Basically I took out a 18 month contract via phones4u with Vodafone in January 2009. The first few months were fine. Then after checking my phone bills online I noticed i was being charged line rental for sim cards which 1. I don't have 2. Have never used 3. Wouldn't need them as I have a pay monthly contract??? So I emailed their customer services and was told that these numbers were removed and I wouldn't be charged.

Now I have had to email them every single month telling them to remove these numbers and to stop charging me for them. They had never taken any money out of my account for them but still kept adding them to my bills, even though they told me on several occassions that it was all sorted and would no longer happen.

After coming back from being on holiday this month i looked at my phone bill and i was being charged cancellation fees for these sim cards that again, i dont have and have never used which they must be able to check! This time it was totalling upto £210, my line rental usually comes to £45 once vat etc has been added. It was a couple of days before my direct debit was due to come off so I contacted them and was advised that an advisor had spoken to her manager and that as i was a valued customer the fee had been waived of £169.

However i logged onto my banking and saw that they had in fact taken £210 of me which has now left me in my overdraft, which means to live im going to have to spend money from my overdraft. I contacted them and was told if i could get the pay reference number from my bank and call back they would refund the money, so i did that and called back to be told a case had to be opened and it would take 5-10 days to refund the money. I have never understood how they are so quick to take payments from you but can never refund it in the same amount of time. I asked to speak to a manager and was told that this was indeed the case that it would take 5-10 days. He then said that i was told the wrong thing when i contacted them the other day and that person should have checked the system to see that the payment had been requested on the 27th - and therefore i would have needed to cancel my direct debit...

Basically i have had enough - 4/5 months of charges and sim card numbers that have nothing to do with me, having contacted them every month regarding this i have been told each time "thats it all sorted" when infact its not. Now i have £169 taken off me when i was told it wouldn't be and now i have to live in my overdraft? I really want to cancel my contract with vodafone because as you can see I have had nothing but bother, they can even have the phone back i couldn't care less but what i was wondering is, is there a way i can cancel this contract without having to pay the remainder months up - seeing as they have messed me around so much?

florida09:

is there a way i can cancel this contract without having to pay the remainder months up - seeing as they have messed me around so much?

NO, NO, NO don't cancel the contract (unless you can see a clause in the Terms & Conditions that you can make stick).

Instead, obtain the Vodafone Complaints procedure and submit a complaint strictly in accordance with the procedure. If you remain dissatisfied at "deadlock" or 8 weeks after first raising the complaint whichever occurs first, you are entitled to ask the alternate dispute resolution service (Otelo I think) to investigate the complaint. It will cost you nothing but Vodafone will be hit with a hefty case fee regardless of the outcome. Hopefully that prospect should be enough to focus minds at Vodafone.

hI,

Jalexa is right. Dont cancel.You will be hit with term fees which are normally you monthly tariff times months remaining. I would advise if you paid by direct debit you ring your bank and ask to do an indemnity claim. Banks have this under your d/d terms and conditions for most accounts. Tell them an unauthorised amount was taken and you want to do an indemnity claim. This normally can be done within 48hrs. A lot of banks will try to get you contact the provider. Tell them you have done this and you want to make the claim. Just be adamant. I would request from your service, provider written confirmation the other accounts are cancel and you are giving ten 14days to reply. Ask for a ref number for te call or full name of the advisors manager so you have details for future ref.

C

chez1:

I would advise if you paid by direct debit you ring your bank and ask to do an indemnity claim. Banks have this under your d/d terms and conditions for most accounts. Tell them an unauthorised amount was taken and you want to do an indemnity claim.

Indeed, banks must make an "immediate" refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee. However the amounts refunded will eventually re-appear on your Vodafone account and you will be back to square one.