| Name of Complainant | |
| Date of Complaint | July 28, 2022 |
| Name(s) of companies complained against | Vodafone |
| Category of complaint | Mobile Phone |
| Permanent link of complaint | Right click to copy link |
| Share your complaint on social media for wider reach | |
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This is to bring to your notice that I am traveling to the UK since 8th June 2022. In this regard, I had taken a pack of 5999 from Vodafone on the 6th of June 2022, the confirmation of which was sent to me by SMS on the 6th of June 2022. (ATTACHED IS THE SCREENSHOT OF THE SAME)
I also bought another pack for INR 599 for my transit in Abu Dhabi.
I was therefore quite shocked when I received the bill of 25,926.96. I thought that it was a mistake and immediately called customer care, after holding for half an hour even I couldn’t connect to an agent. That too on international calling. I then connected through to their agent on 11th July 2022 regarding raising a complaint for the same via the Vichat bot. Upon checking the system and sharing the confirmation SMS that clearly says that your 5999 pack request is received and will be activated on June 7th, a day before my travel. The agent confirmed to me that in fact, I had taken both the packs and due to a technical glitch at Vodafone’s end the pack had gotten deactivated and not to worry – he will escalate this to the technical team and the issue will be resolved within 48 hours. (THE SAME CAN BE RETRIEVED FROM VODAFONE’S RECORDS, DATED 11TH JULY, COMPLAINT NUMBER #3-117626884789)
To date I had not received any communication from Vodafone’s end ever that my pack had been deactivated – I had no way of knowing of any such technical glitch from their end until the 11th July complaint that I raised via the Vichat portal.
I received a call from the technical team after a couple of days and the assurance that they are looking into the matter and will get back to me with a resolution. That was the last I heard from Vodafone.
Today on 27th July, without any notice or call, my phone was disconnected completely, with no service, incoming or outgoing
Because I am traveling for two months, on 7th July 2022 I had taken a second pack of 5999.
Despite raising a complaint and escalating it, I never heard back from Vodafone, I yet again contacted their customer service via Vichat as I was getting warning messages from their end nonstop. I spoke several times to their agents who, like pre-recorded robots kept saying that the issue now stands resolved and that I have to pay this bill and that I had deactivated this pack. When I shared evidence confirming the pack was activated on 7th June they did not listen to me and upon asking them to raise a complaint they said that I cannot do so via this portal anymore as it is resolved from our end and that I must appeal to customer care 198, which upon a long hold its almost impossible to connect to a person. Upon asking for evidence of communication that the pack was deactivated from my end, they had nothing to say. On the SMS I received it clearly says that for deactivating the plan kindly contact customer service. They again had no answer to that. That I, again and again, referred them to my first complaint made on 11th July, where the agent had confirmed that it happened due to a technical glitch from Vodafone’s end, it again fell on deaf ears.
My question to Vodafone is:
1. If I activated a pack of 5999 on 6th June, as is attached the proof of, where is the proof of any communication that the pack was deactivated from my end or their end even. Every tiny service request is confirmed immediately by Vodafone via SMS. Then where is either the voice recording that I called and deactivated the pack or the intimation SMS from their end that the pack stands deactivated?
2. Why would a customer be stupid to activate a pack and then deactivate the pack and use the services without the pack and gather a huge bill?
3. Why would I buy a second pack on 7th July again in the extension of my stay if I wasn’t already on a pack before that?
4. Can Vodafone provide any evidence of any such deactivation to me? Because I am providing evidence of it being confirmed by Vodafone.
5. Why after confirmation on 11th July by the agent that due to a technical glitch from Vodafone’s end the pack was deactivated and that it will be rectified soon, is Vodafone now refusing to honor that and refusing to accept that?
That I spent several precious hours on several different days internationally, speaking to agents who do not have a mind to even listen to what the customer is saying, is extremely frustrating.
That Vodafone disconnected my number without any warning or while a complaint is being looked into, is just wrong.
That while traveling internationally Vodafone disconnected all my services, including incoming, is just blackmailing a customer into paying the exorbitant charges as deemed fit by them.
That despite being a loyal customer of Vodafone and paying all my bills on time, Vodafone is the only phone company in the world that cut off ALL services of an international traveler despite the fault being at their end.
I request your urgent intervention on this, please.
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