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CALLING FOR HELP OVER MOBILE BILL

The Cloughertys misinterpreted Vodafone's wording

Monday June 25,2007

By Maisha Frost

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THE satisfied glow of swapping to a better value mobile phone deal‑quickly turned to outraged horror for the Clougherty family when their normal bill – a modest £25 a month – shot up to £680.

Helen and daughter Lucy were Vodafone customers when they took up the company’s “Stop the Clock” contract, designed to let chatters talk at length cheaply.

“But the only thing stopping was my heart when I saw what we‑were being charged,” says Helen,‑a school nurse from Ipswich, Suffolk.

Unfortunately, Helen and Lucy misunderstood Vodafone’s offer. It stated: “When it is worth more than a three minutes’ chat, you can talk up to 60 minutes but only pay for three.”

“We thought Lucy could talk to someone for as long as she chose, so‑for every hour she was speaking I‑thought we would only be charged for three minutes,” said Helen.

But this was true only up to a point because in order to get that kind of benefit Lucy needed to ring off at the end of every hour and then redial. By not hanging up and running over the 60 minutes she transferred to a much higher rate.

“Had we known that, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Lucy would have hung up willingly,” said Helen. “My issue is not with the offer, but with the explanation of it.”

By the time the family received their first bill showing the new tariff for £136 Lucy was still chatting on and this affected the following one, taking it to £680. Helen complained and the company offered to reduce the payment.
“I’m still not happy,” she told Crusader. “I believe it was their oversight. This is a massive amount for us to find and I don’t believe it’s our fault.”

A Vodafone spokeswoman told Crusader that they will reduce the bill to £340, but stressed: “We disagree that our information was‑misleading as we do state ‘up to 60 minutes’.”

Helen now has a choice: she can accept or fight on using the free, independent telecommunications ombudsman’s service Otelo, set up‑to sort out disagreements between providers that are members, like Vodafone, and their customers.

Although Helen does not risk‑jeopardising the £340 she has‑been‑offered, it could be slashed further.
“I’m fighting on,” said Helen.

“Even if it gets Vodafone to use the phrase ‘you must hang‑up before 60‑minutes’ I would be pleased.”

Otelo: 0845 050 1614/ http://www.otelo.org.uk

ON THE SUBJECT OF PHONES.......

08.10.07, 11:39pm

Not necessarily mobile ones at the moment but
can anything at all be done about these companies license to print money,when every time you ring some company or association you are told that you are in a queue,we are valuable customers then they play some ghastly music,we are so darned valuable they do not want to speak to us.
I phoned a company whose lines were open from 8am to 10pm, having phoned through the day before I decided to ring early nex morning, I did at 8.05am,guess what their advisers were all busy and as I was so valuable I was in another queue,do not believe a word of it, the old engaged signal was progress compared to today's frustrations

• Posted by: Maggie • Report Comment