Vodafone Heldesk: “how can we screw you, sir?”
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I think I can say that I’m a good customer for our dear friends at Vodafone. A have a blackberry account @ 32,50 eur per month, a calling package @ 35 eur per month and on average (don’t ask me how it is possible) my bill is around 170 euros a month.
I’m the kind of user that actually pays his bill, although not very content with the delivered service. People who call me will recognize the awkward silence when I pick up the phone, because Vodafone thinks it is useful to cut me off for the first couple of seconds… forcing me to say something like this: “Hey Boris…. Boris.. Boris .. Boris Boris Boris aah there you are”
Now things get funny. I just received a bill stating that I had consumed for 423.87 euros of value during the October month. You can imagine that I was curious where the actual value kicked in. I couldn’t remember calling my ex girlfriend for hour and hours while on the middle of the ocean needing a satellite connection. I’m 100% sure that I watched ‘Blood Diamond’ from my hand held memory and not streaming (over GPRS :) ). So would it be the olllo service I tested once -well in fact that is owned by KPN and I did receive a hell of a lot txt messages with “I’m sorry we haven’t found any matches in your city, don’t worry, we will continue looking for you!” but that was in November as far as my mind tells me (meaning that I’m getting that on my next bill).
WOW. 299,87 EUROS Vodafone Live data traffic abroad!!! I have been for 2 days at FOWA, but all I did was checking my email (blackberry service pulls in the first 2 kb of every e-mail, that’s 500 mails for 1 MB). I received 85 emails in those 2 to 3 days. And as far as I know I never use Vodafone Live (which moron does?).
How come that I ended up with 299,87 eur of traffic costs? I called the Vodafone helpdesk and here is an overview of the conversation:
Vodafone operator “I can see that you had 10MB traffic in the UK”
“10MB!!!! ?” I asked with a bite of sarcasm
“Yes 10MB”
“Wow, that is like watching a youtube movie of 3 minutes.. or downloading 2 whole songs (at least the radiohead songs we’re for free)”
“Yes”, the kind Vodafone guy said to me
“ok, I understand that this is abnormal use of bandwith, but still 300 euros?”
“Well, 1MB of data is 12,50 eur and on a different carrier its 20 eur per MB, email data is 20 eur per MB anyways”
“WHAT!!! 20 euros for 1 MB of email??? holy shit, why didn’t you worn me?
“oh you weren’t aware of the costs of traffic when you’re abroad?”
“Well, I knew you guys would charge me a factor 1000 of what I would pay in the Netherlands for my internet connection, because screwing customers is what Telco’s are all about, but a factor 1000.000… no that I was not expecting” “and oh, 10MB times 20 eur is still 200 euros, so something is not right…”
“uuhm, I’m not specialized in data plans, you can write a letter to: Vodafone Klantenservice SSV, Postbus 1500, 6201 BM in Maastricht”
“ok, I will”
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“no”
“Have a nice day mister de fevre” (thanks for not pronouncing my name right :) ).
I have send exactly this post to Vodafone (in print of course).
I FEEL ROBBED, NO… I AM ROBBED
I’m wondering how Vodafone will make this up to me.
Thanks for ruining my day and my precious time.
Sander van der Vliet said,
Wrote on November 21, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
If you would have got this invoice two days earlier you could have complained to Vodafone personally at Momo. Mark de Buck from Vodafone was speaking there.
This guy believes the solution is that websites should be very light, and that mobile websites should warn and inform users on high data usage and tell them to get a data-bundle if they use it frequently. Well the databundle doesn’t count abroad anyway.
Maybe they should do better marketing on some services of their own. Like the ‘Data Dagbundel op Reis’ service which I just discovered: http://xrl.us/bbjzj
This would have saved you alot of money, but in my opinion it is still too expensive. It just proofs the data-tariffs are one big scam and it can be as cheap as € 0,24 per MB instead of € 20,-.
Thomas said,
Wrote on November 21, 2007 @ 4:21 pm
Hi Patrick,
It’s not nice to read stories like the one you have described.
From what I know, 2 months ago, the EU declared illegal all the roaming charges from all the Telcos.
This means that they should have already reduced the roaming prices and it surprises me to know that you still have to pay 20 eur per 1 Mb.
Though, I have to admit that I have had only positive experiences with Vodafone so far in 3 countries (Italy, Greece and the Netherlands) Actually, when I was living in Italy, I had Vodafone updating my credit of 10 euro for free several times. (Please notice, that in Italy most of the mobile phones are used with prepaid cards and not with contracts as here in the Netherlands)
Despite my positive experience with Vodafone, I totally agree with you that such kind of companies lack of customer service.
I hope and I wish you all the best with this adventure and hey, with the power of blogging you can make people more aware and share your experience when this issue will come to an end (hopefully positive for your side).
Once again, all the best,
Thomas
Patrick said,
Wrote on November 21, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
@thomas Thanks for your interest. The power of blogging… I wonder if they have any idea what blogging is and how powerful it can be.
Well, I guess we will see what happens if they see my blog in the google results above their own website when googling for Vodafone klantenservice :)
Kerim Satirli said,
Wrote on November 21, 2007 @ 7:23 pm
From what I know, Vodafone has a dedicated web team that scours the web for unhappy customers (like yourself) and tries to find a solution that works for both.
Vodafone Web Relations said,
Wrote on November 22, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
Hi Patrick,
Sorry to read that you encountered unexpected costs for data usage when roaming. If you could mail me your mobile phonenumber I can have a look into your specific case and see if I can help you.
@Kerim; indeed we have a Web Relations team in the Netherlands. Part of what we do is trying to help customers which have posted questions for or experiences with Vodafone on the web.
Bas
Vodafone Web Relations
Matthijs said,
Wrote on November 22, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
I was expecting to see something from Vodafone people, but this response in incredibly quick. Although I’m compelled to follow Patricks reasoning on high pricelevels, I also admire the strategy of scouring the internet helping customers (or at least stopping them complaining).
tim heineke said,
Wrote on November 23, 2007 @ 11:41 am
vodaphone SY^&$^#&$^@($^&$(*$& Big time.
I have been robbed over and over.
but i see the solution now.
1) start a Blog
2) Complain there. NOT TO THE HELPDESK
3) you avoid the worst of the worst: CUSTOMER RELATIONS (Limburg)
4) Vodafone Web Relations contacts you.
i once bought my contract off for 1400 euros just to get rid off vodaphone, there was not web relations contact yet and i did not - and still not have - a blog.
: - )
Pieter Buijs said,
Wrote on March 31, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
ik woon in spanje en heb hier een vodafone 720 gekocht,maar ik wil graag een hollandse handleiding.waar kan ik deze downloaden??
Bij voorbaat hartelijke dank Pieter Buijs
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