Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:31 pm  

Last month, I had my mobile and few hundred pound stolen from my car. ( My fault I know.) I had insurance so got a temporary replacement mobile until they sent me an upgraded phone.

My contract ends next month, which I have cancelled. This morning I received a bill for £83. 42, which is some 60 quid more. My snag is, between my mobile being robbed and me reporting it, the scroat had joined upto some texting service -£20, and used the internet -£13 odd. My argument is, I don't use the internet on my phone and have not joined any texting service, so as my previous 2 years bills prove, could I have a case of not paying the full amount.

ps/ should I know cancel my direct debit? I have asked Vodafone to send me a paper itemised bill. cheers.

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:45 pm  

Live Wired wrote:

Last month, I had my mobile and few hundred pound stolen from my car. ( My fault I know.) I had insurance so got a temporary replacement mobile until they sent me an upgraded phone.

My contract ends next month, which I have cancelled. This morning I received a bill for £83. 42, which is some 60 quid more. My snag is, between my mobile being robbed and me reporting it, the scroat had joined upto some texting service -£20, and used the internet -£13 odd. My argument is, I don't use the internet on my phone and have not joined any texting service, so as my previous 2 years bills prove, could I have a case of not paying the full amount.

ps/ should I know cancel my direct debit? I have asked Vodafone to send me a paper itemised bill. cheers.

Not sure why it should be your fault if some low-life steals from you.

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:50 pm  

Presumably you reported the crime to the police and informed them of when the theft is likely to have taken place.

Vodafone will be able to look at what the phone's usage was after this time and date and so it should then be assumed that whoever nicked it will have racked up those charges. Whether the insurance covers this, though, is anyone's guess; and if now, I wouldn't bet on Vodafone refunding those charges.

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:59 pm  

I would suggest you persist with Vodafone. If they take your money by direct debit then, if they will not repay write and ask them to check with their legal department why they are not committing the criminal offence of money-laundering (ie knowingly benefitting from the proceeds of a crime)? Say that if you do not receive a full written explanation of their view of the law and / or a full refund within 10 days you will have to assume they have committed an offence and will report the to the Serious Organised Crime Authority. Furthermore, ask why they do do not consider they have committed an offence under the Theft Act by taking money from your bank account and refusing to return it when you have advised them that you did not utilise their service? If their T&Cs include some clause to protect them in the small print, is it an Unfair Contract?

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:16 pm  

ROBINSON wrote:

Presumably you reported the crime to the police and informed them of when the theft is likely to have taken place.

Vodafone will be able to look at what the phone's usage was after this time and date and so it should then be assumed that whoever nicked it will have racked up those charges. Whether the insurance covers this, though, is anyone's guess; and if now, I wouldn't bet on Vodafone refunding those charges.

This. I'd have thought that if you reported it to the police straight away with details of the time and date of the theft, Vodafone (who I've found to be OK in this sort of situation) would accept the police report details and credit you with anything on the account after that date/time.

I'd give them a call again and explain, taking it up a level each time they can't/won't assist.

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:38 pm  

If you're leaving Vodafone anyway, cancel your direct debit and tell them you're willing to pay the normal bill amount by card and not a penny more. They won't chase you for £80 or the £60 difference.

I had a phone nicked once - around 2002 I think - I was a bit worse for wear at the time and went to sleep before cancelling it the next morning. Unfortunately for me the schlllllaaag who nicked it had racked up £300+ in calls to various numbers in Pakistan. The phone company wouldn't back down (quite rightly from a contractual point of view) so I cancelled the direct debit and told them to go whistle. Actually, that could have been Vodafone as well.

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:44 pm  

So basically, cancel my DD and just pay what I normally pay?

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:21 pm  

Live Wired wrote:

So basically, cancel my DD and just pay what I normally pay?

I suppose you may be in breach of contract if you do?

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:45 pm  

Obviously if you don't cancel your DD then the full monty will go and that will be that.

I think the idea is you get your final bill, go through it and deduct everything after the phone was stolen, and send them the net amount, with a written explanation why.

You can't be liable for charges racked up as a result of "joining" a texting service that you didn't join. Vodafone should recoup anything they have paid to the texting service company, it is their problem, if despite knowing that the texts were fraudulent, they still want to pay the provider.

Re: Vodafone Billing Query : Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:53 am  

Sort of hi-jacking but its related. I took out 2 contracts at phones4u about 6 weeks ago, with the intention of paying by direct debit. I filled in the direct debit paperwork, and they said they'd set it up. Despite this, they never did. Maybe clutching at straws but would it be worth me complaining about this?