today when I called vodafone cancellation department , they hung up the phone on me #fml

I was talking to Vodafone to cancel my contract because of their very shitty service. The call dropped out! #fml

Vodafone - please expect a civil suit to cover your customers lost business and time.
It really doesn't matter what you do from here. You're a bunch of dishonest bastards.
Funny thing is that the staff in your stores seem to agree. I've been to three stores to deal with my ongoing issues and the staff freely admit what a dodgy outfit you are. Specifically, they admit that the customer service system (which one staff member said you had spent $90B on - I think not), was causing more harm than good. All your staff mention that they have a gag order imposed, but they don't seem to care (I guess that's because they're so pissed off with you too). Your staff have freely admitted that there are obvious signs of a downturn in customer sign ups (but also admit that head office is happy to give out numbers on new connections, but not disconnections).
This is not made up. If you want store details, dates and times, then don't worry Vodafone, I keep records of my interactions with your 'team'. Just like so many others do.
Dealing with Vodafone is becoming a part time job!

I'm suffering like the rest same hassles as the above .I am a loyal person and I am trying to ride it out ,Been with them since day 1 .I travel a lot and what I dont get is there service works unreal overseas but is so useless here.A lot of times I get abused by people for cutting them off when it's the drop outs causing teh hassle.The killer for me was I spent 3 weeks ago 3 days and at least 2 hours each day with Vodafone trying to repair my email connection from Optus to Vodafone only for them to admit 3 days later that their is a service problem between the two of them - My email on phone is still not working.
I can say one thing truly that if I pulled out every bill for the last 3 years Vodafone will owe me half the money in recalls I have made in drop outs.
So why not a class action law suit ? I am certain Vodafone owe me about $4000.00 in recalls and redials the last couple of years.
How about a class action Law suit?

I don't understand how some of you are complaining about the network when it obviously isn't affecting everyone. I'm currently using my vodafone to write this comment.this page loaded in three seconds. And I have had no call drop outs. Except for when I'm in a tunnel which is understandable. I think a lot of the problem is the user and not optimizing their phone.

Hey everyone, I actually work in a Vodafone store, first up just wanna say yea somethings going on but just wanna point out and maybe ask a few things of you guys! I'm not here to rain on your parade and yea defiantly have noticed a increase of customers coming in with problems, about 1 in 10 customers.

First up we really can't do much for you in store, were not allowed to advise formal tech support, and we can't cancel contracts or waive any fees' or usage charges, all we could do is call the cust care number and hand the phone to you, it's just the way it works.
The only other things we can do from our store is send a phone away under a warranty or do a Sim swap, that's not to say that's all you can do, it's just all we can do, everything else goes through customer care.

I have seen in our Vodafone store many many incidents of customers upset and with good reason, but taking it out on staff I have sent 3 staff home early last week and two the week before in tears, I even had to call security at one point. Please go easy on staff guys, and maybe unless you wanna do anything in regards to this besides a Sim swap or sending your phone away, you'll truly be wasting time coming in, it's really all we can do.

Don't quote me on it, but if you ask me I think the problem may be the amount of iPhone's running on the network, AT&T had massive problems with reports of as little as 10% of Iphone users chewing 90% capacity, Vodafone have been installing new towers with this in mind but the desire for this phone is ridiculous i think they have just sold to many iPhone's, and apple still can't supply em' fast enough to meet demand.

i don't know all the details of the network upgrading, but I really do believe if people keep demanding this phone from us at the rate they are we'll never be able to catch up and everyone will suffer.

Once again I may be wrong, and it doesn't justify it, but it would explain it.

I have a mobile broadband dongle purchased in December 09 it has worked for about 3 months since then. Their solution? Give me an additional 1gb of data for my Blackberry, Hullo?????

It annoys me that Vodafail still advertise for more clients - do they not know what we are going thro? I am locked in for another 6 months before looking for a better service! I drop out on the net - cannot speak to any one who speaks English and when I do get a response they say they are working on it. Not good enough Voda!

Constant call drop outs and failure to connect

I live in Bondi and it is constantly dropping out mid call and no internet. Myself and my flat mate are straight back to telstra once our contract is up in 3 months.

I am within 1km of 3 Vodafone Metropolitan towers but can only get a very poor mobile broadband signal. It drops down to GPRS or Edge network signal constantly. A 3 hour outage a few weeks back went unexplained by Vodafoney.
I cannot even check system status on the Vodafone page as the link just takes me to a blank page. Hahah, this company is a laugh. Back to Telstra for me.

Vodafone are amazing i love them you guys are silly!

Being experiencing this since last week 16th Dec 2010. Tried to get someone in 3 to explain why but cant get through. I am really frustrated. I started blaming my iPhone until i read the article in the SMH 17th Dec. Anything we can do?

Got on vodafone plan over a year or so back. Have had problems since get go. Call drop outs, bad coverage, bad call quality, phone internet issues, multiple handset issues etc. Called vodafone multiple times but could not get through to anyone. In fact, after waiting for half hour, the actual vodafone IVR system would drop calls. Before the introduction of 'Lara' you did have a 1 in 80 chance to talk to someone in a call centre in india. But they talk more, listen less and read off a scenario script that meant they would ramble on about what they are NOT able to do and what the problem MAY be, rather than talk about when and how it would be fixed. But they will bar your phone for non-payment regardless of your problem being related.
After complaining to TIO I finally got a response from the Vodafone Resolution Centre, but you could not talk to a more useless person. Issue still not resolved. Bare in mind one thing. The TIO complaint is a formal process, however there is also a response framework and as long as Vodafone responds within that framework, it is safe from any serious penalty. A real resolution is open to interpretation, as does the root problem. The TIO does try its best to help you but the laws and regulation that equip them, appear loose or not up-to-date enough to hold any Telecommunication Company to any reasonable Consumer Standards. But then again why should Vodafone do anything about its service standards. The Industry sector it is a part of, does not have any real regulation to deliver quality. Its not as if any of the other Telecoms are any better. And they have no reason to be. Our national telco is Telstra........ and how many complaints has Telstra had and for how many years........... and how good is it today................ I am glad to see someone ACTUALLY take a stand and others flocking to support, but sorry folks this is Australia. The Telco's and the Banks are bigger than our leaders and the leadership qualities they have. We will always be on the back-foot with them. There will be someone there to pacify you but no real resolution. The NBN will be a grand failure and all these existing Telecoms will be there to fill the gap, in the same way they are doing now.
The ACCC getting involved is a huge positive. There is a lot of public trust in the ACCC and I look forward to their findings. Hopefully they can also look into why Australians are paying one of the highest mobile rates in the world and not just for one of the worst coverage.

And good on you for starting this website and taking a stand.

I was in and out of coverage all day in the Sydney CBD

My company changed to Vodafone from Optus a couple of years ago. This decision was purely based on price. I can't get a 2G signal in Pyrmont (backwater I dont think so) and the phone always cuts out at the same point on the M4.... (that well known road in the middle of country NSW). I also get random call failures including three today.... WHAT A JOKE!

My company changed to Vodafone from Optus a couple of years ago. This decision was purely based on price. I can't get a 2G signal in Pyrmont (backwater I dont think so) and the phone always cuts out at the same point on the M4.... (that well known road in the middle of country NSW). I also get random call failures including three today.... WHAT A JOKE!

It all started in January when I had to suspend my brothers contract for three months as he was going overseas. They failed to do so and continued to charge him for the months it was supossed to be suspended. $50 credit given for each month. Next, I set up my direct debit to pay my bills one I had paid that day. I asked the operator when the next debit would come out, she said the next month. 2 days later, I was debited money from my account which they were not supposed to do and waited 2 hours on the phone with them to fix the problem but only to be told that it would take 21 days for the money to be put back into my account. Credit given $100. But not given because they did not apply it to my bill and then overcharged me?? WTF?? Get it together.. Next, my brother, whose contract was under my name decides to go onto his own contract as he is old enough to changes it over at the vodafone store BUT it is not done correctly and then has to spend 5 hours total on the phone and at another vodafone store the next day to fix the issue. THEN! they fail on the next month to change his contarct into his name $50 credit given to both him and myself. The next months bill comes in... HIS CONTRACT IS STILL UNDER MY NAME!!! It takes them 4 months to change it correctly. With 2 months free service added to my pile of credits given. As well as two really shitty Blackberry Storms (which they knew were terrible phones but failed to tell their customers about even though I complained numerous times with no compensation of a new one), crappy service probably about a day of phone calls to India and drop outs, Vodafone have really pissed me off this year... and to top it off! they want to offer me another 24 months of crap! hmmmm... get it together vodafone.

I'm a small business owner, moved one of our numbers to Vodafone so we can get the HTC Desire HD. I'm afraid given my recent experience with Vodafone 3G and customer service I don't think I will move the rest of the business mobiles across to Vodafone. Tried calling Vodafone but like the other Telco's they don't employ human beings in Australia and try everything to avoid answering their phones and deal with customers. Unfortunately the other Telco's are no better so where do we go? I guess it's true, a recent comment by a senior executive for one Telco said "If Australia's biggest Telco doesn't offer customer service so why should we invest time, people and money in improving customer service" Unless Telstra lifts it's game and offer REAL customer service at REAL competitive rates the other Telco's will simply sit on their fat rear ends, take the money and run. Telcos in Australia don't give a s*#t about customers simply because there is no real competition.

Following 10 years with Vodafone and after a recent upgrade of my phone and plan coverage is failing, the the business as a whole has failed to provide me with any reasonable explination as to why this is happening. Both my wireless broadband and mobile fail to work in a service area that is apparently high coverage.

After fifteen calls, being on hold for cumulatively 1.5 hours, complaining about not reception I finally got a call back from the outsourced customer support centre advising me that there were no problems with the service in the postcodes I'd reported and that I'm the only one complaining. I give up. They're not getting my business. I'm canceling my contract immediately. Good riddance.

First time i have seen my USB stick connect to Vodaphone EDGE - I work remotely and cannot now log into the remote connection.. its slower than dial up.. absolute joke of a service right now... They offered me $10 extra for usage and extended the time to mid jan.. at this rate i would not use 1MB its that damn slow... Seriously i have to clear shipments off the wharf which when in storage cost 200 Per day.... looks like i'll be changing providers fast... oh yeah they said my request was streamlined due to the urgency and they'll get back to me within 24-48 Hours... THATS URGENT !!! FCK ME !

Have been with Vodafone for over 6 years and have always been quite satisfied with the service. But I did notice that over the last year and ESPECIALLY the last 2 months the service I am receiving is unacceptable. I first spoke to a CSR about 4 weeks ago (get them to call you back - its quicker altough this didnt happen the first time i chose that option!) and was told "technical issues" will be solved "soon". Over the last 2 weeks the problem has been unbearable. I live and work in Parramatta CBD in Sydney - one of the largest urban centres in Sydney - and I have had no 3g at all for days on ened, been getting messaged at 3 in the morning and vica-versa from messages that were sent hours/days ago and the last few days i have been left totally INCOMMUNICADO! No internet/messages or phone calls. I called them again and explained that I know what's going on and that i think its deplorable that they are denying any real explainations and continue to sign up new customers!!! The guy was actually o.k. The best I could get out of him was a $50 credit on my 2 phone account ($140pm) and a promise that all we be fixed by the first week of January. I said we will wait until then because we've been happy with Voda for many years but if not fixed by jan 10 i will be terminating the contract with no further charges to me. When he began to advise me there would be a termination charge (Got 11 months left) I cut him off and said that from a legal stand-point VODAFONE has ALREADY broken the contract by not providing a service that has been willingly paid for. Even if thhis problem does get fixed soon - I don't think we will ever begin another contract with Voda due to their inexcusable behaviour and arrogant attitude towards the customers who keep their bloody business afloat.

I have been working in Telco and IT for 15 years and have used Telstra, Optus and Vodafail! I absolutely believe they have a "weighted fair queuing" policy. The longer you are on that network the more chance you have of being kicked off. They do this because it's taboo in the telco sector to not allow customers to connect (GOS). Because they under engineer the buggery out of their networks, the people who get booted off phone calls are the ones that have been on longest! Apart from the fact they can't hand off calls between towers when you're driving around. Even if you do not move and have full coverage you always get bumped off. Absolute joke!

The shittiest mobile service around

After more than 4 weeks of being constantly told by clients that I had not replied to their emails I finally checked in with Vodafone (I thought the issue was my Iphone settings or my internet server I use). Finally I worked out it was a Vodafone issue. I have irate clients and furious emails after seeming non replies to customer enquiries. My sent items box on the phone is full of emails that never got delivered, WHY?
I rang Vodafone and they said their SMTP is being rejected by other providers so the servers are dumping my emails. YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT VODAFONE YOU MORONS!!! I've lost business and customer relationships through this. I could have used my home computer or wireless on my Iphone to avoid this if Vodafone had just simply communicated.............What a debacle, it's cost me several thousand in lost work.

Destructive Services, Deadly Customer Care..

I haven't been able to make calls at all today. i don't even want to know how many important calls i may have missed over the past weeks/months. My partner and I pay $200 per month for 2 mobile phone plans and 1 mobile broadband plan. With another 18 months left on the contract it is looking to be an extremely poor investment!!!

I pay my bill ahead and am normaly in Credit. I paid $50 ahead last monday but my amout owing still shows I owe them $43. When I spoke to the 40 minute wait of a help desk he told me that THis will not be shown on my bill till two days after my due date on teh 28th of dec. Also when I mentioned that the online SMS was not working I got transfered to the "SPECIAL SUPPORT TEAM" Ie put back on hold at the end of the queue

Been with VF for nearly 10 years, prior to that Telstra. Have watched VF's network quality go from comparatively good to mediocre at best.

I have a Nokia E66 and live in far south-western Sydney where reception is pretty sparse: some days I have full 3G, other days half, and some days only 2G. Once or twice a whole day with no reception at all. If I drive 5 minutes down the road, I get nothing. Mates who live in the same area as I, who are on drOptus, have maginally better reception. I occasionally have delays in sending/receiving txts, but usually don't get drop-outs.

Reception on trains? Don't make me laugh.
3G in regional areas? What's a three gee?

Last straw for me was the 3 weeks of network issues in Sydney CBD where I work. What a joke. Compared to a loaned Telstra mobile (Samsung C5220) on NextG - it just works, and works nearly everywhere without drop-outs and with lightning fast interwebs!!

Vote with your feet people.

I'll be switching back to Telstra next year, even though it costs more. Rather have piece of mind knowing my mobile will work first time every time.

Would you like a tissue ?

First of all, if you like Lara, you are not normal and you should seek professional counsel.
VF is trenching itself behind recorded messages which are most of the times unbelievingly useless, stubborn in denying simple one-word requests like 'operator' or 'sales' and definitively time wasting.
I'm now studying Hindi hoping to improve communication with the very kind, but at times unintelligible, call centres' operators.
VF culture is based on the principle of treating customers as members of the Mushrooms Club: kept in the dark and fed bullshit.
In all this, VF shows its total disregard towards its clients, who, usually locked in a 24 month contract, must either withstand the serious deficiencies of the service they are paying for or loosing money just to be free to choose a better and fair alternative.
VF could probably regain some credibility if it would, for once, admit its faults and apologise, drop a few sponsorships and use the money to improve its performance and, finally, sack the 'wise guys' responsible for this chaos.
That for sure would sooth the pain.

I am a Doctor at RPA in Camperdown and I have experienced at least 3 occasions where there has been absolutely no service for more than 4 hours at a time. Not only is it incredibly frustrating for someone who relies heavily on constant communication from work, but it is makes me look like I have my phone off on purpose. And, oh, I can not answer my pager either as my phone has no reception. I am talking perhaps 6 km from the centre of the biggest city in Australia and to have nothing is ridiculous. Three days ago I received a message sent to me 4 months ago! Admittedly, it doesn't happen often - but when it does it just makes me count the days until my contract is pver.

Up to 24 hour delay in delivery of voicemail. Calls cut out 50% of the time in the Sydney metro area. 48 hours unable to call numbers commencing with 13... that one took 1.5 hours on hold to fix. Counting down the days until the end of my contract.

I live in Camperdown and haven't been able to call anyone for the last 2 hours straight. I'd call voda to let them know what I think but I CAN"T CALL ANYONE. Fail vodafone, fail.

I am onto my my first Iphone4 after 3 x 3GS Iphones played up over a 3 month period...I have contacted Vodafone from the very start and they told me it is Apple... Iphones are a crap phone, I should have got a blackberry!!! Great support of your suppliers Vodafone!
What prompted this flurry of phones is the following:
1. No service at times for up to 20minutes
2. Calls cutting out mid conversation - very annoying when you're trying to run a business)
3. Not receiving messages for days at a time.
4. Getting the Call failed signal for - sometimes at least an hour.
5. People calling me and not being able to leave a message or get hold of me because I was apparently on the phone.... when I actually wasn't!
6. Phone freezing
7. Won't send text messages - says it fails but have service apparently.
8. Major disruption on connection..... sounds like the transformers movie.

Thats about it at the moment but after many calls to vodafone (which the last one also involved legal action as my business is suffering) They have now assigned me to a technical investigations team (because according to them it shouldn't be happening where I live or work - 15 minutes for Sydney CBD... Really!!!
Thanks for the website, I wanted to do this but I don't have the tech experience! I feel your pain too!!!
Now who's for a class action??

Had the normal vodafone issues for past 6-8 weeks as many other have dealt with.

75mins on the phone on 16/11 saw me get out of my two contracts with only the cost of the handset charge incurreed - which is being claimed in a complaint to the TIO that was lodged last week.

To those trying to get out of their contracts - stay strong on what you want when you get a CSR, and whittle them down until they raise it enough times with their supervisor to give in.

Hello new iPhone4 on a decent 3G network...

Come over to virgin mobile :)

Early November I raised an issue with Vodafone.
Missed calls - straight to voicemail with no TXT alert.
Delayed TXTs for hours sometime up to a day.
Unable to call out.
They got me to try several 'things' like changing my phone, using someone elses SIM in my phone etc.etc. and then concluded it was my SIM that needed replacing.
Because they 'get old'.
I have another phone and SIM with exactly the same issue - oh that must be getting old too.
They keep giving me the run around.
8 weeks on, I still have the same problems and now they are starting the whole 'diagnostic' process again. "take your SIM out, give it a clean..." What the?

i work in the city and leave about 10k's away and the call failures and the sms's not going thru is so frustrating.. Not even speaking about the data.. 1g and i cant hardly use it

Until a few months ago I had a mobile broadband service and a mobile service with VF. The broadband service deteriorated to the point it was unusable and after many calls and emails to customer service I went the TIO route .. end result is that the mobile broadband service contract was ended. Given that the service in my area improved I decided to keep the service but be free of the contract; at least that way VF retain a customer and I retain a service for as long as I want!

'Lara' just needs three little words from you .. 'Transfer to Operator' .. you may have to be persistent but keep on uttering those special words!

I have prepaid! I expected my service to work! I have missed several calls from my family and job opportunities!! ABSOLUTE WORST SERVICE EVER!!!!

Everything from the first bill onwards was just hideous. I wrote about it all: www.bluerabbit.com.au

Dave from the Vodafone social media team, please give up now.
It's obvious that you are a junior who can't do anything to help.
Formulaic stuff - "we hear you"....aaaargh. Sounds like you've been to a half day "dealing with difficult customers" class.
We all know that you can buy time by pretending to empathize, pretend that you are listening and promise to act.
Dave and Vodafone, listen up. WE WILL NOT STAND FOR YOUR SUB-STANDARD RESPONSES.
How is Twitter going to help me?

Dave, a story for you;
I have already lodged a complaint with the TIO. it's taken 7 business days but one of your customer service reps called me back and left a message and a phone number. I was in a meeting and unable to take the call. After the meeting I called back on the nominated number and guess what Dave, I was put in a call queue for 15 minutes and then the line dropped out.

So Dave, and Vodaphone - this 'social media' strategy won't fool anyone. It's obvious that you still think we are idiots.

Everyone else, vote with your feet. Complain to the TIO that you aren't getting what u paid for.
Go to another provider. Tell everyone you know about how poorly Vodafone has acted. Do it over Xmas lunch.

I walked into a Telstra shop yesterday to discuss plans just in case I can break my contract.
It was like a breath of fresh air.

Meanwhile, the staff member at the Vodafone store next store freely admitted how frustrated many staff are by their own employer and how bad they feel selling contracts to customers when they know that the service doesn't work.

Vodafone, sort yourselves out and stop forcing your staff to lie.

I have been with vodafone for 11 months.....of hell! Constantly i can't receive msgs...and when i do its sometimes hours later (if i even get them!) Then i have to call india to have someone tell me "It must be a handset issue" - How can it be a handset issue when EVERYONE i know with vodafail, with all different handsets has the same issue???

Getting by but lack of reception/call drop outs around Sydney in general is very poor, slow download speeds too

If Vodafone is in so much trouble (mess) at the moment, why dont they open up an Australian customer service department with some serious support - instead of waiting up to an hour for someone in India to answer the phone. The line quality to Inia is also shocking and I found it really hard to understand the person on the other end.

What is Lara doing answering phones when she should be making sandwiches?
Vodafone hold music is just crakling and repetitve assurance of quality customer service and optimum products.

What is Lara doing answering phones when she should be making sandwiches?
Vodafone hold music is just crakling and repetitve assurance of quality customer service and optimum products.

call drop-outs, 2 day sms delays, s l o w internet speeds and data downloads. wheres my service?

On the phon to my 12 year old daughter, I was in Hobart on work she was Sydney her mother sick in bed the phone dropped out 5 times. Tried to call Vodfone was told there was a 30 minute wait, all vodafone customers should get together and launch a class act. Service is disgusting, cant even talk to my kids when they need me, yet the bill is never late.

I have been with Vodafone for over 10 years and in all that time have not had any problems UNTIL NOW !!!
After telling the NON-service people that I was having problems and believed it was due to a faulty network they went through the usual procedures - turn off you phone, take out the sim etc etc etc - they would not believe me that their network was the problem. I then went around my building and got the numbers of 13 other people on Vodafone and rang back the NON-service dept and confronted them with what I had found "Oh yes sir, since your last call we have been notified of a network problem " - what a load of CRAP.

I am now prepared to sign up with TELSTRA (never thought I would say that) because I can not go through this Vodafone crap any longer.

I have been a customer pre-paid and contract all up for about 5-6 years! This is the worst service ever.
Am currently serving the last year of the 2 year contract I am one and for the last 4 months I have had drp outs, no service, web sites take over 5 minutes to load and most dont load at all, sms looking like they have sent but dont recieve.
I live in Hornsby NSW an area that recieves stantard service as per their website states.
Months ago I tried to call to report these issues. After several 45 minute waits and several drop outs while on hold - suprise suprise - I have been unable to speak to someone on the phone so I emailed in detail the problem only to receive some confusion automatic email asking me to fill in a form stating everything I just mentioned.
There was no mention of any technical issues.
This was the same story when I went into a VF store. Noone knew anything about it except for one staff member who told me I will just have to switch to 2G and that VF are doing maintainence to the towers and some customers will just have poor service and will have to live with it. Yeah I dont think so Vf read your contact people and use this against them.
So off the TCO I went and hopefully I will be out of my contact by Christmas. Best present I will ever receive!
Teltra here I come!

I now have a phone that doesn't make phone calls, a data service that only works when it is connected to my wireless network at work or at home.

Have given up getting them on the phone. Am now going to go into store.

Not Very Happy.

Sitting at home in North Sydney less than 1km from Vodafail's HQ. Full signal strength and 3G logo. Can not access the internet. Fail.

Call department A. Wait 40 mins. Sorry sir, it's not my department, transferring to department B. Wait 20 mins. Sorry sir, it's not my department, transferring to department C. Wait 10 mins. Sorry sir, it's not my department - let me figure out which department you need to be transferred. wait another 10 mins. Sir, we are transferring you to department A.Wait another 40 mins.

For the past three months I've had the worst reception, both GPRS and 3G, from any time with any Telco in my life (equal with Orange perhaps). I have an iPhone 3G and web pages don't load and calls and message just don't work any more.
I called to complain a few weeks ago and they said they'd start and investigation into my reception, throwing in 100 excuses as to why it might be going so bad. They said my address was not a problem spot.
I had to argue that I didn't spend all day at home, that I move all over Sydney for work.
I then had to call back after 'resetting network settings' in my phone and swapping SIM cards. They also suggested it could be a faulty phone.
Anyway, so I called back and said the reports in the SMH made them look bad. I said "if a Vodafone spokeswoman admitted to the media the network has a software issue restricting the service, you've failed to meet your contractual obligations".
They offered me $15 credit to my account.
I said do better, because the past three months of no service cost me $240.
They offered me $35 credit.
I said transfer me to the contract cancellation department.
After being on hold for the 10th time, I got there.
The 10th Indian person answered and instantly began offering me new plans and phones.
"I just want to cancel the contract," I said.
She then offered me three months of free bills. By the time that period is up I'll have 2-3 weeks of my contract left.
I accepted it knowing I will go with another telco after that time.
Vodafone, it's been swell, but I hope you get swallowed up by a better telco.

calls drop every day

It took me over 20mins to use internet banking, thanks to load errors and communication failures.

If you're interested to get on an endless loop to nowhere, call 1555. Lara doesn't "quite catch that". You say "billing enquiry" and she's like "did you mean iphone problems". Worst customer service ever. You'll wait for over an hour to speak to a real person who is based in india. If they don't know how to answer your call they simply hang up. Very RUBBISH customer service.
If you go into the store on George street, expect serious attitude from the horrible staff that see customers as an inconvenience to their day.
Get it together Vodafone.

Voicemail notifications arrive 48 hours after voicemail being recorded... The phone says full reception yet noone can call me and I can call noone... Or the opposite - the phone just is "searching..." for any reception in the middle of Sydney CBD on George St! Can it get worse?!

My iPhone is like a university professor forced to flip burgers for a living! I feel it's frustration. I live and work in the heart of Sydney and the service is appalling. In my office (ironically next door to vodofone HQ) I get full signal and NO SERVICE! Nothing works, no calls, no data, never... With a full signal? Come on Voda! I pay you $2000+ a year, give me what I pay for or give me back my money? I've found myself saying to people these days "don't worry, my work mobile is with Telstra"

Everytime I want to use my iPhone to check my bank balance or transfer some money via internet banking, I can't get any data service. 4 bars of signal and it takes over 10 mins to get a connection. WTF? VERY fustrating especially when you need the data connection for something important like banking. I can understand poor coverage but I think the issue is to do with Vodafone's data servers not being able to keep up with the load... STOP SELLING PRODUCTS YOU CAN'T SUPPORT VODAFONE!

I have been with Vodafone for many years .. sadly im being forced to leave them because they simply are not providing what I am paying for..
Effectively my iPhone is a pretty paper weight costing me $49 per month..
To add insult they treat you like you are a dumb moron when you try to complain about the lack of network connection/signal. Ridiculous considering their own bosses have acknowledged huge issues in the media their support refuse to !!
The TIO is now handling my complaints and I wont settle for anything less than cancellation of my contract now

I have been with Vodafone for over 10 years and in all that time have not had any problems UNTIL NOW !!!
After telling the NON-service people that I was having problems and believed it was due to a faulty network they went through the usual procedures - turn off you phone, take out the sim etc etc etc - they would not believe me that their network was the problem. I then went around my building and got the numbers of 13 other people on Vodafone and rang back the NON-service dept and confronted them with what I had found "Oh yes sir, since your last call we have been notified of a network problem " - what a load of CRAP.

I am now prepared to sign up with TELSTRA (never thought I would say that) because I can not go through this Vodafone crap any longer.

I am now the proud owner of a not so smart phone, because of Vodafone's poor 3G performance. I basically have to leave my phone on GPRS to get any sort of reliable service.

I work in a building that has a mobile phone on top and live 500m from a mobile phone tower. Why don't I get reception then? What can Vodafone possibly "fix" in order to give me betetr coverage? Nothing!

Holidayed on Kangaroo Island. Bf on Telstra had full service on Xmas day. What did I have? Nothing.

Did you expect anything more?

Let's face it, Vodafone are throwing an attractively priced "service" at the market. They have succeeded in saturating their already underperforming network as more and more new customers are conned into connecting to their generous plans. There is never a day that they do not have advertising in the press. While I am not contracted to them I have persevered through many of the usual service issues any other Vodafone customer would be only too familiar with. As soon as I can afford to spend more on communications I will be off to another provider...although as far as I can see they all seem to have their own set of issues.
The ACCC should definitely be looking into how Vodafone can spend so much on attracting new customers whilst spending next to nothing on supporting current ones. Their set up makes it next to impossible to report or get any positive action on service difficulties caused by their poor infastructure and lack of investment in a decent 3G network.

Had a wedding - no packet data to upload pics of the special day in Bardwell Park. Moved on to the ceremony in Oatley and had no reception to advise the marriage celebrant that the bride was 10 minutes or 1 minute away. Fail!

I only signed up roughly 2months ago now and ever since I've had my phone, it's been in and out of service ever since, even to this very day! During the three times I've gone in to a Vodafone store, they have each and every time treated me like I was an idiot. Like as if what I was saying was completely unheard of and what I was saying is untrue. Responses ranging from, "I've got the same phone, I've never had any problems" "Maybe its your phone, we will send it away for you," Let us change your sim" to have the same problems occur within the same day.
Funnily enough these problems started to happen within the week of signing up for 24months and now I'm regretting signing up as I was alittle skeptical at first to join Vodafone as I've been with Optus throughout my time with a mobile handset.I thought these problems were just startup problems and that they wil go away. Little did I know what I was getting into!!
I now know why the Vodaphone reps in store have been treating me like as if I am an idiot. Its because they knew the whole time that I wasn't the only customer complaining about their crap service and they were trying to hide it the whole time.
I can't believe nothing has been said or done to rectify the situation and now I'm stuck with a pathetic contract with absolute pathetic shit service!

Advise to NEVER go with VODAFONE!!

Just because you live in the inner city does not mean you will always have the best reception! Think about it when driving in traffic around the CBD you can't just say of this is a shit road they should fix it. Everyone is trying to get somewhere BUT all at the same time. You just have to sit there and wait. It's exactly like the network 100 of thousands of people all using it at the same time it can only do so much.

Honestly some other networks arnt like his because noone uses it, just wait till everyone moves across it's going to be exactly the same.

Everyone is going to telstra because they have great reception, wait till they arnt a government body anymore then you'll be laughing. The government won't be putting anymore money in then it's going to be shit.

Vodafone got all these issues since the major merge with 3 occured.
I waited untill my contract with 3 finished and I moved to Vodafone @ the time when they were merging together, and their bullshit was "We're merging the 2 companies for better network coverage" Now that's a lie.
they have over loaded their network without upgrading their reception equipments...

I got an Iphone4 which I originally thaugh that the reception issue was from the Iphone4, I got on to Apple who explained to me thje reception story / issue of vodafone about 3 month ago which I didn;t quite beleive him back then but Apple was kind enogh to swap my Iphone 4 with a brand new one JUST FOR MY OWN PEACE OF MIND !!!!!

However, I kept on having calls dropt out, people not being able to get hold of me, leaving me voice msg and the terrible part of it is you don't get these voice msgs directly, it could be 2 or 3 hours don the track to get them.

I have reported the issue to TIO, then I got someone from the Escalation team @ Vodafone working on that issue for me, they suggested a new sim card (Well what the point if I've only been with them for 4 months??? can't be the SIM that's causing these issues??)

Then was told that their Network / reception Eng team are investigating the issues and I got a call from one of these Eng people explaining that they have found a reception fault near where I live, but the issue is all over the place...

Guys, let's teach Vodafone a lesson.

You guys should complain about them to TIO and get them to cancel your contract with NO EARLY EXIT Fees

Dropped calls, no service when full bars, can't get online. Crap!

iPhone 3GS - dropped calls, constant "no service" messages when friends with the exact same phone and on non-Telstra providers have full signal, the most useless customer service around (and now outsourced, so even worse), nigh on incomprehensible bills that somehow ALWAYS exceed the monthly amount (I'm on an unlimited plan) and an online "portal" from the 1970's.

I have already applied to Telstra for a Business Unlimited Plan. $150, unlimited. A day after I applied a Telstra rep (from Australia) rang up and walked me through the process, as well as giving me his direct line.

That's called a proper company.

The customer service is a joke - some third rate call centre out of mumbai where a person reads from a screen and has no idea what is going on.

The reception is some bad it is not funny. Dropped calls, no net, just ridiculous.

The lies of the customer service reps, the false tests and the utmost waste of time is just mind boggling.

They cannot possibly continue to offer service contracts when the network cant even handle it!

They should be suspended from taking on new customers until such time as the network issues are resolved satisfactorily!

If you are with them get out... If you are not run...

I live in Tenambit and I have checked there website, spoke to a service person at Greenhill and also spoke to customer service (2.5hrs on hold) about the problem and they all tell me service is excellent in my area and I should have full service. I DO NOT get full service, barely 1 bar. I have an Autistic son who get's extremely frustrated when we can't make phone calls/calls drop out.
It has taken me 2years to get him to use a phone and he still has problems.

Constant call fail when I try to call from Iphone, I can have 4 bars of service or 1 and it still gives me a beep beep beep call fail. Service in general is so poor and is totally different to when I purchased 8 months ago (I live in inner city Sydney). Crap and frustrating.............................. Fix it!!

I've been with every major operator in Australia and Vodafone is by far the worst. My iphone is CONSTANTLY searching for service, OR, it says I have 3g connectivity but when I go to browse I get no connection. If it's not searching for reception it is saying I have reception only to not allow me to make any phone calls, I dial a number and wait endlessly for a dial tone. Then my messages wont send and I can't receive any calls.

I work in Sydney CBD near Pitt St mall. My office tower has a vodafone tower abuot 10 metres from my desk. Do I ever have good reception? NO. Does it contasntly drop out? YES. Do I have 3g? NEVER.... WTF?

I also get to enjoy the airport train line in my daily commute, be wary as the reception will only ever last about 5 seconds before it cuts out.

After 12 years with Vodafone, our company with 15 odd users dumped our contract with Vodafone and switched to Telstra. We had simply had enough of no 3G servive in Bondi Junction, voice mails being delivered 3 days late and constant call dropouts.

The funny part was Vodafone couldn't even find ot contract, so the let us just walk away.

Double mega-fail!

I've been with 3 almost since it began, and never had a problem. First with CDMA and then GSM, 3 was all good. Then came the merger, and it went pear shaped. I thought my phone must have been on the way out. In the middle of Macquarie Park, the hi-tech hub of Australia, surrounded by phone towers, it takes up to 10 attempts to make an outgoing call. Incoming calls - what are they? I've forgotten what my ring tone sounds like. People have to leave voice messages, and they can turn up within seconds, or a day later.
When I look out the window I can see the Optus building. I think it's a message.

I run a small law practice and as I work remotely, I depend heavily on the data service for emails. My emails sometime take up to 24 hours to be downloaded and I have contacted Voda 4-5 times and they keep on closing the fault after 5 days without any resolution. As I am on billable time, sitting for hours waiting for Voda customer service is revenue lost. As I close the office this week, I will make one last attempt to fix this, otherwise I will lodge a complaint with the Telecommuniations Industry Ombudsman, who has regulatory 'teeth' and the telcos are sensitive to the TIO as every complaint from the TIO costs them money. So the TIO is a good place to go if people are fed up with Voda's lack of service.

I visited their store in Westfield Chatswood last week to sort out my issues that I have now found out everyone else has. The place was chaos. Many people standing around trying to get help while with all the issues I had and all the others here have. We were totally ignored because the staff were tied up signing up new customers (lambs to the slaughter). After 1.5 hours I finally got the attention of one young lady who could not answer my question. Then spent another half hour while she got the tech guy to try to help me.

The result? After a two hour wait the tech guy in the store told me to call the call centre. I said "But I tried that and they told me to come here" Tech guy "Yes, they do that quite a lot to get customers of the line and we have a lot of people come into the store because the call centre tells them to but they are wrong. We can't do anything here"

I thought that my Iphone had to be send to service, then I discovered that was just the provider problem. Transmission tower are near by but I have just experience everyone else problem!! Shame a company with billions globally couldn't do better PR!!

not only my iPhone can't send email, browse the net (for business) but also often call dropouts. bought also new micro sim with data service for iPad for going interstate. showing no service since I bought 2 months ago till today. called and put on hold for 1 hour and they didn't solve nothing. no apology. but simply ask to call back within 24 hours. they think we have time and enjoy to listen to the repetitive music and Lara speaking nonsense. Now they even put an automated msg to say they are too busy to handle the call after you waited 45 mins. what's worse the English is hard to understand. Shame on you Vodafone!

dropped call, no service and dont give a crap about customer service. wont let me out of my contract.

One hour and 15 minutes on hold last week on land line because phone kept dropping out and only reconnecting on hard reset. I gave up waiting.

I can't even see my bill and how they got the figure of $186 because I cannot login to their website to My Vodafone where the bill should be displayed. The website has failed so many times while I was with them that I was forced to the call centre...hell upon hell..If I wanted to create the worst company possible with the worst systems and poor customer service I would invent Vodafail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a no contract $99 a month uncapped plan from Vodafail. I was with them for three weeks before it became unbearable and lost so many business calls my clients thought I was on holiday. After 3 weekS I canceled and moved to Telstra. I called Vodafail to tell them I had moved and that I wanted my final bill sent to me pro rated for the three weeks of the month. I was told by their billing department that this would be done and I had nothing to worry about all was in order. Remember I was with them only 3 weeks on a no contact $99 plan using my own phone. They just sent me a sim I that I put in and used.

On Thursday I was horrified to receive an SMS from them two days later that my final bill was $186!!!!!

I reported it to the TIO and have been trying to get through to them to find out how this cost $186????

It is Monday morning and I have to run my business but I am faced with the horror and frustration of having to call that fucking call centre in India to again try to find out how they got the figure of $186 and dispute it. I never wanted to have anything to do with them again. I just wanted to pay the bill and never contact them again. But this $186 bill forces me to get back in the fucking endless line of people trying to get answers from Vodafail. And good luck trying to understand some of the very thick Indian accents some of those call centre operators have!

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT IF I DO NOT PAY THIS EXTORTION THE VODFAIL BASTARDS WILL PUT ME IN DEFAULT AND FUCKING KILL MY, UP TO NOW, PERFECT CREDIT RATING. EVERYONE BEWARE. NOT ONLY DO THEY NOT PROVIDE A SERVICE BUT SHOULD YOU NOT PAY THEIR BLACKMAIL THEY WILL RUIN YOUR CREDIT RATING AUTOMATICALLY.


WILL THE TIO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING??? DOES ANYONE KNOW? I HAVE LODGED WITH THE TIO BUT WILL THAT PROTECT MY CREDIT RATING????

This would have to be the most pathetic excuse for a website,, oh if only every telco was perfect.. Infact in this perfect world I would imagine petrol prices were low... Banks were honest...oh and the list goes on but I am sure you get my drift. My point being not all is perfect in this world get over it I had HUGE issues with optus whom after numerous calls to cancel my service did not I moved house and was in the end defaulted because the still had the service going and ended up canceling it for non payment the time it took me to get this default removed was a very long drawn out process FACT to the web maker of this site all telcos have problems ALL of them why make this website about one telco give us a forum for ALL telcos or is this just really about you!!!

I know someone who works at Vodafone and he said the MORONS who run the company have just took a stupid decision to move custs from 3 to Vodafone. How and why would you put custs in grief if you already know how bad your network is. Sorry its not bad but these unlimited plans and unlimited free calls on the network have jammed them big time. Another thing to share according to my friend all the guys who run the show at Vodafone are all ex sales guys. School dropouts mostly. Not even one has a tertiary education. HAHA. No wonder they take such stupid decisions.

I just want someone to hold me...

The service has become a joke literally. Your lucky if you can maintain 30 seconds of talk time without your calling dropping off. I would consider you lucky if you can even maintain 1 bar of service throughout the day, as most of the day you will notice you can't even recieve phone calls due to the poor level of service available.

In addition I was overseas in the USA a few months back with my International roaming presumably activated however I was not able to make any outgoing or recieve incomming phone calls, I had to call vodafone and waited approx 1.5 hours on the phone and for them to hang up on me pretending its a drop off ridiculos service. I'm currently in the process of changing networks to any for that matter.

very poor reception,dropped calls all the time... hopeless network

Apart from dropped calls, lack of signal and most of the symptoms mentioned here, I always pay the bills for two phones on the Vodafone web site which is fine until you are trying to pay the account in the month your credit card expires, because even if you are paying in the middle of September and your card's expiry is the end of September, the card has expired according to the web site. If you try and use your new card which starts in October, then the system declines the card altogether, so you cannot actually pay your bill at all. Even calling and finally getting through to the call center, even they could not help because they found the same situation that that could not overide. So their solution was to extend the due payment date to the 1st day of the following month. What moron wrote that system?