Thema "Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use" in Archiv_Kabel

Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

OscarCG — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 18:07:25 GMT

Good evening,

I am a Vodafone customer since 12.11.2018 and I am writing here after sending a formal complaint about my current contract and trying all other contact ways without any result.

On 12.11.2018 I went to a Vodafone store to sign up for a Red Internet & Phone Young line for my home. The salesman very kindly tried to speak English to me. Although the communication was not extremely fluent I insist I am very thankful for his effort, since it was not his job to do it in English. However, he insisted that I could only get internet by also signing up for a Giga TV Cable package, at least for a two-month trial period. Despite my insistence that I do not even have a TV at home and did not intend to use Giga TV Cable, I was told this was the only option available at the time.

However, the seller assured me that at any time during that two-month trial period I could withdraw the GigaTV contract as well as other packages I did not want like the Vodafone Sicherheitspaket. He also confirmed that I could send back the Giga TV Cable device via postal mail so it was easy for me and had no need to make an appointment and lose my time with that.

On 15.11.2018, three days after signing the contract, I received the devices by mail. However, the router could not access Internet and a technician was necessary to come on November 27, 2018 for completing the installation of the line. After that, I sent back by post the Giga TV Cable package. This way I also sent the document withdrawing from Giga TV Cable contract. I made these shipments once I confirmed that the router was working properly and, therefore, I didn't have to send this device back too.

On 03.12.2018 I received a message from Vodafone with the Auftragsbestätigung for my TV package. On 20.12.2018, I received an email with the Kündigungsbestätigun from Vodafone Sicherheitspaket. On that same day, I received another email stating that it was not possible to renounce Giga TV Cable because it had exceeded a maximum period of 14 days, contrary to the 2-month period I had been informed about. Furthermore, despite this message, at no time was the GigaTV device returned to my address again.

Since then, I have been paying for a service that I do not want and whose device I did not even have. In addition, the package includes extra services for which I am also charged monthly:
-Vodafone TV Connect Pro
-Vodafone HD Premium Cable
-Vodafone GigaTV Cable
-Vodafone HD Premium Plus Cable

These expenses were completely unwanted and unexpected. Since Vodafone's internet service and technical support had been satisfactory, I assumed there was a misunderstanding and contacted you by phone to try and solve it. Thus, since December 2018, I have called multiple times to your support service. I had being doing this for months, as I guess can be checked in your records. I have also tried visiting a store but I was told these issues could only be dealt with by phone. The responses provided have varied from one call to another:

-I was told that I could immediately cancel those services to stop paying the next month but that a technical error prevented me from doing so at that time.
-I have been told that I could immediately cancel those services to stop paying for them the following month but by calling a different phone number where they said they could not help me.
-I was told that I could immediately cancel those services and stop paying for them the following month, on the condition that I extend my Red Internet & Phone Young Internet contract for two more years.
-I have been told that I could not cancel the main package (Vodafone TV Connect Pro) but I could cancel the rest of the extra services (Vodafone HD Premium Cable, Vodafone GigaTV Cable, Vodafone HD Premium Plus Cable).
-I was told that I could not cancel any of the packages or services until the end of the 2-year contract, on 27.11.2020.
-I have been advised to write a message to Beschwerdemanagement as the only way to find a solution.

I have also sent that message to Beschwerdemanagement and I did not received any answer beyond the confirmation of receipt. This all has required a lot of my time as well as asking for help from German-speaking friends to explain the issue by phone and at the store.

I am satisfied with the internet service provided by Vodafone and would like to keep that for more years. However, I would like the cancellation of this GigaTV contract. It has already costed me an inexcusable amount of money for a service I did not want, I could not withdraw from and whose device I do not even have.

I have seen other costumers had similar issues (https://forum.vodafone.de/t5/Internet-Telefon-TV-%C3%BCber-Kabel/Customer-Service-called-and-made-a-Giga-TV-cable-contract-Please/m-p/1953328#M135015). I really hope we can find a solution because I have tried all available options to contact you in order to fix this problem.

Sincerely,

Oscar

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

Thomas — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 07:40:51 GMT

Hi Oscar,

i know you've been through a lot and I'm really sorry. Let's just take a look at the situation first. Send me your customer number, name, date of birth and address in a private message. Afterwards please report back here in the thread.

Regards

Thomas

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

OscarCG — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 14:24:27 GMT

Hi Thomas,

thank you for your answer. I already sent you my information in a private message.

Regards,

Oscar

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

Thomas — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 06:56:26 GMT

Hi OscarCG,

the contract was created on 27.11.2018 You have concluded it in the shop and therefore there was no right of withdrawal at any time. That you were not advised correctly is of course not nice. Unfortunately, after more than a year we can do very little. We can ask our complaint management if there is a possibility.

Regards

Thomas

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

OscarCG — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 14:34:44 GMT

Hi again,

Regarding the fact of not having right of withdrawal at any time: they even gave me at the store (and I still have one) a couple of withdrawal forms (Muster-Widerrufsformular) with my client number and contract number written on it, to make it easier for me to cancel it.

In addition, the email I received from Vodafone on 20.12.2018 does not say I had no right for it. It says: "Ihr Widerruf über das Produkt Vodafone GigaTV Cable ist nicht wirksam. Die Widerrufsfrist von 14 Tagen war schon abgelaufen. Deshalb läuft Ihr Vertrag mit uns weiter. Verraten Sie uns, warum Sie widerrufen wollten? Wir finden bestimmt eine Lösung unter 0800 278 70 00." ("Your withdrawal from the Vodafone GigaTV Cable product is not effective. The withdrawal period of 14 days already expired. That is why your contract with us continues. Can you tell us why you wanted to withdraw? We are sure to find a solution on 0800 278 70 00.") So there was apparently right of withdrawal at some time (14 days, it says here). The problem: that is not the time I was mentioned. Apparently it is not the time you are mentioning here, either.

Regarding the fact of writing here after more than a year: it is not because I have stayed inactive during this time. According to the Vodafone message cited above, what I had to do in order to find a solution was calling you by phone. And I called you a few times, because I was paying for a service I could not use because I do not have a TV and because Vodafone did not even send my device back after denying my withdrawal. Sadly I only have my new cell phone call records so I do not have all. Probably your records are more accurate.

-January 2019: six phone calls

-May 2019: two phone calls

-June 2019: four phone calls

-July 2019: five phone calls

-October 2019: one formal complaint and a message from Vodafone answering "Wir haben Ihre Nachricht an unsere Experten für Ihr Anliegen weitergeleitet. Die Kollegen antworten Ihnen in Kürze oder rufen Sie zurück. Haben Sie bitte noch ein klein wenig Geduld - vielen Dank." ("We have forwarded your message to our experts for your concern. The colleagues will answer you shortly or call you back. Please be patient - thank you very much.")

-January 2020: after being patient but not getting any email, one message here.

Plus a couple of visits to Vodafone stores, of which I obviously have no records.

I have a pretty busy schedule at work and I spend periods of time out of Germany for work reasons. Customer service hours are within my working hours. Honestly, I do not have the time to call you more often. But I agree with you this should have been fixed long ago.

Hence, if you think that contacting the complaint management might help, I will be grateful for that. Again, if other similar problems like this (https://forum.vodafone.de/t5/Internet-Telefon-TV-%C3%BCber-Kabel/Customer-Service-called-and-made-a-Giga-TV-cable-contract-Please/m-p/1953328#M135015) could be fixed after more than half a year, I cannot find a reason why it would not be possible to find a solution for this one too.

Regards,

Oscar

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

Thomas — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 13:18:06 GMT

Hi OscarCG,

after consultation with the complaint management I can offer you to terminate the contract immediately. A retroactive refund of the costs is unfortunately not possible.

Regards

Thomas

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

OscarCG — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:04:21 GMT

Hi again,

thank you for your answer. If it is possible, then please terminate the Giga TV contract and all related extras immediately. I would be grateful if you send me a confirmation when that is done.

I have to say I was not planning to stay in Vodafone after the end of my contract because of this persistent problem. Being able to finally solve it, together with the good internet service, makes me change my mind. For future problems, now I know that this Community forum is really helpful.

However, I cannot agree on paying for more than 12 months of a service that Vodafone did not provide me with. On December 2018 I sent back my Giga TV device and my form for withdrawing that contract. I got an email denying this withdrawal but, as I said in my previous messages, I never got the device back.

So I could understand to be charged for maybe the first month due to Vodafone's logistical effort for sending me the device and processing again the reception of it. Of course, I was not told about any cost of this kind but at least it would make some kind of sense. Yet charging me for a service without sending me the corresponding device is completely groundless. That is something I have insisted on in each of my phone calls and in my formal complaint. So I cannot accept the issue as completely solved. I have been charged more than 15€/month for the basic Giga TV connection plus around 30€/month for Giga TV extras (total 40-50€/month for Giga TV service). I should have never been charged a single Euro while not having the device, it is unreasonable and it is not fair at all.

Retroactive refunds are apparently possible in other cases here in the Community, including similar ones. I really hope Vodafone understands this money has been charged to me wrongfully and we can finally solve this too.

Regards,

Oscar

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

Thomas — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 15:18:18 GMT

Hi Oscar,

i know what you mean. But we can not deceide about an refund. Please contact our complaint managment for that. We removed the conract and you will an receive an confirmation.

Regards

Thomas

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

OscarCG — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 17:43:29 GMT

Hello,

thank you for terminating the contract, I will then wait for the confirmation.

The problem is I already contacted with the complaint management on October 2019 mentioning this too but I still did not get an email (besides the confirmation of receipt). I understand maybe moderators cannot decide a refund, but would it be possible for you to make a consultation with the complaint management and explain the case, as you did for the termination of my contract? That seemed to be much faster and solved in a couple of days a problem I had tried to solve for months.

Regards,

Oscar

Re: Being charged for a Giga TV package I did not want and cannot even use

Thomas — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 19:07:21 GMT

Hi Oscar,

a complaint is not apparent. Therefore I can only ask you to try again directly to our colleagues.

Regards

Thomas