Dear visitor,
Since its inception Vodafail.com has made a significant
contribution towards raising awareness of the problems and issues faced
by Vodafone customers.
Vodafone Australia customers have had the opportunity to voice their concerns, their fears and their troubles from every corner of Australia and beyond our borders.
You have gathered the courage to stand up for your rights as consumers and to make your voice heard.
Each and every person who shared their story should have a sense of pride in this achievement and the changes that have occurred since the start of Vodafail.com.
More recently, traffic to Vodafail.com has declined significantly.
Having achieved the goal of raising awareness and promoting concrete action in early 2011, we have now reached the point of closing Vodafail to new complaints.
The site will remain online for as long as possible as a
reminder and an example of what is possible when we share our experiences.
It has been a privilege to run this initiative
and I'm am forever grateful for the help and support I've received. In
particular I would like to thank Melissa, David and Travis for their
continued efforts over the past 15 months. I'm also thankful and humbled by the support of ACCAN, Choice magazine and a wide range of media outlets, blogs and websites.
You can still browse existing stories and find out how to file a complaint if you are experiencing problems.
Until next time,
Adam Brimo
The Vodafail Report
I started this website out of frustration for Vodafone's customer service and ongoing network problems. It was designed to bring attention to the issues and show that aggrieved Vodafone customers are not alone. For the past month Vodafone customers and employees from all around Australia have shared their stories, the time they spent on hold and their phone reception details with Vodafail.com. Thank you for your openness and contributions.
The information you shared has been analysed and compiled into a report. The report aims to provide an insight into scale and complexity of Vodafone's issues, the causes and the potential resolutions that may be acceptable to the affected customers. The report is available in full on this page and on Thursday January 20th 2011, this report was submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Communication & Media Authority (ACMA).
Vodafone Hutchison Australia is the only company who can solve the problems of its own making and the Australian Government has the power to ensure future problems are less likely and more quickly resolved. The Australian Communication Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) and the Privacy Commissioner continue to be vital in ensuring consumers' rights are respected and that issues are aired. Those organisations have the responsibility and that is where the attention should be focused.
The media in all its forms has brought these issues of public concern to the forefront of the public's minds. Vodafail has helped to organise that effort and if you are still experiencing problems with your Vodafone services please follow the steps on our 'How To Complain' page. Please direct any media inquiries regarding Vodafone's issues to Vodafone or the ACCAN. The ACCAN has released a statement about this report and the ongoing Vodafone issues.
Thanks again for all your support.
Other People's Comments
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| Everywhere (139) | ACT (5) | NSW (61) | NT (1) | QLD (19) | SA (4) | Somewhere else (5) | TAS (1) | VIC (31) | WA (12) |
17492 Someone from ACT thinks the report is at 28 Apr 2011 01:30:16 AM
This all comes at a time when the telco's are whining about the TIO and asking to have it's wings clipped. Sorry if it's already been posted.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/255137,telcos-call-for-radical-overhaul-of-tio.aspx?eid=3&edate=20110420&utm_source=20110420_PM&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter
This all comes at a time when the telco's are whining about the TIO and asking to have it's wings clipped. Sorry if it's already been posted.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/255137,telcos-call-for-radical-overhaul-of-tio.aspx?eid=3&edate=20110420&utm_source=20110420_PM&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter
17459 Someone from ACT thinks the report is Post Mortem at 27 Apr 2011 04:44:46 PM
I finally ceased my contract with vodafail (it took me literally going into a store and telling potential customers in front of employees not to sign up). I am now in $100 credit and was told over the phone that they can send me a cheque but that unfortunately, the address that I live at does not exist. I am apparently without a postal address and I cannot recieve a cheque unless I live somewhere. Suicidal levels of rage.
16624 Someone from ACT thinks the report is No hope in Canberra at 3 Apr 2011 04:07:11 AM
No reception in my house for 3 and vodaphone alike - I actually walked 40 minutes home and never once got 3G reception.
Getting the 30-40 minute bus to uni I can barely use facebook or read any emails. I don't even bother with youtube or browsing.
I will also add the 3/vodaphone customer service is the worst I have ever recieved in my life.
Getting the 30-40 minute bus to uni I can barely use facebook or read any emails. I don't even bother with youtube or browsing.
I will also add the 3/vodaphone customer service is the worst I have ever recieved in my life.
15469 Someone from ACT thinks the report is fail at 10 Feb 2011 07:43:23 PM
My calls and Internets service is so crap, I cant even say its crap, at least crap is something I can deal with. Its not worth the money I spend on it. 49dollar plan. People are complaining they cant hear me. I'm losing out.
My internet is slow like snail, I can't make use of it, and its not reliable gee it take forever to load.
over all just Crap. I want to get out of my plan. I want to get out as fast as I can,,I will spread the word that this is the crappiest network ever - not that they don't know already. I'd rather pay a higher package to get reliable service.
My god what kind of business are you running. I so sorry for the words im using but this is frustrating as hell. 49dollar a month for WHAT!!!!!! a brick???? an mp3 player a camera..BUT NOT a PHONE, not a smart device to surf the internet...
My internet is slow like snail, I can't make use of it, and its not reliable gee it take forever to load.
over all just Crap. I want to get out of my plan. I want to get out as fast as I can,,I will spread the word that this is the crappiest network ever - not that they don't know already. I'd rather pay a higher package to get reliable service.
My god what kind of business are you running. I so sorry for the words im using but this is frustrating as hell. 49dollar a month for WHAT!!!!!! a brick???? an mp3 player a camera..BUT NOT a PHONE, not a smart device to surf the internet...
13622 Someone from ACT thinks the report is Vodafail Report and Complete Lack of Response from Government Authorities at 21 Jan 2011 09:29:31 AM
Firstly congratulations on the preparation of the report. I have always thought that there is a wealth of information in the posts that identify a systemic failure from Vodafone on many counts.
I think that it is worth highlighting that although there are many government, semi government and industry bodies such as the TIO involved in overseeing this area they have been remarkable quiet in this whole debate. It seems that whilst there is a large number of organisations they are somewhat fragmented and and apparently powerless to act.
It has also become painfully obvious that the various regulations and codes of have practice have loopholes that allow the continued poor service to exist because they cannot be enforces.
I and others I believe are also greatly disappointed in that the attention seeking Stephen Conroy when it comes to the NBN or the internet filter cant seem to get enough publicity but is earily silent when this significant failure in delivery of contracted services occurs from Vodafone.
There is a huge opportunity to learn from this experience and tighten up laws and regulations to provided enforcable service levels onto mobile carriers and provide a mechanism for consumers to escalte issues and to eventually break contracts with no penalty should that ultimately be required.
I am also very disapponted in the company Vodafone not acknowledging the issues and publicly stating what remedial steps they plan to take over what timeframe to rectify the issues. Clearly there are massive problems within Vodafone and also with their network. They seem to be toughing it out and hoping the uproar dies down and they can go back to business as usual.
The other issue that I believe to be addressed is the imbalance of power between a consumer and the company. If the company fails to act or provide the contracted services there is seemingly no immediate penalty or solution. However if an individual fails to pay their credit standing is affected and debt collection measure can be put in place.
I think that it is worth highlighting that although there are many government, semi government and industry bodies such as the TIO involved in overseeing this area they have been remarkable quiet in this whole debate. It seems that whilst there is a large number of organisations they are somewhat fragmented and and apparently powerless to act.
It has also become painfully obvious that the various regulations and codes of have practice have loopholes that allow the continued poor service to exist because they cannot be enforces.
I and others I believe are also greatly disappointed in that the attention seeking Stephen Conroy when it comes to the NBN or the internet filter cant seem to get enough publicity but is earily silent when this significant failure in delivery of contracted services occurs from Vodafone.
There is a huge opportunity to learn from this experience and tighten up laws and regulations to provided enforcable service levels onto mobile carriers and provide a mechanism for consumers to escalte issues and to eventually break contracts with no penalty should that ultimately be required.
I am also very disapponted in the company Vodafone not acknowledging the issues and publicly stating what remedial steps they plan to take over what timeframe to rectify the issues. Clearly there are massive problems within Vodafone and also with their network. They seem to be toughing it out and hoping the uproar dies down and they can go back to business as usual.
The other issue that I believe to be addressed is the imbalance of power between a consumer and the company. If the company fails to act or provide the contracted services there is seemingly no immediate penalty or solution. However if an individual fails to pay their credit standing is affected and debt collection measure can be put in place.
"the imbalance of power between a consumer and the company"
"I think that it is worth highlighting that although there are many government, semi government and industry bodies such as the TIO involved in overseeing this area they have been remarkable quiet in this whole debate. It seems that whilst there is a large number of organisations they are somewhat fragmented and and apparently powerless to act."
And don't you love it if you bring that up with the TIO, who demand you put a lot of time and money into resolving what should be absolutely straightforward as soon as you've finally submitted the evidence in THEIR preferred manner, that you have to wear that cost in your time and money as well,even when Vodafone admits fault and grudgingly agrees to full refund?A bl**dy powerful disincentive to even complain to the TIO in the first place, just in case you haven't been worn down by Vodafone in the first place.
The unaccountable industry funded self-regulatory body known as the TIO, whose interests seem to lie mainly with protecting the cowboy telco industry from being regulated by the government, and keeping the true extent of the telcos' plundering quiet, even though most of us have had at least one really bad experience of them.