T is blistering and downloads pages etc in one tenth of the time it takes Vodafone if it loads at all! For the extra $10 per month to go with T it is well worth it...

0%
Share on facebook
13289 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is EXTREMLY FAIL at 21 Jan 2011 07:28:15 AM

0%
Share on facebook
13288 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Very at 21 Jan 2011 07:28:10 AM
Thankfully my contract is due to finish in two weeks, however since November 2010, I have had nothing but issues. Poor reception, delayed text messages or not being notified of voicemail messages and being billed for a service I do not even use. I since found out that as I am on the "old" $79.00 cap it excludes alot services and I have received large phone bills in the past three months, when for two years my bill has never been anymore than the $79.00. After spending 42 minutes on hold waiting for a Vodafone customer service representative I was told the plans had changed and I would be billed for additional services. I thought any changes to a legally binding contract all parties had to be made aware not just change the contract and expect the customer to pay!

Thankyou Vodafone for nothing, after 7 years it will be easy to change providers.

0%
Share on facebook
13270 Someone from ACT thinks vodafone is Copy of my Marriage Certificate lost after 'required' for name change at 21 Jan 2011 07:23:35 AM
I have issues with the quality of service at the Woden store.
Last year I went through this whole complicated scenario to change my surname on my Vodafone account, after I was married.
The customer staff at Vodafone Woden said they required a certified copy of my marriage certificate to do the change - a drivers licence was not adequate. I duly bought one into the store on a Saturday, and was told 'oh, the person who can do this isn't in until Monday, you can leave it here and we'll make sure it is all done'. I didn't want to leave the certificate in store, but they were adamant that it was required. We compromised by them making a copy via their fax machine, and I was assured it would be treated with care and my privacy would be protected.
Big mistake! Nothing happened, so when I went in the following week I was met by blank looks and a missing copy of the certificate. One staff member actually said that she thought it had ended up in the bin!!!
After a big hissy fit, the guy helping me said he didn't need it anyway and made the necessary call to have the details changed. At no point during that call was he asked about proof of name change.
They are so frustrating.
In fact, reading how dodgy they are via this website has made me resolve to change carriers this weekend. I should have done it at the point they were being so hard with my name change. Sigh
Good on you for making this website and allowing us to vent our frustrations.

0%
Share on facebook
13269 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Too long to resolve at 21 Jan 2011 07:23:05 AM
Was on hold for 35 minutes the other day before I managed to speak to a dude for about 30 seconds before getting put back on hold. Total call duration 1hour 12 minutes. Total time spent talking to person approximately 12 minutes.

Was billed incorrectly for the first month, then recieved another bill dated for the same period. Now I'm no maths genius, but being charged for 3 months in the space of 2 is wrong, particularly when the bill does not match my deal, including incorrect dates, incorrect charges, incorrect contract amounts, etc etc.

It wouldn't be a HUGE problem if I could get through to VF and sort it out, but I'm not gonna spend 40 minutes on the phone every month trying to sort it out. And the online complaints form is farked at the moment too.

I'm sure it is a massive pain in the butt to get out of the contract but to be honest this was not the level of service I was expecting when I signed up to Vodafone. My partner has had good service for a long time but for me it's been a bit of a headache with the billing department.

0%
Share on facebook
13262 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is WORDS DON'T EQUATE at 21 Jan 2011 07:22:08 AM
Upload and download speed often says "O".......hold times to Vodafail in excess of 45 mins. Who can wait this long? When they do answer, they tell me I'm in contract and can't get out of it. It should be illegal to remove money from my account without providing the service you promise. THIS IS STEALING!!! And I cant afford to pay 2 services so I can't sign up with another carrier in the meantime as I'm a uni student. You know how hard it is to study a degree online when your internet doesn't work. ITS IMPOSSIBLE..........I'm SO ANGRY!!!!

0%
Share on facebook
13260 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is FAILURE FAILURE FAILURE at 21 Jan 2011 07:21:49 AM
Where do I start: Signed up Aug 09 with a Blackberry 9500

Firstly moving to Adelaide city about 1 1/2 years ago, then moving only 20 minutes away from the city to the hills, I only get one bar and majority of the time SOS coverage. I have missed so many phone calls, had so many drop outs in conversations, delayed sms's, internet is not possible. Its ridiculous.

Secondly - back in October 10, I woke up with my phone screen 'App Err 523' and it didn't do anything. Went to the vodafone shop who told me that they will send it away for repairs and provide me a loan phone in the interim. The loan phone was not charged and was given a wall charger only, thus I had to go a day without a phone, as I was on the road driving. A week later I received an sms that my phone had come back. Went to the store to pick it up. It was a brand new phone. I questioned where my phone was, they had no answer. There was no note, no details, no information what had happened to my original phone. I still had important information left on my original phone - which was now gone. My new phone returned to me - had barely enough battery power and when I wanted to send an sms, it would open the internet. When I wanted to make a call, I couldn't dial any of the numbers correctly. When I pressed 0, it would press 3. I returned back to the store. They couldn't fix my phone and said 'we will send this away for repairs'. Another loan phone, another week later. The same new phone returned. This time they gave it to me with no battery power. This 'new' phone would not lock, I couldn't scroll on the screen and I was having the same problems as before. I decided to go into another vodafone store, with all my repair paperwork, they said 'we will have to send this away for repair's'. I said not again - this is the third time. I cant do this anymore. I cant use this phone to it's full capacity and same with the loan phones. I said I believe I shouldn't have to pay for my account this month. I want to cancel my account and I want to speak to a supervisor. She wasn't available and I was yet left with ANOTHER loan phone. A few days later, I received an sms to pick up my phone, yet again. They were unable to cancel my contract as it was still up until August 2011. In regards to my account I had to call a number. She then proceeded to open a brand new Blackberry 9500 box and give me another brand new mobile. They had no answers for me in regards to the previous phone.
I called the number for my account - 6 times. Lara is pathetic and I was on hold too long. I gave up. I still ended up paying my full amount. I was mentally tired by the end of this whole saga which ended up being the whole month of October 09. The amount of time I had wasted, still gets to me.

Thirdly - their set up in there stores is pathetic when you go in there for questions. You wait for a long time, there is hardly enough staff in the stores around Adelaide I have attended. And you stand where ever you can get a spot and risk having other customers who don't take notice of others who had been waiting, pushing in. It's poor service full stop.

Bring on Aug 11 - I cant wait till the end of my 2 year contract, I never will go with Vodafone again and I will be recommending to anyone who will listen - STAY AWAY FROM VODAFONE.
21 Jan 2011 08:23:48 AM: Dude, call the TIO immediately. Theres a pretty good chance they'll override vodafone and get you out of your contract early... I had a similar problem to you with the blackberry,only they gave me secondhand reconditioned replacements instead of brand new ones.

0%
Share on facebook
13247 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is The worst ever at 21 Jan 2011 07:14:40 AM
After being with 3 for two years, they were prefect. Never had a issue or anything, when my contract ran out, i was eager to sign up again with 3 only to find that they were changing over to vodafone, but was assured that everything would be the same, only billed through vodafone now. Since signing over to Vodafone in mid November 2010, I have had my phone replace twice already as problems with no service or wont call and constent freezing. And my partner is also with Vodafone, signing up from Telstra, on the same phone same plan four days after me, and has had the same problems - Having his phone replaced, he doesn't seem to get some messages from me or me from him. I don't know weather it just wont send to any other Vodafone customers, but the frustration, and the problems we go through thinking one of us is in trouble when no response, or ignoring the other is very frustrating. I never had this problem with 3 and he never had a problem with Telstra. If I could, I would cancel my contract and change to another network, as this is just appualing of a large network to be so slack like this. Get your act together Vodafone, and get these problems sorted as you are NOT holding up your end of the contract here by suppling me with me paid goods.!!
21 Jan 2011 08:32:03 AM: Ditto. Since the Vodafone took over 3, all the people I know on 3 have experienced severe network issues, with phones failing to have any signal, or locking to G (GSM/GPRS only) and refusing to go back to 3G/HSDPA. It has got so bad that we have been forced to try to make our phones roam to Telstra prior to using the Vodafone network, as this is more reliable.

0%
Share on facebook
13240 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Completely at 21 Jan 2011 07:10:23 AM
Always having billing problems...charging for service you never use...my plan was changed withou even knowing

0%
Share on facebook
13236 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is seriously at 21 Jan 2011 07:08:23 AM
COnstantly having calls missed or going straight to voice mail. text messages and voicemails taking over 1 week to arrive. on hold to vodaphone for an hour and a half and then being told its my handset and there is no problem with the phone. I have been give a few dollars credit on my phone account however was asked to please be patient as they are aware of the issue and it will be rectified. NOT HAPPY JAN!!

0%
Share on facebook
13225 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Frustrating at 21 Jan 2011 07:04:52 AM
First of all, thank you for setting up this website!

I had heard that Vodafone is relatively poor in terms of national coverage. Yet, because they seemed to offer the best value for money and the fact that I live in central Sydney, I decided to at least give them a go. In June last year I went to a Crazy John's shop (only sells Vodafone deals) and enquired about Vodafone's coverage. I was shown a map (same map that is available on Vodafone's homepage), where it showed that there was 100% coverage of the area where I lived. Just in case, I asked what would happen if their map turned out to be "wrong" in terms of coverage. I was told that all I needed to do was to bring the phone back in store and it would be cancelled. As soon as I got near our house in Watsons Bay in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney the reception got worse and worse... eventually, there was NO reception at all. Disappointed I drove back to the shop but was told that the cancellation process was a bit complicated... They sent me home and asked me to call Vodafone's engineers from my landline and explain my situation to them and only then Crazy John's could refund me. I spoke to three or four different people and no one really had a desire to help out. In fact, they were adamant that I was wrong...For instance, one guy said "No, you must be wrong, our maps show that there is perfect reception where you are". I gave up, went back to the shop and told them that I was not keen on spending the rest of the day on hold with Vodafone's customer service or with their engineers who did not want to help out anyway. Eventually, we agreed that Crazy John's would make the calls for me. About two weeks later, I still had not heard anything and I checked with Crazy John's and was told that they had "forgotten" to make the call... They did make the call and Vodafone eventually sent out a satchel for me to return the phone to them in. In the instructions it said in bold text and capital letters: make sure you remove the battery before you return the phone. I had bought an iPhone and was a bit perplexed as getting the battery out is not that straightforward. I found some youtube videos on how to remove the battery but the whole process seemed a bit dodgy. By accident I happened to read the instruction booklet and in the small print I found that if you remove the battery you cannot return the phone. I phoned Vodafone again and asked them what I should do. I was told not to remove the battery after all. I went to Australia post the next day thinking that finally I could get this whole thing out of the way. They asked me if I had removed the battery from the phone that I was sending to Vodafone. I told them what I was told by Vodafone. Australia Post refused to accept the satchel as it is against their safety rules to send phones with batteries inside. I went back home, called Vodafone again but was told that I needed to use the satchel they had sent me if I wanted to cancel the contract. The next day I went to a (different) Australia Post office and I actually lied about the content of the satchel... It did not feel good, particularly as I had to put my signature on the paperwork. It was sent away to Vodafone and I was very relieved when, a few days later, I found out that Vodafone had received it. Then, about two weeks later, I received a bill for the full amount of a month's usage. I can see how things get wrong when everything is automated so I simply called them and asked what the bill was for. They apologised and were actually surprisingly helpful that time. They told me that I did not have to pay anything as it was cancelled and that they were going to send a new bill that stated that I owed them zero dollars. The next bill, however, showed a new amount which was even higher than the first one :-)...It took another two weeks before everything was sorted out.

This was a something that should have been a very simple process. I am convinced that a lot of people would have given up half way through, which I guess, is how Vodafone makes a fair bit of money at the end of the day. I spent so much time both on the phone, by e-mail and in the store that I have become completely turned off by Vodafone forever. I will never, ever go near Vodafone's products again and I will continue to recommend friends not to have anything to do with them.

1) They use false advertising by saying they have full coverage of areas where they clearly don't. This is a serious offence that ACCC should look into.

2) They advertise a simple cancellation process, which is nothing but an administrative headache, which you need to spend several hours on to get to the bottom with.

3) Some of their customer service reps were nice and helpful (including staff at Crazy John's) while others were completely uninterested in taking any accountability.

I find it amazing that Vodafone spends so much money on advertising and sponsorship (e.g. the Ashes) instead of spending it on a good product and customer services!? Word of mouth travels far.
21 Jan 2011 09:18:51 AM: I had an identical situation but my o2 phone was dead on arrival. Vodafone told me to call o2 (in Singapore???). I got the satchel, returned the phone to Vodafone (Tas) and broke the contract under the cooling off period as I was given the run around. A few days later receive a bill for $1100 which took over a month for them to correct. So frustrating...

0%
Share on facebook
13223 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Very at 21 Jan 2011 07:02:53 AM
My ex accidentally paid a large sum of money off my account which stopped my direct debit because they account was in credit.

The first call I didn't actually know it was my ex, it was just a credit on my account that I had not paid. They told me there was nothing they could do, but the CSR seemed surprised that I'd be upset about someone else paying my account for me.

The second call was a few months later, and the ex and I had figured out why she'd been paying heaps off her account and it wasn't showing up, and why my account was now several hundred dollars in credit. Again I was told there was nothing they could do from my end, I would just have to wait until she'd reported it, it had been "investigated" and then money transferred out. At this stage my direct debit had been stopped for about 3 months. I actually had this call esculated to a "specialist" who told me basically the same thing. I asked them about what would happen when the money was transferred and my account was suddenly 3 months overdue and was assured they'd just automatically direct deposit the money.

They called me at some point to let me know that they'd sorted it out and the money was being transferred a day later. Again I was assured my account would be ok.

Three days later I got a text saying my account was very overdue, if I didn't pay immediately I would be disconnected. Once again I contacted them and was assured this would not happen and that the money would be direct deposited. At this point there was 4 months worth of bills outstanding, so I was not really very pleased at the prospect of having to pay it all one lump sum, but just wanted to get it sorted out.

Three days later my phone was disconnected. I called them again and was this time told that the direct debit option doesn't apply to overdue payments and they'd need to process it manually. I paid the overdue amount and went to move my service to another provider the same day. Ridiculous!

0%
Share on facebook
13214 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is always failing in every area at 21 Jan 2011 06:56:37 AM
I have constantly had drop outs, i can be sitting on my couch in the same position and the service works then drops out I live in suburbia with lots of towers around I just don't understand why it happens & only when i've been with Vodafone. When i use phone banking and i type in my card details for some reason the numbers don't work, when i called Vodafone to ask why this happens the answer was " your signal must have changed towers and it's not one of ours so it won't recognise what numbers you are pressing". That for me is the biggest inconveinience as i then can't transfer any money to my account!!! My phone is on a cap contract and i noticed there was data being used at 2am and odd hours typically when i KNOW i was asleep and when i questioned Vodafone about what it was hey said "what does it matter your not going over you cap" I demanded to know what was this data being used and it turned out my phone had been automatically turning on my GPS part and trying to locate where i was. I asked for this automatice function to be turned which took a lot of convincing & they reluctantly did it. My gripe at the moment is they email they sent to all their customers stating no privacy had been breeched but my question is how can we trust them and then why is there a criminal investigation??? I want out of my contract with not having to pay any exit fees!
21 Jan 2011 06:59:43 AM: And i forgot to mention how delayed the messages are if i receive them at all & when i sent them it's the same thing!

0%
Share on facebook
13213 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Very at 21 Jan 2011 06:56:29 AM
I was on an $80 monthly plan, and when Vodaphone didn't invoice me in the last months of 2009 I rang up to try and pay, but they kept saying that I must be in credit so there was no bill. However in January I was billed all at once for the previous 4 months. I had just been made redundant, so I was unable to address the accumulated bill until May when I got a new job. At this time the bill had accumulated to $1,000 so I call up to enter into a payment plan. No problem there until the debt recovery guy told me I would have to repay $1,800. I was told the additional $800 was my monthly plan invoices up until Sept 2010 (when the repayment schedule was to finish) and the paying out of the remainder of my contract.

So I paid off the $1,800 and transferred my number away from Vodafone.

Then the week before Christmas I was invoices $474. I called and asked what it was for and they said that this was paying out the contract. I said thats what the earlier $800 charge was and they said the $800 was mostly a 'penalty' and a 'fine' for not paying my original accumulated bill from the months they didn't invoice me.

They are a big company so you can't really argue with these indian debt collectors named darryl and steve so I just paid the $474 in Jan 2011. The end result is because they couldn't get their billing system functioning in 2009 I spent $2,300 and received no phone service in 2010.

I now pro-actively hate vodafone.

0%
Share on facebook
13208 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is FAIL at 21 Jan 2011 06:52:12 AM
For me it has been calls not coming thru to my phone at all. It has been delayed receipt of text messages. Mainly it has been insanely slow data speeds or no data at all.
Has been happening for ages.
Call centre dramas in not being able to understand the people I am talking to.
Call centre dramas in have to have comments removed from my account that were liablist and lies.
Utterly disgustung.

0%
Share on facebook
13205 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Ultimate Fail at 21 Jan 2011 06:50:46 AM
I've managed to get out of my mess but thought I should join your worthy effort regardless. I am still angered by the treatment I received at the hands of Vodafail. I had a prepaid cap with an unlocked phone. At the time I was a student and in a poor financial state, so having a prepaid account was beneficial for me. The idea being that when I used up all my credit, I could no longer send texts/make calls, thus controlling my spend. Except this didn't happen. I continued to use the phone, expecting like any normal prepaid user, for it to cut out once the credit ran out. Unfortunatly it kept going, putting me into a negative balance of about -$700. I didn't realise this until I recharged, only to find I still had a negative balance. I had to recharge AGAIN just to bring it up to a $0 balance. When I complained to vodafone they pulled the "there's something wrong with your Sim" crap. Willing to take it as a one-off problem with their system, I tried again but this time monitored the credit usage. When it got to $0, I sent another text and what do you know, another negative balance. When I again complained to vodafone, I was again brushed off. At that point I had to ask for another operator because I could not understand a single word the one I'd gotten (after a 55 min wait) was saying due to a heavily thick accent and a terrible quality VOIP line.

Throughout all of this I also experienced the delayed receipt of text messages problem. This made texting my partner (also on vodafone) extremely efficient, being that we both had texts delayed, in some cases up to 4 days. Again vodafail knew nothing of this.

After calling them every second or third day for 4 months, I gave up entirely and switched to Optus. I've had great success with them, particular their social media support team (via twitter), who have exemplary support, and for the most part less than an hour turn around time for problems.

0%
Share on facebook
13200 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Disgraceful service and follow through at 21 Jan 2011 06:47:24 AM

0%
Share on facebook
13199 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Disgusting Support at 21 Jan 2011 06:45:44 AM
As sent to Vodafone complaints email- I am appalled, I used to be proud to be with Vodafone. We had been with 3 which has now merged with Vodafone, we then came to Vodafone to get Apple Iphones. We have had our accounts for almost 3 months now and have not gotten a bill- I recieved an SMS telling me to go to online billing and 2 days later my wife and I both had our phones blocked. I have spent over an hour on the phone to different departments. in this time I have put through 2 payments of $200 to both accounts, after much difficulty in speaking to a real person regarding making a payment for my wife's account to remove the call barring which would take 2 to 3 hours... or so I was told by one of your consultants "Sylvester". I then spoke with Chanduk who is supposedly Sylvester's supervisor who tried to assist me with your AVA LVR whatever automated phone billing system... after 4 attempts he could not access it properly. I tried again 15 minutes later ( approximately 4.20pm QLD time). My wife got an SMS advising her they had tried calling at 6.50pm QLD time- she called them back at 7.15pm QLD time and has not been able to speak to a human voice, or remove the call barring. To think a major international company like Vodafone has no after hours support and only runs it's support network to Sydney/Melbourne time is disgusting... I would hate to be a Vodafone customer in Perth which would lose an extra 2 hours on us in QLD. My frustration is compounded by the fact I finally got through to someone at 7.57pm QLD time to your business support number.... I spoke to a real person who in turn after my frustrated explanation put me on hold- I specifically said to him " if you put me on hold to transfer me please make sure you put me on to a real person" I type this at 8.15pm QLD time while I am still on hold.... what an absolute F$%king joke!!. You don't send bills and when I do pay the bills you still block my wife's phone service. The mobile coverage in our suburb is "erratic" at best and with this sort of customer support (or lack of) makes me wonder what the media would think after your recent negative publicity.
I would appreciate a full apology to my wife for the lack of service, and I should also send an invoice for 2 hours of my time and frustration that I have spent attempting to speak rationally to an AUSTRALIAN BASED VODAFONE CUSTOMER SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE..

98%
Share on facebook
13197 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Disgusting Support at 21 Jan 2011 06:44:48 AM
As sent to Vodafone customer complaints email-
I am appalled, I used to be proud to be with Vodafone. We had been with 3 which has now merged with Vodafone, we then came to Vodafone to get Apple Iphones. We have had our accounts for almost 3 months now and have not gotten a bill- I recieved an SMS telling me to go to online billing and 2 days later my wife and I both had our phones blocked. I have spent over an hour on the phone to different departments. in this time I have put through 2 payments of $200 to both accounts, after much difficulty in speaking to a real person regarding making a payment for my wife's account to remove the call barring which would take 2 to 3 hours... or so I was told by one of your consultants "Sylvester". I then spoke with Chanduk who is supposedly Sylvester's supervisor who tried to assist me with your AVA LVR whatever automated phone billing system... after 4 attempts he could not access it properly. I tried again 15 minutes later ( approximately 4.20pm QLD time). My wife got an SMS advising her they had tried calling at 6.50pm QLD time- she called them back at 7.15pm QLD time and has not been able to speak to a human voice, or remove the call barring. To think a major international company like Vodafone has no after hours support and only runs it's support network to Sydney/Melbourne time is disgusting... I would hate to be a Vodafone customer in Perth which would lose an extra 2 hours on us in QLD. My frustration is compounded by the fact I finally got through to someone at 7.57pm QLD time to your business support number.... I spoke to a real person who in turn after my frustrated explanation put me on hold- I specifically said to him " if you put me on hold to transfer me please make sure you put me on to a real person" I type this at 8.15pm QLD time while I am still on hold.... what an absolute F$%king joke!!. You don't send bills and when I do pay the bills you still block my wife's phone service. The mobile coverage in our suburb is "erratic" at best and with this sort of customer support (or lack of) makes me wonder what the media would think after your recent negative publicity.
I would appreciate a full apology to my wife for the lack of service, and I should also send an invoice for 2 hours of my time and frustration that I have spent attempting to speak rationally to an AUSTRALIAN BASED VODAFONE CUSTOMER SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE..

0%
Share on facebook
13179 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is Fail to follow up unpaid bill at 21 Jan 2011 06:32:18 AM
Several times over the past few years, the Vodafone billing website has refused to accept my previously operational passwords, despite them remaining unchanged. After being finding myself locked out again, I was on hold for 27 minutes without being answered on 29/12/10. I logged an incident email immediately, in which I advised that I couldn't pay my overdue bill until they called me to instate my password. Apart from the initial auto reply, as of today (21/1/11), I still haven't had a response...and soon my next bill will be due. Maybe they don't want my money???

0%
Share on facebook
13174 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is intermittent fail is the worst type of fail at 21 Jan 2011 06:30:00 AM
I've been a vodafone customer (3g mobile broadband only) for the last 3 years. I'm on my second 24 month contract now. I'm going to try and keep this succinct. I've had two main issues.

1) The intermittent failure of their online account system, making it difficult for me to check how much data I've used so I don't go over my 4GiB (then), or 6GiB (now) download quota. I documented situations where their website wouldn't load because of some internal network issue (I could load other websites just fine), and also explicit failures of their systems with errors from Apache's tomcat system being presented to me. The Vodafone Mobile Connect application for the Mac is extremely poorly implemented, recording download/upload for only a single session making it difficult to record total usage over a billing cycle. This culminated in my being charged $80 extra one month for going 300MiB over my quota. After at least 3 calls to them about the issues, I eventually got this charge reversed.

2) The second issue is more about network reliability. A bit of background first. Initially I used an expresscard HSDPA modem to connect using the Vodafone Mobile Connect software. As I found, this software is useless, and I eventually turned to the standard Apple interface for creating and using PPP connections. Anyway, during my first contract, I was plagued with disconnections, sometimes 5 times during an evening. This eventually got better, and the problem has now disappeared. The issue now is not disconnections, but simply dropouts. To me, it seems like it happens mostly in peak times, suggesting overloading of the router at the tower. I have a constant ping to google running while I'm connected so I can detect when these dropouts occur. When it happens, pings start to time out, and eventually some random amount of time (sometimes minutes) later, a huge succession of ping responses suddenly come back to me, and my connection becomes live again. Both of these issues are extremely annoying, because it stops me doing work at home that relies on having a working internet connection (e.g. remote ssh to my workplace)

The dropout issue still remains, and most evenings my internet connection is unreliable.

I have since signed up with Optus for an iPhone plan which comes with 2GiB of data quota. I'm very close to going down the path of cancelling my vodafone contract. The only thing stopping me is stories of hours on hold. I can confirm, along with everyone else, that Vodafone's customer support is lacking in many critical areas which I won't go into.

I hope this helps.

0%
Share on facebook
13168 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Billing nonsense at 21 Jan 2011 06:21:46 AM
I recently changed to the $45 infinite plan with vodafail and purchased a handset which is $37/mth. Today I got my first bill for the month, a total of $92. Ive managed to logon to the vodafail website (which I notice has actually been usable since all the recent bad publicity started) and for the life of me cant see where the extra $10 charge has come from. I can only assume its from voicemail retrieval but its pretty bad when you have to assume a charge is correct without any supporting billing documentation...I'll be moving my service back over to telstra come the end of my contract. These guys are just amateurs.

0%
Share on facebook
13158 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is billing details at 21 Jan 2011 06:11:58 AM
Was talked into changing from virgin to vodafone by an all phones sales person because of great deal plan. Took 4 days and 6 phone calls for phone to be activated. 2 months down the track still no bill so rang vodafone and they had sent it to a rental address of 8 years previous and was charging me late fees and fee for a paper bill. After a very frustrating half hour on phone with a vodafone person, I was relieved of the extra charges and told an email would come through with updated details and the correct bills and amounts to pay - 3 days later they arrived - not updated or amended. I then went into my account online and my billing address and details still had not been changed or updated. I am still very confused and worried as to how they had an address on record of 8 years previous when I have only ever used telstra and virgin phone companies and have had three other addresses since.

88%
Share on facebook
13153 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is EPIC FAIL UPDATE at 21 Jan 2011 06:05:14 AM
FYI My Complaint below - I lodged this complaint approx 10-12 days ago - I also refered the matter to the TIO - Now My Wife and I have been approved to leave our contracts with 18 months to go with no termination fees - I told V I was going to the TIO and they didnt care - Made me get a new sim / do a so called investigation - during this process they called and said you can leave your contract at no cost -

Date of complaint: 12/01/2011 9:02:34 AM
Complaint: ONLINE ENTRY BY COMPLAINANT

Complaint Type: A telephone service
The complainant is the account holder
Member Name: Vodafone
Date of complaint: quite some time
Disputed Amount:
$
COMP CLAIMS:
n short I am a disgruntled Vodafone customer after using the service for more than 6 years. After my relentless attempts to contact Vodafone customer support to resolve my issues (the usual dropped calls, no reception, no 3G and delayed voicemail & text messages)

everytime i ring wait for min of 45 min on hold then i expalinmy story - they transfer me between departments and each time im on hold any where up to 25 minutes.

Where I live in my local area I have NO coverage what so ever on my phone - at home my i-phone 3G sits in no service or searching. Any where I travel in my local arera nothing changes - Im a account manager and rely heavily on my phone - i can travel to a number of locations in newcastl;e and get NO COVERAGE - also i have a young family and expecting a baby - i can not go with out a phone
MEMBER'S RESPONSE:
My 1st call to vodafone being on hold for 1 hour - telling my story to customer service - they transfered me to techincal support - i waited 25 minutes to get to them and they had no idea why i was transferedc to them - so i had to explain my whole story again - They said to termoinate contract would cost $460 S I HAVE 8 MONTHS LEFT ON contract - Why should I pay for a service carrier to which im not getting any service for what Im paying for?? They toild me to go to a store and do a sim swap and credit 1 month bill - big deal $70... I attended a store swapped my sim and NOTHING Has chanGED - IT ALL STALL TATICS - they in struct me to check setting on my phone - turn it on / off - nothing has improved
RESOLUTION SOUGHT:
I can not go Any longer with out a phone - I want the provider to rescind my termination fee - allow me to change carriers ASAP and NOT PAY a termination fee. I want to port my phone number to the new carrier. At the time I signed this contract I paid $200 extra for the 32 gig 3g i-phone - I want to take this phone to my new carrier - Also I want vodafone to do the same for my wife who is A VODAFONE CUSTOMER in the exact same situation - wave her termination fees. I dont want to dealh vodafone


21 Jan 2011 06:15:31 AM: Apsolutely same problem here! They are getting worse to the extreme! Reception is my main problem as is retrieval of voice or sms's.They'l try and blame the phone or as you said.,.handball you to different departments and an hour +++ later..same boat you started in. TERRIBLE! I want OUT only I stupidly started another contract last august (before all this got worse) so Im counting down to OUT TIME! Id go to Optus or even Testra..as my husband has with his business and they have no issues and great customer service. They respond and your not on hold for over 1/2 hour. Goodluck
21 Jan 2011 07:21:43 AM: Escalate your complaints to the TIO - We are out of our contracts now free of charge....V will do a investigation into network - press hard you have no coverage and speak to management in contracts. you too will get out of your contracts !! Good Luck

95%
Share on facebook
13146 Someone from Somewhere else thinks vodafone is Major at 21 Jan 2011 05:54:13 AM
Being charged for spam txts to my phone that I did NOT subscribe for and being charged $52 a month for!!! Unfortunately I didn't go through my bill until 2 motnhs later so have $104 to pay for this rubbish. Smarmy female at call centre told me even though this is a known problem throughout Vodafone, that I was not just an isolated case, I would still have t pay for it!!! I told her I never subscribed to these horoscopes txts nor have ever used them, yet got them every week which I would just delete when they came through - never opened them. I was informed that I obviously did sign up to them and I'm telling her in no uncertain terms I never once hooked into any crap like that, nor asked to get it constantly therefore, I need to be credited the amount. The unhelpfulness, the smarmy attitude and at the end of waiting....'have a lovely day.' They told me this is a big problem....yet they told me I still have to pay it...WTF??? Seriously? I have since talked to a friend who is a Voda account manager who is getting out of the company as is sick of all the crap she puts up with and she is highly disgusted in how my issue was dealt. They inform me they don't do the 2212 horoscopes and I said I don't care who does it, It's Vodafone who sends me the bill so I take up the gripe with them. I am still so angry with this that it hasn't been resolved, they keep telling me its a service I obviously wanted (isn't the customer always right??), and basically insinuating I am lying. Had an absolute gutsful.
21 Jan 2011 08:52:17 AM: No, the customer isn't always right.
And carriers can see whether it was authorised by the handset in question.
24 Jan 2011 12:33:23 AM: No- a while back I heard the government was going to crack down on this heavily. Maybee they just decidede to commission another study into the feasibility of investigating regulating this practice.Anyone know?

0%
Share on facebook
13124 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is EXTREME FAIL at 21 Jan 2011 05:42:09 AM
- Have been given 3 phones from them on the same plan because each time the hardware is faulty.
- I send messages and the people i send them to don't receive them.. VERY frequently.
- I can't get reception in my apartment near sydney CBD.
- Due to the hardware fails I am reduced to using a $49 nokia i bought from woolworths which doesn't have internet capability.. yet despite having no internet or email capability I am still charged $40 per month for the privelege of using it. (where i had a no usage month with telstra they called to find out what was happening and fixed my issue)
- my first phone bill was $800, due to an error in their billing system.
- Calling I do not get to speak to somebody who can help me and trying to resolve the issue I was hung up on 4 times.
- My plan is up in February and I'm going to optus.

29%
Share on facebook
13117 Someone from Somewhere else thinks vodafone is Total Failures at 21 Jan 2011 05:33:26 AM
Poor customer care after I signed into a years contract they over billed me and when i called the service desk my calls we dropped and they never cared about my problem.

stink vodafone

0%
Share on facebook
13112 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is incorrectly billed at 21 Jan 2011 05:18:36 AM
I was on the internet for 5 mins and they charged me $56.
I rang and complained but the customer service said they can't find anything wrong in there system and I should pay $56 for that 5 mins on the internet!!!!!


0%
Share on facebook
13088 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Massive FAIL at 21 Jan 2011 04:23:17 AM
I tried to cancel a contract with them and when I did I was charged an exit fee of $320 but not told this untill after the cancellation had gone through. once the number and account was cancelled I was told it was due to the handset not being fully paid and so agreed to pay seeing as i had no information to check as all the paper trail was online with stupid electronic billing and direct debit. once paid I was fronted again by vodafone for not paying the bill so tracked down the payment and after weeks of phone calls a a list of useless names they had dropped it only to find out months latter that i was on the hit list of a debt collector and I tried to prove that I had paid it but they wanted nothing to do with it and said to take it to court or payup and they were willing to ring repeatedly. As i was also going for a morgage at this stage I didn't want bad creadit rating and paid it. Luckly what do you know I got the morgage just before a black mark appares on my creadit rating.

VODAFONE SUX BIG TIME

0%
Share on facebook
13056 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is could not be more terrible at 20 Jan 2011 07:26:45 PM
Purchased phone accepts top up money and is supposedly registered but account balance remains nil and cannot send or receive calls or SMS. Numerous attempts via phone and sms and email have not succeeded in resolving problem. Have been on hold for more than 40 mins on at least 2 occasions and yet to speak to a human. I Hate LARA. She is so annoyingly JOLLY and she is so crap.

77%
Share on facebook
13032 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is Stupid. at 20 Jan 2011 12:24:01 PM
Ok.. here goes..

Vodafone cut off my account (i hadn't paid a bill).
Just before this, I'd lost my job. I told vodafone this, and said i'd pay so much a week, blah blah. It was a 49 dollar cap.
They said the best move would be to go to a 114 unlimited cap, so i'd never get a big bill again. I did this, then they cut off my phone.

Few months later, i'd been paying it off, Vodafail referred my accound to NRG Global Solutions (Debt Collectors). Only thing is, they gave NRG my contact phone number: the one they disconnected.

Nrg, when i finally found out what was going on, then demanded about $5000 payment (49 dollar cap pay out would have been approx $1175, $114 cap payout would have been $2735). NRG kindly offered me a 10% discount if I paid on the spot. How nice of them?
Vodafone had not told me they restarted the contract when they changed to a higher cap.

Not knowing what to do, I said i could afford $25 per week, and i'd pay this until it was paid off. I got a job. I changed it to $50 per week, and so on.

NRG told me every time they spoke to me that I would have to pay the full amount, NOW. I said no, (i mean, you can't bleed a stone, right? If i don't have the money, i can't actually pay it), they insisted I take out a loan (after they defaulted my credit file, no one would ever give me a loan again), or borrow it from a friend or family member ('hey dad, can I borrow $5000 to pay off some mean debt collectors?' ...No.)

So, when I was full time employed, I paid their minimum deposit that they demanded before entering a payment plan, and continued to pay off the account.

THEN I discovered the TIO. Ahh, my saviours. Level 1 complaint- vodafone refused to contact me to resolve the issue. Level 2 complaint.. waited, and waited, finally got a call from a lady saying that the acc is cancelled, I owe nothing, however they will keep what I have already paid. Ok, cool. I'm happy with that. They even took the default off my credit file. WOO HOO!

(in the mean time, i'm still getting abusive calls from NRG demanding payment, even though they are well aware the account is in dispute).




Sooo.. a few weeks later, now, here I am, and wow, I look at my debit card statement. NRG have been deducting $101.50 every fortnight, as soon as my pay goes in, they take it out. I hadn't realised. I called them. They said that I had arranged to go into a direct debit. I never do direct debits. I like to see where my money is going. soo... payments were supposed to be suspended 2 months ago due to the complaint, until the account was resolved. they've taken $507.5 without my permission, without me even noticing, when the account had been disputed, and resolved.

Called NRG, they refuse to repay the money. Called the Ombudsman again.. can't get hold of the investigation officer.. grr, just waiting.. VODAFAIL, recall your American annoying abusive debt collectors, make them pay me my money back, and start respecting your customers.
20 Jan 2011 06:23:05 PM: If you haven't authorised those direct debits, or had a court order imposed, Vodafone's agents, if not Vodafone, are in serious trouble.
Not sure of the first place to start- Perhaps Leon Byber at 5AA
20 Jan 2011 06:51:56 PM: Can a court order a direct debit????
14 Oct 2011 04:07:01 PM: I have some questions for you. How did they get your bank account details if you didnt give them to them? They require a signed authority to direct debit and according to you they dont have it. How were you paying your arrangement to them? If the debt was resolved by the TIO then they should have been informed to close the account. You would be entitled to payments made after the date that the TIO / Voda agreed to cancel your account.

Sounds to me like a pile of BS. I bet when you went on the higher plan you received a new handset as well. It would be interesting to know what those payments would be and whether your initial arrangement was going to cover even the basic monthly payment. Lets be clear, Voda dont send good customers to debt collection agencies do they?

0%
Share on facebook
13024 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is 10/10 at 20 Jan 2011 09:38:27 AM
I have asked vodafone to assist with my online billing. As numerous times the site has locked me out, I keep getting texts telling me my bill is overdue but I am unable to access the bill via 1555 text or online billing so I don't know how much I owe. Calling 1555 means a 2 hour wait for someone to answer the call...
20 Jan 2011 09:11:20 PM: I had the same problem...... Complaining about it got me know where.

0%
Share on facebook
13021 Someone from TAS thinks vodafone is Criminal at 20 Jan 2011 07:16:42 AM
After account access troubles for the past month, mysterious password changes, four digit pin changes and my address changing to the house over the road from me on my account I suspected either sheer incompetence or foul play regarding my account. Once I heard about the information leaks I was sure my details had been tampered with so I called Vodafone to confront them about it.

The first operator told me there is no way that can happen, even though I had called the number Vodafone supplied on their website if you suspected your account details had been compromised. I explained that my password was changing almost everyday, locking me out of my account and I had to call and have it reset. Without even looking he told me that my account had not been compromised so I asked to speak to his manager. He transferred me to someone else who without even asking my name told me that my account was not one of the accounts that had been leaked. I told him that I had been advised that any misleading info regarding this matter would result in criminal investigations by the TIO and he transferred me to someone else.

I knew I had someone who meant business this time because I got an Australian on the phone. I explained my situation to them once again. With a few quick key strokes the operator informed me that my account HAD been compromised! He then offered me a months worth of credit to my account! A whole months worth for getting calls from seedy foreign sales people a dozen times a night trying to sell me anti virus software because they have detected my copy of windows is at risk... I own a Mac... I had a copy of Vodafone's privacy statement prepared and read it to him, the WHOLE thing. He then asked how I would like to proceed. I told him that I was mislead regarding the service I would receive on my phone in the first place, lied to about getting full reception at my house and place of work only to get home and NEVER have any - Contract breach on their part number one... I also told them that they illegally sold my information to a third party for which now I am harassed constantly - Contract breach on their part number two.

He then tried to tell me that I am in a legally binding contract and any attempt to nullify the contract would lead to dishonor fees and charges. So I read the letter the TIO had given me to him stating that since the commencement of the contract I had fulfilled my terms completely - paying accounts on time. However the provider of the account HAD NOT fulfilled the terms of the contract in regards to false information and coercion of the contract, failure to deliver the service promised in the contract and suspicion of criminal activity in regards to information provided for use solely by the contractor.

He went down kicking and screaming, but finally voided the contract. A week later though I get a bill demanding I pay an exit fee which I was advised to forward to the officer from the TIO investigating my case. The exit fee is more than I would have paid for my phone and my contract upfront and I have also received an outstanding account bill for minus $976.88 which I have 14 days to pay!

Unbelievable. How do I pay minus $976.88 before I am reported to debt collectors???
20 Jan 2011 09:09:52 AM: Don't worry Vodafone will try to recover the -$976.88 and include late penalty fees as well!!!

You could end up with a massive debt of over -$1000 and still the debt collectors will be notified!!!
20 Jan 2011 10:02:17 AM: HI Mate: Worse still for you, as the case is referred to a debt collection agency, then you will have a BAD CREDIT rating slapped on you by the CRAA. This means you will note be able to get a loan for anything for the next 5 years!!! Please check before its too late for you. I got stung the same way. Great addition for a law suit.
25 Jan 2011 02:56:28 PM: its a credit you retard :) OMG get a clue, maybe if you had been smart you would of not gone yo vodafone
7 Feb 2011 08:13:48 PM: We all realise it's a credit. We just don't know how this customer is expected to PAY this bill before being turned in to the collection agencies. It is IMPOSSIBLE to pay vodafone -$976.88, yet they are billing it anyway. Obviously you didn't read the post correctly. Who's the retard now?
9 Feb 2011 01:10:37 PM: RE: 7 Feb 2011 10:13:48 PM - In relation to the very last statement and question of your post, those answers would actually be you didn't and you still (and no I am not the poster from 25 Jan).

The invoice showing the credit will no doubt have something printed on it saying something along the lines of "no amount to pay".

If the invoice has been sent for a service which has been disconnected, then the person to whom the invoice has been issued needs to contact the invoice issuer (in this case, Vodafone) to organise a refund of the amount by which the account is in credit.

80%
Share on facebook
13009 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is epic fail at 19 Jan 2011 06:38:42 PM
After successfully using Vodaphone for almost a year (with the exception of dropping in and out and my computer telling me the usb is corrupt) my direct debit payment was apparently "dishonored" even though there was no evidence of any problem from my bank account. This meant i was charged an extra 20 dollars for nothing and my direct debit was cancelled. However i wasn't made aware that any of this had occurred so i now have a built up internet bill because they cancelled my direct debit. When i emailed to ask what the hell was going on i got a reply saying the above problem had occurred and when i asked why this had happened i did not get a response.
20 Jan 2011 05:15:08 AM: i also had the same issue with them amonst many other things. when i spoke to customer service and asked them why i had not been notified they're responce was 'we sent you a text' what a joke no texts are working and when i quiried as to why i have not been recieving my bills... they automatically became defensive and it was not the're problem the responce i got was 'well we send them Australia Post is loosing them' really? every single bill?
When i asked about the so called "dishonour" they said.....well we cannot comment on that if the bank disoners the payment we cannot do anything about it
i was very dis satisfied with my call as everytime i questioned something they became very defensie and rude and blamed everyone and evrything else else bar vodafone..
20 Jan 2011 06:29:14 PM: ICAC free SA - it is actually possible that all those bills have been intercepted.
However, if the money was in the bank, at the time of the expected debit, then first, take it up with the bank. If you have not been hit for a fee for this claimed dishonor, and that is extremely rare, then it looks like Vodafone are lieing- what a surprise.I think you bank would be the first step.

0%
Share on facebook
13004 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is a MASSIVE FAIL at 19 Jan 2011 04:45:59 PM
I have been a vodafone customer for 14 years!! In this time I have turned most of my friends and family members onto vodafone as well. I have just realised that I have been overcharged by $1200 over the past 24 months due to them charging me for usage that should have been free as part of my contract. Its funny how efficeint they are at emailing and texting the bills, and taking the money out of my account, but do you think they will give back the money that they have effectively stolen.. not likely!!

Oh and if you pay by direct debit, dont bother asking them to delay the payment date for a week, because they will say they have done it, when they havent, and will then charge you a $20 dishonour fee for the privelidge.

also dont bother trying to get data services whilst on international roaming. same thing, after 1 hr on the phone, they say its all sorted then you get to your destination and have no access at all!! But they will gladly charge u upfront!!

0%
Share on facebook
13001 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Fail at 19 Jan 2011 04:31:09 PM
I can't even view my usage details on myvodafone account. Fail!!
20 Jan 2011 02:09:52 PM: Do what I did, go to the Ombudsman.

0%
Share on facebook
12992 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is mega fail at 19 Jan 2011 01:55:07 PM
I dont even want you anymore vodafone! but im stuck with you for another 16 months! and you want me to pay an $1800 early exit fee for cancelling my contract? Get out of here!!!!!!
You are like a lazy person.. Only giving me reception when you feel like it. if you can even be bothered at all. its not as if im in a country town....Im in greater sydney ffs!
You send my messages to me at random times - if i even get them... and now youre not letting me make video calls anymore? Or maybe its that DUD new phone you replaced my blackberry with! you know, the new N8 that keeps freezing on me all the time? The one thats worth much less than my blackberry! But you still want me to continue with my blackberry plan? and now youre offering a N8 cap for $49 per month unlimited but im stuck with your blackberry plan for $79 a month which is no where NEAR unlimited! Your staff tell me the $225 excess to replace my phone is creditible to my account but not until ive been charged for it... so , i get charged for it and you palm me off to the insurance company telling me i need to contact them! well, i tell you what vodafone you BETTER fix this mess......

0%
Share on facebook
12986 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is extremely at 19 Jan 2011 01:13:22 PM
19 Jan 2011 07:28:04 PM: All promises are not much good if they can't provide the service
Vodafone broadband has been actually pretty good this week, but tonight I have to run broadband thru "3" which is my mobile phone through the computer as the vodafone is so slow it's unusable. Pretty good isn't it!

0%
Share on facebook
12969 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is EXTREMELY FAIL - beyond redemption at 19 Jan 2011 10:23:48 AM
Hate Lara - I think this is the main reason why I get to lazy in complaining.. and I used to inquire before if I can complain by email so that I have a trail never got one. Asked if there are alternatives of bypassing Lara.. wasnt given one.


Called used the return call option - 2 hours+++ before my call got returned.
Called waited for a 5 minute or less discussion with them (as they are clueless on how to resolve my query)... I have to wait for 40 on good days and more than an hour on bad days... hahahha.. I still waited though how stupid could I get?

Billings - which is the topic of my above calls... too many to mention.. and I only look at these when I get time to waste. Usually get a billing adjustment of AUD.. hundreds sometimes.. I wonder if those bills that I havent checked in detail I just made them richer.. oh well..

I could go on but I dont want to waste more of my lunch break at work... posting again next time... I love this site!

0%
Share on facebook
12961 Someone from ACT thinks vodafone is 100% fail at 18 Jan 2011 10:25:58 PM
i thought it was only Ghana here that we are experiencing poor service from Vodafone but rather a global issue. i pay high bills and don't get the quality service. as at now i can't check my billing online neither can i check my vodafone webmail. i made a report on several occasions but nothing seems to be done. am fedup with them waiting for better internet service providers to come and save Ghanaians. every body is complaining. God save us.
19 Jan 2011 06:43:14 AM: Yea we didn't know there were issues in Ghana too!
http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2011/01/16/disappointed-vodafone-customer-sets-up-website-for-complaints/

0%
Share on facebook
12958 Someone from ACT thinks vodafone is shocking at 18 Jan 2011 09:37:37 PM
for the last 6 months now i have been strugaling to sort out my billing isues.i have been charged an extreamily large amount for national data when it was ment to be included in my contract but wasnt.it all started when i was eligable for a free upgrade so i got one and they never loged my new contract.i have sofar "fixed" this problem twice.the first time i was credited but my contract wasnt changed .i aparently "fixed" this problem again and was credited again but in my most recent bill there is nothing to certify this and i still owe the same amount.this ontop of all my reception issues i think im ready to switch servers.SHAME ON YOU VODAFONE.
18 Jan 2011 09:39:20 PM: oops im from qld not act

0%
Share on facebook
12949 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Customer Service at 18 Jan 2011 06:22:31 PM
Vodafone are costing me a lot of time and effort to get nothing done. I simply want to change my business account to a personal one and stay with them. You know, keep paying them money for service!! They are making it hard both in the aussie shops and overseas call centre. What if all Vodafail customers started charging reverse charges for the time it takes to deal with and fix their customer service problems. I think I will start running a reverse bill log at $60ph for the time it takes for me to deal with their issues. Something that the Govt. might consider for future Telecommunications standard contracts. Maybe then they will change.

0%
Share on facebook
12941 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is extreme! at 18 Jan 2011 04:43:06 PM
We have found our selfs in a house with no reception, to get reception you have to half climb the back fence! This is only in the past 12-18 months however, we resign while the reception quality was going down, because they are going to fix it in the next month or so! Then they have just sent us a bill for $300 extra because they told us one thing when another was the case and then billed us to fix it. Then again when they had to fix it after they didn't and we had to call and have it actually fixed!

0%
Share on facebook
12938 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is extreemly at 18 Jan 2011 04:08:48 PM
i received an sms from vodafone saying that im owing Just over $80. thats the heighest bill ive received so far. when i went to hav a look at my statements it showed i had an overdue payment from the previous bill. that annoyed me alot because i originally set my account with direct debit!! first 2 bills were directly debited from my account, somehow the 3rd didnt make it that far! HOW!!!!????? WHY!!!????

ive since paid the bill, yet still have not managed to get in contact with a vodafone employee to sort out the problem.

0%
Share on facebook
12934 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is makes dealing with Telstra a walk in the park at 18 Jan 2011 02:45:03 PM
This company call Vodafone.
Well when you try to tell them you have a problem at the store, after waiting for a long time, the staff look at you as if they had never ever ever heard of anyone ever complaining about their network and billing issues, if this was in court, the judge would immediately condemn them for contempt of the law.
And when after you waited for hours for their call centre staff, and you try to explain to them the issues their network was causing, they sound surprised, treats you with condescension and belittled you as they have never ever ever heard of any problems with their perfect billing system and their perfect network.

Vodafone: Just about the only most perfect organisation in the world, ever.

what a load of bull shit Vodafone, get your act together or just quit this industry and get into making toilet paper instead.
19 Jan 2011 03:13:15 PM: then ud have toilet paper that would not come with any sheets

0%
Share on facebook
12931 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is billing at 18 Jan 2011 02:19:17 PM
i have never ever been with vodafone!! and i received a bill for 3 grand!! i rang them up and they said they dont have a account with my name on it! then i rang the obudsmen! now apaprently i opened an account a year ago!! in a state im not even in!!!! and they said it would be resolved in ten days its been 3 months! and they still havent cleared my name!! they said they sent it to the fraud devision! and havent heard nothing since!
18 Jan 2011 02:23:14 PM: Intersting one for the auditors to look in to.
18 Jan 2011 02:27:05 PM: i have a number they gave me to call just goes to voicemail!! and no one calls back!! ive looked up the debt collection agency that sent the mail to me and the website is a bunch of disabled kids?? so i dont understand!!
18 Jan 2011 08:33:35 PM: @ 18 Jan 2011 04:27:05 PM just a thought but you do know about the recent security breach???

I think you should go to the TIO with this one sooner rather than later!!!
25 Jan 2011 10:27:16 AM: i had contacted the tio, they said i had to send a a signed declaration to them they said they were investigating, i spoke to a lady twice she never asked me any questions about the fraud or nothing everytime i asked her she told me she couldnt talk with me about it and the matter had been refered to the fraud department, still to this day 3 months later after there 10 day promise nothing~!

0%
Share on facebook
12887 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is total at 17 Jan 2011 10:22:09 PM
todays mess.....could not access myvodafone, since clicked over to new billing cycle, cannot get any idea of usage. Finally, it works, click more details, get picture of smily kid and nothing else. Pin not working on myvodafone, eventually account LOCKED, try to unlock password as a lost password, says still locked, call. I call, go through all of the menus, get put through to the appropriate answering machine to listen to, get told they are too busy and to call back later, beep beep beep beep beep beep. not one real person spoken to, AND they hung up on me.........and i still have no way of telling what my usage is. O emailed about not being able to access my usage on the 15th, no auto response, NOTHING. though, i sent them a comment about the totally incorrect spelling of many suburbs on the message about upgrades in local areas. immediate response, LAUGHABLE

0%
Share on facebook
12866 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is poor customer service and overcharging of a non-existant service at 17 Jan 2011 06:31:48 PM
i am constantly having to call vodafone relating to billing issues of being overcharged and paying for a non existent broadband service. i have raised these issues on a constant basis yet i still have not received word from a tech support person as i was promised. that was three weeks ago and counting. I am currently on hold trying to speak to a representative and i think it is going to longer than the three weeks i have been waiting for the callback. just putting it out there, i have been on hold for 3 hours and 40 min. this truly is a joke and the government is to blame for how corporations treat the general public. coming from Canada people have a fair say in how they are treated by corporations who just don't give a damn, but in all honesty this is my opinion Aussies are just to lazy to get off their laurels and complain. they piss and moan, yet they do nothing about it. if it wasn't for your site the majority of these people wouldn't do a darn thing. don't mean to offend anyone. the truth must be told and that is the reason the reason for poor customer service across the board with a wide variety of services through out private and government. "why complain, she'll be 'right" attitude, allow corporations to have their with you as does the government, but that is a different story.
17 Jan 2011 10:44:35 PM: They do not have a billing department, they only have a "con" section. Every month, they simply con customers like they con you and me. They are betting you will not call because they make it virtually impossible for you to complain, foreign call centre who do not understand or able to make any decisions, putting people on the line for hours on end, these are well known con tactics to slowly suck the life out of you so you give up and just pay up.
This is a very devious company we are dealing with, not surprise if indeed they turn out to be the demon in the book of revelations in the Bible.
18 Jan 2011 09:46:43 AM: Don't know about the Bible part, but I agree with you they are devious. For example not crediting payments made for excess usage when moving from paper to web billing. Removing ~2G from usage figures the day before new billing cycle, so that you think you have plenty of usage left if you check, THEN ADDING THIS BACK THE NEXT DAY. Very dishonest.

0%
Share on facebook
12859 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is billing at 17 Jan 2011 06:00:29 PM
i found that my billing has not been updated for more than 24 hours and when i send sms to 1512, most of reply was out of service. just wondering what is my current billing stage, afarid over the cap.

0%
Share on facebook
12857 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Ridiculous at 17 Jan 2011 05:56:55 PM
Have been on hold for 32mins and still waiting to speak to a real person...

And worthwhile mentioning the fact that the first call I made to 1555 dropped out!
Was previously told my billing cycle ended on the 14th and they still cannot tell me the details of what I am liable for, for the past month.
Firstly I was told I would need to wait until the 15th to find out my bill amount, rang yesterday after waiting 42 minutes was told they can't see the bill until the 17th. Correct me if I'm wrong, but today is the 17th.
Ashish told me he would call me back and run through the details of each call. STILL WAITING for that call!
Ridiculous customer service...can anyone recommend a decent iphone 4 service in Sydney??
Optus looks good to me...whoever recommended to the ACCC that the merger with 3 and Voda would increase competition in the Telco industry were sadly mistaken. Nigel, was that you???

I feel like I have spent half my life on the phone waiting for some customer service...It's now been 44 mins of waiting to speak to someone. What a waste of my time, esp given I have been calling daily given that fact that Voda do not honour their promises to return phonecalls!
17 Jan 2011 06:05:44 PM: still waiting...53mins now

0%
Share on facebook
12853 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is A VERY SICK PUPPY at 17 Jan 2011 04:57:50 PM
This is a follow on to my post #12532 earlier in the week & relates to a totally unsolicited deal that VF sent me with tempting extras to switch from 3 wireless Internet to them with no more to pay. Basically they looked at my nearly ending 3 account & sent me an offer too good to refuse, which turned out to be too good to be true!

I thought I had sorted my problems with VF when a nice young (sounding) Aussie "account executive" (What does that mean, somebody who applied for the low rate job & was accepted to make coffee & occasionally answer the phone?) agreed to cancel my 1 day old deal because it just totally did not work at all. The deal would be canceled when I returned the modem & software disc by way of a reply paid satchel, which would be sent to my address within 3 days.

No return satchel arrived to date but today, about a week later, I received a call from a nice Indian lady named Poonam & she tells me they want me to check the hardware again before they actually send me the return address satchel because I should give it one more try with their technical dept. My reply was that I am an IT expert & have thoroughly tested their hardware & software & I have determined that neither are the problem, VF just does not have the coverage & the signal is too weak for me to get any kind of acceptable Internet connectivity. This is on top of waiting hours in the LARA queues for days just to get the original guy to agree to cancel my deal.

Anyway, I know live in hope that Poonam can actually arrange for me to back their gear so I can be totally rid of anything to do with this maladjusted, malfunctioning company.

I'll keep you posted on the end result, in the meantime as it's late afternoon I'll have a couple of drinks to dull the PAIN!
17 Jan 2011 05:58:19 PM: Can you please have one for me as well.......thanks!!!!
17 Jan 2011 06:15:44 PM: Forgot to say that the lovely (voiced) Ms Poonam admitted that VF was overstretched on their network (an excuse that doesn't wash but they have been told to say this) due to the merger with 3 & also that was the reason we have to wait so long in queues listening to garbage lies about VF service & garbage music for hours on end. I politely pointed out that this was not the way Australians expected to be treated by a company when doing business & my dealing with her employers who solicited my business from their merger company when they full knew that they could not provide the alleged service amounted to fraud.

Not being racist but as pointed out by somebody else on here there is a massive cultural divide between Australian VF customers & the country & people chosen to answer calls for help when things do not go according to the stated services of this very un-Australian company. Australia Day coming up, maybe us VF customers should celebrate with curried lamb!

76%
Share on facebook
12849 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT IN ALL ASPECTS at 17 Jan 2011 04:10:01 PM
Hi, I'm just here to advise all our Vodafone customers who are upset with our fantastic products and services to stay with us. Please give us another chance, we are taking our time attempting to somewhat resolve the national UMTS network issues via adding more GSM towers. That will alleviate capacity, since Vodafone has an strong client base of about 4.5 million highly satisfied customers and counting. Our merge with 3 has boosted our client base even further to about 7.5 million+, proving that Vodafone Australia is clearly the best option for a provider. If you all are still not satisfied with your current network service, then you should gently contact our wonderful foreign call centre. The adept technical support team will resolve the issues you are experiencing as fast as possible by offering unlimited escalations, language barriers, and misinterpretations. How great is that? You shouldn't be unhappy about our state-of-the-art Lara voice menu because she will provide you with all the transfers you need, including a bonus of up to 3 hour wait times, countless hours of exclusive music on hold, and the typical call cut off when you need it. We even conveniently provide no call back option since we don't want you calling back about how fantastic we are. Not only that, we have specifically poured our vast investment into Lara's voice recognition option so you all can enjoy a aggravating experience. We hope you believe she is a human, complete with our finishing touch of fake keyboard typing noises when she handles your account recharge or status. Vodafone is proud to announce the Infinite Plans. Not only do we want you calling and messaging as much as possible, we want every new or loyal customer to benchmark our network beyond the limit, leaving it unusable for other angry customers here. Included with the plans are super generous offers. You get frequent call dropouts points, almost no reception across the nation, exclusive sent messages arriving ages later, special barring of sending messages, lucky jackpot of erratic working calls, guaranteed lightning fast 3G speeds of 10Kbps average, and even limited access to your My Vodafone account. That's just unbelievable! If you are still not convinced to stay with Vodafone, then we'll let you in on a VIP offer. Your customer details will be accessed by criminals via our respectful employees. Don't worry, nothing is wrong, we'll reset the passwords every 24 hours and you won't be able to login to your My Vodafone account because we locked it down. If you are still concerned with that great offer, then just gently contact customer care, we'll offer you a special limited time 50% discount on your plan for 3 months. If you are going to leave Vodafone, then we'll give you another incredible offer of 3 months credit to your plan, so that you're stuck with us. Please stay, we don't want to face the TIO. Visit your local Vodafone store, the excellent caring staff will troubleshoot your mobile device or offer you another plan. This is Vodafone's primetime, please if you do leave, refer us to another potential customer because we need a big market share. Don't worry, Vodafone will take respectful and honest care with their customers. As you can see, there is no reason to leave. We offer the best products and services compared to other competitors. If you have any further inquiries, please gently contact our helpful customer care. If they can't get to you, try turning your phone on and off many times, otherwise find the ultra elusive call back option and we'll get back to you shortly as we are always so busy handling countless appraisals from our caring customers. If we don't get back to you, then wait 5 business days. If we get back to you and you're issue is not resolved, then it's not our problem. So please, we beg you not to abuse our sensitive compassionate staff in store. They are trying their absolute hardest to help you while serving under the company's oppressive commands. If your issues are still not resolved then give us a year to fix it, otherwise just leave with the help of TIO. All I can say is that those who leave are missing out on our famous marvellous products and services. We have the Infinite Plans, what more could you want? We are proud to be an Australian registered company with a call centre overseas. We hope you enjoyed reading this and are reconsidering your complaints. We hope you are convinced by what is stated here, to stay with us because you chose us for the best possible network in the first place. Thank you for choosing Vodafone. Power to you. - "An abused Vodafone Employee" P.S. - If you are having bad service for extended periods, please cancel your Vodafone plan as soon as possible, with the help of TIO for no penalty if you have to! They are so terrible recently. Rest assured.
17 Jan 2011 04:16:00 PM: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/i-just-hate-going-to-work-now-abused-vodafone-dealer-to-sue-20110117-19t4j.html

:O
17 Jan 2011 04:18:40 PM: Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit!!
17 Jan 2011 04:20:09 PM: Sorry, just read a bit more and realised they were being sarcastic.
17 Jan 2011 04:22:18 PM: Yeh I wrote that LMAO! Just wanted to lighten up the mood around here and see what Vodafone would have said in our shoes.
17 Jan 2011 07:39:42 PM: hahaha. glad i kept reading
18 Jan 2011 10:10:31 AM: 'Excellent caring staff' What a joke, all they care about is protecting their own arses. Don't forget to vote using device near the main counter. My experience, first time bullied and threatened by 'manager', second time - someone who tried to help despite being hung up on 3 times by VF...ed 'Accounts' staff. Third time, didn't listen to my complaint despite restating it several times, could not understand I had a Virgin phone and a VF...ed mobile broadband and insisted on punching my mobile phone number into their system. Do I need to explain? Just utterly useless.
20 Jan 2011 06:38:41 PM: I knew it was fake because they were being polite.
21 Jan 2011 01:09:09 PM: I used to be a Vodafone staff member, I was always polite and used to get just as angry at the customer (non) care people as every one else. I left the job because my hands were tied by ridiculous policies. In the old days if your phone didn't work because it was faulty we just gave you a new one, none of this repair for months on end bullshit. If you dropped your phone in water that was it and there were options. If your service was shit you got released from your contract and when you wanted to upgrade there was an amazing team in Sydney and Hobart that we had DIRECT lines to and could upgrade from store stock on the spot.
There are very few of us old schollers left because the company , depite all their happy happy corporate meetings. DON"T CARE ABOUT THEIR STAFF. How are they in a position to give a shit about customers if they don't even give the staff the ability to help them.

0%
Share on facebook
12846 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is Extreme at 17 Jan 2011 03:41:20 PM
Every time I need to discuss billing issues (almost every month) I need to go to the TIO to speak to someone who is remotely interested in my complaint. I am shuffled between rude, arrogant, dismissive call center people who do not accurately report my calls and refuse to put me through to a supervisor (a real one that is, rather than their friend sitting next to them. they even recently told me that the TIO is irrelevant and that they would cut me off (which they did)even though I am not in arrears, I pay my bills (even when they are wrong) and now my children cannot contact me or their mother. The rudeness is beyond reasonable. I have now requested the TIO to get me released from the contract so i can get back to enjoying my life.

0%
Share on facebook
12828 Someone from WA thinks vodafone is Very at 17 Jan 2011 01:33:48 PM
I went to pay my bill online (i am on a contract) the day before it was due. As the payment was processing the webpage failed and did not reload. I was unsure whether my payment had gone through or not, so I called the help like, where i got the automated Lara. I could not find anywhere how to check the balance of my account or to check if my payment had gone through. Luckily it had, but it was a very long night full of worrying.
17 Jan 2011 04:24:24 PM: Same here, even trying to BPay it bombed twice. Tried again using Internet Explorer instead of Google Chrome and it went through, fortunately only once! ie with BPay

38%
Share on facebook
12825 Someone from SA thinks vodafone is at 17 Jan 2011 01:24:02 PM
I'm another disgruntled customer putting up with almost no signal and slow data speeds. I'm in the process of leaving Vodafone, which we all should do, should we have these pathetic problems for weeks unfixed. The TIO will need to help us get out of Vodafone's illegal contracts. - @ Vodafail.com/mod: As suggestive feedback for extra useful statistics on Vodafail.com, I think there should be a rating bar of 0-100%, in a section known as 'Rate Your Pain', on this site so we can rate how angry or upset we are. That section should include check boxes for if we are still angry and if the problem remains unresolved. It should also include a dropdown box for choosing how long we have been having this pain (days, months, weeks, etc) and how long it took us to cancel our contracts, accounts, etc. A rudenessmeter may be necessary for us to rate how rude Vodafone has been depending on the situation. The 'On Hold Again?' section should include a dropdown box for us to choose the number of times the call centre has cut us off per day, the number of times our calls dropped per day when we call other people, the speed rate we are currently experiencing for 3G (0-1500+ Kbits per sec, for 3G anything below 300 Kbits per sec or about 38 KBytes per sec is just pathetic), and a textbox for us to briefly note the lame responses the call centre employees give us (for eg. 'We have technicians at the site and the network issues will be fixed by the end of this week.' These comments can be placed into categorised list, like the topic categories in Share Your Pain. It would be amusing to see which responses are most often heard from the call centres daily). A voluntary textbox for noting down the suburb where the customers are currently experiencing network issues may be necessary for further informative feedback, so we can see where the problems are and perhaps avoid those areas. A lyingmeter may be necessary for us to flag how many times the call centre or VHA staff lied based on us reporting their usual responses as is, in both the textbox for sharing call centre employee responses and the Share Your Pain section. All this may seem like we are doing an audit for Vodafone's network problems (which I strongly think Vodafone should be doing themselves), but if we actually provide enough information here, we can better inform eachother as well as other people about these issues. I believe the Share Your Pain is an excellent section for us to express our complaintful opinions and experiences of the Vodafone issues. The call centre is like a brick wall. At least here, there ARE Australian multicultural human species that can understand our problems. Cheers.

86%
Share on facebook
12814 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is truly, truly shite at 17 Jan 2011 11:33:49 AM
As a follow up note. Do not call Vodafone to enquire about your account. Apparently Vodafone are not able to look on their own system to see if they have charged you for something - i.e. usage information - only after the bill is processed is the company able to see what services they are charging you for! (by which time obviously you have seen it yourself on your bill) Useless b@st2rd5
17 Jan 2011 01:17:31 PM: RE " Vodafone are not able to look on their own system to see if they have charged you for something - i.e. usage information - only after the bill is processed is the company able to see what services they are charging you for!

Love to know what their auditors this of that.
17 Jan 2011 02:45:41 PM: correct, once the bill is generated, then they can look into your account and apply in credits if applicable
17 Jan 2011 04:31:47 PM: I'd be happy if they would simply credit payments I made on my paper bill to my web account. Monthly payments credited but NOT EXTRA PAYMENTS SUCH AS FOR EXCESS USAGE. Their system can't do something this complex. I've sorted out their pathetic networks problems by using Googles servers, and avoiding their's like the plague. For Christ sake, someone tell them that it is a reasonable expectation for your 'ISP' to provide a primary DNS server if it is listed in their software as the one to use! Using Google Chrome and Google's servers helped me a lot, thanks very much for useless accounting and customer service and technical staff Vodaf..k

0%
Share on facebook
12810 Someone from ACT thinks vodafone is Bad at 17 Jan 2011 10:52:08 AM
1. Impossible to keep track of spend on contract. Sometimes takes up to three days to update which often means I go over my cap and charged ludicrous amounts.
2. When I tried to arrange an installment plan to pay off one such excessive bill they took it out in one installment and sent me overdrawn.
3. Constant dropouts.
4. Useless useless telephone helpline.
5. Even more useless internet site. Fails to recognise my password, fails to recognise my new password that they just texted me and when I finally get online to check my account I get an unknown error and am told to call the useless useless useless telephone helpline.
When I am lying on my deathbed pondering my life, I will think of all the hours I have wasted dealing with Vodafone!.
(Didn't realise they were Poms. I'm Irish so now everything makes sense...)

0%
Share on facebook
12804 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is made me cry in frustration at 17 Jan 2011 10:01:48 AM
I bought an iphone, internet didnt work, over six hours on phone to India over a two day period. On hold for 20mins then line drops out. Ring Lara go through same procedures, do teh same routine with the operator, reset settings, reset everything, sim swap then transferred to another dept. On hold for 10 mins, then line drops out, ring Lara, speak operator then again through same procedure, over and over again. I ended up crying on the phone in frustration, was promised it would be fixed- nada. Into shop same procedure finally agreed to replace phone, new phone- internet didnt work again, third phone lucky. This was a business account and it cost me dearly.
17 Jan 2011 04:38:49 PM: It appears to be an oversubscribed network congestion problem in some areas. Don't bother with Lara. Go to a VFu.k shop and embarass the sales staff while they go through the crap. Revenge is sweet. Besides ties up sales staff, their phone line and system and makes it harder for them to sell more useless plans.
17 Jan 2011 06:57:41 PM: mate half of vodafail staff dont care....they do this job as a secondary job plus according to what i heard they dont get paid by the sales they make its hourly either way they win we fail....look into a more reliable way of solving your problem such as sending a mail to nigel dews.....

0%
Share on facebook
12803 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Super Mega Awful at 17 Jan 2011 09:59:44 AM
I ended up with a four phone contract because of dodgy ex business partner. Vodafone agreed to settle the outstanding amount. However no-one in their organisation can credit my account. This has been going on for about two years. On the anniversay of the issue I get in touch wtih the Telecommunications Ombudsman. I have wasted countless hours waiting on the phone to try and speak to someone who has no idea and cannot help me.

Thanks Vodafail for providing a vehicle to make Vodafone listen.

0%
Share on facebook
12780 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Extremely at 16 Jan 2011 08:34:56 PM
Well I have been on Vodafone for many years now, and I can only say I have never really had issues with coverage. I am a prepaid customer all these years. A few years back, I tried to get a contract with Crazy Johns. At the time my application was declined on "bad credit". My credit rating was clean, and I found out it was Vodafone (who is the service provider for Crazy Johns) that was declining me. I called them to ask what the problem was and it was a bill I had forgot to pay 4 or 5 years or so earlier. Said bill DID get paid all those years ago, but it had been forwarded to their debt collection office. Because of this, I was "not a good customer" even though I had used their pre-paid service for all those years. The customer "care" call ended in me requesting to talk to someone else as the operator I had was not helping me, only telling me I was a bad customer. She said someone would call me on Monday morning - that never happened.

So I forgot about that episode and still, remained as a pre-paid customer with Vodafone. This year (about 7 years after my late paid bill) I tried ot sign up with Crazy John's again. "7 years" I thought, "surely I'm not still blacklisted". DECLINED. Ok, so now I was seriously considering another provider but then Vodafone brought out their recent infinite package, and I have been trying to hold out long enough to see what competition comes out.

Today I went to call on my pre-paid and had no credit. No worries, I'll use the website to recharge. Go to Vodafone website, cant log in. "incorrect password". I had this happen before. Vodafone changes my password or just loses it or something (i don't know? no other website on the entire internet does this to me?). So I do "Forgot my password?" and it says, "your phone number isnt in our system" WTF!!?!?!?! Ok, so then I'll resign up. Step 1 enter phone number, step 2 get temp password SMS to my phone, put it in the form FAIL. Website just... FAILS. Doesn't load up the next step. Just sits there. Not loading. Not waiting for data. Just "Done." Status bar should have said "FAIL".
So now, more pissed off, I thought, how about I try that password just SMS to me to log into my account? Go to login page, try that, now it still says wrong password. Ok, try "forgot password" again. This time it decides that I _AM_ in the system and asks my secret question! Ok, type in the correct answer and it sends me a tem password to my phone to login with.
Get temp password from SMS, try to login - FAIL.

Now seething, I decide to call Customer "Care" as a last resort. After fighting with some voice automated menus, I get forwarded through. From what I heard of the message, it said something like, "We've got more calls than we expected. Please call back later." and it hangs up on me. After seeing red and considering through my phone THROUGH the plaster board wall I decided rather to drop the phone on the bed next to me and say to my wife,





"I'm sick of this. I'm getting a new provider."
17 Jan 2011 04:47:05 PM: Just curious was this after the '3' merger? '3' used to label me as a 'bad customer' if I downloaded some files. I'm not talking movies here either, maybe a CD.iso, then they would cut me off and I'd have to ring them etc etc. I was not over my limit at any stage, just used more data download than they deemed ok apparently. Unfortunately I joined Vodaf..ked to get away from this nonsense with '3'.

0%
Share on facebook
12778 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is bad at 16 Jan 2011 07:14:26 PM
got another problem....could not log in to my account and keep trying new temporary passwords!!! I did not forget my password of course! just can't log in and temporary passwords not working as well!! What's wrong with vodafone?
16 Jan 2011 07:20:55 PM: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1620441#r1

Voda faiiiiiillllll again!
17 Jan 2011 04:53:13 PM: Trying that on another tab just now. They did this routine on me a few weeks ago and now again. Of course customers records were not hacked and that is why we are doing this again. Have just entered my secret answer. Have sent me a password to my phone. Should be interesting, phone is with Virgin! I don't expect and nothing has popped up on screen either due to my router [to guard against their crappy network].

0%
Share on facebook
12774 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is FAIL at 16 Jan 2011 06:54:59 PM
after the third sesssion of at least 3 hours EACH to 'register'my vodaphone(phone number,Password,LOGIN )so I can check accounts ,pay accounts etc my correct 'login' told me I had the wrong password and yes they would give me AOTHER ONE BECAUSE I HAD FORGOT.......NOT!!!!!!! they then said I had been deregistered.......if only it would all go AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY....SUSAN CRISP
16 Jan 2011 07:04:12 PM: Contact the TIO, they can make it all go away. Check out the How To Complain link at the top of the page :)

99%
Share on facebook
12750 Someone from ACT thinks vodafone is .............everything customers have previously typed in this spot at 16 Jan 2011 12:09:10 PM
There may be some 'selfish' and indirectly 'racist' comments in previous posts, but considering the fact that Vodafone continues to ignore us, those comments are expressing our concerns about the failing network and the foreign based call centre that we can barely call. Due to the Vodafone call centre being inconveniently place many kilometers north of Australia, I can only just imagine it as a business tactic to make our calls to that call centre become dropped or not even reach them. If there are foreign employees working in there, then it is only respectful that Vodafone ensures they are well trained to speak understandable english, accent or not. If they have an indian accent but can be clearly understood, then there is no reason to imply 'racist' comments about their accent. Furthermore, Vodafone should open up an Australian call centre that is multicultural so that it caters for Australian concerns. We Australians are quite capable of being employed for call centre work. So in other words, Vodafone Australia, as an Australian company, has outsourced their call centre. So if we Australians take that in an alternate perspective, why won't they hire Australians for their call centres? Thus, we see that even Vodafone Australia is being indirectly 'racist' to us, as if we Australians are not capable for that. I will be cancelling my account with Vodafone due to their network getting worse everyday and they do nothing about it. My phone and mobile broadband needs a service to function. Does anyone know if Vodafone is doing anything with their network to fix this in the upcoming weeks? Evidence please.
17 Jan 2011 04:56:38 PM: I suspect they use cheap overseas labour with the added bonus that customers cannot understand their English, get frustrated and just let Vodaf..k walk all over them.

0%
Share on facebook
12747 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is at 16 Jan 2011 10:20:14 AM
I have been with Vodaphone for at least 10 years. I rang them in December to complain about the latest plan I had been sold, and to enquire about what they could offer me that would be be economical for my rate of calling. A Rep came to see me and I signed up for $49 per month plan which was supposed to be more suited to my needs. I received my first bill in January and saw that I was still on the old plan. I rang the rep who I had seen and he told me that I had to insert my new SIM card into my old fone, that I would be without mobile coverage for 24 hours, but that I would be on the new plan when the reception resumed. That was on Thursday,today is Sunday, and I still have no fone reception. I have tried to ring Vodaphone on numerous occasions over the past 3 days, but have been unable to get thru despite waiting on the line for in excess of 40 mins each time. On Friday I received 3 bills from Vodaphone, all with different account numbers and 1 for a phone number that I have never had. My dissatisfaction with Vodaphone knows no limits.

0%
Share on facebook
12729 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is at 16 Jan 2011 06:08:38 AM
Thank goodness that my mobile plan has ended and am just waiting for my broadband account to end. I changed to Amaysim and haven't had an issue at all. I suggest that people try out the new Amaysim, I'm very happy with it and it's much cheaper than any of the current suppliers.

Lara drives me nuts. Funny how the voice activation doesn't understand the word "suspend". You've lost me Vodafone.
16 Jan 2011 06:25:44 AM: arrr why don't you use the push button option, maybe thats where your problems are coming from, either your just not listening, or you just wanna play the victim!
16 Jan 2011 06:30:30 AM: looked a Amaysim, after super shitty with voda, it's not that great, if you have a smartphone and want to use considerable data it's actually a total rip off! the Optus $59 cap is defiantly the best at the Mo!

Amaysim would end up costing me around $140-$150 a month for the usage i come in well under on their $59 cap.

Amaysim Suck Eggs!

0%
Share on facebook
12727 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Broadband Account Suspension at 16 Jan 2011 05:58:09 AM
I'm going overseas for 6 months and called Vodafone to suspend my broadband account. I was told in the Vodafone store that the account can be suspended like the mobile. When I called Vodafone I was told that my broadband can't be suspended. Another money grabbing scheme. My plan expires in July and I will definitely not be renewing it. Also, I wish I could understand the guy in the Mumbai call centre as well. Goodbye Vodafone.
16 Jan 2011 06:05:28 AM: if you cant understand Mumbai call center workers your going to have stop using a mobile, all the companies use Mumbai!

Cant believe how stupid some people are here?
16 Jan 2011 06:07:00 AM: Considering that fact such a complaint could only make sense as racism!
16 Jan 2011 06:11:55 AM: I agree, companies should use English speakers for English speaking countries. It's not racism, it's about efficiency and customer service.
16 Jan 2011 06:22:34 AM: given all the examples of the sort of complaints here I would never want to work there and i don't think many would. who would wanna hear this crap, no wonder they hang up on you losers!

Suck It!
16 Jan 2011 06:23:43 AM: there is defiantly a lot of very selfish statements here
16 Jan 2011 06:50:53 AM: Good morning folks, can everyone just take a deep breath in...............hold it................breathe away.........ahhhhhhhhhhhh............that is so much better!!

Be nice to each other please...........vodafail.com.mod
16 Jan 2011 12:41:31 PM: @ 8:22:34 am - Employees of the Vodafone call centre are hired for a reason. If Vodafone lies about their excelling customer service across the media, then they have proven contrarily otherwise. Thus, we realise they cannot resolve issues with prompt and efficiency.
16 Jan 2011 12:45:12 PM: To add to above, @ 8:22:34am, perhaps before you post your ignorant and abhorrent reply, you should join Vodafone yourself and call their call centre. You'll see how ignorant Vodafone is and you'll be the one complaining here about being rejected by Lara, dropping calls, ane the thick, often hard to understand accents of some India employees.
16 Jan 2011 10:47:13 PM:
Again I say can everyone just take a deep breath in...............hold it................breathe away.........ahhhhhhhhhhhh............that is so much better!!

Be nice to each other please...........if you cannot be nice, posts will be deleted, thanks ............vodafail.com.mod
17 Jan 2011 10:59:57 AM: Im not racist at all but on occasion i have rung up and had to keep asking them to repeat themself. i dont mind, its just kinda annoying when u are frustrated enough already when ur phone and internet dont work. then to have to keep saying what. plus i feel bad saying what to them all the time. they must get frustrated to.
17 Jan 2011 11:33:37 AM: Lol, vodafail mod 'everyone please take a deep breath and ahhhhhhh so much better'. This post is a funny heated argument and breathing oxygen just adds fuel to the fire. Just kidding. :)
17 Jan 2011 02:03:07 PM: @ 17 Jan 2011 12:59:57 PM

In may respects I am similar to you as well, in that I dislike saying 'Pardon?' or 'Excuse me?' or my favourite 'I didn't quite catch that (good old Lara)'

Somehow I just find it embarrassing to the person on the other end of the phone and similarly the customer service rep must also find it difficult, after all communication is a two way street!!!

@ 17 Jan 2011 01:33:37 PM

Lol as well at your comment and thanks for making it, brightened my day!!!!

Although at times I sometimes wonder if some people are in need of oxygen..........ho hum!!! Vodafail.com mod
17 Jan 2011 07:14:22 PM: i am unemployed at the moment why cant these companies open up their own call centres in Australia....i can get a job and we dont have to argue over this and the moderator can save some oxygen....hold on did someone say Australian companies are too poor to afford a aussie call centre...Oi who said that???

0%
Share on facebook
12724 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is reception at 16 Jan 2011 02:51:09 AM
Vodafone's reception failure and problems has caused me to make many calls to call back work colleagues, thus increasing my telephone usage bills. The 'coverage' is in Potts Point. My colleagues use telstra and optus, and they say that using vodafone is a mistake. I just want to leave vodafone without penalty.

My second problem was using the vodafone help numbers to establish a new vodafone internet account, ie, the dial-up broadband. I used the 'help' numbers on my mobile 'phone and was charged hundreds of dallars on top of my usual bill. They reduced by bill by $100, but it was still $180.00 more than I usually paid.

0%
Share on facebook
12718 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is just slow at 15 Jan 2011 09:55:52 PM
Just the mobile Virginbroadband service is better. But their error service is not. At the Oct-Nov '10 month flipover my Virginbroadband mobile account vanished. I could not get any transfer of my 2.7GB unused data allowance to a new starter pak I had 2 buy. Thankyou Whirlpool l-user

0%
Share on facebook
12703 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is Completely and utterly useless at 15 Jan 2011 03:47:33 PM
I have been sending txt messages to 1512 to check my balance details (as advised by the 'lovely Lara'. I was advised by Vodafone CS that this amount was incorrect.

My billing cycle is starts on the 15th of the month, so when I checked my balance from 1512 I was very surprised to learn that I had $0 credit and an exclusion amount of $165. My phone was off for most of the day so I could check Voda's accuracy! Obviously NIL...

Has anyone else been experiencing this problem??

The customer service is ridiculous, I have had Voda CS saying they will call me back and they don't...

What a joke and I am really sick of it
15 Jan 2011 03:49:43 PM: It's me again...I also told them to remove Lara's message relating to "Just txt 1512 for a balance check"!

37%
Share on facebook
12676 Someone from QLD thinks vodafone is Epic failure at 14 Jan 2011 10:24:31 PM
Okay, so i've had my phone replaced 3 times in the 4 months i've had it, i've had my sim card replaced 2 times.
my phone doesn't pick up 3G at all, at the most i get two bars of reception, i went to call Vodafone and what would you know? call failed, about 9 out of 10 calls fail.. they tried to tell me it was my handset and not the network after about 5 hours of calling them they tell me yeah, it is a network problem give it 7 days. i called them everyday for 3 or so weeks and i just kept getting palmed off to different departments, and someone told me at the call centre that they could replace my phone in store for a different handset, uhm no sorry. I'm not sure how many times i've heard "oh that isn't in your case notes" i went into a vodafone shop and got them to write case notes while i was there, i thought maybe the message would get accross apparently not, they offerd me three months free billing period, i didn't call up cancellations because i wanted a free billing period, i want to cancel my contract. I refuse to pay for a device i can't use, i was promised a functional handset and network.

they need to check their case notes, they need to listen to people, they need to get the problem solved when it comes to them, otherwise we're just going to get angrier and it'll only aggravate us more the longer we don't get it fixed.

and most of all, they need a better service. The lady i spoke to today said if i would refer one of my friends to vodafone, sorry i wouldn't do that to anyone i know.
14 Jan 2011 10:32:37 PM: one more thing, people that are going into Vodafone stores about network issues, they can't do anything even if the people at the call center tell you that they can touch your contract in anyway, they can't especially if you have an iphone, don't even bother.
15 Jan 2011 07:52:32 AM: I disagree, stating your problem in a loud enough voice that customers can hear, wasting THEIR staff's time and make them suffer to use their F.... up system, seeing them getting disconnected 3 times, put on hold. Holding up VFu..s resources, and turning their system on THEM, so they suffer from it. Staff can't pretend the system is wonderful when it so blatently isn't. Some may even find it amusing, I just find it wonderfully vindictive to give them what we get.
15 Jan 2011 07:54:02 AM: Oh and don't forget to use the instore button menu to grade vodafone on their 'performance'.
15 Jan 2011 11:33:00 AM: If there was a grading range from a to f, vodafone would generally be a z since mid last year
16 Jan 2011 08:32:38 PM: I had a woman try that on me the other day 9:52:32. Bad advice. She was out the shopping centre door so fast her eyeballs were spinning.