vodafrauds

2011-07-20T13:11:00.002+10:00

Vodafone "fix" a failure

"Better, faster, stronger than before." That's what Vodafone says of its mobile network in advertising material on billboards and its website.

It comes about eight months after customers began to notice something wasn't quite right and when they started to post their problems with the network to the online broadband forum Whirlpool. Problems included thousands experiencing dropped calls, reception issues and poor data performance.

But, according to the Australian blog Lifehacker, which recently tested the telco's network in an area that Vodafone said it had upgraded, the network still isn't up to scratch. Editor Angus Kidman said network improvements didn't "seem to be making much difference".

At first, the company blamed software as the cause of two separate issues that caused slow 3G data transfer. But customers continued to complain of poor performance, leading the telco to apologise in February this year and announce it would bring forward an upgrade of its network, adding 1500 base stations over 12 months to cope with a sharp increase in data use.

Amid the customer outcry, a class action suit was proposed, which now has more than 20,000 applicants, and Vodafail.com was formed, a site dedicated to expressing dissatisfaction with the carrier. Thousands of customers - reaching about 100,000 a month - have churned away to another provider.

A music video was even created, chastising the telco for the network problems.

Source

2011-05-12T10:50:00.000+10:00

Vodafone customers voting with their feet

OPTUS and Telstra have divvied up the gains from customers leaving Vodafone Hutchison Australia, with both carriers recording strong growth in post-paid mobile customers in the March quarter.

Optus said yesterday it gained 151,000 post-paid mobile customers in the three months ended March. The result was steady on the last quarter and slightly higher than the same period a year ago. The new figures were released ahead of today's full-year financial report from Optus parent Singapore Telecommunications.

Optus added 570,000 mobile customers in the year ended March, up 7 per cent on last year. But Telstra, after an aggressive pricing campaign, continues to lead the pack, signing up 1.2 million new mobile subscribers in the nine months ended March.

The gains by Optus and Telstra have come at the expense of VHA, especially in the March quarter. Goldman Sachs analyst Christian Guerra said VHA's net loss of 150,000 mobile customers in the quarter was worse than expected. VHA added 142,000 mobile customers in the December half but it is thought customers began deserting the carrier as their plans expired because of poor network performance which has received widespread coverage.

In the lucrative post-paid segment, VHA lost 224,000 mobile customers in the March quarter but added 94,000 pre-paid subscribers which means it suffered a net loss of 130,000.

In a bid to stem defections, VHA began further subsidising the cost of handsets on post-paid plans. In contrast, Telstra and Optus have both reduced subsidies on handsets in a bid to manage margins. "The flood of subscribers deserting VHA is resulting in an easing in competitive intensity," Mr Guerra noted.

In April, as part of a new suite of mobile plans, Telstra introduced a plan priced at $59 a month to rival Optus's highly successful product.

Optus also recorded a healthy rise in customers' use of wireless broadband products in the quarter.

SOURCE

2011-05-05T13:26:00.001+10:00

Customers leaving Vodafone peaks at about 90k a month

CUSTOMER growth at Telstra is slowing after it picked up nearly a million customers in the final three months of last year, while Vodafone said that earlier this year it was losing nearly 100,000 customers a month.

Vodafone's churn rate, the pace at which customers leave a company, peaked in February at just over 2 per cent for post-paid customers - those on contract - but it was falling to more common levels of about 1.8 per cent, the chief executive, Nigel Dews, said yesterday.

In customer numbers, that means about 90,900 post-paid customers left Vodafone in February for other mobile providers, when its reputation for customer and network services were at a nadir.

Mr Dews said complaint levels had declined to the same level as in November, which was before dissatisfied customers launched a class action against the company. "All metrics are improving and we're really well and truly into the recovery phase from a performance point of view," he said.

Churn levels of 1.8 per cent per month are similar to those of other large carriers like Optus and Telstra.

However, Vodafone may have lost some of its more valuable customers, the research director, Foad Fadaghi, at Telsyte, said. "All carriers experience churn, but the question is whether [Vodafone] has lost its high-value post-paid customers, that rely more on data services than just voice and SMS," he said.

Mr Dews said Vodafone was still likely to see some effect from network problems but customer numbers were steadying. Additional call-centre staff had cost Vodafone "single-digit millions", he said. He also announced that the mobile phone company had been approved as a retail seller of NBN Co's fixed-line network.

The Telstra chief executive, David Thodey, confirmed yesterday that the company was expecting to pay a fully franked dividend of 28¢ for the full year after flat sales and a single-digit decline in pre-tax earnings.

He revealed that Telstra had signed up 364,000 mobile customers in the first three months of the year, compared with 555,000 new customers in the last quarter of last year.

Vodafone lost 244,000 customers in that time. Fixed retail broadband customers fell from 80,000 additions in late last year to 47,000 additions in the first quarter this year.

Analysts at RBS said Telstra was likely to beat its customer estimates for the full year and see stronger than expected revenue growth from mid next year.

The Goldman Sachs analyst Christian Guerra said Telstra had benefited from Vodafone's loss and the momentum gained from last year's price-cutting and customer subsidies.

"Telstra appears to be confident of pulling costs out of other parts of the business to offset the continued increase in mobile subscriber acquisition costs, driven by the strong post-paid sub growth," he wrote in a note to clients.

Telstra shares closed 3¢ higher at $2.92, the highest price since February 18.

SOURCE

2011-05-04T12:19:00.001+10:00

Vodafone 'main reason' for telco complaint increase

Vodafone customer complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in the last quarter have risen by 96 per cent when compared to the previous quarter, the telco ombudsman revealed today.

Overall complaints for the quarter have risen over 30 per cent to just under 60,000 new complaints, and a spokeswoman for the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, says the telco industry needs to do better at resolving complaints in the first instance.

The news comes on the day Vodafone is due to hold its Annual General Meeting in North Sydney.

Between January and March Vodafone customers made a whopping 14,670 new complaints to the TIO, an increase of 96 per cent from the previous quarter.

But it wasn't just Vodafone which had an increase in complaints on the last quarter, the ombudsman said. Most large service providers had an increase in complaints too. But the ombudsman did not reveal those figures in its findings.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) today pushed for Australian regulators to adopt tough new regulations for the telco industry. It said the complaints stats showed 2010-11 was destined to be the worst financial year on record for Australian telecommunications customers.

"The industry will point the finger at Vodafone and say, yet again, that there is no problem. The truth of the matter is that complaints about customer service and complaint-handling issues continue to climb across the board," said ACCAN chief executive Teresa Corbin.

"The ACMA announced a major inquiry in March last year called Reconnecting the Customer, to address customer service and complaint-handling issues that were spiralling out of control back in 2008. Now – right when the ACMA is set to release its recommendations from the inquiry – the industry produces its highest number of complaints in a quarter.

"This disastrous result at such a critical time would be laughable if the impact of this industry's inability to get it right didn't affect so many millions of Australians every single day. Communication services are vital and every telco customer in Australia has a horror story about dealing with telco providers – no matter who you have a service with."

Senator Conroy's spokeswoman said rising complaints were the reason the government released a discussion paper evaluating whether the TIO was equipped to continue to deal with complaints. Submissions are on the department's website.

The Australian Communication and Media Authority is also working through its Reconnecting the Customer Inquiry, while the industry is also revising its self-regulatory Consumer Protection Code. "The government is considering whether new protections that enhance the well-being of consumers are needed," Senator Conroy's spokeswoman said.

In total, 59,532 new complaints were made to the ombudsman in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 31 per cent on the previous quarter.

"The main reason for the continuing increase has been complaints about Vodafone, and its well publicised mobile coverage and customer service issues," the second edition of the TIO Talks newsletter, released today, said [PDF]. "New complaints against Vodafone were highest in January 2011, with some decrease recorded in February and then March 2011."

Ombudsman Simon Cohen said the TIO had “never received so many complaints". "We received increased complaints about landlines, internet services and a 50 per cent increase in mobile telephone complaints. Additionally, most categories of complaint – including billing, faults, contracts and credit management – increased.”

Cohen cited credit management issues as a "key problem area" for the telecommunications industry, after the busiest quarter for new TIO complaints on record.

"Credit management issues are often a result of consumers who don’t understand the service they have contracted for, or the charges they will incur," the TIO said in a statement alongside Cohen's comments. "These consumers receive bills that are too expensive to afford. As a result, their services may be disconnected or suspended, and their details lodged with a credit reporting agency."

Cohen said telephone and internet companies needed to "do more to make sure consumers are given the right information up front, and provided the right tools to monitor their usage and charges".

SOURCE

2011-04-26T12:54:00.001+10:00

Vodafone hit by contract terminations over poor service

VODAFONE'S contract fee structure could be hurt by the growing number of customers terminating their monthly payments because of poor coverage. The telco is being pummelled by complaints on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter and local site Vodafail. Some customers said they were released from contracts after repeatedly complaining.

Under pressure from these infrastructure problems and from a proposed Australiawide class action, Vodafone seems to be giving in to customer demands.

The latest customer outpourings were on Sunday and yesterday, after another embarrassing network glitch. The failure, on Easter Sunday, meant customers could not make calls or send and receive text messages. "From 14:30 AEST 24/04/2011 to 21:34 AEST 24/04/2011 users may have experienced difficulties in sending SMS," Vodafone acknowledged. "We apologise to customers for the inconvenience."

Last year, more than 1200 poor reception areas were logged along the east coast on the Vodafail website, set up by Sydney software engineer Adam Brimo while he was waiting on hold for Vodafone customer support.

On Facebook yesterday, the group "Can we find 1 million people who will never use Vodafone (again)?" included stories from customers released from contracts or granted reduced payments. "I have been complaining since January," one customer wrote yesterday. "They offered three months half-price, and that the problem will be fixed end of March, beginning of April." The customer said Vodafone had offered another three months coverage at half-price.

A Vodafone spokeswoman said all customers will be able to text free-of-charge on May 1 from 8am to 8pm to compensate for the outage -- a technical fault in the core network. It was resolved around 9.15pm on Sunday.

Vodafone would examine options for customers suffering from poor coverage in areas with no scheduled upgrade planned in future, she said.

SOURCE

2011-03-09T22:52:00.001+10:00

Vodafone turns on the charm again

About a year or so ago I got a mobile broadband plan from Crazy Johns. I asked the sales person if there was good coverage in my area as I wanted to replace my ADSL as it was costing a lot of money. She told me that there was excellent coverage. I asked her about speeds and she assured me that it was as fast as, if not faster than my ADSL.

I attempted to use the service and was disappointed to find that it just wouldn't work. After several frustrating calls to their tech support I was told that it must be my fault. I followed their instructions and pleaded with them to come and see for themselves. They refused. There just simply was no reception, anywhere in my house. At most there was 1 bar of EDGE reception that would appear occasionally but not for long enough to connect for more than a few minutes and the best download speed I ever reached was something like 20bps, that's BPS, not KBPS.

I asked them to cancel the service, and I was told that their people would contact me. Surprise, they never did. A couple months passed and I called again to confirm that they'd canceled the service. The man on the phone told me he could not tell me anything til I paid the past few months balance. I was annoyed but he gauranteed it would be refunded anyway as the service didn't work and that this was just a formality. I paid it via credit card and was again told that they'd be in touch regarding any issues with the cancellation.

I never heard from them again. My mobile phone is with Vodafone, so they know my phone number, they could've called me if there was any issues.

This morning I get a call from an overseas number and straight up the woman asked for my full name, date of birth and address. I told her I don't hand these out to random international callers. She said she worked for NRG solutions on behalf of Vodafone for debt recovery. I was confused because my Vodafone bill for my mobile is fine. I gave her my details and she told me I owed over $900 for the broadband service. I was shocked.

I explained to her that I'd been assured the service would be canceled a long time ago. She told me if I wanted to place a hold on the account, I'd have to pay $90 right now, of course I said no. I told her there was no way known on this planet I was going to pay for a service I never received and had canceled. I told her I'd already paid too much for it as it was! She said I'd need to provide written proof that it was canceled and of course I've never received a letter from them. I told her the proof was that the service was never successfully used and there'd be logs of my calls canceling the service. She stated that this wasn't enough and that collection proceedings will commence immediately. I asked her to get vodafone to call me, she said I have to call them but they'd just tell me to call NRG solutions.

Great. So now I have a bad debt record for a service that never bloody worked.

From another reader

I had similar frustrations with Vodafone for many months, finally going to the TIO (Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman). That got a response after 10 days (they had to respond within 10 days). I got a poor compromise, they refused to budge on cancelling my mobile phone contract even though I said the coverage according to their maps was misleading (it said there was coverage in the area when I repeatedly found there wasn't.) I finally wrote a letter to the CEO Nigel Dews which prompted a person from Vodafone to call me, and I finally got a satisfactory resolution. If you want to send him a letter his address is:

Mr Nigel Dews
CEO
Vodafone Hutchison Australia
Level 7, 40 Mount St
North Sydney NSW 2060

SOURCE

2011-02-25T11:51:00.000+10:00

Telco complaints reach 'record high' on the back of Vodafone woes

Complaints against telcos have skyrocketed to a "record high" with Vodafone accounting for much of the spike during a period the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman said was one of its busiest ever.

The figures are likely to enrage the government and regulators, which have chastised the telcos over rising complaints in recent years and for "treating their customers cavalierly". Consumer groups say the telco industry is "out of control" and are calling on the government to introduce new regulations.

The TIO revealed today that complaints against telcos had spiked by almost nine per cent with mobile provider complaints up more than 20 per cent.

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The Ombudsman received 87,264 new complaints between July 1 and December 31 last year, up 6,957 on the first half of 2010.

The vast majority of the new complaints related to Vodafone, which saw a spike of 5370 complaints - an increase of 96 per cent.

"The increase, entirely reversing the positive trend seen in the first half of 2010, is extremely disappointing," said the Ombudsman, Simon Cohen.

"December 2010 was one of the busiest months the TIO has ever seen, and the trend has continued in January 2011."

Teresa Corbin, chief executive of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), said the figures are "higher than have ever been recorded for customer contacts to the TIO".

"It's a nine per cent increase on what was already record numbers of complaints and obviously absolutely unacceptable," said Corbin.

Corbin said Vodafone was not solely to blame as complaints were high even without considering Vodafone's problems. She called on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to step in and introduce mandatory complaint handling regulations as well as penaltes for poorly performing telcos.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg because these figures only go up to December and we know the vast majority of Vodafone customers didn't start speaking up until January," said Corbin.

Now is a crucial time for the telco industry, with the ACMA due to report on its inquiry into poor customer service by telcos and the Telecommunications Protection Code under review.

ACMA's inquiry was sparked by a large rise in complaints in 2009 and early 2010. In October 2009, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy described rising complaints figures as an "absolute shocker" and promised to legislate to "crack down" on telcos if there wasn't a significant improvement in complaint statistics.

"The self-regulation experiment has failed, the industry's out of control ... we're expecting some strong action from government," said Corbin.

An ACMA spokesman said the complaints numbers were of "deep concern" and many issues such as proposed new complaints handling regulations were being considered by the regulator's "Reconnecting the customer" inquiry, which is due to report in the next three months.

The industry body Communications Alliance said the upcoming revised Telecommunications Protection Code would include "enhanced consumer protections and a stronger compliance framework". It disputed ACCAN's claims that complaints were at record highs.

The TIO said complaints pertaining to Vodafone had not only included mobile coverage issues but also a failure in customer service, with increased concerns about long wait times, failing to act on promises and consumers not being able to contact Vodafone at all.

"Customer frustration with Vodafone is understandable - it is one thing to have a service issue; but it is especially concerning when consumers cannot contact someone to have their problems sorted out," said Cohen.

"I am aware of recent additional staffing to improve Vodafone customer service and we will carefully monitor whether this is reducing the need for customers to come to the TIO."

Some five months after Vodafone customers began deserting the telco over mobile network issues, the company this week wrote to customers admitting it was too slow to upgrade its network and pleading for a second chance. It has pledged $1 billion in network upgrades.

The latest complaint figures are likely to further dismay Vodafone customers after Vodafone this week posted a $73.4 million profit.

Today, Vodafone CEO Nigel Dews said the telco had large teams of people and significant resources dedicated to improving its network and service but there was "more work to do" to reduce complaints to the TIO.

The TIO complaints included 19,000 issues relating to the failure of telcos to follow through with the promises they make to resolve customer complaints - an increase of 23 per cent.

Source

2011-01-22T21:29:00.001+10:00

Vodafone loses face as customers seek escape route

LIKE an unhappy population rising up against oppressive landlords, angry mobs of Vodafone customers are waving pitchforks and calling for justice. Or at least to be let out of a mobile phone contract.

A series of blunders have dragged the normally low-profile Vodafone into the spotlight. First thousands of customers signed up to a class action alleging poor service, then the Herald revealed lax security on customer databases and dodgy practices in dealerships. So what is the truth?

The biggest hurdle to getting an accurate picture of Vodafone's operations is its opacity. The company provides only intermittent network updates to customers and regular financial results to media but these are heavy on spin and light on detail.

Given this information void, it is easy to understand why 20,000 customers are frustrated enough to sign up to a class action, even allowing for frivolous claims.

One customer, Adam Brimo, set up a website, vodafail.com, to complain about the company and yesterday released a 27-page report on its faults. "The ubiquity of Vodafone's aggressive marketing strategy has only heightened some customers' anger at the current situation," the report states. "Some customers are upset to see Vodafone advertise a service that they believe cannot be provided. The constant advertising is also a reminder to Vodafone's existing customers of the service that they themselves are not receiving, yet paying for."

Mr Brimo's report says the bulk of complaints about Vodafone have occurred since October, and 6242 of 11,195 related to for poor reception.

Vodafone says the problem is not that its network is too small for its client base but that 400 new mobile sites were not properly installed. The company says this has been rectified.

Many coverage problems occurred in October when a new network was turned on but not properly tuned. The company's chief executive, Nigel Dews, said that too had been fixed. "Data growth on our networks is exploding, particularly with more and more customers using multiple mobile devices like smartphones and iPads," Mr Dews said in October when announcing a $1.5 billion upgrade to the network.

It appears the coverage problems occur when customers fall between networks or do not receive the full force of new infrastructure. Vodafone's planned upgrades are no comfort to customers dissatisfied with today's service. "The actual on the ground reality is that [Vodafone] does not have the same network coverage quality and depth of coverage that Optus and Telstra do," said Craig Skinner, a telecommunications analyst at Ovum.

Mobile carriers needed to strike a balance between aggressively marketing to win new customers and ensuring their networks could provide service, particularly mobile broadband, which quickly consumes capacity.

The first opportunities to see how many customers have left Vodafone because of its recent problems will be Telstra's half-year results in early February then Optus's full-year results in March - that is, if customers have managed to find a way to escape their contracts.

The drama will die down once Vodafone repairs the cracks in its network that so many customers fell into last year. But for now the mob is still baying for blood.

SOURCE

2011-01-13T09:09:00.001+10:00

Customer complaints falling on deaf ears at Vodafone

PROBLEM-plagued telco Vodafone stopped taking written complaints from irate customers for almost a week. The company has been besieged by customers complaining about poor network performance and recent reports that users' personal information was available online.

From last Thursday, customers have been greeted with an "out of order" message at the company's online email response form. The only way users could complain was by ringing Vodafone's customer care line, which was twice shut down because of technical difficulties.

If customers did manage to reach a call centre worker, they were told the email address had been removed and were not given a physical address if they asked for one.

It wasn't until after inquiries from The Daily Telegraph and the Australian Communication Consumer Action Network that the email address was reinstated on Vodafone's website on Tuesday night.

It is the latest in a string of public relations disasters for the company. More than 12,500 people have signed up to a class action over calls dropping out, reception issues and poor data performance. The company has denied its customers' personal information was publicly available online, but confirmed it was investigating a security breach.

ACCAN policy and campaigns director Elissa Freeman said it was unacceptable for Vodafone to make it difficult for customers to raise complaints.

She said customers who had made a reasonable attempt to raise a complaint with Vodafone but were unable to make contact could also raise the matter with the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

A TIO spokesman said that while the industry's complaint handling code did not set out required methods of communication, it did "specify that service providers offer free or low cost and flexible methods for taking complaints and make themselves accessible to consumers".

A Vodafone spokesman said the company had suspended its online contact form while it worked through a backlog of customer inquiries and increased staffing levels for online feedback and complaints resolution.

SOURCE

2011-01-05T13:56:00.001+10:00

Vodafone sets up taskforce to fix network issues as 9000 express interest in class action

Vodafone has set up "a number of taskforce teams" to try to fix network problems following a class action legal threat in which about 9000 customers have expressed an interest in joining.

Sydney law firm PiperAlderman last month sought disgruntled Vodafone customers to press a class action over dropped calls, bad reception and poor data performance.

Today it posted an update on its site saying that approximately 9000 Vodafone customers had registered their interest.

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"In the next five to ten business days, we will be sending group members a request for further information relating to their specific circumstances," it said. "Upon receipt of this information, we will process it and take the matter forward."

Vodafone has faced customer backlash over thousands experiencing poor service over the past few months.

The company initially blamed software bugs and argued that there were no serious problems with its network. However, just before Christmas, its CEO, Nigel Dews, issued an apology.

In it, Dews reminded customers of plans to "significantly" upgrade the Vodafone network.

In a blog post yesterday, the company's director of customer service and experience, Cormac Hodgkinson, said Vodafone had set up "a number of taskforce teams" that were "working to continue to resolve the current network issues which have been affecting some customers".

Hodgkinson also said Vodafone was "monitoring and testing the network across the country to evaluate its performance".

"While signs are encouraging, there are some customers who may not be experiencing these benefits as yet, and we will continue our program of work to ensure that customers see improvements over time."

Between January and March, Hodgkinson said, the company would be upgrading approximately 141 sites which transmit signals to mobile devices.

"These improvements focus on areas where there is either high traffic where capacity is a priority (which will help with data performance) or in areas where coverage is a priority (which will help with general coverage)," Hodgkinson said.

Source

2010-12-27T11:27:00.002+10:00

Vodafone customers to sue in class action

It has already presided over one of the biggest PR disasters of the year and now Vodafone faces being sued by potentially thousands of its customers over poor network performance.

Sydney law firm PiperAlderman is seeking out disgruntled Vodafone customers to form a class action lawsuit over dropped calls, reception issues and poor data performance that have left customers fuming.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has already said it is investigating the matter.

Vodafone initially blamed software bugs and argued that there were no serious problems with its network.

Its furious customers then took to social media and sites like Vodafail.com, forcing the telco to admit to some remaining issues. But customers calling its customer care line have been placed on hold for hours on end and then forced to fill out long, laborious forms.

Some customers who complained the loudest and contacted the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) have been able to get out of their contracts and received compensation but others have given up long before this stage.

"Calls dropping out, reception issues, poor data performance – this is not what Vodafone customers signed up for," wrote PiperAlderman in a notice on its website.

"Vodafone, however, has continued to charge customers on its mobile plans, without providing the service it promised."

The law firm said customers who signed up with Vodafone over the last three years may be entitled to compensation "if they were misled into signing contracts or if Vodafone did not live up to its end of the bargain".

It said it was investigating a class action against Vodafone to recover losses suffered by its customers over the last three years, plus interest.

"There will be nothing to pay unless you successfully recover compensation," the firm wrote.

Many Vodafone customers have said the constant call dropouts and reception issues have meant they have been unable to properly operate their businesses. Others have said they have been unable to call emergency services after being involved in an accident.

A litany of Vodafone customer horror stories can be found on the Vodafail.com website.

The owner of the site, Adam Brimo, has had legal threats from the telco and had the site's logo removed from Facebook due to "copyright infringement" – a move he believes was sparked by a complaint from Vodafone.

Brimo has analysed contributions to Vodafail.com and their associated IP addresses and believes Vodafone dealers and staff members are taking to the site to defend the telco without identifying themselves.

"They have been quite aggressive, the general tone is that it's the customer's fault and that all of our complaints are about tiny problems," said Brimo.

"Some have also said that if we don't like it, we should just leave, of course leaving Vodafone is what everyone is really trying to do."

Vodafone says there is no concrete evidence the posts came from its staffers.

Brimo, who was recently let out of his Vodafone contract, has now implemented a coverage map on Vodafail.com which, based on user reports, identifies problem areas on the telco's network.

On Tuesday last week, after organisations like the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) chastised the telco for failing to inform customers of its issues, Vodafone CEO Nigel Dews published an apology on Vodafone's website.

The apology provided no new information on when issues may be fixed but referenced a network upgrade which is not due to be completed until some time next year.

On the prospect of a class action, Dews said in a statement that the most important thing the telco could do was to focus on improving its network and customer experience.

"We are also in regular contact with the ACCC and other consumer groups to advise them of what we are doing to improve network performance and services to our customers, and we are keeping our customers across changes through our website," he said.

"Our network performance is improving and we are confident that things will get better as we continue to roll out extra capacity across out [sic] network."

The same statement was sent out to Vodafone staff members but it contained an additional line not sent to this website. "It's obviously very disappointing to hear that a legal firm is using this to drum up business," Dews wrote in the email, seen by this website.

Despite the immense issues faced by its existing customers, Vodafone continues to spend millions on advertising for new customers, including as a primary sponsor of the cricket.

Source

2009-11-09T12:07:00.002+10:00

Bar on costly phone services likely

Long overdue. Many of these "services" are outright rackets. I was signed up for one -- unknown to me -- and after protests got my money back off Vodafone -- but a less articulate and persistent person might not have

MOBILE phones are likely to be automatically barred from accessing premium ring tones, games and information services after the consumer watchdog threw its support behind the move.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has backed a proposal in which users would need to make a specific request to enable their phones to receive high-priced premium text and multimedia messages.

The issue is being considered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority following a steady stream of complaints from users faced with unexpected costs after signing for premium content.

The communications regulator is considering a barred-by-default model, backed by the ACCC, and an opt-in model, in which consumers will need to specifically request their phone be barred. ''Vulnerable consumers such as minors would stand to benefit the most from a default barring model,'' the ACCC said in its submission to the communication regulator.

It described the opt-in model as a ''weak second option'' because many consumers would not be aware the opportunity to bar their phone existed.

''Default barring would ensure that account holders (often parents) were required to make a clear decision'' to allow premium services, the ACCC said.

But the industry representative Communications Alliance said the default model would hurt consumers of legitimate premium services, such as transport timetables, charity campaigns, medical services, and voting in competitions.

Source

2009-05-19T11:37:00.001+10:00

Crackdown on SMS vultures at last

THE communications and media watchdog has approved measures to protect consumers from being slugged with high charges from premium SMS services.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority yesterday approved a package of measures to address consumer concerns on premium SMS services.

The measures will provide the watchdog with a comprehensive framework to monitor alleged offenders and the power to issue service provider determinations.

The determinations will require mobile carriers to provide an option to bar premium SMS services on all mobile phone plans by July 1 next year.

The measures will also grant ACMA the power to ban repeat premium SMS offenders from operating in the market.

Premium SMS suppliers who failed to comply with the new rules would also run the risk of penalties of up to $250,000, ACMA said.

Finally, the measures include a new mobile premium services code which will give ACMA legal force from July 1. The code was developed in co-operation with the telecoms industry.

"With a registered code in place, consumers can be secure in the knowledge that the standards and protections outlined in the code are mandatory and will be enforced by the ACMA," Communications Alliance chief executive Anne Hurley said.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy welcomed the new rules. "New enforceable rules will provide a better deal for consumers when it comes to services such as premium messages," he said. "Misleading practices in the mobile industry will not be tolerated and providers must ensure better protection for consumers."

Telstra also welcomed the new code. "Telstra has led the sector in the responsible provision of premium SMS services, operating under our own code of conduct that went beyond standard industry practice," a Telstra spokesman said.

Telstra plans on enacting new internal measures from next month to safeguard consumers from unintentional premium SMS service subscriptions. One of those measures includes a process to terminate providers that have had continued high and unacceptable complaint levels associated with their services.

Source

2008-10-24T12:54:00.001+10:00

Always double-check your phone bills

The guy who wrote the article below is both right and wrong. His advice to check your bills is certainly right and I was indeed a sinner in that regard. The bills were not notably excessive so I just let payment go through for nearly a year.

His explanation that the fraudulent "Premium" charges originated with a previous owner of his number is probably wrong, however. I suspect that he has been suckered by that explanation. I had my number for years before these charges started popping up.

The real source of the scam lies, I suspect, in the many internet advertisements that offer to tell you the name of your ideal lover (etc.). If you respond to such an ad, you get given a number to ring. And when you do that they "capture" your number and use your call as an alleged agreement to take a useless "service".

My trouble was with Vodafone and the guy below is with "3". Are they one and the same? I think they are.

Anyway, nobody at Voda wanted to hear anything from me at all despite the numerous approaches I made. All the extra calls are too profitable for them to want to stop it. They did refund my money fairly promptly once I complained to TIO but would not discuss one thing about how the scam came about

Last month I signed up for a mobile broadband account with 3. I just got the first bill, which should only be for $20, but instead it was for $90. I was sure I hadn't exceeded my 1GB download cap. Scrolling through the bill revealed $70 worth of Premium SMS charges for services I never signed up for.

Every wireless broadband modem that connects to the mobile phone network contains a SIM card. This SIM card is allocated a mobile phone number, even if you never use it to make calls. The phone number might have previously belonged to someone else, so you need to keep on eye on your bill to make sure you're not accidentally charged for phone-related services.

It seems the doofus who previously had my number was dumb enough to subscribe to Premium SMS services. They were charging this poor sucker $5 every time they sent him a "Text & Win Trivia" SMS and some other rubbish. Unless he checked his bill carefully he may not have even known he was paying for this crap.

A quick Google search uncovered a recent discussion at Whirlpool with the subject Where did my money go?. It seems other people have had the same problem, although they've had different experiences when it comes to getting the issue resolved.

First I rang 3, who said I needed to ring the Premium SMS service. Studying my bill closely I realised I was receiving messages from two different services, "Netsize - Content Subscription" and "Dialect - Text & Win Trivia".

When I rang Netsize and explained the situation, they checked their records and acknowledged that my number was subscribed to the service last year, well before I signed up with 3. If I fax them a copy of my contract with 3 they'll send me a refund cheque. Dialect wasn't quite as helpful, admitting the subscription began last year but saying they'll look into it and notify me if I'm "eligible" for a refund. The poor call centre operator had trouble getting her head around the fact the number is now allocated to a USB modem and not a mobile phone.

If my money doesn't show up, my next call will be to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

There are two lessons to be learned here. Firstly, if you're dumb enough to subscribe to Premium SMS services they'll bleed you dry. Secondly, always double-check your bills.

Posted by Adam Turner

Source

2008-07-28T23:46:00.000+10:00

I am not alone

I am not alone in having gripes with Vodafone. I am REALLY glad that I never was tempted to try any of their internet services.

The site Not Good Enough has a recent thread on Vodafone. Just one excerpt by way of example:

I too have the Vodafone wireless broadband - am using it right now.

It is HOPELESS - I always have good coverage, but I can only really use it in low times - otherwise I am disconnected every 5 minutes. After speaking to family members who have the same product in different cities, we find that we are all kicked off the service during peak times. The upload/download speed varies wildly.

I cannot wait for my contract to end - I'll suck it up and pay the price to have a hardline installed for broadband. I honestly could not say enough to discourage you from the service, it is not worth the hassle.

Good luck finding a service that works for you.

Read it all, as they say in the classics.

2007-09-29T10:17:00.000+10:00

A follow-up letter to ACMA

TO:
Andrew Westmorland
ACMA

I am staggered by your letter of 19th. You seem to be saying that you have no power to investigate telephone fraud and no means of preventing it. That cannot be true. I realize that the goal of every bureaucracy is to maximize its funding and minimize its workload but this is ridiculous.

Please seek further legal advice regarding your powers and notify me accordingly.

I think I have an idea about how the fraud affecting me worked but nobody seems in the slightest bit interested in asking me.

If legal advice confirms your impotence in this area, please advise me whom I can approach to get this matter investigated. I am thinking that the Federal police might be my next port of call. The buck has got to stop somewhere.

2007-08-10T10:42:00.000+10:00

Voda legal replies:

It is Vodafone's view that it has taken sufficient steps to respond to your complaint, including responding to all your requests for information and refunding amounts charged to you as a result of the service. If Vodafone has any claim against Mobile Messenger arising out of your complaint, it would be a matter for Vodafone to pursue.

If you have further queries or comments, please contact me.

Yours sincerely

Sarah Druce
Corporate Counsel
Sales and Service Legal Team
Vodafone Australia
Fax: +61 2 9415 7041
www.vodafone.com.au
sarah.druce@vodafone.com

2007-08-09T10:41:00.000+10:00

Letter to Voda legal

Dear Ms Druce

Thank you for rehashing the past

What I want to know is what Vodafone intends to do about the company that raised fraudulent charges against me.

I will take the matter further in the absence of a satisfactory reply

2007-07-31T10:28:00.000+10:00

The fob-off

TO:
Don Boulton
Customer Fobbing-off Manager
Vodafone Australia

Dear Mr Boulton,

I have your letter of 26th.

I take it that you are not interested in finding out whether or not Mobile Messenger are scammers?

Please advise.

In the absence of a reply I will have to kick this up to your UK head office.

2007-07-25T10:15:00.000+10:00

Letter to ACMA

I would like to draw your attention to a premium services scam affecting my Vodafone mobile phone account. Voda have refunded the improper charges to me but refuse to give me any details that would enable me to trace how it happened -- and the TIO seem to think that the refund closes the matter.

I am a heavily-linked blogger and I would like to alert my readers to what went on so that they can take steps to protect themselves. I am also concerned that nobody at the TIO or Voda seems interested in closing off the scam.

The TIO complaint reference is 07/051984. Please get someone senior at TIO to reopen the matter and please require of Voda that they reveal to me the full details of what happened to my account.

I am pretty sure there is a coverup going on.

2007-07-19T10:27:00.000+10:00

A bolt at Boulton

TO:
Don Boulton
Customer Resolutions
Vodafone Australia

Dear Mr Boulton

I have just received your unhelpful letter of 10th.

I will make it really simple for you:

The Premium text service did NOT connect in the way that the firm describes.

What are you going to do about that?

I am at the moment thinking of involving the Federal police in this so do get your finger out.

2007-07-08T10:25:00.000+10:00

Letter to Casey of vodafone

TO:
John Casey
CMO
Vodafone Australia

Dear Mr Casey,

I would like to direct your attention to the arrogant, slippery and unhelpful behaviour of one of your customer "Help" staff. I refer to Ms Christine Leaman.

I was recently the victim of some sort of text-message scam and Vodafone has now reversed all the charges concerned.

I am however most anxious to find out HOW I became victimized in that way so that I can warn others about it. I am a heavily-linked blogger so I do have the means to publicize such things.

Ms Leaman has however refused to give me ANY information about the matter concerned. She will not even tell me such basic things as whether the charges generated by the scammers were for messages I had allegedly sent or whether they were for messages I had allegedly received.

Unless I can get some civilized behaviour from someone there, I will have to write to your corporate HQ in England.

2007-06-17T10:22:00.000+10:00

The "team"

TO:
Collections Team
Vodafone

Dear Teamsters

I was both amused and delighted to receive the enclosed missive from you.

Please refer this matter to your Ms Christine Leaman.

I will be entering onto no more dealings with Vodafone (including payments) until she has provided me with the information about my account that she has so far denied me.

The amount you refer to is, in short, a disputed amount.

2007-05-26T10:20:00.000+10:00

Dear Olivia

TO:
Olivia Munro
TIO

Dear Ms Munro,

I have your letter dated 17th. inst.

As you foresaw, I am appalled at your lack of interest in phone fraud.

I have plastered up my complaints about you in a few well-read places on the net and hope as a result to interest reporters from the mainstream media in the matter.

You can see one of my posts here:

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/2007/05/mobile-telephone-fraud-and-regulatory.html

Yours disgustedly,

2007-05-11T10:18:00.000+10:00

Letter in reply to TIO

TO:
Gerard Mount
TIO
POB 276
Collins St W.
Vic 8007

Ref: 07/051984-1 - Mount and your letter of 7th.

Dear Mr Mount,

I am not at all happy at your "resolution" of my complaint about Vodafone and I ask that you refer the matter to a senior officer of the TIO for review.

This matter has caused me a great deal of bother and I think that I am entitled to information about how it came about.

Vodafone have NOT given me any information at all. They have merely transmitted to me a totally dishonest email that they apparently received from the scammers concerned.

I would also like to know what steps Voda have taken to prevent other people being victimized in a similar way. I would have thought that TIO also saw that as a matter of importance. Barring the scammers from the Voda network would seem an obvious step.

2007-04-04T10:24:00.000+10:00

Ombudsman letter

TO:
The TIO

I wish to complain about inaction on the part of Vodaphone to reverse scammer's charges to my mobile phone A/c no. 0413836248. The charges are something to do with a "Premium Text Message" service that I know nothing about and which I have not authorized.

I rang Voda yesterday and they said they would get someone to call me back. They gave me ref: 59789.

They did NOT call me back so I rang them today and got some Kiwi female who seemed to know nothing about anything. I asked for her supervisor but she refused to connect me to anyone. She said that Vodaphone could do nothing. Her name was allegedly Margaret and her ref was 885183.

Please get Voda to reverse all charges levied by this unauthorized service. Please also ask them to bar the scammers concerned from their network.