Has The Initial Term Of Your #Mobile Contract Expired?

Are you a cash cow?

Today I contacted Vodafone to cancel the 3G contract I took out as part of an iPad offer a few years back. It's included as an extra number on my mobile bill, so it was easy to kind of forget it in the total. Turns out I'd diarised the wrong cancellation date, and could've cancelled last October, when I was first 'out of contract'. Okay, so I'm a bit of a mug (worse, I'd long ago switched the iPad to 'airplane' mode, so wasn't even using the 3G option), but I do tend to have a lot more important things on my mind. The decent thing would have been to remind me at the time the intial term expired to give me a chance to consider if I wanted to extend, switch or cancel. But that's not part of the service...

The first customer service person I spoke to wasn't allowed to process my cancellation request. She had to put me through to another person who could. I protested, but to no avail. Needless to say, the next person began putting me through the whole process again, presumably so I'd lose the will to cancel and consider an upgrade.

I toughed it out and insisted on cancellation. The representative agreed to put that through, but said it would only take effect in 30 days' time. Hang on, I said. If it was true that I was "out of contract", as they kept saying I was, then how could Vodafone still be entitled to 30 days of my money - not to mention the extra 6 months they'd already enjoyed through my diary error? I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear the explanation.

You see, they didn't really mean that I was 'out of contract' in the sense that the contract had somehow expired. That would be misleading. If the contract had really ended, Vodafone wouldn't have been entitled to be paid for the extra 6 months, never mind the 30 days. Instead, they only meant that the minimum term of the contract had expired. That meant the contract had actually continued subject to termination on 30 days' notice - so it could have gone on for 30 years if I hadn't called to cancel it. 

When I asked if Vodafone has a process for notifying customers when they are 'out of contract' (i.e. when their initial term has expired), the representative said they did not.

Of course, Vodafone does have a process of calling you about upgrade opportunities a long time in advance of when the initial term expires. But that's just marketing. They then go quiet around the time the initial term expires, so you bear the risk of beoming a rolling 30-day cash cow.

I wonder how many customers paid for an iPad or other device through a 3G contract and forget it's still appearing in their bill even though the initial term had ended? And how many get a new mobile and don't realise they're still paying for an old one they thought was 'out of contract'? Are they to be treated as stupid people, or people with a hell of a lot of other stuff on their mind who could do with a reminder? Would they be prepared to pay a small admin charge for a reminder at the right time, or should such a reminder be a part of any decent service?

It's worth noting that Ofcom banned "automatic rollover contracts" for consumers and businesses with no more than 10 employees in September 2011. But the ban only applied to landline voice and broadband services, and it only means the customer can't be automatically renewed into another extended 'minimum contract period'. The new rule is that the maximum duration of initial contracts can only be 2 years; and at that point users must be offered an option to contract for a further maximum duration of 12 months. That means they are prompted to extend, switch or cancel.

Should a similar rule be brought in for mobile services?

 

Banks Tell Customers Last

Bailing out (of) the UK

Two days ago it was all over the national media that ING Direct UK's savings and mortgage business had been sold to Barclays, with the actual transfer to occur in Q2 2013. Yesterday, the media were telling us what it means for customers. Yet only this morning do I receive the self-centred email from ING Direct UK (extract below). I'm not suggesting that we customers should get the information ahead of the stock market (if it's price sensitive). But I think we should've been among the first to know directly, rather than being told by the national media. 

Of course, the note also reveals that the bank views its customers as just a bunch of financial assets, and that the deal is a huge blow to competition and innovation in the retail banking market. The first three paragraphs blather on about the wisdom of ING slimming down and how the business "is a good fit" with Barclays millions of other customers. This makes us feel so special. Then, as an afterthought, they add the weazily statement that "there will be no immediate effect on the services you currently receive." Weazle word: "immediate". As in, "get your money out immediately." If I'd wanted to save with Barclays, I'd have followed the 15 million other sheep long ago. My old Egg credit card got bought by Barclays and that experience hasn't been warmly personal either. Time to switch.

"We wanted to let you know directly that it has been announced that ING Direct N.V has entered into an agreement with Barclays to acquire ING Direct UK’s savings and mortgage business.

This decision is a result of ING Group’s continued evaluation of its portfolio of businesses, in line with its stated objectives of sharpening its focus and streamlining the group. It is expected that the actual transfer of ING Direct UK’s savings and mortgage business will take place during the second quarter of 2013.

ING Direct UK is a good fit with Barclays existing UK Retail Banking Business that looks after more than 15 million personal and 700,000 business customers in the UK. With a network of around 1600 branches in the UK, customers can bank in person, over the phone, online and through mobile applications. Barclays look forward to continuing to provide a secure home for your savings and/or mortgage in the future.

There will be no immediate effect on the services you currently receive."

Of A 900 Year Old Dwarf, Trinkets And Baby Steps

Voda Yoda

How apt that Vodafone has settled on a film character from 1980 to advertise the ability to... [sound of trumpets]... charge your phone in a taxi in 2012, when we've been charging phones in our own cars for many years. No wonder the little fella appears a bit non-plussed. Sadly the TV version doesn't record why he fires up his lightsabre, but I'm guessing from all the inane chat that it might be to dispense with the cabbie.

Such trinkets as in-cab charging are perhaps a small sign that Vodafone recognises at least one of the day-to-day hassles associated with mobile phones usage. So let's acknowledge them for a baby step in the right direction. The fact that London's black cabs hadn't already provided a 'free' charging facility to passengers tells you how great that particular monopoly is working for the consumer. 

Yet I still can't download my mobile phone billing information from the virtually useless "My account" section of the Vodafone.co.uk website. In fact, despite numerous calls to customer service over the years - usually around tax time - the most they've been able to do is send me physical copies of my bills free-of-charge. So 1980.

Image from DigitalSpy.

Toshiba: You've Lost A Customer For Life

In March 2011, I bought a Toshiba laptop after reading a glowing review on Which? (for which I'd had to subscribe). 

Nineteen days ago, my 6 month old Toshiba laptop died. 

I was on holiday overseas at the time. It was Friday evening. The Toshiba web site wasn't helpful and I couldn't reach anyone at Toshiba Support. Monday was a holiday in the UK, so it was Tuesday before I could report a critical problem: Day 4. The support person I spoke to said it couldn't possibly be a hard drive failure, as I'd have different error messages, so I should order a recovery disk on the web site - about £20 worth. Delivery was promised within fourteen days.

So, Toshiba think it's okay for a customer to wait at least fourteen days to get access to his laptop. So I went down to the basement and rescuscitated my old Dell laptop.

I began tweeting, using #ToshibaFail.

Toshiba's recovery disk arrived on Day 11. It didn't work. The only option available on the web site and via the telephone was to pay £30 for third party support. I spent over an hour on the phone before the support person said I should call a special number at Toshiba for a hard drive diagnosis. I did, and after trying to suggest my warranty details on the web site weren't valid, they said I should take the machine to a support centre in London, which I did, same day. 

On Day 13, the Toshiba service centre told me the hard drive had failed. They said they'd ordered a new one on the warranty. Estimated delivery time: another 5 business days.

Day 17, the lap top still hadn't surfaced, so I ordered a new Dell - estimated delivery: two days.

Today, Day 19, the new Dell arrived. I also got a call to say the Toshiba was ready, but I don't care. This is being posted via the Dell. I still haven't collected the Toshiba, which I might do tomorrow if I have time.

Toshiba, you've lost a customer for life.