Eloise HorsfieldEXCLUSIVE by Eloise Horsfield
HAVING signed up for a year’s contract for a USB ‘dongle’ modem, Carol Nichols, 70, was looking forward to finally keeping in closer contact with her family via her computer.
But when the pensioner returned home she discovered she did not have Vodafone reception in her isolated valley and it therefore didn’t work.
However, this did not mean she could simply return it and get her money back.
When she returned to the Vodafone shop in Ronda, she was told ‘nothing could be done’ because her bank account had already been debited.
“They told me to ring the company and send a fax to get it all sorted out,” she explained.
But three months later, the great-grandma from Lancashire discovered her bank account was still being debited 46 euros a month for the service she could not use.
“So I cancelled the direct debit and called customer services again,” said the pensioner, who moved to the village of Jimera de Liber from Gibraltar 12 years ago.
But even after sending the documents three times to the main office in Malaga she is still being chased for the money.
Worse than that Vodafone has now called in a debt collection company to chase her for the, so far, outstanding 144 euros.
“It is totally unfair and now I am extremely worried about my credit rating. On top of that I might be forced to pay the whole year.”
When contacted by the Olive Press, an operator at Vodafone said: “There is no record of her documents. She needs to pay the outstanding amount in order to cancel the debt, and then ask for a refund.”
It has since opened an investigation into the case.
Since my last contact with you I have waited for the phone call that was supposed to arrive on the Thursday. Nothing happenned so I rang 123 and they changed the case number and said they will contact you on Friday. Nobody contacted me. I contacted them on monday and was told just go in and tell them in the shop to cancel it and I said I am back in time and they told me contact 123. He said ‘This is 123’. I said just please tell me your name. He was at least polite but his name was victor. I have since tried to get an adress of Vodafone in Madrid none exists. No fax number. No nothing. And hundreds of people in the same predicament. Surely people who make billions from the public should have a contact address. I’m supposed to go in today and ask them to nullify my contract which is back to where I started in the first place.
Vodafone do, of course, have an address and it’s in the contract you will have signed but in very small print. It’s Vodafone España SAU, Parque Empresarial de la Moraleja, venida de Europa, 1, 28106 Alcobendas, Madrid.
To terminate your contract,you will have to send them a letter informing them of your wish to terminate, together with a copy of your ID. Best to send recorded delivery or burofax. Fax not a good idea.
I am in exactly the same situation. I live in Granada & purchased a USB Dongle, via an outlet in Carrefour, in June for 3 months. After 3 visits back to Carrefour & 6 telephone calls to ‘123’ still no joy! Have now paid for 3 extra months.
Will have Banco Sabadell to stop all future payments & involve my Abogado.
I sense there is some sort of Scam ongoing here !
Dear Reader,
True many people are having problems with the telephone suppliers when it comes to cancellations.
There has been a very recent entry in BOE stating that all telephone companies SHOULD terminate a contract within 14 days from receiving an official cancellation notice in form of a Letter, together with a photocopy of the ID of the contract holder, to be sent by registered port/Fax with receipt.
Meanwhile, should there be a standing order with the Bank, to inform the Bank to (suspend) payment until a clarification of the cancellation is received. This message will be sent to the Company as reason for the suspention. This will stop any claims for non-payment and black-listing.
I hope that this information helps…
BIBA42