Vodafone Dongle fiasco...surprised & disappointed

Wednesday, 12th November 2008 15:03 - by Resident IFA

I have owned a mobile telephone since July 1997. I have had one mobile telephone company since July 1997, being Vodafone. I have had few problems with Vodafone since July 1997. I have been a low-maintenance customer for Vodafone since July 1997. The picture is quite clear. I have been loyal to Vodafone for over 11 years. I won’t make them rich with my £35 average monthly bill and am a drop in the ocean in context of the millions of customers they have, losing some and gaining some every single day, no doubt. My 18-month upgrade recently came around and I thought I would visit a Vodafone branch, seeing as I was shopping in one of my larger local towns anyhow that day. Vodafone have a curious ‘meat-counter’ approach to customer service, requiring you to take a numbered ticket and wait your turn. In due course, a member of staff attended to me, being helpful and informative. As well as providing me with a new phone, he suggested I take a one-month free trial on a ‘Dongle’, allowing me mobile internet access via my laptop computer. He mentioned that I could call Customer Services after one month and cancel it at no cost, should I not be impressed or not wish to continue. I am usually sceptical of these sales pitches, but went against my better judgement and said ‘yes’. Note to self...stick to type/gut instinct. I left the shop quite happy, although being somewhat rushed out (many customers waiting with their deli tickets) and not having had chance to read the ‘small print’. I have quite a robust diary system, calling after the first month to cancel. As it turned out, the Dongle did not work, but that is a different story! A little while later I happened to check my bill online and seeing, to my horror, that I had a broadband charge re: my Dongle of around £33 to pay. Another 14 days usage (To the end of the ‘cancellation period’) would also be added to this in due course. I wrote to Vodafone to alert them to all the above information, politely suggesting the shop assistant had accidentally mis-informed, not mis-led, me and giving them the opportunity to put this matter to bed by not charging me for the Dongle 'use'. Lo-and-behold, I received a letter from Vodafone yesterday. The letter was a complete white-wash, not addressing my concerns over the way the Dongle was ‘sold’ to me. To top everything off, the shop assistant told me the Dongle could be used on an ‘as-and-when’ basis if the monthly contract was cancelled, but Vodafone are now saying the mobile number relating to the Dongle will also be cancelled, rendering it useless! My final quibble was the manner the letter was written in. I am quite happy to be tagged ‘old-fashioned’ in seeing a letter starting “Good Morning Mr.X” and ending “Best Wishes” as highly unprofessional. I am happy to take some culpability for my naivety in this fiasco. But is it me or is this all a little unacceptable? Vodafone, please look after your loyal customers! I shall be writing another letter to them anon... Until next time...