Vodafone - thieving barstewards

I've just received a letter from Vodafone informing me that since they've noticed that I've been using the Vodafone live!-Portal a bit recently (mostly by accident thanks to their shit branded phone!), they've very kindly "optimised" my Vodafone tarif (gee, thanks Vodafone, whatever would I do without you...) by allowing me to use the live! portal unlimited for free in the first month, and after that it's 5 euro a month. And - get this - if I don't want to use the Happy live! tarif option, I have to actively send a text message (admittedly, at no charge) to 3334 within the next 6 weeks to cancel it. Are they allowed to do that!?!? Simply change your tarif at will, and then expect you to actively cancel it if you don't want it?? Surely they're on dodgy legal ground here...

Anybody else aware of anything similar to this?

Germans are really funny about canceling contracts. Once I started getting the ADAC travel Mag, not a big deal, just threw it out til lI started getting reminder notices about the 35 euros per year it will cost, finally called and discoved they "gave" it to me! Of course I have to pay.

Regular contracts can only be canceled in writting and in September!

Germans companies love the auto debit thingy can take money for ever.

Probaby by pressing the branded soft key by mistake?

I did that quite a lot at first, but I managed to deactivate the soft key (or more to the point appoint a password (PIN Code) to the Vodafone Live Portal, which means, if I press the button by mistake, nothing happens until I enter my code.

I'm going to have to check that myself. I hit that damn button far too often (doesn't help either that there are something like 20 keys on my phone that put me automatically on line). Bastards indeed.

this is for the T610 but should work for other mobiles

Shit, they couldn't have made it much easier, could they...?

Thanks Bully.

Is this how you did it, Lassie? Bark once for 'yes', twice for 'no'.

woof woof mine is still active but will change soon.
I suppose the idea is there, make a dummy profile and assign the button to that.

Woof woof.

I have a Motorola V550, it wasn't half as complicated as that, what type of phone do you have?

Oh how much I hate this good-for-nothing-except-stealing fucktards!!! Last year they recognised that they had charged me 150 euros in excess for a contract that I haven't signed for this vodafone zuhause chips. In their system it said I had actually signed the contract in the vodafone shop in Neuhauser srt. 2. although I've only been there the day I made the gross error of getting a Vodafone contract in 2004. A month later those fucking thieves in the same Vodafone shop in Neuhausersrt. 2 again put in their fucking computers that I had signed a bloody contract for this fucking home phone service. And again have been charging me for the fucking shit. And of course the people in the damn call center won't know shit about shit and then I have to take my stupid time and get it straight for them. Oh fucking hell with those motherfuckers from Vodafone!!!

i hate them too. and the shop at rotkreuzplatz is TERRIBLE, don't go there.
as soon as all my contracts are sorted, i will cancel them so that in 2 years i can chose anyother service because they suck.

The Vodafone shop where I renewed my contract tried a similar thing with me. I didn't read the small print when I got a new phone.
I called Vodafone and told them I did not want ask or sign for some service. And they gave me a refund. I also told them not to add any such services on again. I made the man promise to make a note of in in my files. The next time I called I asked if there was such a note. Surprisingly there was! I'd been ready to lambast them again. But no.

I will be cancelling with Vodafone too when my contracts are up in 11 months. Without going into details, yes they are thieving bastards (due to having a contract changed on me too which I am yet to get to the bottom of).

I must admit I haven't had any problems with Vodafone. I have had a contract with them for 2 years now. (It expires in 2 weeks.) After I canceled the contract, some calling center called me and as the guy was rather persistent in not accepting my no, I do not want to extend my contract, I hung up on him. But then they kept calling every half hour for a few hours which was very annoying. I never picked up but I did go to the Vodafone store here after my class and told the guy there, and he said that shouldn't happen, and he put a note in my profile, and I was never called again.

I did not have a branded phone on this contract, and I hope I won't on the next one, but if I do, it would be okay since (unlimited) Vodafone Live will be included in my plan anyway.

So basically the only bad experience I have had with Vodafone is with a calling center, but these calling centers do not belong to the company, but they are independent calling centers that have a contract with Vodafone.

I am cancelling my contract with them too after 6+years. On six separate occassions in the past 3 months additional features and contracts (without my signature or any activity on the internet) have been set up in my name. It was also to do with their "zuhause" tariff where you get 3 numbers (I scored them twice! = 6 separate contracts) 10 letters later (thanks to German speaking friends who help write tough letters), 4 contracts less - they couldn't find any paperwork!!! (but still two to go), and I am still fighting them - another feature that I did not request has been set up this month and as for the rectified billing situation...a bloody disaster.

We will probably go to the police as no-one has satisfactorily answered how this could have happened. Having worked in telcos for years I know it is possible to see who set the new contracts up in the system via their login, although German unions probably forbid this info being used! It reminds me of the dodgy practices in mobile sales in Australia in the 90's - largely driven by 100% commission for the salespeople. Was not a good incentive to "do the right thing". That company is going to the dogs. Grrrr...

i hate them too. they think we are stupid.

Actually they know you are stupid. Cause you signed a contract with them in the first place.

SCNR

So what is a better service? I have vodafone as well and I'm definitely cancelling it as soon as I'm able to. I need a contract that allows me to phone in the US and in other countries without paying a fortune each time.

Isn't there some new law coming in which limits the charge for overseas mobile 'phone usage?
I think this is not just a Vodafone problem, but a much more widespread one.
MT

you are too kind

I think you're talking about EU Roaming costs.