Picture messages nolonger included in extras pack

[matthewg]

I received a letter this morning from Vodafone, which I assume went out to 100,000s of customers.
So Vodafone attract me to them with a good package and I sign up, commiting myself to 18months.
Now after 4 months they right to say that picture messages will now be charged at 36p each instead of being included in my extras pack!

How can a company attract 100,000s of people to join them, not allow them to change within 18 months, and then significantly reduce the service levels! What other industry could get away with that?

Trading standards think that I should be allowed to cancel - which I will look into.:mad:

[DaveC]

Unfortunately, the devil is in the term 'extras pack'. Most mobile companies allow you to cancel if they change the main tariff, but make sure their T&C exclude things like extras and bolt ons.

I agree it's not fair and the level of extras should be honoured for the 18 month term of of contract. But, hey, since when have any of the mobile companies played fair?

[DarthDarko]

Voda T&C (the fine print) says they can change the terms of your contract giving you 30 days notice... But yes I had a indepth coversation with a lady from Voda the other weekend and was not happy. I said to her that now the big push with 3g handsets is here and the phones are getting smaller and better the usage of people with MMS's has gone up and Voda are not making money out of people using txt's from their current bundle to pay for MMS message. Any how she agreed that this was probably a move by Voda to increase revenue and she also said that most probably the other operators will follow suit.

[Phantom]

Of course it's a move to increase revenue, all these callers saying they will go to trading standards, and how Vodafone have breached the contract. Do you think Vodafone would do this without consulting their lawyers and watchdogs?

I don't agree with Vodafone's decision to take MMS (and also data when the new plans are released on Sept 1st) from the extras pack, but to say they are in breach of their contract is stoopid.

[matthewg]

i doubt that they have breached the contract but I have contacted OFCOM and they are the people that should be looking into this type of move my the mobile companies - which they will do if they receive enough complaints. Anybody seen the share price of vodafone recently, all the mobile companies are performing poorly, partly because of the regulators finaly starting to get tough with the mobile operators.

[solo12002]

" partly because of the regulators finaly starting to get tough with the mobile operators"

Not tough enought I seen the new price plans for vodafone if they do indeed come into play on the 1st sept.

45ppm for x net calls is a kick in the balls for anyone.

[DaveC]

If the networks are sharks then OFCOM's bite is that of a goldfish!

All the networks are doing poorly because it is costing them shed loads of money to aquire new customers, what with phone subsidy and dealer commision.

There is a move to cut down on the number of dealers with the networks selling direct. There is also a move in Holand and Germany to back off on phone subsidy, so that may go in the future..

[DarthDarko]

Ha looks like the good times are over