Difficulty topping up PAYG

[mrphil]

Hi.
I'm having difficulty topping up my pay as you go on line. Keep on getting message-
" Unfortunately, your request cannot be processed.
We are currently unable to process your request as we are experiencing technical difficulties - please try again later or contact either by email, or by dialling 191 from your Vodafone phone."
This has been going on for over a week now. Also tried setting up "top-up direct" but the system won't accept my email address!
Spoke to vodafone tonight (though objected to having to pay 25p for the privilege) who weren't a great deal of help, though did say that they'd had lots of complaints about this problem recently. If that's the case, why don't they do something about it??

[faza20]

Hi Mrphil

Sorry to read the problem your having topping up, I work for Vodafone and may be able to help.

Personally, I've had that message a few times, including when I had too many cards registered to my account and was trying to add a new 1, when the website has gone down, or when part of the system is being worked on.

I've checked our internal noticeboard, and nothing has been posted about top up problems, so it may be a case it either hasn't been reported properly yet, or, the problem has been resolved.

If you are still having problems, if you go to www.vodafone.co.uk, then contact us, you'll be able to send an email. If you include FIT135 in the body of the text, it will be picked up by a team who moniter the public forums, and will be able to help.

[acoolwelshbloke]

Vodafone are a great network but damn their online services suck!

There is always problems with their website, goodness knows who they pay to design that site. When I was a customer on pay go I always had some form of error from that site and when they eventually fix it they go and create another!

I remember trying to order a contract phone via their website, kept getting an error every time for over a month. I am now with 3uk and couldn't be happier!

[w_rolf]

Hi.
I'm having difficulty topping up my pay as you go on line. Keep on getting message-
" Unfortunately, your request cannot be processed.
We are currently unable to process your request as we are experiencing technical difficulties - please try again later or contact either by email, or by dialling 191 from your Vodafone phone."
This has been going on for over a week now. Also tried setting up "top-up direct" but the system won't accept my email address!
Spoke to vodafone tonight (though objected to having to pay 25p for the privilege) who weren't a great deal of help, though did say that they'd had lots of complaints about this problem recently. If that's the case, why don't they do something about it??

I got the same problem when I tried to set up the 'debit and credit card top up' late last year and I'm surprised that Vodafone haven't solved (not sure if they have tried) this problem at all. I did email them and below is what they replied:

'Phone Top Up'

Hello *******,

Thanks for your email about your phone Top Up.

I’m always happy to serve you *******.

I'd like to help you with this issue, *******, but to access your account and give you the correct information, I'll need you to confirm the following security details for me:

* Password.

* Date of birth.

* Full address.

* 20-digit SIM card number.

I understand this may be an inconvenience to you, ********, but we strive to protect the security of our customers, to access your account.

I look forward to hearing from you soon with this information.

Are you aware of our new fantastic free weekend offer? Spend £5 in the week and get free calls and texts at the weekend with all Pay As You Talk (PAYT) price plans. To know more click free weekend

In order to register your credit/debit card details, you need to call on 17298 (All days between 7:00 and 12:00 midnight) free of charge from your phone.

I am glad to have helped you ******** and I’m sure I will have covered everything but if there’s anything else I can do to help please reply to this email or click on 'Contact Us'.

Vodafone wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kind regards,

******* *********
Vodafone Customer Services

Why do they need my password and if we have to call to register our credit/debit card details what's the point of providing the online debit/credit card registration section? :speechles

I will contact them again this Christmas & see what they reply! :D

[faza20]

Hi w_rolf

The email you've had back is a standard DPA email. As we are accessing your account, you need to confirm you are the account holder (hence the request for password etc).

As for registering the card over the phone, we just find it's a lot quicker as if you miss something off an email, we then have to wait for a response, where as by doing it over the phone, we can get the info there and then.

Hope this helps clear things up.

[acoolwelshbloke]

Hi w_rolf

The email you've had back is a standard DPA email. As we are accessing your account, you need to confirm you are the account holder (hence the request for password etc).

As for registering the card over the phone, we just find it's a lot quicker as if you miss something off an email, we then have to wait for a response, where as by doing it over the phone, we can get the info there and then.

Hope this helps clear things up.

What's the point sending a request for help to wait a week just to get an automated reply?

"As for registering the card over the phone, we just find it's a lot quicker " yea right, more like you have no choice because vodafone do not know how to program a website correctly!

"if you miss something off an email, we then have to wait for a response, where as by doing it over the phone, we can get the info there and then."

Well why don't you get your website designers to create a contact page with the correct fields asking for the relevent information in the first place? (ohhh let me guess phone option= 25p per customer right?)

[spawn2007]

I've managed to do it online several times without any problems, apart from once when I had 3 cards registered and tried to add another 1. After a few emails asking me various questions, I gave up and rang them. Was sorted in 5 mins (turned out you can only have 3 cards registered at a time) :D

From my experience working in email centres many moons ago, I know that a lot of the time, ppl will email in, put on their account number, their query, n that's it, and then wonder why they got a response asking them to answer various security questions. Now in all fairness acoolwelshbloke, if I thought my account information was being given out without them confirming it was me, I'd go f'ing nuts at them!

In regards to their website, I only use it to top up my Pay as you go data card, so I can't comment on the rest of it, however, if you have strong issues with it, google for their head office, give em a ring, and tell them you can do better, if it that bad they'll probably take you up on the offer. lol ;)

[w_rolf]

What's the point sending a request for help to wait a week just to get an automated reply?

"As for registering the card over the phone, we just find it's a lot quicker " yea right, more like you have no choice because vodafone do not know how to program a website correctly!

"if you miss something off an email, we then have to wait for a response, where as by doing it over the phone, we can get the info there and then."

Well why don't you get your website designers to create a contact page with the correct fields asking for the relevent information in the first place? (ohhh let me guess phone option= 25p per customer right?)

:D :D :D

faza20 & spawn2007, I can understand the need to answer various security questions for security purposes but I don't think this is even necessary if the website had worked properly. Why would I waste my time contacting the customer service if I could register my card in the first place? I'm amazed that a big company like Vodafone could not even solve this problem. My local corner shop provides online shopping & I don't have any problems registering my card on their website! :D

Anyway I've given the Voda sim to my mate.

[acoolwelshbloke]

From my experience working in email centres many moons ago, I know that a lot of the time, ppl will email in, put on their account number, their query, n that's it, and then wonder why they got a response asking them to answer various security questions. Now in all fairness acoolwelshbloke, if I thought my account information was being given out without them confirming it was me, I'd go f'ing nuts at them!

I don't expect them to answer account information without confirming security questions first. So why do they not make a contact form which ask's you for all the relevent information before you submit your question? it's not hard to do!

Failing that provide an instant automated response reminding them to provide that information if they have not provided it in their original email. This goes to all companies and not just vodafone.