"Unlimited Free Vodafone to Vodafone Calls for Life"?

failsafe

So, has anyone here actually had a negative experience with this unlimited offer (i.e. the calls, not the data one) or is the whole thread over the fact that they have the potential to limit the service?

dub_skav

I am interested in this thread as I would like to know what people think. Obviously some people will look to use this service in a way that may be deemed unfair by some, but opinions are varied on this.

Telefunktastic and others seem to be stating that VF are blatantly falsely advertising this service. The OP asked people to state their experiences with this offer, none have been given (not first hand or in detail anyway). Nobody has given a positive or negative experience of this service.

Has anybody used it?

Leaving out the "Unlimited Data Bundle" - which is discussed in another thread - and the semantics around unlimited, how have people found this offer?

neacy69

the definition if unlimited in this case i think to mean that they haven't limited your free calls like they would have in the past for example previously you were limited to 50mins a month for free now its is unlimited the amount of mins you can use althought hey have the fair usage policy previously discussed so it is unlimited but they have protected themselves from people taking the p'ss

krpc

failsafe wrote:

So, has anyone here actually had a negative experience with this unlimited offer (i.e. the calls, not the data one) or is the whole thread over the fact that they have the potential to limit the service?

Yup, although indirectly. A friend of mine used the service as advertised - unlimited. Vodafone were not pleased with this and deemed it "excessive usage" quoting the fair policy. My friend respond via letter inquiring as to how something that is advertised as unlimited could actually have a limit through the existence of a fair use policy. Vodafone ignored this, to this date have not responded, but in the meantime, terminated the service and now are seeking termination charges for a contract they terminated. I believe also that Vodafone conducted themselves through the entire affair in a quite ... illegal ... fashion using practices similar to that of "Big Brother" (not the TV show, but rather monitoring calls, breaching privacy laws and data protection).

My friend has since been in contact with the ASAI, Comreg and a solicitor.

krpc

neacy69 wrote:

the definition if unlimited in this case i think to mean that they haven't limited your free calls like they would have in the past for example previously you were limited to 50mins a month for free now its is unlimited the amount of mins you can use althought hey have the fair usage policy previously discussed so it is unlimited but they have protected themselves from people taking the p'ss

I agree that this is the precise reason that the policy was introduced. However, I still find it difficult how it can be sound to have something that limits an unlimited service.

Take the "AFT" service for example. It's called "Almost Free Text". It's not completely free so cannot be advertised as "Free Text" or "Absolutely Free Text". It's almost free text and is advertised like that, so that people know what they are getting or signing up for. Now that is what I would call fair advertising.

krpc

Vodafone confirmed the fair use policy on the "Unlimited Vodafone to Vodafone Free Calls for Life" was 4000 minutes. The phrase that was used was "It is unlimited, there's no limit, but there is a fair use policy that is set internally that limits usage to 4000 minutes".

Okay, so that is Vodafone saying, all in the one line, this offer is unlimited, but it's not. Sounds very Little Brittain-ish - "Yeh but, no but, yeh but".

I understand there are those that argue that this is industry standard but I completely fail to see how it is acceptable to advertise a service as "unlimited" when clearly it is not.

Tarakiwa

telefunktastik wrote:

I understand there are those that argue that this is industry standard but I completely fail to see how it is acceptable to advertise a service as "unlimited" when clearly it is not.

1 easy way to see if it is acceptable would be to make a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland ( www.asai.ie )

They can make an independent judgement!

It might be worthwhile submitting a complaint on behald of the board members ....... we could start to keep score ........

Big Company 0 - Boards 1 !!

krpc

A complaint has been registered with the ASAI, COMREG, and a local TD. In addition I believe a solicitor has been consulted and consideration is being lent over whether or not to approach the media. I think even the Sultan of Brunei might have got a memo on the whole thing lol

Tarakiwa

telefunktastik wrote:

A complaint has been registered with the ASAI, COMREG, and a local TD. In addition I believe a solicitor has been consulted and consideration is being lent over whether or not to approach the media. I think even the Sultan of Brunei might have got a memo on the whole thing lol

Wow - have you registered these complaints?? You will have to keep us all posted on how you get on!

krpc

I personally haven't registered the complaints, but they have been lodged. As soon as I get updates I'll pass them on here. It appears however that more people than one might suspect have had issues with Vodafone and this offer.

ns06

I'm sure more people have had problems with this offer as 4000 minutes does not in the slightest sound unlimited or even close!

Urban Weigl

That's only 2 hours a day. I know many people who yak on the phone for longer than that.

ns06

Let's see how it all pans out, as it may be a bit of discrimination if it's found out that other customers who have used the tariff for more than this are getting away with it.

Tarakiwa

telefunktastik wrote:

I personally haven't registered the complaints, but they have been lodged. As soon as I get updates I'll pass them on here. It appears however that more people than one might suspect have had issues with Vodafone and this offer.

Yeah - good point. There may be several people complaining about this!

krpc

I was being vague on purpose lol I know for certain that a LOT of other people have registered complaints with the ASAI about this falsely advertised offer.

ns06

So telefunktastik, any update yet?

krpc

There is none at the moment.

I am still quite baffled as to how Vodafone can and continue to term 4000 minutes as "unlimited". I LOVE how it does not state this amount ANYWHERE in contracts or T & C's, but is set, and I quote ... "internally". Customers, the people signing up to these contracts aren't informed ... yet those employed in Vodafone (though most obviously not those at the bottom of the food chain in that big building in Leopardstown ... yanno the one's that actually deal with customer queries) know of it. Ha! Sounds quite legal, sound, ethical etc to me ... yeh ... sure.

If there was a restriction on something denoted as "unlimited", as much as I oppose it, it should be at least something that is quite beyond the reach of customers to exceed. Business customers would easily use minutes pass this amount and I wonder if precious business / corporate accounts would have their contracts terminated for breaching the 4000 minutes in the same manner that my friend, a lowly single line personal account, was. I highly doubt it.

As the thread subject states, and I note again - "Unlimited Free Vodafone to Vodafone Calls for Life" - Marketing Scam?

I guess it has been answered.

what_car

telefunktastik wrote:

I was being vague on purpose lol I know for certain that a LOT of other people have registered complaints with the ASAI about this falsely advertised offer.

hi whats going on i i tried to access ns06 thread on
Vodafone Mobile Connect Card - Un(limited) Data Bundle??

and it says i dont have access? whats the story

krpc

It appears the thread was deleted. I've fired a message off to the moderators to see what is going on. NS06, since you began the thread, maybe you should fling a message in their direction.

Vexorg

The thread was removed as Boards.ie got a solicitors letter. I am sure you can understand we can say no more.

krpc

Quite understandable.

I thought, to a degree, that the existence of boards was to allow for the exchange of ideas, opinions and indeed free speech (once it's consistent with the board rules such as not posting things that are vulgar, offensive etc .,.). There was nothing in the thread that was deleted that was false or defamatory or offensive or vulgar.

I imagine this thread will be the next to go as the corporate company that it relates to obviously doesn't like the true facts of their misleading offers coming to the attention of the general public ... otherwise they might end up losing customers *gasps*

BuffyBot

There is no concept of "free speech" in Ireland. Boards isn't based in the US of A

krpc

Have a read of the Irish Constitution, Buffybot then come back to me with more antagonistic comments, which I must say appear to be your forte, poor as they are.

ns06

Hand... @$$... plate... 'nuff' said!

chrislad

Fun reading for you all.

Free speech but not when we say so really


http://www.oasis.gov.ie/government_in_ireland/the_constitution/freedom_of_expression.html

Urban Weigl

chrislad wrote:

Fun reading for you all.

Free speech but not when we say so really

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/government_in_ireland/the_constitution/freedom_of_expression.html

I especially like: "make sure that the radio, the press and the cinema are not used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the state". Sounds an awful lot like The People's Republic, does it not?

krpc

Urban Weigl wrote:

I especially like: "make sure that the radio, the press and the cinema are not used to undermine public order or morality or the authority of the state". Sounds an awful lot like The People's Republic, does it not?

lol

Pythia

telefunktastik wrote:

I thought, to a degree, that the existence of boards was to allow for the exchange of ideas, opinions and indeed free speech (once it's consistent with the board rules such as not posting things that are vulgar, offensive etc .,.).

There's no free speech on these privately owned boards I'm afraid.

krpc

So it's say what you like, but if we don't like it, we'll delete it! lol

Anyways, unmoderated free speech does not exist anywhere, as there are always rules of do's and don'ts. I never suggested boards was any different. just that people could probably post freely once it was within the scope of the rules and other agreements when people sign up to boards

ns06

Exactly!

What has happened to the world when all a company has to do is scare a poor website into submission with a letter? On what grounds would Vodafone even have to remove the thread; because they didn't like the fact that it went against their questionable advertising? We shall all see what happens when ComReg and ASAI make their ruling on behalf of ALL the customers who have made complaints against said network regarding this matter.

I might even take it upon myself to contact ComReg and ASAI and inform them of Vodafones bullying tactics.