08-26-08

Using Vodafone 3G mobile broadband abroad? My £2,579 experience

Over the last few weeks I’ve been away a fair bit and because I run my own web-based business (Shed) I need to have fast, reliable broadband whilst I’m away. At the beginning of the year I went back to Vodafone (after leaving for T-Mobile a few years back after getting sick of the often unpredictable and always high monthly charges) and signed up for a 12-month mobile broadband contract at £15 a month for 3 gigabytes of data.

Before I left I checked in on the Vodafone website to see what the costs of using the dongle abroad (in Portugal as it happens) would be and much o my frustration, it wasn’t really clear. There was (and still is) also much talk of these costs coming right down for roaming data charges so I thought I’d call Vodafone customer services to make sure everything was 100% crystal clear and I was set up to pay the least amount possible.

After lots of discussion on the phone (there were lots of pauses and moments of uncertainty left, right and centre about mobile broadband in the UK, let alone using it abroad) I established that the best thing for me to do is as follows:

1. Change my contract temporarily for an extra £10
2. Pay £10 (£8.50 + VAT) for every 24 hours of use
3. Don’t go over 50MB in that 24 hour period

But – that came with the big caveat – you have to make sure that you are using the Vodafone Portugal network otherwise you will be charged at £10.28 per MB! Now I’m using the dongle on a Mac and somewhat predictably the software that comes with the dongle in a bit flakey – meaning that to access my modem I click on the app icon a few times, watch it bounce but not open, then open the network connection via network preferences. So, a question: “How am I supposed to know what network the dongle is connecting to?” Answer – “Take the sim out your dongle and put it in a mobile phone to see what network it connects to”. Response: “But, I am on T-Mobile and my phone is locked so I can’t check”. Answer ” Call T-Mobile and ask them for an unlock code”. Fail. In the end I used my wife’s phone (she’s on Vodafone) to check when I was out there.

Just to cover my back, because I’ve seen loads of issues with data before (including Ian’s CPW debacle), I asked for a confirmation email from Vodafone and this is what I received.

From: Customerservice@vodafone.co.uk
Date: 1 August 2008 10:45:14 BST
To: hopkins.jonathan@gmail.com
Subject: Vodafone Customer Services

on preferred network, vodafone potugal telecel the charges for using your mobile bb abroad is 9.99 p 24hrs as ive changed your pp to mobile bb roaming @ 30 p m. if you wander onto a different network the charges will be 10.28 p mb from vodafone

Yes, that’s official communication from Vodafone to its customers. No Dear Jonathan, Dear Sir, Dear customer. No email signature. No helpful links. No ‘have a great holiday’. Just the words. The absolute bare minimum number of keystrokes. And to make matters worse, despite trying to get off the line, I had to sit and listen to it being typed.

Anyway, appalling email aside, I get to Portugal, check that the network is Vodafone Portugal and fire up the dongle. Nothing. Absolutely nada. So, I call up Vodafone and because I recently changed contracts, a bar has been put back on my contract preventing me from using it abroad. Doh. I called to change contracts to a roaming one and they put a bar on. Ok, onwards and upwards, the bar gets removed and everything works fine. So, I use my mobile broadband and feel all good about mobile broadband again and the fact I can sit in the mountains of Portugal by the pool and do all my favourite web stuff.

Then, I get home. Everything is still working fine until yesterday my dongle stopped working. It wouldn’t connect to a carrier and I called Vodafone. After a big long winded explanation about the problem, I found out that my account was suspended and the person on the other end of the phone went a bit quiet. She said she needed to check something and need to put me on hold. So, there I am on hold for what seems like an eternity, I actually started to wonder if she’s hung up on me but then she came on the line and said very sheepishly “I’m sorry to have to tell you this but your current bill stands at £2579.77″. Yes, that’s right. I owed Vodafone over two and a half thousand pounds. It was surreal.

I then obviously outlined the whole situation and explained I’d done absolutely everything as instructed and she disappeared again. More hold music. More waiting. She then comes back on the line and tells me that ‘as a goodwill gesture’ Vodafone is crediting my account and reducing the bill down to £45.44. I then ask for an email to confirm everything discussed on the phone, partly for peace of mind and also to see if it’s from the same mickey mouse school of email that the last one came from.

Which it was:

From: Customerservice@vodafone.co.uk
Date: 25 August 2008 20:40:14 BST
To: hopkins.jonathan@gmail.com
Subject: Vodafone Customer Services

Dear MR Hopkins This is a confirmation email reg what we have disscuessd on your call earlyer to vodafone. there were charges accourde on ur broadband usage while you were roaming in Portugal. The charges where 257.977 but then that have been reversed and 2434.88 has been taken from that bill. the out standing balance now is only 45.44 and your price plan has been changed back to mobile broadband 3GB 12 month contact for 15. Thanx Vodafone

This time at least I got a ‘Dear MR Hopkins’, some more punctuation and a ‘Thanx Vodafone.’ But still no signature, horrendous typos and a glaring error on the first amount. Just for clarification, that figure was £2579.77.

THe reason Vodafone gave for the error was that the network in Portugal had charged them for the data and they had passed that charge directly onto me. Or something like that. Once I had confirmation that the charges were to be dropped, I wasn’t that interested. Vodafone screwed up, they didn’t even really apologise for doing so and to make matters worse, if my two emails are anything to go by they’re communicating with their customers really badly.

So, Vodafone, if you’re listening, here’s some feedback:

1. Sort out your website so the charges are made explicitly clear for using mobile broadband abroad and what the process is for doing so.
2. Make your charges as low as possible. We know you can do it. So do it, before another network beats you to it.
3. Improve your Mac dongle software. There are loads of us using Macs these days. Including a disproportionate number of bloggers and journalists.
4. Think about using Google maps to showcase network coverage in different countries more effectively. I knew exactly where the villa was I was staying, down to the postcode. Your maps don’t work on a Mac.
5. Use email signatures! Include useful links – I might even think about buying something from you or using one of your services when abroad
6. Be human. In both cases the call centre staff were really friendly, this didn’t come across in the emails. Also – apologise if you screw up. The fact I was told that it was a gesture of goodwill really wound me up. Let people in call centres use their names.
7. Train your staff how to use email and don’t be afraid to use it. Most people want confirmation that isn’t sat on your system and it represents a great chance for engagement with customers.
8. Just like the banks do – don’t let huge abnormal bills run up on people’s accounts. Call them (or email them!) to ask them if everything is OK before those thousand odd pound bills happen and you create unhappy people like me.
9. Train more of your staff on mobile broadband/data. Or have a crack team that all calls get passed over to, if so make that team big enough for the number of people now using it.
10. Listen, using social media and simple things like Google Alerts. We’ll see whether or not I’m right on that one. Over to you, Vodafone.

07-13-08

“Zelda’s Lullaby (In duet with myself)”

There’s so much right (and wrong) with this, which reminds me, I need to finish Zelda.

06-24-08

Faceparty to users: F*ck the Haterz

Ages ago an article in Marmalade magazine (RIP) really struck a chord with me – it predicted that people would get sick of nice brands like Innocent and start wanting to be treated a bit rougher. The ‘nasty brand’ would begin to emerge, one that gave it back once in a while, took the piss out of its customers a bit, engaged in a bit of friendly banter and wasn’t quite so nice etc.

Well Faceparty today took that to the extreme and told its users that it’s ‘shut the whole site down and fucked off to the zoo” because of their recent behaviour. In could of course be a big stunt to reinforce its anti-corporation stance whilst generating lots of online buzz at the same time . . .

Listen this is our HOBBY, not our business. there was a time when you understood that – back when the net was run buy [sic] the people like us, and not by massive corporations – just because MySpace and Facebook sold out to the corporate world, doesn’t mean we did – we said no. Stop expecting “customer service” from us, cos WE DON’T HAVE CUSTOMERS – IT’S A FREE FUCKING SITE – too many of you treat us like we owe you something. And quit the “you need us attitude” cos we really fucking don’t. We don’t make money from you – it’s free. The things you pay for only cover the costs for the things you use.

On a serious note too – it does make you think about the variety of FREE internet things you use everyday and what you expect from them. Um, Twitter!!!?

[Via the Register and Whatleydude]

06-04-08

Current/Techtonik

Up watching Current (193 on Sky) – the best channel to watch whilst on the web I reckon. There’s a pod about the Techtonik phenomenon on and can’t decide if it’s silly or very cool. Thoughts?

Oh and I hit Mahalo for pretty much the first time looking for some vids. Pretty good results.

PS – one comment on the video above from someone with great spelling and command of the language made me smile:

you move liek a gay and they like it 0.o i am gonna earn my money liek antoher way gays

Nice.

02-18-08

Missed opportunity for Marmite campaign?

Marmite has just launched a Facebook group. Now it’s (nearly) always good to see brands getting stuck into things like Facebook and it’s even better to see it done really well – but today I was left a little bit disappointed.

You see, surely a better thing to have done would have been to have created two groups “We love Marmite’ and “We hate Marmite’? That way the two groups – each fuelled by the passion of the people in them – could have battled it out. As it stands (link to group here, actually it’s a Page but there we go) the love or hate aspect of the call to action gets a bit lost in the action. The official Page for Marmite could have been created for ‘true’ fans and used to fuel and update the battle for love or hate across both groups.

Also – I went to the main Marmite site today and there was no mention of the Facebook group anywhere (obvious) to be seen. Again – little bit sad to see that given the fact that they would have known the online coverage would be appearing.

Anyway, I actually love Marmite and am no hater, I just felt compelled to write this as I assumed that the second I read the headline, that’s what they would have done. Wonder why they didn’t or if anyone else has any other ideas? Or maybe I need to worry about something else.

Oh, disclosure – Facebook is a Bite client but then I think I’ve mentioned that a few times so you probably knew that.

12-06-07

McDonalds ads on report cards

This is feels very wrong and drew a gasp from Charlotte (she teaches 5 year olds).

10-08-07

Yawn, Yawn, Yawn

So, this was just posted on Viralmonitor by FH Digital – Today marks the start of National ID Fraud Prevention Week. To support the campaign FH Digital has created a spoof 1940s infomercial to drive home the importance of the issue and the need to take better care over your personal identity. We hope you enjoy it!

Sorry guys (I hate being horrible) but this is a load of utter shite. I reckon it breaks all the golden rules of viral video – the main one being it’s dull and over two and a half minutes long! The only way it could be a success is it’s so bad other people like me feel the need to rant about it and tell other people about it. So it could be a reverse hit. Maybe.

I’m all for the message behind it but I find it really painful that stuff like this is still a) getting presented and b) getting signed off.

PS I Googled FH Digital and the most likely result came back as this which links to a video on a site with no other links or choice of navigation (which is really rather annoying).

UPDATE – on reading this live, I feel the need to point out that FH Digital is a digital wing of a PR agency and that I am a digital consultant at Bite, also a PR agency. Just in case.

07-19-07

Taglines

Are a bit crap really aren’t they? Just heard (how I seem to be “watching” TV these days) the Curry’s advert and the tagline is “with you in mind”. And they haven’t even done any SEO/PPC on it. Other taglines over the last few months seem to be getting worse. Or is it because I’m getting more cynical?

Want to make sure your tagline hasn’t been used before? Check here. Or go here to check out some of the best (and worst) of all time.

06-25-07

Clip Art

Remember that? Blimey how things have come along. Accidentally hit the Insert>Picture>ClipArt button today and it bought back lots of memories.

06-05-07

Wicked! Rad! Cool!

If there was one thing that might have benefitted from a bit of collaboration/UGC it was the design process for the London 2012 logo. What if they’d stuck out an open brief, allowed agencies and individuals to enter and got the nation to vote for their favourite? It looks much better animated but as a static thing, not so sure. It reminds me of those stickers you got free in cereals in the early 90s . . .

Here’s the petition. Help us help ourselves.

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