Mobile Phone Contract
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Discussion

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

295 months

Saturday 25th April 2020
quotequote all
I have 2 sim only contracts with the same provider, one is for my phone the other for Mrs BC.

Both contracts ended early March so I called the provider and agreed new deals for both numbers. A couple of weeks later I noticed that Mrs BC’s rate had changed but I was getting texts saying that my contract was ending and I should arrange a new one. Apparently the agent I’d spoken with had only changed one contract. I contacted the provider on a web chat and was told that the matter had now been rectified and backdated.

Today my bill arrived and it seemed that even the second time the contract had not been arranged as agreed and I’d been put onto an expensive monthly rate. I spent over an hour on a web chat with them but they said they couldn’t back date the deal. I asked for PAC codes to change provider but they wanted payment for Mrs BC’s number as her contract had been renewed. So they’re holding me to the deal agreed in March but they’re not willing to keep to their side of the contract.

I threatened to cancel the direct debit and may do just that but they just trotted out that that would involve debt collectors and a blemish on my credit rating which I really don’t want.

Any ideas/thoughts?

Mandat

4,628 posts

267 months

Saturday 25th April 2020
quotequote all
bad company said:
I have 2 sim only contracts with the same provider, one is for my phone the other for Mrs BC.

Both contracts ended early March so I called the provider and agreed new deals for both numbers. A couple of weeks later I noticed that Mrs BC’s rate had changed but I was getting texts saying that my contract was ending and I should arrange a new one. Apparently the agent I’d spoken with had only changed one contract. I contacted the provider on a web chat and was told that the matter had now been rectified and backdated.

Today my bill arrived and it seemed that even the second time the contract had not been arranged as agreed and I’d been put onto an expensive monthly rate. I spent over an hour on a web chat with them but they said they couldn’t back date the deal. I asked for PAC codes to change provider but they wanted payment for Mrs BC’s number as her contract had been renewed. So they’re holding me to the deal agreed in March but they’re not willing to keep to their side of the contract.

I threatened to cancel the direct debit and may do just that but they just trotted out that that would involve debt collectors and a blemish on my credit rating which I really don’t want.

Any ideas/thoughts?
Can't they put you on the new contract from today / next billing date?

SydneyBridge

11,733 posts

187 months

Saturday 25th April 2020
quotequote all
Ask for a recording of the original phone call, make sure what was agreed and if correct, kick some ass

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

295 months

Saturday 25th April 2020
quotequote all
SydneyBridge said:
Ask for a recording of the original phone call, make sure what was agreed and if correct, kick some ass
Will they have a recording? That’d be great.

anonymous-user

83 months

Saturday 25th April 2020
quotequote all
This is why hate sorting contracts out over the phone, never quite sure what you were signed up for until the bill lands and then the hassle starts.

Chrisgr31

14,275 posts

284 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont you get some form of text or email giving details of what terms you have agreed to?

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

295 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Chrisgr31 said:
Dont you get some form of text or email giving details of what terms you have agreed to?
None received.

The Mad Monk

11,467 posts

146 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all

Tony1963

5,808 posts

191 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Was this with Vodafone?
I left them 11 years ago because of their underhanded ways.
We are all on the alert for spam emails etc, but right in your face is Vodafone, the worst customer experience of my life. Closely followed by BT.

The experiences of others may vary.

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

295 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
Was this with Vodafone?
I left them 11 years ago because of their underhanded ways.
We are all on the alert for spam emails etc, but right in your face is Vodafone, the worst customer experience of my life. Closely followed by BT.

The experiences of others may vary.
I don’t want to ‘name & shame’ or the thread will likely be pulled. I’m not convinced any of the bar stewards are better than any others to be honest. They f****d up and I expect them to sort it out.

Tony1963

5,808 posts

191 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
bad company said:
I don’t want to ‘name & shame’ or the thread will likely be pulled. I’m not convinced any of the bar stewards are better than any others to be honest. They f****d up and I expect them to sort it out.
Ok, fair enough.

My experience was that they held all the cards and what was said before counted for nothing.

Since then, I've successfully moved more than 20 friends away from them.

My current provider have been excellent for ten years. They've been rEElly good. wink

bad company

Original Poster:

21,919 posts

295 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
They've been rEElly good. wink
Very good. clap

Downward

5,641 posts

132 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Yeah it could be any company to be fair.
I always had everything on EE but as normal being a new customer you get better deals.
Now we have 2 Sky mobile contracts, 2 EE and 2 O2.

Sky at least let you carry over data so you can build up a pot and share it. So we have 10gb for £10 and 2gb for £6 but can transfer data as my son never uses 10gb.

Teddy Lop

8,301 posts

96 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
bad company said:
Tony1963 said:
Was this with Vodafone?
I left them 11 years ago because of their underhanded ways.
We are all on the alert for spam emails etc, but right in your face is Vodafone, the worst customer experience of my life. Closely followed by BT.

The experiences of others may vary.
I don’t want to ‘name & shame’ or the thread will likely be pulled. I’m not convinced any of the bar stewards are better than any others to be honest. They f****d up and I expect them to sort it out.
TBF you're more or less right, they'll all have departments tasked to bully and harass and threaten rather than try to repair customer relations, the recording is your proof but if it doesn't say what they like they'll mysteriously lose it. O2 did it to me with a different contract to that which was agreed. I'm a stubborn barstard who blacklists companies for decades if they screw me around but I've given up with telecom companies, as I have tales about all of them and I do actually need a phonelaugh monthly Sims (or contracts you can walk away from) and outright purchase phones only though.

BTW I told O2 that if they didn't have the recording of the [alleged] discussion in which I agreed to their services then they effectively had no proof of me agreeing to any contract whatsover and no legal basis to charge or recover anything. After some hilarious squirming by the customer service slug while I stubbornly repeated my position it eventually induced a more amenable discourse.

matjk

1,112 posts

169 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Vodascum charged me double what it said on my contract , refused to refund. I highlighted the contract sent it back and they told me it was tough and if I wanted a refund I would have to go to court , but they admitted I would win. Also told me they’ would make it as inconvenient as possible if I did go to court and they had a whole department dedication to doing this.
15 years ago and would never ever go back

Chrisgr31

14,275 posts

284 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Tony1963 said:
Ok, fair enough.

My experience was that they held all the cards and what was said before counted for nothing.

Since then, I've successfully moved more than 20 friends away from them.

My current provider have been excellent for ten years. They've been rEElly good. wink
I am with Vodafone and their customer service can be rubbish, however complaining to Chief Execs office and a suitable compensation package is usually agreed.

anonymous-user

83 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
Chrisgr31 said:
I am with Vodafone and their customer service can be rubbish, however complaining to Chief Execs office and a suitable compensation package is usually agreed.
Do you have an email for the top 'rotten' banana?

randlemarcus

13,646 posts

260 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
gottans said:
Chrisgr31 said:
I am with Vodafone and their customer service can be rubbish, however complaining to Chief Execs office and a suitable compensation package is usually agreed.
Do you have an email for the top 'rotten' banana?
directorscomplaints@care.vodafone.co.uk works for me. It changes from time to time, but thats valid from April 2020.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

147 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
bad company said:
SydneyBridge said:
Ask for a recording of the original phone call, make sure what was agreed and if correct, kick some ass
Will they have a recording? That’d be great.
Yes under FCA rules anything involving money / insurance etc requires phone calls to be kept for 5 or 7 years (from memory).

jesusbuiltmycar

5,128 posts

283 months

Sunday 26th April 2020
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
In the past I have used Orange, Vodafone and 02 (who own GiffGaff) and my daughter has a contract with Sky... Whenever a contract is involved I have had to waste considerable amounts of time because some months they felt like robbing me.

I switched to GiffGaff 6 years ago and I have never had any issues and no reason to contact anyone - I simply buy a phone outright and pay GiffGaff £12 a month.